NourishMKE is the largest network of community food centers in Milwaukee.
We provide encouraging spaces where people can select and prepare free quality foods, and explore nutrition and wellbeing. The foods are thoughtfully sourced to offer options and reduce waste.
But good food is only the starting point for satisfying a human ache that goes well beyond physical hunger. On any given day at any of our four locations, you’ll find a beautiful and messy collection of people who are doing their best to love each other well. That love shows up in shared food, encouraging words, and growing friendships that make life better in practical and intangible ways.
All that to say, we’re a network of community food centers that specializes in food, love, and community.
Why does NourishMKE exist?
Hunger is a real problem, and access to food should be a fundamental right. No one should be made to feel they’re not deserving of nourishment when there is more than enough for everyone to thrive.
As humans, we also can’t survive without community; it’s imperative for our health and longevity. We’re all different with unique stories and backgrounds, but we all want to feel meaning, to feel like we matter. By creating an environment where volunteers and shoppers can both give and receive, life begins to have meaning and hope again.
Our neighborhoods need more access points for people to get food, love, and community. NourishMKE offers access to all of those things.
That is why we’re always looking for valuable ways to love our community, which is why we go out of our way to meet people where they’re at.
A Fierce Commitment to Community
We are fiercely committed to our neighbors – helping each other in whatever ways we can. We choose to be present to our neighbors even when it’s difficult. Sometimes that means we need to step outside of our job descriptions and go beyond what’s comfortable to offer real help. And it can be very random. A guest might need a refrigerator. Or safe housing. Financial resources. Healthcare. A hug. An opportunity to contribute and experience what it’s like to give to someone in need. We are here to listen and notice how we might be able to improve people’s lives. That’s what community is about. That’s what happens at NourishMKE Community Food Centers.
Lives Held Together by Food, Love & Community.
We are creating centers where people from all backgrounds can rest, breathe, and be at peace even if just for a moment. We always ask ourselves if the environment will make growth possible. The way our space looks. How it feels. The way people interact. We know the conditions matter. Everyone will find food here. Some will find a deeper sense of belonging and purpose, but it’s not a requirement. When we welcome people with acceptance and trust, what results is growth—differences are pruned, we develop new understandings of each other and ourselves, and our lives become intertwined. Sharing food, loving each other, and being a community is how we help everyone find the nourishment they need.
Our Services
It’s difficult to fully explain everything that happens at NourishMKE, but these summaries will help. The best way to understand what we do is to see it for yourself. Please consider visiting some day soon.