Milwaukee food pantry serves up inspiration, breaks down barriers

MILWAUKEE - After expanding from what used to be the Riverwest Pantry, a local organization is changing thousands of lives each year and curbing generational poverty. A collection of programs is expanding food access in our community and serving as a gateway to change for folks facing barriers in life.

With food, fellowship and laughter, smiles come easy these days, but it hasn't always the case. 

"It’s like my home, these people here…oh my God," said shopper Sharon Johnson. 

Riverwest church basement comes to life

For Johnson, this Riverwest church basement is a melting pot with resources that helped her get sober. The recipe to recovery for Johnson and countless others starts from scratch at the kitchen of Kinship Community Food Center.

"Kinship gave me a reason to see myself differently and a life that I love and I’m happy," said Natalie Ross.

From volunteer to senior culinary associate, Ross, runs the kitchen. 

"It’s been a three year journey. I started here after I had been laid off during the pandemic. I was a few months sober. I wasn’t leaving my house because I was so anxious," Ross added.

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Getting the opportunity to be part of the organization’s holistic approach changed her life and others. 

"For me it’s an honor to open up about my struggles and to maybe help someone through theirs," Ross shared.

Driven by volunteers

Once looking for guidance, Ross now leads a team of volunteers in the workforce program. 

"It’s heartwarming because coming from where I came from kind of a dark place and sheltered, in here it’s teaching me how to work with open arms and receive the love they give here," said trainee Terrance Caldwell.

Caldwell is learning valuable culinary skills.

"I can honestly say it’s to better myself and my future," Caldwell said. 

The newly launched program gives paid work experience and helps folks thrive by integrating social connection, development and a path toward steady employment.

"It’s amazing it’s something I never thought I would be part of but I am just thankful every day. I am hoping to stay in the culinary community," said Nikki Danielson.

In addition to helping nourish a potential career, this organization is bringing fresh food to an entire community. 

"We try to have a health focus, a nutritional bit to what we are doing. A lot of our folks are facing issues with diabetes, cholesterol all kinds of things," Ross added.

Layering dishes like lasagna with veggies; a mission rooted in healthy options that all start outside the kitchen.

The Urban Farm

Right off Port Washington Road in Glendale, Cole Compton said The Urban Farm educates and promotes food security and wellness.

"Currently we are growing in all 11 hoop houses that are on site. We have 45 different types of produce we grow on a yearly basis," Compton said. "During a typical season we can see an upward of 16,000 pounds of food grown. Teaching sustainability to volunteers. What we do here is transferrable to your own community, transferable to your own neighborhood. You can grow anything you buy at the grocery store efficiently, affordably and so much better quality."

Volunteers harvest leafy greens for dinner back at Kinship.

"This is farm to table in a matter of six hours or so," Compton said.

With partners like the Hunger Task Force, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and Maglio Companies, the basement of St. Casimir transforms a couple of times a week into café and pantry.

"Kinship is a place that is filled with generosity. Everybody gives and everybody receives," said Debra Klepp. 

Kinship is not only about food, but a refuge and support for physical, mental and spiritual needs. 

"It’s a footprint of one that should be modeled," Klepp added.

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Once shoppers, retired couple Debra Klepp and Jack Klepp now give their time and direct people to onsite pop-up programs like STRIDE. 

"There are volunteers and staff that help them with housing, rent, school, training," Klepp said. 

Crisis assistance on hand, along with mentoring programs helping people overcome barriers to health and economic stability.

"We have different parts of our curriculum, digital literacy and financial literacy," said Danielson.

Kinship has become a cornerstone in this Riverwest neighborhood. With its integration of culinary arts, urban agriculture, and grocery operations, case management and human development programming -- have created a culture of care.

"It’s a lot of love," Caldwell said. 

It fulfills families in many ways. 

"Ask for help. The help is there community is there Kinship is here."  

A place of hope, help and healing, Kinship also a has mission internship and plenty of opportunities for service.

The organization serves the Riverwest and Harambee neighborhoods as well as people who live in many underserved zip codes. Find more information on resources, volunteering or even recipes.