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City’s violence prevention efforts stall as ‘time is ticking’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
November 14, 2017
Safe Zones ambassadors stop at the intersection of N. 27th Street and W. Burleigh Street during a patrol in August 2016. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Editor’s note: This article is the second in a three-day series about violence prevention efforts in Milwaukee. Part one addressed the federal ReCAST grant to the Office of Violence Prevention.
A comprehensive, citywide plan to address violence has yet to see the light of day, despite originally being slated for release in June.
The process to create the plan was announced by the city’s Office of Violence Prevention last November.
According to Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) Director Reggie Moore, the goal of the “Blueprint for Peace” is to outline “the type of city that we want to have.” He said the plan will outline strategies to create a safe and resilient community, while also addressing how communities are harmed. It will also include implementation of CeaseFire Milwaukee, an initiative of the national Cure Violence model, which detects and interrupts conflicts.
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Moore noted that more than 1,000 youth and 1,000 adults contributed feedback through surveys, forums or a few large events that were part of the planning process.
During a Sept. 19 interview, Moore said additional feedback came in during a May event that needed to be included. He added that the plan had been sent to a designer and would be released in October.
Reggie Moore, director of the Office of Violence Prevention, speaks to community representatives at the launch of the planning process at Discovery World. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Moore said that a suicide prevention strategy has been added to the original draft of the plan. He also said that OVP addressed the concerns of a small group of faith-based leaders who expressed that faith and spirituality should be included as factors that help prevent violence.
Dennis Walton, formerly an organizer with the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative (MFI), called churches a “fragmented aspect of the community that does not work together successfully.”
He added that the city is in crisis. “The needs are not being met … to address the psychological issues and the trauma that people are facing right now,” said Walton. “We don’t even want to acknowledge how bad it is because then that makes people who are in leadership positions look as though they’re ineffective, which they are.”
There is still no official release date for the plan, according to Sarah DeRoo, spokesperson for the Milwaukee Health Department, which oversees OVP. It is scheduled to come before the Public Safety & Health Committee on Nov. 20.
At the end of August, Ald. Robert Donovan released a statement criticizing the delays and the administration of a $5 million federal ReCAST (Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma) grant the city received late last year to address violence-induced trauma by providing mental and behavioral health services. (See “Federal ReCAST grant grows local anti-violence programs.”)
Donovan wrote, “The lack of leadership and follow through is forcing many families to deal with the serious challenges of unsafe neighborhoods, fueling the flight of middle class workers.”
There have been 104 homicides to date this year. There were 153 in 2015 and 154 in 2016, according to the Journal Sentinel’s Milwaukee Homicide Database.
Nasheka Bryant, deputy chief of the Freedom Fighters, a black-led group that provides armed patrols of city neighborhoods, said the stakes are high. She accused a block of white South Side aldermen, led by Donovan, of attacking OVP and the blueprint for political reasons. These aldermen, she said, do not advocate for the black community and would rather see resources that could help challenged central city neighborhoods directed elsewhere.
“They don’t really care about the violence that’s going on in the inner-city — they don’t,” said Bryant. “They’re just using that as a catalyst to come after the money.”
Donovan, responding to emailed questions, wrote that good public safety constitutes the city’s ability to “restore order and stability … to the level where people can go about their daily lives with minimal problems and without fear of becoming a victim of crime.”
The blueprint is not the only recent anti-violence effort by the city. In June 2016, most members of the Common Council announced a holistic, community-based approach to address violence. The plan was to engage fathers and churches in some of Milwaukee’s most challenged neighborhoods. Several previously approved initiatives were incorporated in the effort.
They included Safe Zones, a local community policing initiative similar to CeaseFire; Earn & Learn, a summer jobs program to employ teens; the Residents Preference Program (RPP), which employs unemployed and underemployed residents on city-subsidized development projects; and a Common Council-developed public safety plan.
