MILWAUKEE — It may be the season of giving, but one Milwaukee woman celebrates giving back all year round.
Billie Burton is a long-time volunteer at the Helping Community Food Pantry in Milwaukee. The pantry is a part of the Hunger Task Force network.
She has been working to help others there for decades and continues to show up week after week.
Burton started as a volunteer, helping in any way possible. Now, she’s the manager at the food pantry.
“I enjoy the people in the neighborhood, I truly do,” Burton said. “You see the need. There are so many people who are here, who come who are just so sincere about what they need.”
Burton said working in the food pantry brings back memories from when she was a kid. She said as a kid, she remembers her mom often reaching out for community help to feed her and her five siblings.
“I know that along our way there were church groups that came to help,” she said. “There were community groups that came to help. We never saw a time, it may not have been things we wanted to eat, but our table was never empty. I think I look back and I remember her face and knowing there are families around here that are trying to accomplish what she was.”
She said by understanding the need others have in the community, she has a close connection with those who come by each week to pick up the food and other items they need.
Hunger Task Force CEO Matt King said having someone like Burton on their team is simply invaluable.
“Billie is a great example of the heart of what we do,” King said. “People like Billie are the reason why we have this network of centers and pantries throughout our community where people can go get help. It is her purpose, her joy in the mission that clearly renews her every time that she serves.”
Burton has an infectious smile while she serves others. She said she continues to show up day after day because she knows the type of impact it makes on those who utilize the pantry.
It’s a full circle moment for her, and she’s proud of what she’s been able to accomplish over the past few decades.