Home Page | Rotary Club of Mitchell Field (Milwaukee)

We meet In Person

Wednesdays at 12:00 PM

The Oak Creek Community Center

8580 S Howell Avenue
Oak Creek, WI 53154
United States of America

Or join us via Zoom by emailing info@rcomf.org for a meeting link.

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Venue Map

Thanksgiving Food Boxes Distributed

Turkeys and boxes of food for Thanksgiving were given to 50 families, representing 265 people. Two individuals who were unable to leave their homes received prepared meals. Leftover supplies were donated to The Salvation Army food pantry.

The project was a partnership of many local groups. Read more below.

Soap, Suds Drive for Life Navigators

The Soap, Suds Drive to benefit developmentally disabled adults served by Life Navigators was a rousing success. The Rotary Club of Mitchell Field collected a mountain of toilet paper, tons of toothpaste and loads of laundry pods in addition to many other items. There were a number of gift cards and cash donations made as well. Over 1,200 items and $640 in cash was collected, ranking it as one of the largest drives for Life Navigators this year.

Warm Coats Arrive as Weather Turns Cold

168 heavy-duty winter coats for youth were purchased by the club to distribute to three local nonprofits. The boxes arrived at The Salvation Army Community Center in Oak Creek where Rotarians sorted them by size and gender. The sorted coats were repackaged and delivered to South Milwaukee Human Concerns, Project Concern in Cudahy, and The Salvation Army in Oak Creek. The club’s project was funded by Rotary District 6270 with additional funding from the South Milwaukee Lions Club and several members of the Rotary Club of Mitchell Field.

48 Welcome Baskets Delivered to Pathfinders

During a seven-month period, Rotary members purchased more than 1,300 household items to make up 48 Welcome Baskets for Pathfinders. The Milwaukee-based non-profit helps move youth into safer, permanent housing. Each basket donated by the Rotary club was filled with kitchen basics for meal preparation and dining, bathroom items, and cleaning supplies needed to set up a new household. In lieu of regular meetings, Rotarians met and assembled baskets on five separate dates at MATC Oak Creek. During the project more than 200 hours of work was given by 16 Rotary members to plan, purchase, assemble and deliver the baskets. The project was funded by a $3000 Rotary District 6270 Grant.

Christmas Party Returns

Smiles and excitement filled The Salvation Army at Oak Creek as the club’s annual Christmas Party took place once again. About 55 friends and staff of the Goodwill and Milwaukee Center for Independence Disability Service Programs attended. Old friends greeted each other joyously after missing last year’s gathering. Lunch and dessert were served by Rotarians while the Salvation Army Band entertained everyone with music and carols. The arrival of Santa was the high point of the day as the jolly old elf spoke with each guest and delivered gifts to them. Special thanks to Donna Stresing for chairing this event, to the Salvation Army for set up and the use of their facilities, to Ken Tregellas for emceeing the program and overseeing food preparation, to Larry Haskin for arranging guest participation and to Santa and all the Rotarians who greeted guests and acted as Santa’s elves.

Flags Fly at South Milwaukee

The weather was hot and the ground very dry but the flags are up! Thanks to MATC Criminal Justice students and St. Thomas More, the Rotary Club of Mitchell Field's Flags for Heroes are flying once again. We want to thank everyone who helped — from our littlest volunteer to our oldest Rotarian, not shown, who is 94.

Please plan to attend the Flag Day ceremony outside by the South Milwaukee City Hall gazebo on Monday, June 14 at 6 pm.

Now Helping Homeless Youth

The Rotary Club of Mitchell Field is driven by the needs of the communities it serves. After months of research during the COVID shutdown, the club is refocusing to serve homeless youth within the South Shore area. Rotary-HOME offers assistance with housing, opportunities, mentoring and other needs like secondary education for homeless youth. We thank The Salvation Army in Oak Creek, Pathfinders in Milwaukee and the area high schools whose counselors are partnering with Rotary to address this unmet need.

Learn how you can get involved in this exciting new project, by emailing us.

Deadline Approaching for 2022-23 Rotary Peace Fellowship

The Rotary Peace Fellowship is the world’s most prestigious and generous fellowship. It is designed for leaders with work experience in peace and development. Our fellows are committed to community and international service and the pursuit of peace. Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards up to 50 fellowships for master’s degrees and 80 fellowships for certificate studies at premier universities throughout the world.