Safe Zones is no longer in operation after it had issues securing support and the two main co-founders had a falling out. The successful but under-funded Earn & Learn program has seen only marginal expansion. A revamp of the RPP has encountered roadblocks. And the public safety plan, developed in a process led by Donovan, recommended increasing the number of law enforcement officers; it died in the face of public pressure shortly after sometimes-violent demonstrations in Sherman Park in August of last year.
Ald. Chantia Lewis defended the city’s efforts. “It takes a little bit of time and, you know, you will always have critics in the beginning but, once the impact is being felt the work speaks for itself.”
Lewis’ office is supervising a church-based initiative, coordinated by Robert Randolph, pastor of Kingdom Faith Fellowship Church, 4200 N. Holton St. The initiative, which Lewis referred to as “All Things in Common,” employed between 70 and 100 youth over the summer at 10 churches, according to statements from multiple city officials. It was executed in connection with Earn & Learn, a summer youth employment program, and the Milwaukee Promise initiative. Some of the young people employed over the summer secured year-round employment with McDonald’s, though how many was unclear.
Randolph did not respond to requests for comment.
The Milwaukee Promise initiative, which received city funding as early as 2014, defined four “Promise Zones” — three on the North Side and one on the South Side. These areas had the highest number of calls for service, violent crime, poverty and concentration of residents with a high school diploma or less. According to Sam Coleman, Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton’s Chief of Staff, partners were identified based on a demonstrated capacity to be effective addressing violence from a public health standpoint. Partners include WestCare, Running Rebels, the Southside Organizing Committee, 30th Street Industrial Corridor Corp. and Employ Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Police Department is also a partner.
Brandon Brown (right), holding his 4-month-old-son Brandon Jr., chats with Dennis Walton (left), then co-director of the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative, at a June 2016 event. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The Promise Zones, which was not originally named in context of the Common Council’s anti-violence efforts, received $470,000 from the city in 2017, according to Coleman.
“At the root of much of this is poverty; at the root of much of this is the fact that there are social disparities that exist. The symptom of that is crime; the symptom of that is violence,” said Coleman. “$400,000 for a year, divided up across the entire city, we know is not nearly enough … but it’s a start.”
Coleman said the initiative’s funding will be decreased in 2018.
All Things in Common and the Promise Zones are, effectively, what is left of the Common Council approach, which has “died,” according to Walton.
“There have been a lot of sincere efforts to address the problem, through different organizations and different entities. But I think that those efforts have failed to get to the systemic root of what the violence is in our communities,” he said.
Walton led one of the most visible new initiatives created in conjunction with the Common Council announcement, an effort to engage 500 fathers in Amani to help reduce violence. Walton said the initiative, launched less than a month after the City Hall news conference, was initially successful but ultimately did not receive sufficient support. He left MFI, which was created and is sustained by the city, in June.
Since, he has continued to organize fathers through his organization, Made Men Worldwide, for which he has found support outside of Wisconsin.
“It’s a waste of my time to be at the table doing all of this talking about what needs to be done in the community when I know what needs to be done in the community, I’m doing it and I’m having an impact on the lives of people,” Walton said.
Grassroots leaders expressed split opinions regarding city efforts to address violence. Some, including Walton and Program the Parks co-founder Vaun Mayes, criticized the city for not being proactive enough and for not including individuals and organizations they said are most able to address violence at the root. Walton and Mayes are not currently receiving funding from the city.
Others, such as Torre Johnson, who works with formerly incarcerated men and sits on the city’s Black Male Achievement Advisory Council, and Heal the Hood founder Ajamou Butler praised OVP for the work it has done thus far. Heal the Hood and Johnson’s initiatives have received funding from OVP.
Community members have said the definition of public safety needs to change, pointing to living-wage jobs, drug treatment, mental health services and youth programming as ways to effectively address violence. Joblessness, incarceration and a host of other issues disproportionately affect the city’s communities of color.
In the end, Reggie Moore said change will come when the city dedicates itself to a quality strategy, invests the proper resources and creates policies to support it. He acknowledged it is past time to do so.
But, according to Safe Zones co-founder Khalil Coleman, who is currently under contract with the city to help it transition to CeaseFire, “Time is ticking.”
“As we’re waiting, and playing politics, people’s lives are really at stake,” he said. “We’re playing the waiting game but violence waits for no one.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 13, 2017

