On Thanksgiving day, I had the pleasure of volunteering for a local coalition called Dream Team United MKE. The group of leaders, activists and volunteers descended on a vacant lot at the corner of North 35th Street and Center Street on Milwaukee’s Northside. What was abandoned land, quickly transformed into a pop-up oasis for those in need.
A week earlier, Dream Team United MKE Founder Farina Brooks, told me that it was expected to be cloudy and cold on the day of the event but she said she knew God would make way for a sunny day. Before we got ready to serve, Brooks called us all into prayer and the sun poked out of the clouds as if it were on queue.
The group gave out winter coats, free groceries and a warm Thanksgiving meal to over 300 people. Before the food ran out, I took a moment to speak with a few folks who were waiting to eat. I asked one woman if she’d like to chat and she said no and tears began to swell in her eye. I came back with some tissue and she opened up. She said she was overwhelmed because she had no idea the event was happening and had been struggling for a while to make ends meet.
Another woman was headed to the Salvation Army that morning but was met with a closed building. The bus driver who got her there told her to get back on the bus and then drove her to N. 35th street so she could get some food. Instances like this are not uncommon for Dream Team United MKE.
They have a special knack for always being in the right place at the right time.
This semester I spoke to several people who are battling hunger during the worst pandemic our world has seen in 100 years. For many looking for emergency assistance, mutual aid groups like Dream Team United MKE make all the difference.
A 2015 analysis by AP found that major retailers overwhelmingly avoid food deserts for a host of reasons. Yet, nearly 40 percent of Milwaukee county counts as a food desert, according to data collected by TMJ4 from the United States Department of Agriculture and Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force.
The lack of fresh and accessible food is also closely tied to health and obesity disparities. Milwaukee has the 9th highest obesity rate in the country (which is concentrated in Black and brown neighborhoods), according to the Milwaukee Fresh Food Access Report. These issues are all heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
To dive deeper into the hunger crisis in Milwaukee, I have decided to learn as much as I can about which communities are impacted by food insecurity and the many mutual aid organizations addressing the issue on the ground.
“What we’re doing is a direct challenge to the traditional pantry model,” said Emma Toth, founder of Food Is Free MKE, a local food stand attached to Toth’s home.
“We just try to listen for gaps and do what we can by staying outside of the system.”
Learning how to listen
When it comes to building trust, volunteering and informational interviews have been my most effective methods to date. My most recent engagement efforts are centered on Milwaukee’s Metcalfe Park, Sherman Park and Amani neighborhoods. I have been able to set up informational Zoom meetings with leaders like Dream Team United MKE founder Farina Brooks, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service’s Adam Carr, United Health Community Relations and Outreach Specialist Kendra Little, and DJ and Producer Tyrone Miller.
I have also had traditional interviews with at least a dozen people, including Food is Free Founder Emma Toth, County Supervisor Sequanna Taylor and Feeding America of Eastern Wisconsin’s Order Management Manager Tyler Younger.
Most importantly (and where I need to grow the most) I have had phone conversations with folks in need. Most of these contacts were made through the Facebook group “Milwaukee Free for You.” Their willingness to share their experiences with me is invaluable. Out of respect for those who shared their story with me, I will leave their names out of this post.
From what I have learned so far, good ol’ neighbors are some of the most reliable resources available when residents find themselves in need. I also learned that traditional pantries can be inaccessible when looking for immediate, emergency food (or other aid.) Especially when those traditional offerings require IDs or income verification. These kinds of restrictions are the driving force behind the “no questions asked” models run by Toth and Brooks. Both their organizations offer people the agency to take as much as they need when they need it. This is a luxury not offered by traditional pantries or food banks in the Milwaukee area.
Information gaps in Milwaukee are also an issue for some residents looking to find food for their families. Some organizations that address food needs operate on a neighborhood level by restricting their reach to their respective neighborhood. This presents a problem for people who live out the outskirts of service areas or find themselves on the opposite side of the city.
“People just don’t want to tell you where to get the food at,” said Metcalfe Park resident LeChante Marks.
These information gaps are most likely perpetuated by a lack of communication between various initiatives trying to serve communities with diverse needs.
“We all know about the silos, how everybody works independently,” said activist and Dream Team United member Vaun Mayes. “Instead of us all doing events on our own, let’s come together and do bigger and better things.”
The most important thing I’ve learned through it all is that the abundance of individuals and organizations working to combat hunger in Milwaukee is something to celebrate. So many people are tackling major issues head-on with little support other than the goodwill of their neighbors and friends. This kind of commitment is inspiring.
“What the community needs right now more than anything…is they need a little less fear and a little more hope,” Toth said.
Although many local organizations have managed to feed hundreds of people this past year, it is evident that there might be a disconnect between those on the ground serving plates and those calling the shots elsewhere. The disconnect is not entirely clear to me, so my next step will be to map out the stakeholders, structures and beliefs that prevent certain communities from getting the food they need when they need it.
In addition to that, I will also be working with News414’s Jimmy Gutierrez to survey community members in the Metcalfe Park and Amani neighborhoods. As a Knight Fellow, Gutierrez has used design thinking to survey and build trust with residents. His goal is to offer a text SMS product that is heavily influenced by the community. Through partnering with News414, I hope that I can learn how to produce service journalism for folks battling hunger on Milwaukee’s near Northside and also create a service that is a sustainable conduit between the many initiatives already at play in the city.
If you have any ideas, tips, or inspiration please feel free to contact me: nala.phillips032@journalism.cuny.edu
