Amidst this pandemic -- we're seeing the best of Wisconsin. People are helping.
Angela Harris is a mother and a 1st grade teacher with Milwaukee Public Schools. When the Coronavirus pandemic shut down the largest school district in Wisconsin, Harris jumped into action.
"I knew a lot of folks would be looking for ways to help or in need," said Harris, "so I just wanted to create a place where folks could go a centralized location, where people could find this information, share their data, share what their needs were, and disseminate to the places who would be best to help them."
A Google document is now circulating social media connecting families with volunteers. Harris says she is seeing three major areas of need: child care, the elderly and shut-in, and families in need of monetary aid.
"My driving focus is really bringing Milwaukee together so we can really start to see the best that we all have to offer," explained Harris.
At Feeding America -- a nonprofit organization that is a nationwide network of food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies, the call is for volunteers to help sort food. Monday, TMJ4 News found two workers in a warehouse which is normally bustling with more than 100 volunteers.
According to Feeding America's director of community engagement, Rayna Andrews, "we need three things, food, funds and friends... in that order. And so you see food here, but we have over 200 food pantries, hot food programs, and shelters across Milwaukee county and even more across our 36 counties across southeastern Wisconsin so about 600 feeding sites so we need volunteers."
State resources can also be found through 211 Wisconsin.