A West Allis church that feeds up to 200 families every week is urgently searching for a new location to continue its work.
Watch: West Allis food hub at risk; Pastor, volunteer and mom share impact
City of Faith Church has operated a food hub in the West Allis area for six years, serving people across the community, including the elderly, people with disabilities, veterans, and families living on fixed incomes. The hub provides boxes of food filled with meat, produce, and staple items to those in need.
“This work is important to continue,” said Dr. Michael A. Cokes, pastor of City of Faith Church. “If we don’t help them, who is going to help them?”
Volunteers say the food hub is designed to be a welcoming place for anyone who needs help. Melody Eiland has volunteered with the hub since it opened at its current location six years ago.
“We call it a food hub because we want people to feel comfortable coming there,” Eiland said.
Families who rely on the service say it helps them get through each week. Sonia Gonzalez, a mother of five whose children range in age from three to 15, says the cost of groceries continues to rise.
“Food is expensive, and kids eat a lot,” Gonzalez said. “From when they’re little all the way to 15 years old, they eat a lot. Food goes away quickly.”
According to Pastor Cokes, some families receive two or three boxes of food at a time to help carry them over. He says the contents of a single box — which can include chicken, ground beef, cereal, bread, and fruit — would cost between $150 and $200 at a grocery store.
Despite the need, the future of the food hub is uncertain. The church has sold the building where the food is currently stored and distributed and must find a new space immediately to continue operating.
“People we’ve called say they’ll get back to us, but they never do,” Pastor Cokes said.
If a new location is not secured soon, the food hub will be forced to shut down permanently. Volunteers worry about what that would mean for the community.
“I’m not sure what they’re going to do if we’re not in the community anymore,” Eiland said. “I’m hoping and praying we find a place.”
Pastor Cokes says the church is asking anyone who may be able to help to step forward.
“If anybody out there can help us, we need your assistance,” he said. “We are trying to take care of our own.”
They are looking for a 3000 square foot location so they are able to store pallettes, boxes, fridges and freezers.
Until a new space is found, the future of this food hub — and the people who depend on it — remains uncertain.
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