Tribal Elder Food Box program plans to increase production

White fish, cranberry, maple sugar, zucchini, kale, sweet corn.

These were some of the foods in the Tribal Elder Food Box distributed at the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center on Historic Mitchell Street in Milwaukee on Friday. The foods are sourced from native producers in Wisconsin and Minnesota and distributed by the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition.

Volunteers and dietitians working at the health center began handing out boxes at 11 a.m. But about 20 native elders had assembled well before for a chance to get one of the 50 boxes that are distributed once a month.

Wanda Lee Corn, 71, was the first in line. She's been picking up boxes for a couple of years, and especially likes the fish. Like many of the others gathered there, she appreciates the help with the grocery bills.