Ebenezer Stone Ministries plans to open the store at 71st and Center streets in Wauwatosa, repurposing a building that housed a daycare for 26 years and, before that, a Sentry grocery store. A church that operated the daycare donated the building to the charity.

The project is intended to address food deserts created by grocery store closures in Milwaukee. Michael Haas, executive director of Ebenezer Stone Ministries, said the store will differ from a traditional food pantry by letting shoppers pay what they can.

"A lot of our patrons want to pay for some of their food, but they can't pay full price," Haas said. "And so it's that piece of, 'Hey, here's my groceries that I'm getting, but it's only $10.' And they want to give that to us."

Haas said the building already has features that can be reused, including an old cooler. "This isn't a food pantry; it is a grocery store that is meant to be affordable for families," he said.

Kelly Eger, who is leading the grocery effort, said the store will complement the ministry's existing food pantry work. "It brings dignity to those families that they can come here, select what they want, have a choice, but be able to afford it," Eger said. "At the end of the day, it's what we're trying to offer."

Eger added that the 71st and Center location is accessible by bus.

Beyond groceries, the ministry plans to offer community resources at the site, including mental health and wellness services and other social services for the neighborhood.

Ebenezer Stone Ministries will formally announce the project at its annual fundraiser at the zoo. The ministry hopes to open the store in the spring.