Forward Community Investments Provides $11 Million in New Markets Tax Credit Allocation to Support Kinship Community Food Center’s New Milwaukee Facility
New 28,000-square-foot community food center will expand healthy food access, workforce training, wellness programming, and wraparound support for Milwaukee residents
MADISON, WI, June 10, 2026 – Forward Community Investments (FCI) announced today that it has provided $11 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation to support the development of Kinship Community Food Center’s new 28,000-square-foot facility at 2851 N. Holton Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212. The project officially broke ground on July 15th.
The project received a total of $20.5 million in NMTC financing, with $11 million in allocation from FCI and $9.5 million from Old National Bank. The new facility will help Kinship graduate from its current subleased space into a permanent, purpose-built home designed to significantly increase access to fresh food, expand Kinship’s current workforce development program, provide wellness education, and connect families with stabilizing community services. This NMTC financing is one component of Kinship’s $18 million Building a Place for Kinship capital campaign, which continues to seek community support.
Located at the crossroads of the Riverwest and Harambee neighborhoods in North Milwaukee, the 28,000 sq ft. Kinship Community Food Center will include a free fresh food market, commercial kitchen, job training space, on-site greenhouse, chapel, event and gathering areas, and private consultation rooms for mentorship and crisis support services. The facility will allow Kinship to dramatically expand service hours and capacity, increasing from approximately 19,000 food-insecure individuals served in 2025 to an expected average of 22,000 per year.
“This project is a powerful example of how strong partnerships, patient capital, and deep community commitment can help mission-driven organizations move from vision to reality,” said Rob Beach, Chief Operating Officer of FCI. “FCI is honored to support Kinship in creating a permanent home that will dramatically expand its reach and deepen its impact in Milwaukee’s Riverwest and Harambee neighborhoodsand beyond.”
Kinship also received significant philanthropic support for the project, raising $15.5 million in 16 months of quiet fundraising. These funds, along with a $900,000 grant from the State of Wisconsin through the Non-State Grant Program and the NMTC financing and bridge support from Old National Bank, helped Kinship move forward with the project while limiting the need for long-term traditional debt.
The project is expected to create 50 construction jobs during development Kinship’s commercial kitchen will support culinary training as well as a planned social enterprise catering business, which is expected to provide paid training opportunities for 80 participants over the next five years, helping community members build hands-on skills and pathways to long-term employment.
Kinship’s programming is rooted in a model that pairs food access with dignity, wellness, and community connection. The new facility will include an on-site greenhouse to support fresh produce access, garden-based education, wellness workshops, therapeutic programming, and nutrition education. Private consultation rooms will also allow Kinship and its partners to provide housing assistance, financial coaching, behavioral health referrals, and other services designed to help stabilize households and prevent homelessness.
The new facility will also strengthen Kinship’s role as a hub for volunteerism and neighborhood connection. Flexible gathering spaces will support shared meals and community events, helping Kinship activate its broad volunteer network. Historically, approximately 33% of Kinship volunteers are current or former shoppers, reflecting the organization’s community-centered model of mutual support.
“Forward Community Investments was the first call I made to explore the potential of receiving New Market Tax Credits because of their stellar reputation in helping community-oriented nonprofits increase their impact on the people they serve. Less than two years later, we are moving forward on a new beautiful community center that will change the neighborhood in so many positive ways.” states Wayne Breitbarth, Managing Director of Kinship Community Food Center. “As the first Community Food Center in the region, I believe that this building will be the impetus for other traditional “food pantries” to relook at how they can serve in so many other ways in each of their neighborhoods.”
The development team includes VJS Construction Services as general contractor, Building Solutions as owner’s representative, and HGA as project architect. Estimated project completion is late summer 2027.
Community members, volunteers, donors, and partners interested in connecting with Kinship Community Food Center can learn more at www.buildingaplaceforkinship.org.
About Forward Community Investments
Forward Community Investments (FCI) is a statewide Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) committed to igniting the future of nonprofits, real estate entrepreneurs, and small business owners by providing financial support that allows them to thrive. Our work investing in the communities and neighborhoods that need it most promotes a future where all Wisconsin residents have access to the resources, partnerships, and capital needed to build a prosperous, self-sustaining future. For more information about FCI, visit www.forwardci.org.
Media contact:
Kirby L. Toon
Director of Capital Strategy
Forward Community Investments, Inc. Phone: (608) 204-8841 (office)
Email: kirbyt@forwardci.org