The Bay View Community Center has been serving families and individuals in Southeastern Wisconsin since 1978. "We started with very grass roots beginnings," says Kim Schubring, Family and Children's Program Director at the Bay View Community Center. "We were one of three organizations in the city that started as a grant program of the Milwaukee Christian Center."
35 years later, the organization is still going strong. Their food pantry feeds people in need from four zip codes: 53207, 53215, 53221 and 53235 with most donations collected from local church congregations. Their family programs are aimed at helping all age groups, from parenting classes, to food and nutrition to arts and crafts.
There are no annual membership fees, just nominal charges for classes and no residency restrictions to register for classes. Money received from United Way of Greater Milwaukee helps support the family and children's programs at the Center. They do their best to put every dollar to good use. "We are very frugal and recycle everything," Shubring says as she smiles warmly. "Instead of pretty boxes for our tutoring students, we use cardboard boxes we salvaged and keep using over and over."
Schubring explains how, through their programming, they keep young parents from feeling isolated in their community. "We want to make sure families are having healthy and fun interaction." She continues, "They build support networks, especially in younger age groups, before they reach school".
Support and volunteer info is available, along with the program schedule, online at bayviewcenter.org.