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Mission
Our mission is to provide meals and associated services to those who would otherwise go hungry. We respect the dignity and values of every individual we serve and value our volunteers who allow us to serve the community.
Our work is best expressed in our motto, "People in community feeding the hungry."
Services
Meal Programs: The Gathering provides ten free meals each week at three sites to over 100,000 of Milwaukee's hungry and homeless annually. This work is done by hundreds of volunteers.
• Breakfast Program - Monday through Friday
• Dinner Program - Monday & Wednesday
• Saturday Lunch - Three sites
Click Here for Meal Site Locations & Serving Times
Additional Services: The Gathering collaborates with organizations whose missions are complementary to ours to provide on-site services:
- Mental health
- Legal assistance
- Medical referrals
- Supply distributions
History
The Gathering began under the direction of the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee; we are now an independent nonprofit organization.
- January, 1982 - first meal served (Saturday lunch) at St. James Episcopal Church, downtown Milwaukee
- Spring, 1983 - Breakfast Program added at our St. James' site
- 1986 - Dinner Program & second Saturday lunch site began at St. John's Episcopal Church on Milwaukee's near south side
- 1988 - Third Saturday lunch site added at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (now St. Andrew's Episcopal Outreach Center)
- 1990 - Jubilee House, a supportive transitional housing program fostered by Gathering volunteers, opened its doors
- 1996 - Homework Help, an after-school tutoring program began under the auspices of The Gathering; it is now a program of Faith Lutheran Church on Milwaukee's south side
- Fall, 2000 - Mental Health Program began at our breakfast site in collaboration with the Homeless Outreach Nursing Center of the American Red Cross
- Fall, 2002 - Dinner Program and south side Saturday lunch moved three blocks to The Milwaukee Outreach Center (now Christian Faith Fellowship Church South)
- 2004 - Michelle P. Mooney Scholarship Fund awarded its first two scholarships for education and training to Gathering guests.
- Fall, 2004 - The Mental Health Program received the 2004 Milwaukee Nonprofit Strategic Alliance Award
- Spring, 2005 - A pilot project - the Municipal Court Ticket Clinic - was instituted at the St. James' site by the Legal Aid Society.
- Spring, 2007 - Twenty-five years of service commemorated
- Summer, 2007 - 1st Annual Gathering Golf Classic
Funding
The Gathering is a registered nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) agency.
The Gathering receives funding from a variety of sources including churches (11%), corporations and foundations (35%), government (11%), special events (5%), individuals (32%), United Way Donor's Choice (4%), reserves (2%). (FY 2006/2007)
Loaves & Fishes quilted mural created by Gathering guests and volunteers
under the direction of artist, Alice Pollock
2007-2008 Gathering Board of Directors
Gene Detert, President
Laura Thurow, Vice President
Nancy Kiernan, Treasurer
Lucy Cooper, Secretary
Don Bardonner
Cindy Berndt
Jim Brennan
Maggie Broeren
Keith Crowder
Karen Dardy
Greg Johnson
Mel Johnson
Kathy Labinski
Andrew Martin
Rosemary Selep
Melanie Stewart
Margaret Tackes
Mary Thickens
Teresa Trostmiller
Gathering Staff
Virginia Schrag, Executive Director
George Neureuther, Program Director
Jim Ardis, Dinner Site Coordinator
Marianne Bach, Database Administrator
Moses Cook, Security
Ed Kowach, Cook
Josephine Oldfield, Office Administrator
Dennis Stokhaug, Operations Manager
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