Goodbye Dennis and Jim

Jim and Dennis at the Gathering’s Brewer’s Outing in 2007

After 14 and 15 years respectively, Dennis Stokhaug and Jim Ardis are leaving their shared position as Operations Managers for the Gathering. Jim will stay on as Dinner Coordinator, and both have offered to train the new person when hired. It’s difficult wrapping one’s brain around the thought of their impending departures.

In 2000, Jim Ardis began working with the Gathering as our full time Operations Manager, responsible for the purchase, storage and transport of food, and oversight of equipment and facility maintenance and repairs at all Gathering Sites. A year later, Dennis Stokhaug took on that role while Jim concentrated on the Dinner Program. And five years after that, they began sharing the Operations Manager duties.

It’s a tough job: early hours, lots of driving, keeping your cool, schmoozing with donors of food and supplies, making sense out of inventory lists, locating the best deal on an item, responding to a multitude of “bosses”, heavy lifting, and stairs, stairs, stairs!

What could possibly keep each of them committed to this work for so many years?

Jim says:

“I enjoyed over the years being with the people tasked with the duties of distributing goods to the people in our society who have the most pressing needs. Their dedication was, in many instances, more than enough inspiration to return for another day. A question was asked me once, ‘Did I know anyone whose life had been changed by coming to the Gathering?’ The first person I thought of was me. End of story.”

Dennis shared this story:

“I worked for thirty five years for a company downtown. I saw many people who called the street their home. I watched them walk the streets aimlessly, saw them sleeping in alleys, searching for food. If by chance you would walk past them the question was always the same, ‘Hey, buddy could you spare a dime?’ I must admit most times I would continue on my way but there were times I would share. I finally retired and made a lot fewer trips downtown, but I never felt the downtown street left me. [When] I came across the ad for the Gathering [Operations Manager], I knew this was what I needed in my life and for the people that I had passed for so many years. Here it is 14 years later, driving the third van, a total of 350,000 miles, 1200 stops to fill the vans, tons of food. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with the Gathering. I don’t know if I made a difference, but I can tell you the Gathering has made a difference with me.”

We will all miss you, Dennis, for your calm demeanor, your thankfulness, your respect for our guests.

And Jim, even though you will still be around with the Dinner Program, we will miss your diehard belief that organizations and programs and the Gathering can always be better.

St. James Building for Sale

View of the front of St. James Episcopal Church

If you volunteer at the Gathering’s breakfast program or the Saturday lunch located at St. James Episcopal Church, you have probably seen the “for sale sign” out front. A few months ago the St. James congregation made the very difficult decision to find a buyer for the building and secured the services of Ogden and Co. to handle the marketing. The expense of keeping up with the maintenance and repairs of this 1867 historic structure had become overwhelming. The intent of those attending St. James is to stay together as a worshipping community as long as possible and wherever that might lead.

St. James Episcopal is where the Gathering began, formed from the vision of Fr. Michael Stolpman and the Episcopal Diocese. In January of 1982, Fr. Charles Lynch, Rector (pastor) of St. James, together with the Wardens and Vestry (governing body of the church) welcomed the Gathering to the downstairs kitchen, and the rest is history. It continues to be the Gathering’s busiest site, serving 900 plus meals weekly; welcoming 20-40 volunteers six days a week – 1/3 from our guest population; offering collaborative mental health, medical and legal assistance; and housing our Fresh Produce Preservation Project. St. James also hosts the Red Door Clothing Ministry and Sundries from the Avenue, a St. James ministry distributing toiletries and other items to those who are homeless.

The Gathering has formed a committee to look at our options should the building be sold and we are asked to move. At this point in time there have been no offers, and a quick sale is not anticipated.

Welcome Angela and Rosy

One of the realities of working in a meal program is the ever-changing population of guests and volunteers. This often means a lot of difficult goodbyes, but it also means that we are constantly welcoming eager folks into our community. Gathering staff, on the other hand, have been a consistent presence. But that all changed in late summer of 2014 with the resignations of our long time Breakfast Coordinator, George Neureuther, and our Breakfast Cook, Cary Gibson.

We have been blessed to welcome two talented and passionate staff members to the Gathering’s team: Angela Wright and Rosy Ricks. Both began working in September; Rosy as the Gathering’s Breakfast Cook, and Angela as Breakfast Coordinator. The team hit the ground running with new menus, new volunteers, and fresh ideas.

Angela sorts through sign-in sheets, community service paperwork and more after breakfast

Angela

Angela came to the Gathering through her work as Dinner Program Coordinator for the St. Vincent DePaul Society’s south side meal site. Thanks to this experience, she already had a relationship with a number of our guests as well as plenty of experience running a meal program. When asked how she got involved in this line of work, she was inspired by the parable of modern day Good Samaritans, people who stop to help victims of poverty when society may not. 

