Milwaukee, WI
A very special delivery: How this Milwaukee mom will feed hundreds on Christmas Day
Like many others, Johnna Taylor is spending the days before Christmas shopping, prepping and cooking.
However, the Milwaukee native has a special goal for the holiday: She will support mothers and families in need by delivering hundreds of free meals to her neighborhood in Milwaukee’s 53206 ZIP code and throughout the city on Christmas Day.
“We want to make sure that the people in Milwaukee are taken care of on Christmas,” Taylor said.
Taylor founded Moms Matter Inc. this year to provide information and support for single mothers.
“My desire is to meet some of those needs as much as I can, offer information where I can, so that women can change their lives for themselves, right, but also for their children,” said Taylor, who has experienced being a single mother.
Partnering with E’sha Cooper of Indianapolis, Taylor has registered people for meals, purchased food in bulk and is cooking and organizing meal deliveries for Monday.
Taylor and Cooper met years ago when they both lived in Indianapolis, where Cooper organized Christmas dinner drop-offs before the COVID-19 pandemic that fed over 100 people.
Cooper owns Einstein Eckstein Lawn and Tree Service LLC in Indianapolis. After a profitable year in business this year, Cooper was looking for a community in which to deliver meals but had trouble finding a local partner in Indianapolis.
Taylor, having moved back to Milwaukee, saw a need in her 53206 ZIP code and an opportunity to get the word out about Moms Matter.
The 53206 neighborhood, an under-resourced area with economic struggles, is situated on the city’s North Side and includes the Amani, Arlington Heights, North Division/Lindsay Heights and Franklin Heights neighborhoods.
“She was sharing with me her program that she was starting, and then I was like: Wow. That would be awesome if we could just bless the families in Milwaukee,” Cooper said.
They decided to take the giving up a notch this year by attempting to distribute 500 meals. Cooper’s lawn care business is funding the giveaway.
“The vision is to make this a big thing, just helping people experience the love of Christ on Christmas,” Cooper said.
As of Thursday, Taylor had registered 275 families.
Because of the scale of the operation, Taylor reached out to The Neighborhood Kitchen, 8103 W. Tower Ave., a 4,000 square foot commercial kitchen on Milwaukee’s Northwest Side.
“I told her that I would donate the space just because they do it all out of their pocket,” said Suzy Wagner, owner of The Neighborhood Kitchen.
Wagner said the Kitchen and its more than 50 vendors strive to be a collaborative space that gives back to the community, such as helping the MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary with an event.
The meals consist of baked chicken, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, a dinner roll, dessert and bottled water.
Christmas is “the day that you show up for real. Not before, not after, that day,” Cooper said. “Because that’s when everybody’s feeling it, right? The loneliness is real that day.”
Milwaukee, WI
Silver Alert issued for critically missing 69-year-old Milwaukee man with dementia
The Wisconsin Department of Justice and Milwaukee police are searching for a vulnerable, critically missing 69-year-old man.
Ike King Jr. was last seen traveling on foot Sunday, Oct. 6, around 10:30 p.m. in the 3300 block of North 41st Street, a largely residential area just west of West Fond du Lac Avenue. King has dementia. He is Black and has brown eyes and a black, curly afro. He has a missing front tooth and is about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 175 pounds with a medium build.
King was last seen wearing a white flannel, a blue shirt, blue pants resembling Dickies style pants and black Nike flip-flops.
Silver Alerts are issued for elderly persons who are missing and believed to have dementia or some other cognitive impairment. “Critical missing” is a label police apply to people who may be especially vulnerable due to a variety of factors.
Anyone with information regarding King’s whereabouts should call the Milwaukee Police Department’s Seventh District at 414-935-7272.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee shootings Sunday; 1 dead, 1 injured
MILWAUKEE – One person is dead and another is injured after different shootings in Milwaukee on Sunday, Oct. 6.
20th and Cornell
A 16-year-old was shot around 1 p.m. and went to the hospital for treatment. The teen victim succumbed to their injury.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting are under investigation. Police are looking for anyone involved.
Birch and Sheridan
A 25-year-old was shot around 5:30 p.m. The victim went to the hospital for treatment of non-fatal injuries.
Police are still investigating and looking for anyone involved.
MPD tips
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Milwaukee Police Department at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 Tips app.
Milwaukee, WI
Weather Webcast with Chief Meteorologist Tom Wachs
Clear skies tonight with patchy frost away from the lake overnight. Temperatures dropping into the 30s inland, mid-40s near the lake overnight. Becoming partly sunny on Monday, breezy with highs in the mid-60s.
-
Technology5 days ago
Charter will offer Peacock for free with some cable subscriptions next year
-
World4 days ago
Ukrainian stronghold Vuhledar falls to Russian offensive after two years of bombardment
-
World4 days ago
WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange says he pleaded ‘guilty to journalism’ in order to be freed
-
Technology4 days ago
Beware of fraudsters posing as government officials trying to steal your cash
-
Health2 days ago
Health, happiness and helping others are vital parts of free and responsible society, Founding Fathers taught
-
Virginia6 days ago
Status for Daniels and Green still uncertain for this week against Virginia Tech; Reuben done for season
-
Sports3 days ago
Freddie Freeman says his ankle sprain is worst injury he's ever tried to play through
-
News2 days ago
Lebanon says 50 medics killed in past three days as Israel extends its bombardment