Giver’s Honor Roll

The Gathering board of directors thanks the following generous supporters giving $250 or more between June 1, 2012 and February 15, 2013

Contributions of $15,000-$24,999 Nicholas Family Foundation

Contributions of $10,000-$14,999 1 Anonymous Donor * Catholic Community Foundation United Way of Greater Milwaukee Donor Choice

Contributions of $5,000-$9,999 2 Anonymous Donors * Dr. Bronner’s Family Foundation * Community United Methodist Church- Elm Grove * Gardner Foundation * Lloyd and Edith Herrold Trust * Hunger Relief Fund of Wisconsin * Lux Foundation * Gerald and Elaine Mainman * Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation * The Virginia Queenman Estate * Stackner Family Foundation * Charles Trainer and Anne Booth

Contributions of $2,500-4,999 All Saints’ Cathedral Hunger Book Sale * Christ Church Episcopal – Whitefish Bay * Emanuel United Church of Christ-Hales Corners * Gathering Memorial Fund -The Greater Milwaukee Foundation * Mel and David Johnson * William G. and Christie A. Krugler Fund – The Greater Milwaukee Foundation * Ladish Company Foundation * St. Paul’s Episcopal Church-Milwaukee * Service Club of Milwaukee * Thompson Foundation

Contributions of $1,000-$2,499 6 Anonymous Donors * David and Karen Bartel * William and Kathryn Berezowitz * Bostik, Inc. * CNA Insurance Company * Lucy Cooper * Richard and Mary DeLuca * Rachel Finger * Fox Point Evangelical Lutheran Church * GE Foundation * Daniel and Kathy Glaser * Grainger Matching Charitable Gifts Program* Steve Holt * Immanuel Presbyterian Church-Milwaukee * Greg and Jackie Johnson * Dan and Nancy Kiernan * Kuehl Family Foundation * Eugene and Gwendolyn Lavin * Joseph and Joni McDevitt * John and Beryl Mulhern * Ab Nicholas * William and Susan Rose * St. Mark’s Episcopal Church-Milwaukee * Margaret Schumacher * Silverman Family Foundation * Trinity Episcopal Church-Wauwatosa * Robert and Ellen Venable * Donald and Kate Wilson

Contributions of $500-$999 7 Anonymous Donors * Robert C. Archer Designated Fund-The Greater Milwaukee Foundation * David Ashpole * James Bauman * Evert and Cindy Berndt * Lisa Christiansen * Cottrell/Jacobs and Housiaux Family Fund-The Greater Milwaukee Foundation * Albert and Flora Ellinger Foundation – M&I Trust * David P. and Marjorie L. Hamacher Fund- The Greater Milwaukee Foundation * Paul and Kathy Hartke * Michael Istwan and Amy Korpi * Keith Jacoby * Silas Johnson * Johnson Controls, Inc. * Frederick and Susan Kasten * Ted and Mary Kellner * James and Dona Knight * Evan Lenhardt and Virginia Finn-Lenhardt * Jim and Maureen Leurquin * Daryl and Kim Lueck * Andrew Martin and Janet Trostel Martin * Jane Matheus * Mike and Ginny McBride * Michael McClone * Rex and Gladys Merriman Fund-The Greater Milwaukee Foundation * Mark and Karen Meunier * Other Stratton Foundation * Pieper Electric * Jack and Martha Prince Family Fund-The Greater Milwaukee Foundation * Will Ross Memorial Foundation * St. Matthias Parish-Milwaukee * Thomas and Meredie Scrivner * Seeds of Health Elementary School * Sharp-Zillig Foundation * Gary and Maureen Shebesta * James and Christine Speaker * Carl and Nancy Trimble * United Way of Metro Chicago * Trevor and Margaret Will * Eugene and Carmen Witt * John and Julie Wolf

