The Eastbrook Food Pantry, in partnership with the Hunger Task Force, helps families and other churches feed the needy within the community.
Visit Us:
Mondays | 6:30-8:30 PM
Saturdays | 9-11 am
IDs are no longer required, but are requested for the convenience of Pantry volunteers. If you are visiting the Pantry for the first time, please have handy the dates of birth for all family members.
Click here to view a full calendar of Food Pantry hours (and closings) at Eastbrook.
Planned closures for 2026 include:
° Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day)
° Saturday, July 4
° Monday, September 7 (Labor Day)
° Saturday, December 26 (Christmas)
Our History:
When our church family moved to our Green Bay Ave. location, we had more space than we had ministries. This sparked a series of intersections between opportunities for ministry and the giftedness of our members. Our Food Pantry is one of those intersections. Now, for decades, it has been faithfully led and operated by a dedicated team of volunteers.
When the opportunity came to expand, we partnered with the Hunger Task Force to provide large quantities of food for our neighborhood. This led to an expansion of serving two days per week and eventually moving the pantry to the current space it is in.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit our community, our food pantry team met the challenge to remain open and even expanded our service to care for our community.
Building on this strong foundation, we now look to grow the food pantry’s opportunities to foster transformation in our neighborhood. This will involve a shift toward a model that provides more time to spend with our neighbors throughout their visit, and opportunities to serve them beyond our pantry hours. We will be building more and deeper friendships with these neighbors, and make ourselves available for how God moves!
Serve at the Pantry
There are a variety of volunteer roles we are currently looking to fill:
Helper
SCHEDULE: Saturdays, serve from 8:20-11 am, or Mondays, serve from 5:50-8:30 pm
COMMITMENT: 1-2x/month
RESPONSIBILITIES: Walk through the pantry with visitors, helping them to pick items within their quantity limits, helping them pack their bags, walking out to the car with them, helping load their car, then returning the cart. During this time, ask visitors about their life and be friendly. Additionally, help with restocking the shelves. All ages can help on these teams!
Host/Hostess
SCHEDULE: Saturdays, 8:20-11 am
COMMITMENT: Weekly to monthly
RESPONSIBILITIES: Prepare the coffee and refreshments which are served to visitors in the waiting room, as well as offering God’s love to them through a ministry of presence that involves listening, prayer and care.
Food Pantry Garden Team
SCHEDULE: Saturdays, 6:30-9:30 am & Mondays, 5-7 pm
COMMITMENT: Seasonal
RESPONSIBILITIES: Provide healthy fresh produce to members of the community who may not be able to purchase locally-grown food.
Intake Team
SCHEDULE: Saturdays, 8:20-11 am or Mondays, 5:50-8:30 pm
COMMITMENT: 1-2x/month
RESPONSIBILITIES: Sit at the intake desk and help take down the visitors’ personal information via our ProPantry software; this information is required by Hunger Task Force. Check IDs or fill out a form if the visitor is new.
Friday Warehousing
SCHEDULE: Fridays, 11 am-3 pm
COMMITMENT: Weekly to monthly
RESPONSIBILITIES: Help the pantry out by doing some of the less glamorous work which is necessary to keep the pantry running smoothly. Process the Feeding America delivery by unloading pallets, unboxing items and stocking shelves.
Are you interested to serve? Click here to contact us!
Help Stock the Pantry!
The Eastbrook Food Pantry has seen an increase in traffic due to the disruptions to FoodShare caused by the government shutdown.
Are you able to donate food?
We currently need:
- Cooking oil
- Jelly
- Pasta sauce
- Baked beans
- Pasta
- Breakfast cereal
- Sugar
- Flour
- Canned protein (tuna, salmon, chicken, etc.)
Our Impact:
Hear What our Volunteers are saying about the Food Pantry…
“There is great joy in seeing small plants grow to produce wonderful fruit. It is wonderful that we can provide fresh produce to the food pantry visitors through the Food Pantry Garden, and I am also thankful for the many Eastbrook members who also provide produce from their own gardens and farms.”
Steve K.
“As a part of the Food Pantry Intake Team, we try very hard to make people who come to the Pantry feel cared for. Not only are they given physical food, they are offered spiritual food through prayer and care. Sometimes coming to the Food Pantry is an event. Many people come with neighbors and other family members. A family that came in had two small girls in the back seat. After registering them, one of the girls was very excited and wanted to talk with another one of the volunteers. We all laughed because she remembered that was the lady that handed out the treats. It was a nice opportunity for the little girl and the volunteer to feel special.”
Sheila L.
“There are no super skills needed to help with the Feeding America Pickup Team, just some caring hands and heart to be part of this team with whatever time you can offer. I would like people to know that this ministry is deeply needed and that Eastbrook has a vital impact in the community. And that serving is so rewarding and enjoyable working with the rest of the team.”
Ric P.
“I was looking for a serving opportunity in which my whole family, including four children, could serve the Milwaukee community in some way. I felt it would show our children that not everyone has the opportunity to drive to a grocery store, fill up their cart and use cash or credit to pay for everything in the cart; i.e. there are real people from all walks of life around us with the most basic needs. Serving with the Food Pantry Team showed our children that everyone can do something to help others.”
Tom B.
“I’ve been serving with the Care Team for about 8 years at this point. I first got involved when Pastor Matt mentioned it at a Sunday Service and shared the need for team members. My role in the ministry of the food pantry is to build relationships with other people. I greet people with love and a smile as they arrive to the food pantry. I take time to listen to each person and discern which direction to go with each person. Many times, the people ask for and desire prayer. Other times we just talk of the goodness of God. Through my time serving at the food pantry, God has shown me the joy, laughter, the kindness, and the hurt of some of the people we serve. God has shown me in this serving that He is helping the people with the food they are receiving in His love.”
Barbara B.
Read What the community is saying about the Food Pantry…
“Northside Food Pantry Experiences 40% Surge in Attendance”
Urban Milwaukee, March 2025
“Combatting Local Hunger Since 2006”
Hunger Task Force, February 2025
Our Team:
Pastor Dan Ryan
Sr. Director, Mission
dryan@eastbrook.org
414.228.5220 x225
Brian Dressner
Food Pantry Coordinator
bdressner@eastbrook.org
414.228.5220