Feeding the Hungry, Receiving from Ebenezer

09/26/17 • 7 min

Almost three in ten people who live in the city of Milwaukee live in poverty, according to Census Bureau statistics published by the Hunger Task Force. The estimated poverty rate in Milwaukee is 28.7%, the poverty rate in the United States is 15.5%. (See more details here: https://www.hungertaskforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/QuickFacts_Feb2017.pdf)

To live in poverty, a family of four needs to make $24,600 a year or less. Those who are struggling to buy food and pay their utilities often take advantage of several meal sites and food pantries throughout the city. Ebenezer Stone Ministries, at 35th and Scott, is one location that offers free meals Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons, as well as an emergency food pantry.

On a Saturday morning visit, I spoke to one man enjoying a warm meal who shared his story with me. McKinley Cullins has had some difficulties in his life, but he isn’t bitter or resentful for the circumstances. In fact, he calls himself blessed.

Previous Episode

Feeding the Hungry, Serving at Ebenezer

For many people, it’s hard to imagine not having enough food on the table to feed your family. But for some, that’s their reality.

In Milwaukee, there are many different organizations that reach out to help those in need with food, clothing and other assistance. For the next couple of episodes of Stories that Touch your Heart, I’ll be focusing on one of those groups: Ebenezer Stone Ministries, a non-profit organization that provides support and hope for people in need on Milwaukee’s south side, and empowers individual’s to be financially independent.

A team of volunteers make breakfast every Saturday at Ebenezer and serve around 200 people with mostly donated items. Those who eat the meal range from large families living below the poverty line to single, homeless men.

There are usually around 10 volunteers who cook and serve the meal, as well as clean up afterwards. The individuals I spoke with were from a church in Greendale, WI.

While they were serving the meal, a 75-year-old-man, Freddy Walecki, was walking among the tables and handing out a variety of items that had been given to him, ranging from canned goods to t-shirts.

More information on Ebenezer Stone Ministries can be found here: http://ebenezerstoneministries.org/

Next Episode

Breakfast with the Homeless and Working Poor

Many of us have an image of homeless people in our minds. It could be the man with a cardboard sign asking for money by a freeway ramp or someone sleeping in an alley in the middle of the day. You won’t usualy hear people talking about a homeless person by name, or mentioning what a great conversation they had with a homeless man or woman that morning.

Today’s episode of Stories that Touch your Heart offers a different perspective from two women who eat free Saturday breakfasts with the homeless and working poor in the basement of a church on Milwaukee’s south side. Sandra Mandell, 44, and Patricia, 90, (a widow who was not comfortable sharing her last name) linger for a while at Ebenezer Stone Ministries, chatting with the regulars, getting to know people and even developing friendships with some individuals. They enjoy the conversations and sense of community that develops over the breakfast table.