Shining throughout Milwaukee’s south side
We build, strengthen and enrich our south side community through life-affirming programs and supportive services that help move people beyond the challenges of poverty.
Invest in the future
Our anniversary allows us the opportunity to honor our history while we celebrate 95 years of empowering local communities and changing lives. Your donation helps us to continue our meaningful work, strengthening the fabric of Milwaukee’s near south side neighborhoods. We are all in this together, neighbors helping neighbors.
A history of compassion
We trace our roots back to 1921 and the establishment of the South Side Christian Center. The Woman’s American Baptist Church Home Mission Society appointed missionary Mamie Passolt MacKinney to develop a center to serve the needs of newly arrived immigrants and the poor living in Milwaukee’s south side neighborhoods. Now, the Milwaukee Christian Center is a multi-faceted social service and neighborhood development agency that serves families, youth and elderly regardless of ethnicity, gender, economic status, race, religion or sexual orientation.
Notably, Passolt MacKinney pioneered the first Head Start-style program in Milwaukee for preschool youngsters—44 years before the Federal Head Start program began in 1965. Other firsts for MCC include the first Golden Age Club and the first Elderly Nutrition Program in the county.
95 Years of Empowering Communities, Changing Lives
We continually adapt to meet the changing needs of the Milwaukee community. Today, the Center maintains its mission of developing and sustaining community-based programs that bring aid and comfort to residents throughout Milwaukee’s south side neighborhoods.
We operate the only south side Emergency Food Pantry open five days a week that is a Choice Pantry. Choice Pantries allow families to choose culturally appropriate food that will best suit their needs. We also offer Neighborhood Improvement Projects, which include housing production, the YouthBuild skill development program, and the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program.
We also operate several programs for at-risk youth including the Youth Development Program at the Kosciuszko Community Center, Safe Place at Forest Home Elementary School and Violence Free Zone and Young Professionals Academy for students at area high schools.
We currently employ approximately 100 full-time and part-time staff members, and rely on nearly 50 volunteers.
807 S. 14th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204
Phone: (414) 645-5350
Fax: (414) 645-1859
Homes For Sale
Milwaukee Christian Center's community-based, affordable housing programs build reasonably priced standard housing that is for sale to qualifying homeowners.
An Americorps Community Partner