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: November 13, 2017

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Adam Carr


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Cristo Rey Jesuit High School announces new location | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Cristo Rey Jesuit Milwaukee High School
November 14, 2017
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee announced this morning the purchase of a property located at 1818 W. National Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53204, which will become the new location for the school, currently projected for fall of 2019.
This new location is a part of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee’s long-term strategic plan. The School is in its third year with an enrollment of 324 students and is currently located at 1215 S. 45th Street, West Milwaukee, WI 53214, which is approximately 45,000 square feet. The school will welcome its fourth class of students in the fall of 2018 and will graduate its first class of seniors in the spring of 2019. Based on current enrollment and admissions activity, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School projects a total ongoing enrollment of 500 students. The new location is more than double the size of the school’s current facility and can accommodate all of the programming required for Cristo Rey’s college preparatory and work-study programming.
“Back in April of 2014, when we completed our feasibility study as part of the planning process to open Cristo Rey Jesuit in Milwaukee, we anticipated and modeled enrollment growth as we added a new class of students each year,” said Andy Stith, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee president. “We have exceeded those enrollment projections thanks to tremendous community support for our urban work-study model. This new building will provide the space and amenities needed to continue providing our students with a high-quality education and we’re excited about the next chapter of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee.”
A special Long Range Planning Committee and several school leaders thoroughly evaluated multiple sites and expansion options over the course of the last three years before deciding to purchase the location on National Avenue.
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The property meets all of Cristo Rey’s criteria. For example, the location was chosen based on its accessibility to major roads and highways to provide easy access for Cristo Rey Jesuit High School families as well as to transport the students to their corporate work-study program locations. It was also chosen based on other factors such as safety and security features as well as provides enough space to optimize programming well into the future and has plenty of parking space.
“The location on National Avenue is the right choice for our parents and students because we are a destination high school,” Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Governance Board Chair Paul Eberle. “It is accessible to the families we serve and we can easily get to any local partner business in the metro Milwaukee area for our work study program. In addition, this location on National Avenue allows us to optimize our educational model by expanding our academic, athletic and artistic offerings. This investment both allows us to help students develop to their full potential as well as favorably impact the Milwaukee community.”
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee, following the highly successful Cristo Rey Network® model, is carefully planning to accommodate a high-performing high school at the new site. The new location is a former retail property. While the goal is to move quickly, significant renovation to the new location is needed. Multiple timelines are being coordinated including fundraising, construction, and academic calendar activities, thankfully we were able to get the best bathroom tiles mosaic already .

created: November 14, 2017

author: Cristo Rey Jesuit Milwaukee High School


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 15, 2017

created: November 15, 2017


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On the Block: Getting healthy | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Leah Harris
November 14, 2017
Vincent Ashford, a security guard for Walnut Way Conservation Corp., had high blood pressure for years. He was inspired by the organization’s wellness programs to be healthier. He now drinks juice from The Juice Kitchen to stay healthy and to support a business in the neighborhood where he lives and works.

author: Leah Harris


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Warrant withdrawal Wednesday event on December 6 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Cavalier Johnson
November 14, 2017
Alderman Cavalier “Chevy” Johnson invites residents to participate in Court in the Community — Warrant Withdrawal Wednesday. It will take place on Wednesday, December 6 at Greater New Birth Church, 8237 W. Silver Spring Dr. Registration begins on Wednesday, November 15 at 8:30 a.m. and will be limited to 250 people.
Registration is on Wednesday, November 15, you must call 414-286-6600. There is no in-person registration at the Court, at the event, or before November 15.
The event allows City of Milwaukee Municipal Court warrants, driver’s license suspensions, and car registration suspensions lifted so people can drive to jobs or obtain employment.
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Personnel from DMV, employers, and other services will be at the event. Eligibility for the event includes:

