Like much of the country, Milwaukee is struggling right now, but the community's efforts to ease the chaos have been nothing but heartwarming. Aladdin's has been a staple restaurant in our city since 1996. Back in 2014, they became a school lunch provider for the Salam K-12 school system. Now the school lunch program has opened its doors to the public.
“At such a critical time like this, I don’t think we have time to just think about ourselves,” said Yousef Alaeddin, son of the owner of Aladdin's. “We are telling everyone that they are more than welcome to come and grab something to eat."
The decision to continue the program and implement a communal grab and go was made collectively with Salam School and the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.
One thing to note is although they are primarily severing students, it’s open to the community and anyone in need. Alaeddin also mentioned that there isn’t a limit to how many meals a person may request.
“At this point in time, we really need to think about other people," said Alaeddin. “If there is anything good coming after the pandemic it's that people are taking a step backing and asking, ‘What do we need to do collectively?’”
“Here in Milwaukee, we are so blessed to have so many small businesses putting their hands together brainstorming and getting creative,” said Alaeddin.
The grab and go school lunch program is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Salam elementary school, 815 W. Layton Ave.
