Groundwork Milwaukee's executive director is Deneine Christa Powell.
Since 2007, Groundwork Milwaukee has been an organization in the city that is fundamental to the development of urban green spaces, urban farming and sustainability-focused programming for youth. During this time of crisis, their Urban Farm Program is the initiative that is changing lives by growing food and donating it to people in need.
Led by the executive director Deneine Christa Powell, Groundwork Milwaukee is a nonprofit whose main goal is to use environmental and conservation efforts in urban spaces to improve the well-being of the city’s residents. Part of the national Groundwork foundation, the Milwaukee chapter is well-known for its community gardens and agricultural work. More specifically, their Urban Farm Program is a partnership between Groundwork and the Riverwest Food Pantry (RFP) that gave away over 12,000 pounds of food last year. Most of the action happens in their 11 hoop houses located on Maglio Companies’ campus on Port Washington Road. The 100-foot tall hoop houses are farmed by youth teams and volunteers, who then collect the food when it’s ready for harvest. The food then gets dispersed to people that wouldn’t otherwise have access to freshly farmed vegetables.
Milwaukee’s Food Problem
Unfortunately, many communities in Milwaukee don’t have the funds to buy fresh produce, nor do they have grocery stores with good quality produce nearby. Known as food deserts, many low-income neighborhoods don’t have supermarkets within two miles, which causes residents without transportation to take the bus to far neighborhoods or buy their groceries from small corner stores lacking fresh food. Now during COVID, the number of unemployed residents in the city is growing and more people are going hungry. That’s what makes programs like the Urban Farm Program incredibly important.
What Comes Next?
Christa Powell and her team at Groundwork decided to shift their efforts during this crisis so that they can feed more people. And so far, they are succeeding. They are on track to produce around 30% more food this year than they did last year. The organization also began planting crops at the Maglio site earlier than normal and are working to develop more food system programming to support the community. Along with more online classes to teach residents how to cook fresh food, they are also working with the City of Milwaukee and other key organizations to build more hoop houses at other locations. Christa Powell excitedly says that Groundwork could double or triple the amount of food they produce with these new plans. “We could wipe out hunger in this city.”
Groundwork really shines in its collaboration efforts. Rather than working in a bubble, it is part of their mission to work with other sustainably focused organizations to accomplish the same goals. Christa Powell reiterates the importance of our “collective impact” and how collaboration is necessary to create a lasting outcome. “I have this vision of this vibrant, alive, growing, wonderful place to live in the central city of Milwaukee,” says Christa Powell. “This area where people don’t dread driving through it, but instead they’re excited to live there, they’re excited to own a home there... I think it starts with food.”
Learn more at www.groundworkmke.org
Read this article on the Shepherd Express, part of the column “Hero of the Week.”