Contributions of $250-$499 8 Anonymous Donors * Advanced Engines Development Corp. * Jeff and Susan Allen * Richard and Carol Bayerlein * Patricia Bowne * Robert and Elizabeth Bradley * Joe and Marlene Bruno * Daryl and Linda Bybee * John and Julie Cabaniss * Michael Carter * James and Diane Cowles * Margaret Dahlman * Data Financial, Inc. * Delve, LLC * Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund * Sarah Ford and Randall Klumb * Gary and Faye Giesemann * Greg and Hazel Griffin * Kevin Hanus * Stephen and Deborah Heinze * John Hickey * Maureen Kania * Peter and Mary Klabunde * Brian Koch * Herbert H. Kohl Charities, Inc. * Brian and Suzanne Lanser * Jo Mooney * Thomas Mooney and Elene Strates * Susan and William Mueller * Janet Nast * Nordco, Inc. * Kevin and Cheryl O’Connor * Charles and Evelyn Payson * Dick and Betty Peterson * James and Michelle Piech * William Reichhardt * Jean Ripple * Schwab Fund for Charitable Giving * Seaman-Goes Family Foundation * Rosemary Selep * Davita Shanklin * Shorewest Realtors * John and Jane Stoneman * Carrie Taylor and Nettie Taylor Robinson Memorial Fund-The Greater Milwaukee Foundation * Thomaswerks Creative * Bill and Mary Walker * Robert Webb * Western States Envelope Company

We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all donor names. If we have missed you or spelled your name incorrectly, please let us know.

Mt Carmel Lutheran Church and the Gathering Collaboration Update

Volunteers at the Mt. Carmel meal Saturday, February 23rd

Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church on Milwaukee’s west side, has a mission that includes “compassionate community and service to others” and they certainly deliver what they promise. In 2011, Mt. Carmel noticed the needs of their community were changing. In an attempt to respond to those needs, they teamed up with the Gathering to start a meal in their neighborhood.  Dani Ovanin, Mt. Carmel’s youth ministry coordinator, explained how it happened. “We used to go door to door asking for food for food drives. Over the years, less and less people were able to give. We realized—hunger is not just an inner-city problem.” At the time, Mt. Carmel was regularly volunteering with the Gathering’s Saturday Lunch Program. After one such volunteer experience, the pastor turned to Dani and said, “we could do this,” and so they did. Mt. Carmel provides the space and volunteers to cook and serve the meal the fourth Saturday of each month, and the Gathering provides the food and supplies.  Thirty high school aged youth from the church have volunteered with the meals over the past several months.  Though the project started slowly with only five guests at the first meal in September 2011, Mt. Carmel is now serving up to 45 individuals each month.  “I am glad we stuck it out, “ Dani said, “The meal is very important to our guests. They are the best part.”

Lunch is served the fourth Saturday of the month from 11:30-12:30 – the same time and same menu as The Gathering’s three traditional community meal sites. Some guests arrive at 11 a.m. and help set up, or just visit and drink coffee. It is important to the Mt. Carmel volunteers to promote a community atmosphere of camaraderie and fellowship, adding personal touches such as place settings, table decorations, hot cocoa with marshmallows, occasional treat bags and even, sometimes, silly hats (see above). As Dani says, “The meal is one of my favorite things to do. It doesn’t matter how bad my week was, when I serve on Saturday I am happy. Everyone is so grateful and helpful.”

A Farewell Letter from MITZI AND BILL ROY

Mitzi & Bill Roy were leadership volunteers with the Gathering for 16 years. They recently moved to northern Wisconsin to be nearer their children and grandchildren. Here is Mitzi’s farewell letter.

Bill and Mitzi at the Gathering's 2012 volunteer event

While Bill and I had volunteered with the Christ Church (Whitefish Bay) groups that went down to the Gathering many times since the Gathering began in 1982, I had not become more deeply involved until 1996 when I had lunch with Michelle Mooney (then Executive Director), after retiring from my Financial Planning practice. She suggested that I might enjoy Coordinating on Saturdays at the Gathering. I was quickly “hooked” and corralled Bill to come along with me. We enjoyed working with the different volunteer groups and found the resilience of the guests inspiring.We coordinated at the Southside site for 16 years.

In 2008 George Neureuther asked us if we would be willing to coordinate at the St. James breakfast program so he could have a day off. While this was a very different experience from the lunch program at the Southside site, we found we enjoyed that immensely as well. Moses, Cary and the guests are all very special and it was a privilege to work with them.

Finally we ventured into the Gathering’s new program with Community Advocates (Shelter Meal Program) and cooked one afternoon a week with Twyla and Kim (and later Kirk) for a little over a year. While it was an entirely different experience, we learned so much and enjoyed working with them so much that we looked forward to our afternoon with them each week.

