Local Healthcare and Food Equity Issues Addressed at Upcoming Community Forum

The League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County is hosting a community forum, “Healthcare and Food Equity Issues in Milwaukee County,” on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The event is free, and members of the public are encouraged to attend. Three local experts will discuss the impact to our community of recent developments such as new work and paperwork hurdles for Medicaid and SNAP, restrictions on non-citizens’ ability to obtain benefits, and grocery store closings in a large swath of the City. After speaking, the panelists will engage in Q&A with attendees.

“The League of Women Voters has long characterized food and healthcare as basic human needs,” says Milwaukee County League President Peg Schrader. “But these needs are becoming harder to satisfy, creating hardships for our friends and neighbors and straining the capacity of support networks. This is a problem not just for those directly affected, but for all of us in the community. We all need to be aware of the issues and collectively work on solutions.”

Moderated by Judge Derek Mosley, Director of the Lubar Center at Marquette University Law Center, the forum features the following speakers:

Dr. Ben Weston, professor at Medical College of Wisconsin and Chief Health Policy Advisor for Milwaukee County
Melody McCurtis, a leader and advocate for Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and the Food Justice Collective
Caroline Gomez-Tom, Enrollment Network and Accessibility Manager for Covering Wisconsin, a program of the UW-Madison Division of Extension that helps connect individuals to health insurance. Gomez-Tom also is a Milwaukee County Board Supervisor, District 14.

The forum takes place Sat., Sept. 26 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Urban Ecology Center (Lagoon Room) in Washington Park, 1859 N. 40th St., Milwaukee. The program will begin at 10:30 sharp, with doors opening at 10. Light refreshments will be served. Ample free parking is available, with handicap spaces and a drop off area near the door. Although the event is free, advance registration is requested here. The League hopes to see as many people as possible in-person, but there also is an opportunity to participate virtually.

The League thanks the AAUW-Milwaukee Branch for being a contributing sponsor.