Choose the program that's right for you.

Rain and Covid Didn't Stop Santa

Santa and his hearty band brought Christmas cheer, carols and presents to the residents of six group homes run by Goodwill Industries in Milwaukee. Because of COVID-19 the Rotary Club of Mitchell Field replaced their traditional Christmas party for Goodwill clients with home visits. Fortunately Santa was flexible. On Saturday, December 12, Rotary members and friends joined him to show that Christmas warmth and love could overcome an otherwise wet, miserable day.

Hope Is Greater Than Fear

Things are a little different this year. We’ll still ring the bell for The Salvation Army in Oak Creek at the Woodman’s as we have for many years. However we want everyone to be safe so The Salvation Army has provided links for virtual Red Kettles to facilitate donations during the pandemic.

https://donate.salvationarmywi.org/campaign/oak-creek-virtual-red-kettle/c307160

Hundreds Receive Thanksgiving Meal

Thanksgiving won’t be the same this year. With Covid not much will. Yet more than three hundred residents in South Shore communities—who might have gone hungry—will enjoy a turkey dinner with all the fixings, courtesy of the Rotary Club of Mitchell Field and Meijers.

South Shore Food Pantries Helped with Grants

Recognizing the exploding demand for food at local pantries, the Rotary Club of Mitchell Field is donating to the Salvation Army in Oak Creek, Human Concerns in South Milwaukee and Project Concern in Cudahy. Each of the food pantries received a $500 grant in April followed by an additional $1000 grant in late summer.

Food pantry grants this year total $4500.

Polio...Going, Going, Almost Gone!

Let’s step in the “way back” machine. It’s 1985. Polio is paralyzing more than 1,000 children worldwide every day. The disease is endemic in 125 countries. Rotary International announces its plan to eradicate polio, called PolioPlus. It’s an ambitious goal. Only one human-disease-causing pathogen in the world was ever eradicated. Smallpox.

Today polio cases have decreased over 99 per cent. Two of the three wildpolio viruses are gone. Type 2 was eradicated in 2015. Type 3 in 2019. Fittingly the announcement was made on World Polio Day, October 24, 2019.

Santa Visits Goodwill Clients

Forty-one shouts of joy filled the air as Santa arrived at the Christmas Party held by the Rotary Club of Mitchell. Goodwill clients throughout Milwaukee came for a meal, music from the Salvation Army band, caroling, and — of course — the visit from Santa. The party started decades ago and is a high point these often forgotten adults. Ho! Ho! Ho!

Thanksgiving Baskets Feed the Hungry

For decades Rotarians, their family and friends have gathered on the Saturday before Thanksgiving to assemble and distribute Thanksgiving food baskets. Families and seniors in need are identified by social service agencies in South Milwaukee, Cudahy, St. Francis, Oak Creek and Franklin. With financial assistance from Meijers, our Rotary Club purchases enough food for each family to enjoy a complete Thanksgiving feast. Baskets are assembled at The Salvation Army and distributed by The Rotary Club of Mitchell Field, The Amigos de Milwaukee Rotary Club, and MATC’s CJSO (Criminal Justice Student Organization).

Food Truck Sunday in South Milwaukee

GREAT FOOD • LIVE MUSIC • SHADED SEATING

Due to work on the downtown streets of South Milwaukee, Food Truck Sunday will not be held the fall of 2019. We hope to return in the spring of 2020.

To stay up to date on upcoming event dates, participating food trucks, menus and more -- please visit our Facebook page at Rotary Club of Mitchell Field Food Truck Sunday and Like us.

Honor Your Heroes! Fly a flag for them.

Hundreds of American flags flew at Oak Creek Community Center and South Milwaukee City Hall to salute local heroes.

Flags for Heroes is…
A highly visible way to recognize a hero with dignity and honor.
A special remembrance for the person who has enough stuff in their life.
A way to honor a hero while helping others in need.

Download flag order forms at left under Downloads. Forms for both Oak Creek (over Memorial Day) and South Milwaukee (over Flag Day) are now available.

Six Appeal Returns to Milwaukappella

The Rotary Club of Mitchell Field proudly presents...

