The Meaning of Nourishment
What I love about the word “Nourish” is that it invites us to go deeper into all the connotations of its meaning. Like an onion that we continue to pull back layers of revealing something more and something deeper, the word “Nourish” has to do with providing what is needed to promote growth and flourishing. […]
Maritza’s Story
Maritza comes to the pantry each week, always with at least one of her three children in tow. Martiza is originally from Puerto Rico and her first language is Spanish, but she’s always finding ways to laugh with people regardless of the language they speak. Her oldest son is now a teenager. We remember him […]
Tamera’s Story
On a typical Saturday morning, our food center is a vibrant and busy place. The pantry is open every week, rain or shine, largely due to the incredible and consistent volunteers who show up to support the community. Ordinarily, when one walks into the pantry you can hear a loud, vivacious laugh or friendly banter […]
The Morning Crew
Our Mitchell Street pantry would be nothing without our morning crew. Calling themselves “The Three Musketeers,” Lonnie, Jimmy, and Brian are at the very core of the NourishMKE family. Arriving before the sun is even up, this team makes possible so much of what we do every day. From facilitating our deliveries to making sure […]
Michael’s Story
At NourishMKE, approximately one third of our volunteers have current or past experience with food insecurity. It’s often through their eyes that the deepest impact is felt – everyone who comes to NourishMKE has something to give and receive. This is Michael’s story: He’s s third-generation preacher who looks at himself every morning in the […]
Maricruz’s Story
The inequities in our food system and our communities largely rest upon policies and practices that uphold racism and poverty. Many of our NourishMKE family members bear the burden of these inequities. Maricruz*, a soft-spoken and petite woman, lives just down the road from our Mitchell St pantry. Now in her 60s, she immigrated here […]
Fabi’s Story
Over the past several months of working with Fabi, he’s quickly become one of our favorite volunteers! You can usually find him stocking shelves and taking out the trash on Fridays and checking in community members on Saturdays. We love how welcoming he is to community members – his easygoing demeanor puts new guests at […]
Meri’s Story
She’s been a volunteer for over a decade, bringing in four generations of her family. Hear her story in her own words. “The pantry… I don’t know if I can express exactly what it means to me. I’d gone to the pantry one day to get food but I got support and love and peace […]
Reflections – November 2022
I have come to understand that nearly every person who walks through the doors of NourishMKE is walking a razor’s edge between barely making it and economic disaster. That is the mountaintop we walk daily, the familiar landscape. You can see stress in the eyes and faces of almost everyone who wanders up to get […]
Nina’s Reflection – September 2021
The value in my AmeriCorps service term reaches far and wide, but I don’t think it solely lies within the skills I’ve gained or my “employability.” It’s not documented in a spreadsheet. For me, what I gained most from my time with NourishMKE is my ability to recognize and receive love, compassion, and understanding. Regardless […]
Reflections – September 2020
She is small of stature with fine features, probably in her 60s. Her clothing is simple. She may be small and finely featured, but she is deceptively strong. She has come for food to support her family for at least the past several years. She wears a colorful bandana and mask and gloves. Each week […]
Pandemic Reflection – 2020
Uncertain times. A new variant of COVID, an economy that does not quite recover to our community and weather that can be violent and scary. What are we to do? The answer is that we need and must come together. This is our community and as long as we are able to obtain food and […]