This feature was made possible by a partnership with Employ Milwaukee and the Serve MKE grant program.

In Bronzeville, a kitchen is quietly changing lives one scratch-made, medically tailored meal at a time. 

Behind those meals is Kathy Koshgarian, president and CEO of Food For Health, whose own health journey taught her how powerful food can be in transforming lives.

She grew up in a household where processed foods were the norm. But in her 30s, after the birth of her daughter, she found herself pre-diabetic and living with hypothyroidism. A Functional Integrated Medicine practitioner prescribed diet as the remedy.

“After adjusting my lifestyle and eating habits, I not only felt normal—I felt better than I had in years,” she says. That experience became the foundation of her passion for food as medicine.

From pilot project to social enterprise

Food For Health was piloted in 2020 with seed money from The Dohmen Company Foundation. Early on, the organization focused on workforce development and partnered with Employ Milwaukee to recruit and train employees.

By 2022, it had grown into an independent social enterprise with a Bronzeville-based production facility certified by the USDA, FDA, Serve-Safe, HACCP, HIPAA, and FIMC. From this kitchen, the team prepares scratch-made meals using whole, natural ingredients—crafted to both nourish and heal.

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The impact of Food For Health

Through its B3 Healthy Program, participants receive up to 12 months of support: 10 chef-crafted meals delivered to their homes each week (with flexible menu choices), weekly health coaching calls, regular screenings, and a personalized health plan. Progress is tracked in the Food For Health app.

All meals are made from scratch with whole, natural ingredients and delivered in sustainable packaging. A proprietary cold chain management system ensures quality and freshness from the kitchen through delivery.

The results speak volumes:

• 95% of participants sustain disease reversal at 2.5 years; 75% maintain reversal at 5 years
• Annual healthcare costs are reduced by as much as $9,600 (the average cost of type 2 diabetes care)
• 89% of participants lower their A1c below 8.0
• 94% reduce blood pressure below 140/90
• 85% lose weight

Even more, 95% of the participants report satisfaction with the program.

How Serve MKE helps

Employ Milwaukee’s Serve MKE grant program strengthens businesses like Food For Health by providing:

• Paid Work Experience (PWE): Wages covered for the first 90 days of new-hire training
• On-the-Job Training (OJT): A percentage of wages covered for the next 90 days
• Incumbent Worker Training (IWT): Funding for certifications such as ServSafe, HACCP, bartender licensing, and other specialized training

Eligible employers must have been in business at least one year and provide a W-9 and proof of insurance. The program runs through September 2026, and Employ Milwaukee is actively seeking more local business partners.

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Doing more with less

“For us, every dollar we don’t have to spend on overhead helps us serve more people,” says Koshgarian.

Currently, five Food For Health employees are participating in AI upskilling through gener8tor. The organization is also exploring HACCP and Serve-Safe training support through Employ Milwaukee, along with new opportunities for on-the-job development.

“We’ve had some recent turnover, and specialized training is essential to ensure employees are workforce-ready and compliant with regulatory standards,” she explains.

Koshgarian calls Employ Milwaukee an invaluable partner in supporting Food For Health’s growth.

“They’ve helped tremendously with sourcing, job placement, training, and upskilling,” she says. “They’ve also supported our diversity goals and connected us with other organizations and resources that further our mission.

“The next phase of our partnership is expanding into contemporary business skills. There are so many efficiencies to be gained. As a lean nonprofit, it’s vital that we do more with less.”