MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee man is hoping to leave a legacy with his work in the Black community.
Since 2013, Andre Lee Ellis has been leaving a lasting impact on the community.
It all started with his community garden next to his home called the We Got This garden.
Now, this has blossomed into another garden: Community Agriculture Growing Experience (CAGE).
Outside a local Milwaukee fire department is another community garden where Ellis works with kids.
But while the outdoor garden may be dormant now, Ellis said he never stops thinking of ways to get kids’ hands dirty.
Inside the fire station, he’s set up indoor gardens to grow fresh fruits and vegetables for the community. It allows the kids to work with the plants during the colder months.
“When they find out they can grow it themselves, it’s pretty cool,” Ellis said.
Ellis is known in the Milwaukee community for his work with the kids. He’s found ways to get them off the streets and involved in other programs throughout the community.
And his work with the kids doesn’t stop in the soil. In fact, it’s just the beginning.
Ellis has also started a theatre group and given 500 teens tuxedos.
“I promise you until God takes me home, this is what I will try to do,” Ellis said.
Through mentoring and different activities, Ellis said he’s showcased to hundreds of kids what it’s like to live a long life and find passions that spark their interests.
He said the gardening program was never a part of his original plan once he moved here, but he’s thankful this is the path he’s on.
“But until 2014, when I landed in that garden and put my hands in that soil and saw the impact on the lives of the little Black boys who never thought they could, that made me say ‘I will do this until the day I die,’” Ellis said.
Ellis said he plans to leave behind this legacy for his own kids to carry on in the community and continue the work that he started.
“It’s my own legacy. I care, I love them, I love my community,” Ellis said.
Editor's Note: The garden this story focuses on is the Community Agriculture Growing Experience (CAGE) garden, which is separate from the We Got This garden. This story has been updated to reflect that change. (Feb. 8, 2023)