“The Bible tells a story of a Priest, Levite and a Good Samaritan who all came across a poor injured man in the road. The 1st question the priest and the Levite asked was, ‘If I stop to help this man what will happen to me?’ But the Good Samaritan reversed the question ‘If I don't stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’ I got involved for the opportunity to help and serve others. I believe that my purpose in life is to praise, worship and serve God. What better way to serve him than by giving and helping others?”

This answer demonstrates that Angela’s faith is a huge motivator in her chosen path. She acts out her faith daily by greeting everyone with a smile, never-ending patience, and humor. She explained that interacting with all of the people at the breakfast program is another big motivator for her.

“I have the privilege of opening up (the meal site) every morning Monday-Friday, running, ducking and dodging any ghosts that may be lurking in the dark in order to get things prepped for a group of great volunteers willing to help feed those less fortunate. Then I get to be able to talk to and meet people that are in need of a kind gesture, a little motivation, some resources, but most importantly a nice cooked meal. Thank God for the cook! (Rosy the magician can hide almost anything in her dishes), and the security from our gatekeepers, Great Lakes Security, and the assistance from always helpful Bob Heindl and smiling Deacon Ned. I really enjoy seeing God at work blessing others. I enjoy meeting individuals like Ray, Reggie, Craig, Curtis, Stephanie and Noda, just to name a few, that are living testimonies of God’s love for us.”

Angela’s faith-filled purpose and appreciation of others is made clear in the way that she interacts gently and compassionately with guests, volunteers, and even Lydia, the fabled St. James’ basement ghost. Angela has a calming presence and a deep concern for the well-being of everyone in the Gathering community. We are honored to have her as a part of our team.

Rosy

Rosy has a lifetime of experience cooking and exploring unique avenues to bring about a more just food system. Whether it’s growing her own food, working in various soup kitchens, purposefully living in community, or just thinking up innovative ways to bring people around the table. She is never short of ideas, and the Gathering community has benefited.

“Everyone’s a pretty good sport when I dream up an unusual dish or start sneaking healthy things in. I like that we’ve jelled together as a flexible and functional team and that coming to work is actually something I look forward to. I also like chatting with Dennis and Jim [Gathering Operations Coordinators] when they come in and how receptive they are to my strange ingredient requests. I feel challenged in all the right ways and supported by a lot of really amazing people and I can’t say that’s something I’ve experienced too often working in nonprofits.”

We are convinced that Rosy could make a delicious, nutritious meal out of just about anything. So far her dishes have included biscuits with gravy loaded up on vegetables and meat, chicken campanile, chunky potato and meat soup, turkey or vegetarian chili, and many more. Just don’t be surprised when you see a carrot or some greens hiding in your entrée.

Rosy shared her secret to getting all the food on the table and the kitchen in order each morning. 

“Mornings are pretty tough for me, but I really do love what I'm doing, so it makes getting out of bed a little easier. When I come in, there are a few regular volunteers there to do some of the daily tasks, like rolling silverware or pulling down chairs. I start by doing an inventory of the cooler, getting things into the ovens, and determining what kind of help I will need for cooking and prep tasks with Angela. I try to get a read on folks to see who has the types of skills I need for the day. Often, it's been getting meat off of bones, making stock, and prepping veggies and starches for soups and multiple ingredient dishes.”

Curtis also lends a hand every now and again with pulling meats and veggies, and Craig has the most important job of all; making sure the coffee is ready as soon as humanely possible. (Curtis and Craig are long time volunteers from the guest population.) Once we are prepped and ready to serve, I will keep one or two volunteers in the kitchen with me to help with running food to the line, or prepping for the next few day’s meals. Occasionally, I get a really exceptional kitchen volunteer, and that allows me to do more complex dishes, like the turkey and wild rice stew with cherries or Chinese style dishes.”

Is your mouth watering yet?

Angela and Rosy have worked hard the past few months managing the fast-paced, energetic atmosphere of the Gathering’s Breakfast Program. They have done it with grace, style and efficiency. We are so thankful to have them as a part of our team and we look forward to what they will be able to accomplish in 2015.

2014 Fresh Produce Preservation Project Report

Becky and Dora

The Fresh Produce Preservation Project (FPPP), started in 2010, perfectly complements the Gathering’s mission to feed the hungry and to do so with respect and dignity. By increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables in our meals, we increase the nutritional value and food options available to our guests. Over the past four years, the FPPP has continued to expand and improve. This year, we welcomed a new Fresh Produce Project Manager: UW-Milwaukee Conservation and Environmental Sciences student, Dora.

