MILWAUKEE — The Gathering, Hunger Task Force, and Running Rebels have teamed up to feed the city. The need is so severe that The Gathering got a new freezer that's three times bigger than the previous one.
"The freezer is ginormous. Look at it, but be quick; it's cold. This is our new walk-in freezer," said Lyn Hildenbrand, The Gathering's executive director.
The new state-of-the-art cooler will allow volunteers to store food and provide 1700 free meals a week to those in need.
"We used to have to turn off all the way because we didn't have a place to store it," said Hildenbrand.
The Gathering was founded to serve the homeless, but today it's seeing a new demographic.
"More like the working poor type of thing. A lot of people who show up at the door are usually just grabbing a meal for them, their kids, and they're off either to school or right off to work," said Austin Pettigrew, the program manager for The Gathering.
Austin explains that since COVID, the numbers of people in need have skyrocketed, and the new cooler will give volunteers a fighting chance.
"I'm excited about that. It's gonna be definitely a game-changer for The Gathering, and we will be able to accept more food," said Pettigrew.
Volunteers like Jerry Davis agree.
"The new storage unit, it was something we really needed to use at a greater capacity to help those in need," said Davis.
Jerry Davis has helped give out food for seven years.
"I grew up in a poor family myself. A lot of the people that come here haven't always been in this situation, and we don't discriminate," said Davis.
"We ask no questions. If you want a meal, you can just come to the door and eat," said Hildenbrand.
With four locations across the city and a new cooler, The Gathering plans to combat hunger this summer, but they need help.
"The Gathering is looking for volunteers. We are a volunteer-run organization," said Hildenbrand.
And take it from Jerry.
"It's just a reward you can't explain, you know. It gets in your blood, and it feels good," said Davis.
To volunteer click here.
View this photo for free meal times:
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
