Community Partners
We are proud to acknowledge our partners in the community who work alongside the Gathering to strengthen our collective impact in alleviating hunger and homelessness in Milwaukee. We work in tandem with these partners to extend our mission in new ways and into new neighborhoods, raise awareness about hunger and homelessness, and provide needed resources for our guests.
Financial and Goods Partners:
All Saints Cathedral Hunger Book Sale:
Used books are collected throughout the year, organized, priced and sold to the public the first weekend in August. This annual event helps provide financial support to the Gathering.
Feeding America, Eastern Wisconsin:
Feeding America is a national food bank network with a local presence that provides free and low cost food to the Gathering.
Hunger Task Force:
A local nonprofit, providing hundreds of thousands of pounds of free food to hunger-relief organizations and families throughout Milwaukee. Hunger Task Force also promotes sound social policy, operates their own sustainable farm and administers the Hunger Relief Fund which helps to raise money for the Gathering.
Witte’s Vegetable Farm:
The Witte’s Vegetable Farm, just north of Milwaukee in Cedarburg, is the Gathering’s largest donor of fresh produce to our Fresh Produce Preservation Project.
Food Rescue Program:
Local restaurants donating food that would otherwise go to waste. These restaurants include Starbucks, McDonald’s, Rocket Baby, Panera, and Chick-fil-A.
Meal Site Location Partners:
Ascension Lutheran Church:
Home of our south side Dinner Program as of October 2020. Dinner Program is on Mondays & Wednesdays, and Lunch Program is on Saturdays. The Gathering rents space from the church for on site programming.
Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church:
In 2015, Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church became the Gathering’s fourth official meal site, serving Saturday lunch every second and fourth Saturday of the month.
Running Rebels:
In 2019, the Gathering relocated its weekday Breakfast and Saturday Lunch Programs to the Running Rebels building located on Fond Du Lac Avenue. The Gathering operates out of this space 6 days in a week.
St Paul’s COGIC:
The Gathering in partnership with St. Paul’s COGIC will be providing hot home cooked meals every Wednesday & Saturday beginning August 2, 2023.
Meal Site Resource Partners:
Homeless Outreach Nursing Center (a program of Community Advocates):
The Homeless Outreach Nursing Center is focused on locating and stabilizing the homeless mentally ill. They are active at our Breakfast Program weekly.
Milwaukee County Housing Division:
The Milwaukee County Housing Division periodically provides staff to the Gathering’s breakfast meals. Staff members share housing resources and funding with Gathering guests.
Hunger Task Force:
Providing food share, health care and child care resources to our meal guests, once per week. Additionally, Hunger Task Force was a huge supporter of our meal program during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing masks, gloves and other supplies as needed.
Saturday Bag Lunch Program:
The Gathering provides bag lunches in addition to the Saturday meals because the next free meal is not available until Sunday evening. Each month the following groups 100-200 bag lunches: The Hindu Temple, Peace United Methodist Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, Tosa Avenue United Methodist Church, Christ Church, Saint Augustine Church, and many other one time donors.
Other Partners:
Impact 2-1-1:
A central access point for people in need, Impact 2-1-1 offers a free confidential helpline (211) and online resource directory for easy access to information and assistance in times of personal crisis.
Benedict Center:
The Benedict Center provides advocacy for women in the criminal justice system so they can live happier and safer lives. We provide them 20 hot meals and 20 bag lunches Monday-Friday.
Cathedral Center:
The Cathedral Center serves women and families experiencing homelessness. We provide them 60 hot meals 2-3 days a week.
Sojourner Family Peace Center:
Sojourner has been designated the 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline for the City of Milwaukee and outlying communities since 1986. We provide them 40 meals 4 days a week.