MILWAUKEE — Every Tuesday morning, a group of Milwaukee volunteers come together in an empty parking lot to help their community.
The Near South Side Promise Keepers give away food to people in need every week near 18th and Greenfield. They’ve been doing it for six months.
“There’s a lot of people that need the help. It helps make ends meet when things are a little tight,” Laurie Sullivan said. She’s a local neighbor and has gone several times.
“They’re very kind people. You get to know them because I’ve been coming for over a month now.”
The Promise Keepers are a branch of the City of Milwaukee’s Office of Community (OCWS) Wellness and Safety.
Every Tuesday, the volunteers come together at 11:30 a.m. to help distribute groceries like juice, fruit, vegetables, and some special treats. The food is donated by Just One More Ministry.
“We’re able to get all these groceries and have an impact in the neighborhood to where it’s needed. The crowds are getting bigger and bigger,” Marty Calderon, a Near South Side Promise Keeper, said.
It’s about more than food though. This is a way for Calderon and others to create a safer community.
“Being able to build relationships with people in the neighborhood is a huge accomplishment. Then, you’re able to get things done and get them done right,” Calderon explained.
He said the initiative started by helping a few people and has now grown to help roughly 75 people a week.
During the second week of March, Calderon said they plan to do something similar near Fifth and Rogers, inviting neighbors out to get some groceries.
“It gives the community resources they didn’t know about. We want them to know there are people out here that have their back, that can assist them, and that have an ear,” Quinn Taylor, the Community Violence and Prevention Program Coordinator at OCWS, said.
The Promise Keepers include dozens of youth ambassadors and community members who work to help keep the peace and prevent violence.
“These are individuals from the communities we serve. They come with lived experiences. We’re showing the presence and being consistent,” Taylor explained.
He said there are over 50 Promise Keepers across the city in four zones: Old North Milwaukee, Washington Park, Harambee/North Division, and the Near South Side.
He added that OCWS has a capacity for 65 Promise Keepers and anyone interested can visit their website.
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