SHARE Wisconsin started as part of a movement that began in 1983 in San Diego. The idea was simple: purchase food in bulk and distribute it with a volunteer workforce to achieve significant savings. Simply put, SHARE would work like a volunteer-run food buying club. The idea caught on. As people worked together, they felt their communities grow stronger.
For SHARE Wisconsin’s first food distribution in October 1985, a donated shipping dock, pallet jacks and freezer trucks were secured in downtown Milwaukee. The word spread, and volunteers sorted food for around 1,400 families.
Since that time SHARE Wisconsin has come to serve more than 8,000 families monthly, from northeastern Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, throughout Wisconsin, and down into northern Illinois.
A lot has changed over the years. For a time, SHARE distributed food out of the Schlitz Brewery complex in downtown Milwaukee.
In early 1989, SHARE moved to its current warehouse in Butler, Wisconsin. The SHARE volunteer network has grown from just a handful of host sites in 1985 to the current network of over 200 sites.
In the beginning, SHARE distributed a set package of food every month. Now members choose from a selection of nearly 20 different products. Two years ago SHARE debuted its online ordering system, making it much more convenient for members to do their SHARE shopping. The Mobile Market also started in 2008, bringing SHARE’s savings on food to even more Metro Milwaukee neighborhoods. And in 2009, SHARE expanded into parts of northeastern Minnesota around Duluth. Host Site Developer Karen Arthur now heads up a team of dedicated volunteers at a northwest Wisconsin/northeast Minnesota regional office.
The one thing that has not changed over the years is SHARE’s incredible volunteer network. During these 25 years, literally thousands of volunteers have given of their time, energy and hearts. They do this out of a profound commitment to make their communities better places to live. SHARE thanks each and every volunteer who has been part of the first 25 years, and we invite you to join us in creating the next 25 years!
PS Click here for some histories of SHARE host sites!
