More Than Food
In addition to cooking and serving meals, the Gathering seeks to respond to other needs of our guests when possible, including mental health, medical, housing and food share assistance along with street supply distributions. Our preference is to deliver such services through collaborative programming with other Milwaukee organizations.
These collaborations are described below.
Local Resource Guides
Mental Health Assistance
Provided for Gathering guests during the breakfast meal at The Gathering at Running Rebels (1300 W Fond Du Lac Ave). The Gathering collaborates with the Homeless Outreach Nursing Center (HONC) to provide mental health services to our breakfast guests, 60-70% of whom are homeless, many with mental health and/or addiction issues. The focus of the mental health staff is to locate, stabilize and house the homeless mentally ill.
Housing Assistance
Provided during the breakfast meal at The Gathering at Running Rebels (1300 W Fond Du Lac Ave). The Gathering collaborates with Milwaukee County Housing Division providing outreach to any individuals currently experiencing homelessness. If an individual is without shelter, or occupying temporary local shelter, outreach worker Beth Lappen will work one-on-one with our guests to learn their needs and assist in any way possible. Through Beth’s involvement with The Gathering, the Housing Division has helped dozens of individuals move from the streets into permanent housing.
To learn more about housing options for former inmates, as well as tips for maintaining healthy boundaries when staying with family or friends after release, review Bankrate’s article on Securing Housing After Incarceration.
Additionally, Section 8 housing provides affordable housing options to low-income families. With more than 80% of American households earning less than $20,000 per year, it's even more important for families to understand the facts and fully understand their eligibility. Bankrate has created a guide including Section 8 facts and statistics, affordable housing options, key tenant rights and Section 8 eligibility and resources. View Bankrate’s Section 8 Housing Guide Here.
Food Share, Health Care and Child Care
Provided during the breakfast meal at The Gathering at Running Rebels (1300 W Fond Du Lac Ave), Hunger Task Force provides outreach to further support our guests in need of benefits, including food share, health care and child care.
Supply Distributions
Distributions of toiletry items (such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, lotion, shampoo), laundry detergent, blankets, sleeping bags, hand warmers, warm socks, outerwear, gloves, hats, scarves, bottled water, etc. are distributed when a sufficient number of items are available. Visit our In-Kind Donations page to learn more about donating supplies. Items like toiletries and apparel can make all the difference.