Our History
1972 – Greater Milwaukee Conference on Religion and Urban Affairs (aka The Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee) established a task force on aging.
Goals:
- coordinate existing services for the elderly sponsored by religious congregations;
- obtain and distribute information about services for older adults;
- support the development of programs to serve older adults and to advocate for just social policy.
Sister Margaret Shekleton was hired, familiarized self with current aging needs & made recommendations, then headed the pilot program called Target Communities Interfaith Project.
1974 – Milwaukee’s eastside was targeted area due to high aging & congregational population. With the support of St Rita, St Hedwig, Holy Rosary, SS Peter & Paul, Eastside Senior Services was born!
1975 – Interfaith Milwaukee was established, overseeing Eastside Senior Services along with other new Milwaukee neighborhood outreach programs. Soon after, organizations throughout the nation were modeled after Interfaith. Eastside Senior Services was the first of its kind!
1979 – Eastside Senior Services was incorporated as a 501(c)3
1975 – 1990’s – ESS grew, formed processes, increasingly served the community under the Interfaith umbrella, serving alongside 17 other “Neighborhood Outreach Programs” (NOP) throughout Milwaukee County
1994 – Riverside West NOP merged with Eastside Senior Services
2006 – Interchange NOP merged with Eastside Senior Services
2016 – ESS began operating under their own 501c3 outside of Interfaith
2020 – Shorewood was added as a service area to ESS