author: Ald. Cavalier Johnson


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Activist spreads message that ‘there are no throw-away children’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rachel Kubik
November 15, 2017
Editor’s note: This article is the last in a three-day series about violence prevention in Milwaukee. Part One addressed the federal ReCAST grant to the Office of Violence Prevention and Part Two looked at the city’s violence prevention efforts.
Kneeling at his godson’s gravesite in Graceland Cemetery in Milwaukee, Muhibb Dyer, 42, laid out a shirt that said, “In Loving Memory of Preston Blackmer.”
Dyer’s godson was murdered at the age of 16 on April 25, 2005. Dyer said Preston Blackmer, who was known to sell drugs, was shot in his side while sitting in his car. Blackmer later died at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
“Sometimes I look at this shirt and I look at his eyes. His eyes are piercing, and I wonder, what was he thinking? Did he see it coming? Did he have a feeling? Sometimes they say when you die, you have a feeling it’s going to happen, but he just looks innocent. He looks like a young kid, maybe who thought that he had his life before him.”
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Dyer and Kwabena Antoine Nixon co-founded Flood the Hood with Dreams/I Will Not Die Young because they were tired of seeing many children of color in the central city dying at a young age. They wanted to help children realize they have a potential for a full, happy life.
Dyer takes his godson’s shirt wherever he goes, including places he speaks. He shares the story of Blackmer as a way of letting other young black men know they don’t have to end up like he did.
Dyer said repetition is a powerful teacher, and typically children living in the central city see repeated incidents of death.
“(Blackmer) may have looked out his window and saw a shrine on the corner, of somebody who was shot in his neighborhood, which is a constant reminder that he may not live to be 21,” Dyer said.
One of the main questions Dyer has for the young men he speaks to is, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Dyer forces all of them to answer.
In addition to speaking, Dyer also performs poetry he has written. He said he uses the shirt with the face of his godson emblazoned on it as a prop.
Dyer estimated that he has spoken to a quarter of a million people and he’s been to 30 different states in the last 12 years. When he speaks, he tells children in schools, universities, detention facilities, neighborhoods and anywhere he can find them that they should have a dream and there is a greater purpose to life than getting involved in drugs and violence.
Dyer grew up in ZIP code 53206. He said somebody has to stand for the children in neighborhoods like his, and somebody has to tell their story.
The name, “Flood the Hood with Dreams” came to be because Dyer and Nixon believed children from places like 53206, which has the most incarcerations in the country, deserve a dream. “There are no throw-away children in this country,” Dyer said.
Dyer lives for his godson, and boys and girls like him. He said when he went to Blackmer’s funeral, he made a promise to Blackmer to reach millions with his story. Dyer said this way, Blackmer can do more in his death than he did in his life.

author: Rachel Kubik


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 14, 2017


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How to ‘give it forward’ for the holidays | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Martha Cannon, Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
November 15, 2017
Spread the word among your friends, co-workers, place of worship or other networks and collect or purchase items for people served by these nonprofits. Contact the organization for specific details.
Toy Drive for Children with Hearing Loss
Age range of children is 3 months to 10 years old
Need by Nov. 21
HEAR Wisconsin
Kristin Johnson – 414-604-7249
kjohnson@hearwi.org
Holiday Giving Tree — Gifts for All Ages
Need by end of November – Learn more here and sign up here
Nonprofit Center
Angela Nicloy – 414-299-3737
givingtree@npcmilwaukee.org
Purchase Gift for a Child- Toys and Clothing
Age range of children is newborn to 17 years old
Need by Dec. 8
Project Concern of Cudahy/St. Francis
Patrick Higgins – 414-744-0645
pcstaff@hotmail.com
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Christmas Toy Drive
Age range of children is newborn to 10 years old
Need by Dec. 11 – Learn more here
Holiday Food Box Program
November and December – Learn more here
Capuchin Community Services
Mike George – 414-933-1300 Ext. 1113
capholidaydrives@thecapuchins.org
Holiday Giving
Variety of gifts for seniors and adults with disabilities
Need by Dec. 11 – Learn more here
ERAs Senior Network
Anna Roesel – 262-549-3348
VolunteerManager@ERAsWaukesha.org
Holiday Supplies for Children and Families
Need holiday meals, holiday gifts for children age 6 weeks to 18 years old, winter clothing for all ages.
Need by Dec. 14
COA Youth & Family Centers
Laura Lysaght – 414-263-8383
llysaght@coa-yfc.org
Toy Drive for Children at Shelter
Age range of children is one to 15 years old
Need by Dec. 14
Milwaukee Women’s Center
Jeri Kavanaugh – 414-270-2984
jkavanaugh@communityadvocates.net
Holiday Drive for Single Mothers & Children
Donate gift cards from Wal-Mart, Target, Meijer and Pick N Save stores
Need by Dec. 17
HOPE Network for Single Mothers
June Prestin – 262-251-7333
admin@hopenetworkinc.org
Knit or Purchase Hats, Scarves, Mittens of Gloves for the Homeless
Children and adult sizes needed
Need by Dec. 20
Tikkun Ha-Ir of Milwaukee
Karen Royster – 414-426-4473
kroysterice@gmail.com
Men’s Clothing and Winter Wear for Homeless
Donate jeans, winter coats, boots, athletic shoes, pajamas, slippers or backpacks
Need by Dec. 23
Help to Stock Our Sandwich Fridge
Donate 50/100/200 sandwiches
Guest House of Milwaukee
Emily Firlinger – 414-316-2012
emilyfirlinger@guesthouseofmilwaukee.org
Annual Soap, Suds Drive for Children and Adults with Disabilities
Donate shampoo, conditioner and soap
November – Dec. 31
Life Navigators
Amanda Stahmann – 414-774-6255
amanda@lifenavigators.org
Winter Coat Drive for Women and Children
All sizes needed
Now through December
Meta House
Laura Jacobson – 414-977-5823
ljacobson@metahouse.org
Winter Wear: Mittens, Hats, Scarves and Gloves for Children
Nov. 28 to Jan. 6
Milwaukee Public Schools
Megan Burk – 414-698-2533
burkmm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
Knit Children’s Hats
Age range of children is one to 17 years old
Now through the winter months
Jewish Family Services
Susie Gruenberg -414-225-1390
sgruenberg@jfsmilw.org
Winter Mitten and Hat Drive
Adult and children sized mittens and hats
All sizes needed during winter months
Parents Place
Shawna Flores – 262-549-5575 Ext. 220
info@parentsplacewi.org
Robyn’s Nest Supply Drive for Children and Families
Donate clothing, hygiene products, infant items, toys, books and other household goods
Year-round
Children’s Hospital Of Wisconsin Community Services
Lona Long Velasco – 414-231-4820
Lona.longvelasco@cssw.org
Canned Food Drive
Year-round
Provide Bagged Lunches for the Hungry and Homeless
Donate 130, 150 or 250 bagged lunches
Year-round
The Gathering of Southeast WI
Angela Wright – 414-272-4122
angela@thegatheringwis.org


