Service As A Family

Mary and Rick Thickens were among the group from St. Christopher’s Church that was organized to volunteer at the St. James site on the first anniversary of the Gathering’s opening, late January 1983. Rick and Mary quickly became regular volunteers. “We went a couple of times and it did not take long for us to get hooked” Mary explains. Over the years, Rick and Mary have served as volunteers, board members, lead, floor and kitchen coordinators, cooks, produce preservers and just about any volunteer role they could fill. When their children, Laura and Richard, were six and nine years old, they became a part of the family business of volunteering with the Gathering as well. Laura explains that when she started volunteering with the Gathering at age six, her regular spot was on the serving line handing out sugar packets, cookies and plenty of smiles. Over the years Laura has filled in as a kitchen/floor coordinator and has served on the board for close to ten years. Laura is the Gathering’s current board secretary. For Mary, Rick and their children, the Gathering has become an:

“integral part of our family culture, and that is cool.” Rick explains, “Our children may not have had much choice in whether or not to participate when they were young. I am proud that they have chosen to continue that participation as adults. In the not too distant future, the third generation of our family will be passing out sugar packets to guests. That, too is cool.”

For this dedicated family, the Gathering holds many special moments and memories. Mary explained a significant moment from her past related to the Gathering:

“My daughter (when she was around 10 or 11) and I went to a street level coffee shop at Grand Avenue for some hot chocolate because it was a very cold day. Several of our Gathering guests came inside briefly to get warm, and my daughter said good morning to each and called them by name. I realized that to her these were not ‘homeless people,’ but individual people whom she knew from her Saturdays at the Gathering.”

Laura also shared a memory related to being a mother:

“Not long after I had my first child, I was volunteering at the Saturday lunch program. A woman came through the line with her two young children so I offered to help her carry their trays. As I walked with them to the table I couldn’t help but see this family through my new maternal perspective. With all the many worries that come with being a mom, I can’t even imagine how hard it must be to have food security be one of those concerns, and at that moment I felt so humbled and fortunate to be part of an organization that allowed this mother to know she could provide a warm, healthy meal for her children even when she didn’t have the means to make it herself. This was almost six years ago now, but it was such an impactful experience for me that I can still remember exactly what they all looked like and where they sat that day.”

Rick also explained friendships he formed with guests, including guest-turned-staff Gary Giedlinski, who taught Rick how to cook. In addition, Rick shared an interesting story of the day he created a meal out of 50 pounds of donated emu necks. With the help of other volunteers, he was able to boil the meat off the bone and add it to the daily dish. When all was said and done, it tasted just like turkey!

From sugar packets and smiles to emu necks and board meetings, the versatile Thickens family has been a blessing to the Gathering. We are grateful for Richard, Rick, Laura, Mary and Jason for their years of dedicated, compassionate service.

Hats Off To Darrel

There are many interesting ways to contribute to the Gathering. One of the most interesting recent contributions came from Darrel Bybee. Darrel became involved with the Gathering through his church, Our Lords United Methodist Church. Through Our Lord’s, Darrel has volunteered at the Gathering’s meal programs at least fifty times in the past fifteen years. In addition to volunteering and monthly financial contributions, Darrel has also been donating countless hats to the Gathering’s guests from his vast collection. He began collecting hats in 1977 and now has over 3500 hats.  Over time, the collection has changed and grown immensely. Darrel explains that early on, a few of the hats were “road kills”—hats that were literally found on the side of the road. In the past thirty five years, Darrel has purchased only four or five hats at rummage sales. The vast majority of Darrel’s hats have been given to him.

With such a beautiful collection, why would he give it away?

“The collection has gotten so big I can no longer display all of them. What a better way to display them then by giving them to the Gathering’s guests and have them wear and display the hats?”

Darrel has already donated over 500 hats to the Gathering’s guests and will continue to donate. He explains, “I have really had a ball with the collection and am so glad it can bring happiness to others now.”

The hats have indeed brought happiness to the Gathering’s guests and Darrel is proud to be able to provide this gift. Sharing his hat collection is about more than just keeping heads warm—it is about acknowledging the individuality of The Gathering’s guests and sharing his love. As Darrel puts it,  “Every hat has a unique story and now the story just keeps going.”

The Gathering's Easter Meal

On Saturday, March 30, 468 Gathering guests were served a special Easter Meal at our three Saturday lunch sites. After hours of preparing ham with pineapple, sweet potatoes, yams, assorted dessert trays and green bean casseroles, the cooks, coordinators and volunteers at the Gathering’s three Saturday meal sites were ready to do what they do best: feed the Gathering’s community!

Volunteers preparing dessert tray at St. James

The volunteer cooks arrived around seven in the morning to start preparing the food. There were three cook teams, one at each site. A couple of the teams had Gathering veterans who had been volunteering for decades but there were also some relatively new cooks. After the cooks prepared the food and had it all waiting to go in the warmers/ovens, the volunteer coordinators sprung into action. Coordinators make sure things are running smoothly and that all volunteers from the serving group have a role during the meal.

Volunteer Cooks preparing green bean casserole at the South Side

One such coordinator is Ellie Moseley. Ellie has been coordinating with the Gathering for over fifteen years along with her husband, Harry. Ellie and Harry got involved when they moved to Milwaukee. They used to volunteer at a soup kitchen in Indianapolis and they wanted to find another opportunity to do similar work. Ellie explained that one of her favorite parts of the Gathering is getting to interact with the guests. “Everyone is so nice. There is one woman who comes regularly and wraps her arms around me and gives me a big hug.” Together, guests and volunteers can create an encouraging sense of community at the Gathering.

Volunteers "suit up" at the South Side Site

Serving group volunteers begin showing up around 9:45, “suit up” with gloves, aprons, hats/hair nets, and set about wrapping silverware, pouring drinks, buttering bread, making salad, preparing dessert trays, and setting places for the guests. Thanks to Greater Spring Hill, St. Boniface and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Grafton, the Gathering’s Easter meals ran smoothly with the help of 45 total volunteers! After all the preparation the meal was served from 11:30 to 12:30. The Gathering was able to serve 468 guests, 46 of whom were children.  Included in the Easter meal were treat bags donated by the different volunteer groups.

Beautiful Easter treat bags, thanks St. Boniface!

Thanks to the commitment of 8 cooks, 8 coordinators, 45 volunteers and a community of guests, the Easter meal was a big success. The meal was a special experience with guests eating and laughing side by side. Ellie explained the importance of this holiday fellowship when she said, “Any holiday is more elaborate, a bigger crowd. We work to make it as joyful as possible. We are really here to feed people’s spirits, not just their bodies.”

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.