KINSHIP MKE INC

Kinship MKE, Inc. (Organization), known as Kinship Community Food Center, engages volunteers & neighborhood residents to end hunger, isolation, and poverty. Our innovative programs nourish food security and wellness, foster belonging and community engagement, and empower stability and economic prosperity in our city. The Organization is incorporated under the laws of the State of Wisconsin. When a person walks into Kinship Community Food Center, they enter a social ecosystem designed to propel their journey toward health, belonging, and stability. As people shop, cook, grow, and share food, they find social connectedness and support that generates the confidence to achieve their goals. The Organization offers several programs which address food scarcity and help the whole person thrive. They are briefly described below: Shop | Fresh Food Market Shop is a fresh food market that integrates health education, cooking demonstrations, a food bar, and connections to community resources. In 2024, 322,000 pounds of food were given to more than 16,000 community members. The Organization served breakfasts & dinners from our community kitchen and held food preparation demos provided by community chefs. Nearly 90% of our community members say they are now cooking at home because of shopping at our fresh food market. Grow | Urban Farm To feed and educate the community, the Organization operated a 27,000 square foot urban hoop house vegetable farm and gardens that grew over 19,000 pounds of fresh, local, and organic produce in 2024. The Organization partnered with Maglio Company to operate the farm. Feast | Collaborative Meals Feast is a collaborative meal that brings a diverse group around a common table to explore food traditions and whole food culinary skills. Over 500 community members participated in eleven collaborative meals in 2024.

Form | Education and Engagement Form is service-learning and workshops that empower volunteers and neighborhood residents to become leaders of generosity and advocate for the betterment of society. 9,000 community members gave 23,000 hours of volunteer services in 2024. Nearly 3,000 people participated in our community education training. Mission Internship | A Year of Service In 2024, our ninth year of the Mission Internship program, three women and four men gave a year of their life in service to the community while living together in two neighborhood homes near the food center. More than just learning to coordinate the operational functions of our food center and farm, the mission interns established real relationships to support shoppers, volunteers, and one another. They also participated in weekly formation sessions and gathered for prayer at the start of each morning.