Save a Program That Sets the Table for Seniors

Mae turns to the Greater Galilee Senior Meal Program to provide healthy food for her brother.

It’s a busy and bustling morning at the Greater Galilee Senior Meal Program led by Greater Galilee Baptist Church in partnership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. The program was developed to ensure seniors have access to the healthy, nutritious food they need.

Mae has been volunteering at the pantry since it started and also receives food from the program to share with her brother Marty. Marty, a veteran who has experienced a stroke and suffers from dementia, lives with Mae, who cares for him.

“I take care of him because that’s what family does,” said Mae, a retired nurse who never retired from caring for others. “He is picky and this food really helps with the groceries. He really likes the fresh fruit and milk he gets from here.”

The program serves roughly 200 individuals on the third Wednesday of each month. They receive a hot meal and a take-home bag of both perishable and nonperishable food items. An additional 40 homebound seniors have their food delivered to them by the Running Rebels, a local organization that engages the community, youth, and their families.

“We chose the third Wednesday of the month because this is the time of the month when their money is running out and people are having to choose between getting medicine or food,” explained Brenda McCord, the program coordinator.

The program, which Mae and so many others depend on, recently lost funding and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation stepped in to ensure the neighborhood didn’t lose this much-needed resource for seniors.

“Hunger has no place in a thriving community, so the Greater Milwaukee Foundation maintains a strong commitment to supporting agencies that help meet the basic needs of individuals and families,” explained Janel Hines, Greater Milwaukee Foundation Senior Director of Grant Programs and Strategic Initiatives. “When a meal program that serves seniors in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood experienced a loss in funding, we recognized that by connecting with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and supporting their partnership with Greater Galilee Baptist Church and Running Rebels, we could advance a solution. The Foundation’s grant for the Greater Galilee Senior Meal Program will help prevent food insecurity by ensuring neighborhood residents have continued access to hot meals and fresh produce.”

Brenda McCord, program coordinator for the Greater Galilee Senior Meal Program.

After she is done volunteering, Mae enjoys the hot meal and grabs a bag of food to take home. On her way she will pick up Marty from the adult daycare he attends three days a week. Caring for her brother takes time and money. That’s why the Greater Galilee Senior Program means so much to Mae.

“I don’t have time to go to other pantries,” explains Mae. “I like helping people and it makes me feel good that Galilee is able to do this for so many people in the community.”

To find a pantry in your neighborhood, click here.