Dora’s environmental focus brought new recipes, new connections and new knowledge to the project. One notable new partner was Duane, from Compost Express. Duane brought us produce such as plums, apples, peaches, corn, onions, potatoes and more that was in good shape and would have otherwise been composted. In addition, Duane took all remaining compostable materials from the project so we could limit our waste.

We also continued partnerships with the Hunger Task Force Farm and the Witte’s Vegetable Farm, who once again donated the majority of the project’s produce. We received contributions of apples again this year from the Mequon Nature Preserve, and additional produce from the UWM Food and Garden Club. We are grateful for their continued contributions. Dr. Phillips from UW-Milwaukee (whose class partnered with us last year for our COOLBOT project) also remained a strong partner, continuing to bring classes to assist with the project. Special thanks again, to All Saints Cathedral for allowing us to use their space for our Coolbot.

Produce colunteers picked apples at the Mequon Nature Preserve

As always, our mighty volunteer force made the project possible. With almost 70 volunteers, 23% returning and 77% new, there were plenty of hands on deck. New volunteers included Milwaukee Public School students, a service group from NEWaukee, and Marquette University volunteers among other individuals and groups. Volunteers chopped peppers, canned apple pie filling, picked potatoes, onions and carrots and went out of their way to put away as much produce as possible for use in our community meals. Already in winter of 2015 we have used frozen potatoes in dishes, mirepoix in soups and sauces, and greens and poblano peppers in casseroles. Not to mention the onions. Let’s just say, by the end of the produce season, we were all in tears.

Thanks again to everyone who made the project possible this year. We are proud of the work we do to contribute to health and sustainability in Milwaukee and we are looking forward to what next season will bring.

Check out these all-star volunteers who reached service milestones in 2014:

100+ Hours Volunteering with the FPPP Eileen Duffey - 105 total hours

30+ Hours Volunteering with the FPPP Jill Kortebein - 45 total hours Lisa Kortebein - 30 total hours

Dora and returning produce project volunteers after a pepper-filled session

TOTAL PRODUCE PRESERVED 1964 lbs. frozen vegetables, 30 quarts apple pie filling

478 lbs of carrots, 400 lbs of corn, 384 lbs of potatoes, 300 lbs of onions, 140 lbs of poblano peppers, 123 lbs of bell peppers, 70 lbs of mirepoix (carrot, onion and celery mixture), 40 lbs of green beans, 29 lbs tomatoes

Mark Your Calendar: 2015 Gathering Golf Classic

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

The 2015 Gathering Golf Classic will be Monday, June 22 at the Evergreen Golf Course in Elkhorn, WI. Starting time is 1:30pm. The cost is $125 per golfer which includes lunch, 18 holes, golf cart, dinner and two drink tickets.

All proceeds benefit the Gathering meal programs.

You can help by putting together a foursome, sponsoring the event or donating an item for the event raffle.

Contact the Gathering for questions at (414) 272-4122 or email at soulfood@thegatheringwis.org.

Poems by Darnell

Darnell with fellow volunteers

Darnell has been with the Gathering for over a decade. The past few years, he has been a regular breakfast volunteer. You can see him most days stationed at trash and trays, cleaning up after the meal.

A couple days ago, Darnell shared some poetry with us. He has been working hard on his creative writing and wrote a couple of poems about the Gathering that he was willing to share. 

This first poem is about Darnell's strong faith that he enjoys sharing with others.

God’s Gift
Trust me you don’t have to think twice.
God’s gift to us all was the gift of life.
Yes God is up high above,
And another gift he gave us was love.
And at The Gathering we always give,
And that too is a gift from God, that helps us all live.
With time the way it is it can sometimes be tough,
But with the gift from God you never get enough.
If you really want a peace of mind,
Call on Jesus he’s not hard to find,
God will never in life let you down,
With Jesus in my life freedom I truly found.

Darnell wrote this second poem specifically for the Gathering. It is about what the Gathering means to him (and many others).

The Gathering
The Gathering feeds all that come,
And if you’re hungry, come and get some.
The Gathering helps with all kinds of things,
Oh what a joy on many faces the Gathering brings,
The Gathering helps everyone any way they can.
They don’t give up, united they stand.
The Gathering helps those that are in need,
They help me as much as possible, you’ll be pleased.
The Gathering is one of a kind
They are located on 9 and Wisconsin, not hard to find.
So if in the morning you need something to eat,
Go to the Gathering, their meals can’t be beat.
They give out clothing and medical supplies
So if you’re in need, give ‘em a try.

Thank you Darnell, not only for your skills as a volunteer, but for sharing your creativity and passion with us!