A Calling Puts Food On Muskego Tables

Julie Frahman was not on some great quest for a higher purpose, but the words of her pastor struck a chord. The pastor mentioned a teenage girl who started a food pantry, and she thought, 'If she could do that, why not me?"

That was five years ago, and the spark of an idea has now blossomed from a small room loaned by a local car dealership into a much larger facility in Muskego's business park, fueled largely, it seems, by Frahman's passion.

Open one day during the week and every other Saturday, time to get things organized and ready for the 60-plus families who use the pantry can be chaotic. Frahman, however is the proverbial island of calm, fielding questions from volunteers, walk-ins, answering phones and just being the glue holding the organization together.

Her demeanor is steady, confident, positive. Speaking to volunteers, her voice possesses a command that is more reassuring than demanding. Interviewing her must allow for a myriad of interruptions, but she never loses her place in what we were discussing. The constantly changing demands on her attention would make anyone grateful this isn't their job.

Recently refreshed from a brief three-day vacation from the pantry, as well as her job at Walmart, Frahman admits, "I don't think I've taken more than two days to spend on just...me in over a year. It was really - lovely."

Volunteers have caught her unflagging spirit, sharing the enthusiasm over a box of donated Halloween toys that they can share with the kids who are a part of the families who receive food and other donations from the pantry.

"She has such passion for this - everyone who comes into the pantry, she knows them by name, and they are so comforted by her," said Arlene, a regular volunteer.

Frahman says it can be stressful, but like any calling, it's brought her joy as well.

"I love this," she said, spreading her arms over a desk that is buried under lists, binders, and the phone that keeps on ringing. "I make prayer shawls, and this is my prayer of thanks for this opportunity."