A new cafe is opening this spring inside Veterans Manor at 34th and Wisconsin Avenue.
The newest addition to the first floor will be Troop Cafe, set to open in the Spring of 2013.
Manager Chris Kadrich says the cafe will be entirely veteran-staffed. The menu will include hot soups, sandwiches and salads available for sale to the public at affordable prices. Many of the vegetables served in Troop Cafe will be come from veteran-staffed gardens.
The Center for Veterans Affairs is a non-profit agency serving veterans returning to civilian life. Unfortunately, 20 percent of Milwaukee's veterans are homeless. But Dawn Nuoffer, executive vice president at the Center for Veterans Issues, says there's help in Milwaukee.
Last year, the center teamed up with Cardinal Capitol Management to build a 52-unit apartment building on the corner of 34th and Wisconsin Ave.
A commercial kitchen occupies the first floor, and inside, veterans recive on-the-job
training.
The industrial kitchen produces 4,000 meals every day which are served to local schools and nursing homes. The kitchen also prepares vets for careers in the food service industry.
And the new Troop Cafe will provide even more opportunites for struggling veterans.
Watch for updates when Troop Cafe opens in Spring. More information on Troop Cafe, Veterans Manor and The Center for Veterans Affairs can be found at www.cvivet.org.