I also served on the Board of Directors for 9 years. The Gathering Board is an amazing group of people and probably the best Board I ever worked with.

I think what we will miss most about the Gathering is the guests. They are a constant reminder of how way too many people in the world live, and their ability to persevere in the face of so many obstacles is truly inspirational. I feel that the Gathering’s work says that no one is disposable and treats all the guests accordingly.

As we look for new challenges and opportunities in Hudson, WI, we will be looking for something that will bring us as much joy and affirmation as our years with the Gathering have, and give thanks for all the opportunities the Gathering has given us to live out our ministry for the last 16 years.

A Day in the life of a Van Driver

Jim Ardis, one of two Operations Coordinators/Van Drivers with the Gathering has been known to use the phrase: “once the van starts, it doesn’t stop.” The morning of February 12th, I finally figured out what Jim meant: Dennis Stokhaug, the other Operations Coordinator/Van Driver allowed me to join him on his daily runs.

5:00 a.m. Dennis picks up bags of surplus buns, apple pies and more from a McDonald’s Restaurant.

6:00 a.m. I join Dennis and we go to two more McDonalds. At each stop, Dennis pops in and collects whatever surplus the store has available. We are never stopped long—Dennis knows right where to go and has a solid routine.

7:15 a.m. The next stop? Restaurant Depot. I am amazed at the large warehouse filled with any supply needed for food service. We pick up hair nets, gloves, aprons, sugar packets, cups and more.

8:00 a.m. The van is getting a little crowded so we drop off some of the treasure we have collected at The Gathering’s downtown meal site at St. James Episcopal Church. We wave “hello” to the volunteers gearing up to serve breakfast and then, once again, are on our way.

8:30 a.m. This time we head to Pick ‘n’ Save where we find a large bin with our name on it full of leftover baked goodies and artisan breads. Needless to say, it was difficult to not indulge with that aroma wafting around the van. (Jim and Dennis must have great self control.)

9:00 a.m. Next Stop? Starbucks! If you've ever been to one of the Gathering’s meal sites, you will remember the beautifully arranged trays of baked goods that are always set out for our guests. Between Pick ‘n’ Save, Starbucks and McDonalds, we collect some pretty delicious treats. Dennis and I stop at two different Starbucks where bakery bins are once again waiting for us.

9:30 a.m. Before heading anywhere else, we drop off our mountain of bakery at the St. James site.

10:15 a.m. You may think after over four hours of collecting donations, we are about finished. Well, we are not! The next stop? Feeding America - where we pick up some lettuce and cabbage for salads for our three Saturday lunch sites. We also pick up loaves of bread for our breakfast and dinner programs. The best part? Our receipt reads $0.00

11:00 a.m. We have to make sure that each of our sites get enough vegetables and bread for the next few days, so we unload at Our Next Generation (near north side Saturday lunch) Christian Faith Fellowship East (near south side weekday dinners and Saturday lunch), and once again at the St. James location (weekday breakfast with Saturday lunch).

11:30 a.m. I part ways with Dennis, even though he still has another couple hours of pickups.

The Gathering’s meals would not be possible without the work of Jim and Dennis. In 2012 they collected an average of 1,100 pounds of donated food per week. Food that may have otherwise been thrown out. I was impressed with the quantity of food collected and the generosity of Milwaukee area donors. Above all, however, I was amazed at how much time and energy goes into morning pickups. I developed a new found respect for Jim and Dennis for making these rounds every weekday morning.

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I asked Dennis what kept him going: “The people,” he told me. “Whenever I see someone leaving the food line and I ask them how they are feeling, they inevitably say they are blessed. That touches me. I learn from them [the Gathering’s guests]. They help me put things in perspective. There are some who always maintain a sense of humor, no matter what the circumstances.”

Dennis has been working for the Gathering for twelve years. He came out of retirement to do this demanding job. “In my previous job, it was all about me, you know, climbing the corporate ladder. But I think I found myself in this job because it is different. Now, there’s not a darn thing about me.” Thank you Dennis, Jim and all our donors for your commitment to this work and for being part of “people in community feeding the hungry.”