When Kroger closed five Pick n’ Save locations in the Milwaukee area last summer, a group in one of the affected neighborhoods spearheaded mutual aid efforts to feed its community.
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges partnered with Tricklebee Café and the nonpartisan coalition One MKE to open a community-powered fridge. It’s a fridge at Tricklebee where anyone from the community can stock food items like fruits, vegetables or deli items, and take what they need for free.
Last Friday, another ribbon-cutting — this time at the offices of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges — celebrated the opening of four new fridges.
Alderman Russell Stamper is one of the sponsors of the fridge expansion. "Today is a powerful day," Stamper said. "Not because we’re simply cutting a ribbon, but because we are cutting through barriers. We are cutting through food insecurity. We are cutting through the idea that our neighborhood has to wait for help."
FEED MKE, an initiative of the city’s Environmental Collaboration Office, and One MKE are sponsors as well.
Three organizations make up the growing community-powered fridge network, and will be the locations for additional fridges.
Representatives from those groups joined Friday’s ribbon-cutting to share their gratitude. Britney Roberson is with the Dominican Center, Mable Lamb is from the Sherman Park Community Association, and Hannah Bessenecker is with Rooted & Rising.
"This is truly, as many have said, a great opportunity for our neighborhoods to be able to do for ourselves, Roberson said.
"This is a very intentional network built from the community-up. Community-led. We are so proud," said Lamb.
"This collaboration will allow us to expand our reach and increase food access in our neighborhood through community-led solutions of mutual aid and solidarity," Bessenecker added.
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges Deputy Director Melody McCurtis also addressed the group. "Everybody scan around the room," McCurtis instructed the audience. "This food thing is impacting every part of the city, every part of the county. Everybody deserves to what?"
The audience replied: "Eat."
"And it’s our job," McCurtis continued, "to use the resources that we have to make that happen, right?"
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges say efforts to keep feeding the community will continue.
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