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mittens with snow heart | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 14, 2017


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Milwaukee PBS channel frequencies to change on January 8 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee PBS
November 15, 2017
Milwaukee PBS announced today some of its digital subchannels are changing frequencies on January 8, 2018 and viewers who watch TV free with an over the air antenna will need to rescan their TVs to continue watching these stations. Viewers do not need to purchase new equipment or services, and those who watch through a cable or satellite service do not need to rescan.
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held a nation-wide spectrum auction of television station bandwidths, to expand wireless services in order to meet the increasing needs for faster and higher capacity mobile broadband services. Milwaukee PBS, a licensee of Milwaukee Area Technical College, participated in the broadcast spectrum auction.
Some Milwaukee PBS channels will be affected.  Here is the new lineup as of January 8, 2018:
WMVS 10.1                             Milwaukee PBS 10
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WMVS 10.2                             Milwaukee PBS Create
WMVS 10.3                             Milwaukee PBS KIDS 24/7
WMVT 36.1                             Milwaukee PBS 36
WMVT 36.2                             Milwaukee PBS WORLD
WMVS 36.3                             Milwaukee PBS Weather
“Milwaukee PBS has been a part of this community for over 60 years, and we know that our viewers rely on us as the region’s premier public television broadcaster. Over the years, we’ve added these digital subchannels to increase our contribution to the community we serve, and that’s not going to change,” said Bohdan Zachary, General Manager of Milwaukee PBS. “Our goal is to make this transition as easy as possible on our viewers to ensure they can keep watching the programs they love.”
TV stations must move frequencies occasionally as required by the FCC. This means viewers who use an antenna may have to rescan their TV sets more than once. To rescan on January 8, 2018, select “scan” or “autotune” on the TV or converter box control menu to start the scanning process. Instructions are usually available by pressing the “set-up” or “menu” buttons on the remote control. This move is happening behind the scenes, so the channel number viewers know will not change.
Visit our website at MilwaukeePBS.org for more information. Additionally, TVAnswers.org, a viewer resource provided by the National Association of Broadcasters, features the latest news and information on station changes nationwide. At TVAnswers.org, viewers can also sign up for mobile alerts and email updates to stay up-to-date on TV station changes.

