'People are struggling:' Milwaukee area realtor creates home-cooked meals for families in need

MILWAUKEE -- At the start of the pandemic, a Milwaukee area realtor turned to home-cooked meals to help families in need. It is a project that continues to grow.

Rochelle Gamauf

From the beginning, Rochelle Gamauf just wanted to give back.

"We have one guy that lost his wife, and it's very simple for him to just put the food in his oven, and he's got a meal for him," Gamauf said.

But over the last ten weeks, what began as an idea has evolved into something much larger. Gamauf has assembled the Southeast Wisconsin Emergency Support Group to make the meals and get other things, like groceries, pet food, and even paper towel for families in need. She hopes to register the group as a 501(C)3 nonprofit -- to continue its work after the pandemic.

"People are struggling out there, and they're not getting the resources that they need," Gamauf said.

But they are not just buying and making the products. Volunteers like David Curro are then delivering those products directly to the 70-plus people that have sought help through the groups' Facebook page.

"You can get up in the morning and complain about all the inefficiencies in the world and do nothing. Or, you can decide to try to do a little something.," Curro said.

The Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors has launched a GoFundMe to help the group cover the cost to use a commercial kitchen at the Waukesha County Expo Center -- and not cook out of Gamauf's home. CLICK HERE to learn more.