October 12, 2019

South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center

Doors open at 7:00PM, the show starts at 7:30PM

This year's headline act; the remarkable Six Appeal Vocal Band! Six Appeal is a world-class vocal ensemble just back from their second straight First Prize "Grand Prix" win at the annual Moscow Spring A Cappella festival - the largest a cappella competition in the world.

Six Appeal combines top-notch musical talent and superb comedic timing with the energy, showmanship and verve of a rock band. The group’s repertoire features Pop, County, Rock, Jazz, R&B and more – all a cappella.

Milwaukappella is a showcase where audiences can see the best of the best professional a cappella performances but it is also a place for high school and college age a cappella singers to study and grow. Students at all skill levels are welcome whether they're in a group or all alone. All attendees will benefit from the knowledge and skills of the cadre of big-name, big-talent instructors brought in to teach. Milwaukappella headliners are chosen not only for their mad performance skills but for their ability and willingness to teach.

The evening show opens with performances by students who’ve attended the daylong Milwaukappella Workshop taught by Six Appeal members and other music professionals, followed by one of Six Appeal’s roof-raising, side-splitting performances that always leave audiences wondering how the group makes all that amazing music with just their voices.

We've Been Working on the Farm

The Rotary Club of Mitchell Field in Milwaukee just finished several days of helping at the Hunger Task Force Farm. We did it all, from planting seeds to transplanting them into the ground to hoeing weeds (hard work!) because we believe in serving others and an acre of cabbage will feed 6,000 families. If you are interested in joining our merry group of "farmers" later this year (dates TBD by the growing season) for the harvest drop us an email at info@rcomf.org.

Serving Our Local Communities

Several times a year Rotarians meet at local non-profits to provide service. Past service projects have included changing from winter to summer clothes at Human Concerns's free store in South Milwaukee, practicing English with non-native speakers in MATC's ESL program located at Oak Creek, planting crops at the Hunger Task Force Farm in Franklin, and sorting food at the Salvation Army in Oak Creek.

Making a Difference in Tanzania

When the 2017-18 Rotary International president, Ian Riseley asked each Rotarian to plant a tree, the Rotary Club of Mitchell Field thought beyond its service area to where they could do the most good. They reached out to Tanzania where people are struggling to survive. Through a contribution to Simple Hope, a Milwaukee-based non-profit, the club purchased 25 fruit trees in Tanzania. Along with the Mukwonago Rotary Club, they were able to fill a truck and take delivery the day before the road was washed out by rain.

Sunglasses from Educators Credit Union Help Kids in Guatemala

The Rotary Club of Mitchell Field started running Food Truck Sundays in 2017 with Educator’s Credit Union, who was the event sponsor. Besides great food from the food trucks, visitors got to meet the staff at Educator’s Credit Union and score some free swag, like these sunglasses. After the fall event ended, the leftover sunglasses were donated by Educators to Rotary. A Rotarian then took the sunglasses to Guatemala. Dana, who was part of a Guatemala Medical Resources Partnership team, said “because people {in Guatemala] are in the sun so much, it is a great source of eye problems so we distribute as many sunglasses as we can get our hands on. One day as I was heading to the gates to get into clinic, I spotted these two cuties who had obviously been there on a prior day. Their mama graciously allowed me to take their photo.”

Learning Goes On at Milwaukappella

..before the curtains go up. An important part of Milwaukappella is the full-day a cappella workshop for high school and college students. The student workshop fee includes lunch, dinner, the opportunity to open the evening show and a ticket to enjoy a premium seat for Transit’s performance. The workshop is open to all high school- and college-age a cappella singers, whether or not they’re currently in a vocal group. Sign up early! Attendance has increased each year and spots are limited.

Bake Sale Fights Polio

On World Polio Day, October 24, 2017, one of the newest members of the Rotary Club of Mitchell Field showed the club how a corporate member can involve and inspire a whole company to serve others through Rotary.

Eder Flag’s COO Jodi Goglio, who joined the Rotary Club of Mitchell Field in July as its first corporate member, spoke with Eder Flag employees about Rotary’s polio eradication effort. They jointly decided to hold a bake sale with all proceeds going to fight polio. Many donated the baked the goods that filled the tables in their lunchroom. Others purchased them. Everyone learned about Rotary and its effort to end polio. When the bake sale ended two hours later more than $460 had been raised.

“I am incredibly proud of our team,” said Jodi.