Rick Roszkowski from Bloom MKE was introduced by Ian Smith at the weekly meeting. Bloom MKE is a non-profit organization with the mission to “promote community enrichment for residents of low-income housing and public housing in Milwaukee. Rick and his wife Linda are using community gardens as resources for "Engagement, education, and relationship building”.
In 2012, the first community garden beds were constructed by the SET Ministry, an organization where Rick and his wife Lisa were volunteers. In 2016 they were honored as “Volunteers of the Year” by the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee. A few years later, they...
helped establish another garden at the Riverview apartment building.
In 2019, a small non-profit named Bloom MKE was started by Rick and Lisa Roszkowski. Cherry Street Community Garden is their first venture. Their vision is to use gardens to build communities and have the gardens to act as the canvas and platform to bring people together.
The program they developed includes:
· Garden Clubs which combine a variety of personal development workshops with gardening and nutrition education activities. One 4ft. by 8ft. garden plot can produce $100 worth of fresh food in a season.
· Youth education programs introduce local children to gardening basics and healthy eating habits. Access to healthy food and good nutrition is on key component of a healthy life.
· Collaboration with local university connects Bloom MKE with students seeking research opportunities in urban studies, urban infrastructure, food justice and artistic ventures.
· Little Free Library book drives
· The weekly club meetings provide a means of getting together in fellowship, building communication skills, self-esteem, teamwork, and problem solving.
· Between the garden sites, Bloom MKE supports more than 50 families and engages more than 100 youth each year.
If you would like to learn more about the mission and the community gardens Bloom MKE provides, visit www.BloomMke.org.
Rick and Lisa, thank you for all your selfless volunteer work for the Milwaukee community.
