Kinship Mke Inc

KINSHIP COMMUNITY FOOD CENTER, FORMERLY KNOWN AS RIVERWEST FOOD PANTRY, ENGAGES VOLUNTEERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS TO END HUNGER, ISOLATION, AND POVERTY. OUR INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS NOURISH FOOD SECURITY AND WELLNESS, FOSTER BELONGING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND EMPOWER STABILITY AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY IN OUR CITY.

WE SERVE LOW-AND MODERATE-INCOME RESIDENTS ON MILWAUKEE'S NORTHSIDE WITHIN THE 53202, 53203, 53211, 53212, AND 53217 ZIP CODES. WE OPERATES UNDER A FOOD CENTER MODEL: THIS NEW APPROACH IS A DYNAMIC RESPONSE TO OUR COMMUNITY'S DESIRE FOR DEEPER KINSHIP, GREATER WELLNESS PROGRAMMING, AND EXPANDED SUPPORT TO ADVOCATE FOR HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT STABILITY. IT EMPOWERS RESIDENTS TO CREATE NOURISHMENT, BELONGING, AND PROSPERITY IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE POWER OF FOOD. IT DRAWS PEOPLE FROM ALL CULTURAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS INTO A DEEPER COMMUNITY OF MUTUALITY. DEVELOPED ALONGSIDE A GROWING NETWORK OF INNOVATIVE HUNGER ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, OUR MODEL ADDRESSES THE WELLNESS OF A COMMUNITY BY USING FOOD AS AN ENTRY POINT FOR CHANGE. RIVERWEST FOOD PANTRY CHANGED ITS NAME IN APRIL OF 2022 TO KINSHIP COMMUNITY FOOD CENTER. AFTER 40 YEARS, THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION HAD EVOLVED FROM FEEDING PEOPLE TO HELPING ONE ANOTHER THRIVE; THE NEW NAME BETTER REFLECTS HOW THE ORGANIZATION GATHERS NEIGHBORS AROUND FOOD TO SHARE THEIR LIVES AND BUILD TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS. RATHER THAN JUST DISTRIBUTING FOOD, KINSHIP COMMUNITY FOOD CENTER AIMS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AROUND FOOD THAT HAVE THE POWER TO TRANSFORM PEOPLE'S LIVES AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A COMMUNITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUED TO BE IMPACTED BY THE COVID WORLD-WIDE PANDEMIC THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. FOOD DISTRIBUTION OCCURRED IN OUR PARKING LOT VIA CONTACTLESS CURBSIDE PICK-UP. FOOD PROGRAMMING, LIKE OUR FARM TO FORK AND FEAST MEALS, TOOK PLACE OUTSIDE DURING FAVORABLE WEATHER. THE ORGANIZATION RENOVATED AND REDESIGNED ITS DISTRIBUTION SITE WHILE INDOOR OPERATIONS WERE CLOSED AND RE-OPENED WITH A FRESH FOOD MARKET DESIGN IN MARCH OF 2022. AFTER THE RE-OPEN, ALL FOOD CENTER PROGRAMMING RETURNED INCLUDING WEEKLY COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS PROVIDED BY LOCAL CHEFS AND WAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE A DINNER BAR DURING TUESDAY EVENING OPERATIONS. THE ORGANIZATION OFFERS SEVERAL PROGRAMS WHICH ADDRESS FOOD SCARCITY AND HELP THE WHOLE PERSON THRIVE. THEY ARE BRIEFLY DESCRIBED HERE: SHOP | FRESH FOOD MARKET - SHOP IS A FRESH FOOD MARKET THAT INTEGRATES HEALTH EDUCATION, COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS, A FOOD BAR, AND CONNECTIONS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES. THE ORGANIZATION RESCUED AND SORTED 47,000 POUNDS OF PRODUCE AND DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 290,000 POUNDS OF FOOD TO NEARLY 15,000 SHOPPERS. SHOP SERVED BREAKFASTS FROM OUR COMMUNITY KITCHEN AND HELD FOOD PREPARATION DEMOS PROVIDED BY COMMUNITY CHEFS. OVER 400 THANKSGIVING MEALS WERE GIVEN TO FAMILIES. GROW | URBAN FARM - TO FEED AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY, THE ORGANIZATION OPERATED A 27,000 SQUARE FOOT URBAN HOOP HOUSE VEGETABLE FARM AND GARDENS THAT GREW 10,000 POUNDS OF FRESH, LOCAL, AND ORGANIC PRODUCE IN 2021. THE ORGANIZATION PARTNERED WITH MAGLIO COMPANY AND GROUNDWORK MILWAUKEE TO OPERATE THE FARM. FEAST | COLLABORATIVE MEALS - FEAST IS A COLLABORATIVE MEAL THAT BRING A DIVERSE GROUP AROUND A COMMON TABLE TO EXPLORE FOOD TRADITIONS AND WHOLE FOOD CULINARY SKILLS. THREE FEAST MEALS AND THREE FARM TO FORK MEALS OCCURRED IN 2021. ADDITIONALLY, A MONTHLY RECIPE BAG PROGRAM PROVIDED SHOPPERS WITH A BAG OF GROCERIES, HIGHLIGHTING A PRODUCE ITEM, AND A RECIPE TO MAKE A MEAL.

FORM | TRAINING AND EDUCATION - FORM IS A SERVICE-BASED TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS IN SPIRITUAL FORMATION, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND CIVIC ACTION. NEARLY 3,500 COMMUNITY MEMBERS GAVE OVER 11,000 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICES IN 2021. MORE THAN 800 PEOPLE WERE TRAINED ON STRUCTURAL POVERTY VIA OUR POVERTY 101 AND POVERTY 102 TRAININGS. MISSION INTERNSHIP | A YEAR OF SERVICE - IN 2021, OUR SIXTH YEAR OF THE MISSION INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, FIVE WOMEN AND FOUR MEN GAVE A YEAR OF THEIR LIFE IN SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY WHILE LIVING TOGETHER IN TWO NEIGHBORHOOD HOMES NEAR THE FOOD CENTER. MORE THAN JUST LEARNING TO COORDINATE THE OPERATIONAL FUNCTIONS OF OUR FOOD CENTER AND FARM, THE MISSION INTERNS ESTABLISHED REAL RELATIONSHIPS TO SUPPORT SHOPPERS, VOLUNTEERS, AND ONE ANOTHER. THEY ALSO PARTICIPATED IN BI-WEEKLY FORMATION SESSIONS AND GATHERED FOR PRAYER AT THE START OF EACH MORNING.

STRIDE | CRISIS ASSISTANCE AND MENTORING - STRIDE IS A MENTORING PROGRAM THAT ACCOMPANIES PEOPLE IN CRISIS TO OVERCOME BARRIERS TO HEALTH AND ECONOMIC STABILITY. STAFF AND VOLUNTEER MENTORS ASSESS AND WALK WITH SHOPPERS TO NAVIGATE THE MYRIAD BARRIERS THAT OFTEN ACCOMPANY FOOD INSECURITY. THE ORGANIZATION PARTNERED WITH 29 ORGANIZATIONS AND GAVE MORE THAN 250 REFERRALS FOR FAMILIES IN CRISIS FOR MENTORING AND OTHER DIRECT ASSISTANCE.