By Christina Lorey Jan 11, 2021 8:02 AM MADISON, Wis.– Nearly 12% of American families, a record 26 million people, reported not having enough to eat over the past week. Thousands live in south-central Wisconsin. They’re our neighbors. Our friends. Or maybe, ourselves. “For many people, 2020 was the first time they ever used a food pantry,” said Francesca Frisque, Food Pantry Coordinator for the Goodman Community Center. “And so that was a hard barrier for them to overcome: to have to use a service they never thought they would need.” According to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 20 million families received a free meal in the past 7 days.