Food Is Free MKE’s Great Downpayment Payback

Food is Free MKE exploded onto the scene to provide neighbors with a resource for 24/7 self serve access to free food. At the height of the pandemic, 100 families a day were using the community food sharing space to fill gaps where they struggled to make ends meet.  Operated by Emma Toth and hosted on the property owned by her partner, FIFMKE nearly had to close its doors when the couple split up and the owner of the house wanted to sell it. In a truly inspiring act of community care, Syeeda and Kevin - a married couple from halfway down the block- stepped up to take out a mortgage and buy the house to save FIFMKE with the intention of keeping Emma in the home to continue serving the neighborhood. 

Mutual Aid, the principle on which FIFMKE was founded, serves to work against the notions of a single entity playing savior to a struggling community and rather draw from the Collective to build community wealth in a mutually beneficial manner. With this in mind, Food is Free MKE is now asking for small contributions to pay back the 20% down payment that Syeeda and Kevin borrowed against their own home to afford.  They closed the house sale on Wednesday May 5th, valuing the property on which FIFMKE functions at $125,000 and having paid a $27,000 down payment to seal the deal.  Its time to pay them back, to show Syeeda and Kevin that they are not alone in their valuation of our Project. Thank you for considering a contribution to this cause.