Community Food Pantry
Our food bank ensures food security for Washington Park neighborhood residents in Milwaukee and nearby areas
The Rooted & Rising Community Food Center, a Hunger Task Force partner, is located within our main facility on the corner of 39th Street and Lisbon Avenue and provides free food assistance to individuals and families living in Milwaukee’s 53208 and 53210 zip codes.
Accessible through the main parking lot entrance in the rear of the building, the Community Food Pantry includes free emergency food supply, cooking demonstrations by partners, staff and volunteers, a Senior Stockbox Program, Food Share registration, distribution of hygiene products and winter clothing, and a wide range of additional services and resources from our community partners who are present during food pantry operating hours.
Accessing Emergency Food Assistance
The Food Center is open weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Households can receive food once every 30 days. We serve individuals and families who live in the 53208 and 53210 zip codes. Anyone is welcome to visit once, and we’ll help connect those outside these areas with a pantry that serves their zip code for continued support. For the first visit, no documentation is required.
For future visits, we ask for:
Children: Proof of date of birth (such as a birth certificate, birth announcement, FoodShare benefits letter listing household members, school records, or immunization records). Once a child’s information is entered into our system, you will not have to bring proof on future visits.
Adults: Proof of address (official papers showing your name and current residential address, including utility bills (gas, electric, internet, phone), rental agreements, driver’s licenses, or other legal documentation. We only need verification of address once a year or if your address changes within the 12 months.
Senior Stockbox Program
Available on the first four Tuesdays of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
To participate in the senior food program, you must enroll, which you can do so onsite.
To qualify for a Stockbox, seniors must be 60 years or older, a resident of Wisconsin, and meet the monthly low-income requirements.
Food Center Expansion & Programming
Since our first emergency food pantry was established in 1993, Rooted & Rising has served the food security needs of the Washington Park neighborhood and nearby communities.
In 2022, with support from Hunger Task Force and many other individual donors and partners, we launched a renovation of the physical space and officially rolled out our choice-based shopping model for the new Community Food Pantry, which now includes a full community room kitchen that is used for cooking demonstrations, nutrition classes, community gatherings and so much more. Part of this expansion also involved the extension of our service area to include both the 53208 and 53210 zip codes in their entirety.
At Rooted & Rising, we strive to provide a warm, welcoming space for all of our neighbors to gather, enjoy each other’s company, receive free food and basic need assistance, and get connected to other resources.
The Rooted & Rising Community Food Center is a proud partner of Hunger Task Force and relies upon the support of a multitude of community partners, gardening groups, volunteers and long-time supporters from a number of United Methodist Church congregations throughout the Greater Milwaukee Area. There are so many different ways for individuals and groups to get involved and lend your support, so please don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more or organize a project.