author: Milwaukee PBS


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Grant program helps college students facing financial emergencies | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
November 16, 2017
Students graduate from Mount Mary University in the spring. The Dash Emergency Grant program was expanded to Mount Mary and three other four-year colleges this school year. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
With health insurance premium payments piling up after she had surgery on both ankles, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student Amber Brewer visited the Norris Health Center on campus this fall to see what they could do to help her. As a biomedical sciences major, she faced a busy semester of clinical work ahead and knew she would probably have to quit her job at the Blood Center of Wisconsin and look for a different position with fewer hours.
Her outlook changed, however, when she saw a flier at the health center for the Dash Emergency Grant, one-time assistance for students facing a financial dilemma. She went to student services, met with a counselor and just a few days later received $1,000, enough to pay her health insurance with some left over for her electric bill.
Brewer is among the first four-year college students in Wisconsin to benefit from the Dash Emergency Grant program funded by the Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corp., a nonprofit student loan servicer based in Madison. First offered in 2012 to students at the state’s 16 two-year technical colleges and other two-year institutions around the Midwest, the program has had success in helping retain students who otherwise might drop out due to financial concerns. This semester it was expanded to students at UW-Milwaukee, Mount Mary University, Alverno College and Cardinal Stritch University.
The grant is often distributed in amounts of $500 and $1,000, and students must apply through an advisor at their school, according to Ben Dobner, director of education grant making at Great Lakes. He said most students who receive the grant use the money for transportation purposes, such as getting a car fixed, or rent and utilities.
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Alverno student Jieneen Metcalf faced a combination of all of these.
Amber Brewer, a student of junior standing at UW-Milwaukee, received an emergency grant after having surgery on both ankles. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
“I was on the verge of dropping. I had the money for the semester, but that was it. Food, gas, car, utility bills – I was behind on everything,” Metcalf said. “My mind was so cloudy, I just couldn’t focus on school.”
The 38-year-old single mother went back to school in 2013 but soon became very ill due to what doctors eventually discovered was a thyroid issue. Despite going through many blood transfusions and getting her thyroid removed, Metcalf was able to stay in school thanks to cooperation and understanding from her academic advisors and professors. She slowly but surely began regaining health and strength at the beginning of this school year, but after so much time being unable to work, was struggling with payments.
Aware of her situation, school advisors informed her about the emergency grant.
“I actually can’t believe a resource like that was available in the first place,” Metcalf said. “It was a huge weight off my shoulders.”
Now, Metcalf has a meeting set up with an advisor so she can stay on track to graduate in May and prepare to start her career. She studies community development and leadership and hopes to serve as an alderman someday.
Great Lakes allocates these grant funds to colleges and universities that agree to continue to help students succeed financially and academically after receiving the grant.
“Mount Mary, UWM, Stritch, Alverno – these colleges all showed a strong commitment to these grants being an overall part of their student success strategies, not just giving the grant but also providing the wrap-around help,” Dobner said.
Thanks to the emergency grant, Pearl Goodwin, a first-year student at Cardinal Stritch and single mother, was able to pay off mounting electric bills. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
For the 2017-2019 program, Alverno received $210,000 for emergency grants, Cardinal Stritch received $67,200, Mount Mary received $84,000 and UW-Milwaukee received $630,000.
Among two-year student grant recipients from 2012 to 2015 around the Midwest, 73 percent either graduated or remained enrolled the next term, Dobner said. For all two-year college students nationwide, the retention rate (student returning to school the following fall) is 61 percent and the graduation rate is 29 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
“I can’t say there’s a scientific correlation, but the grant is often the carrot that makes students raise their hand and say, ‘I need help,’ Dobner said. “We give them help with the emergency grant and then tell them about other long-term help they can seek.”
According to a National Student Clearinghouse report on the matriculating class of first-year college students in 2010, 62.4 percent at four-year public institutions graduated within six years. At four-year private schools, that number was 73.9 percent. Those numbers showed slight increases from the prior year.
The six-year graduation rates at Alverno, Cardinal Stritch, Mount Mary and UW-Milwaukee are all between 40 and 45 percent.
Pearl Goodwin, a first-year student at Cardinal Stritch, read about the grant online and approached her academic advisor to learn more. Goodwin recently moved to a new, safer neighborhood with her three sons, but it’s also more expensive.
“I ran into the issue of this huge We Energies bill,” she said. Within two weeks of meeting with her advisor, Goodwin received the $500 grant and was able to pay off the mounting bill.
“It did relieve a lot of stress, and I just wish it were more out in the open,” Goodwin said. She said she tells classmates who are going through similar struggles about the grant.
“I’m in the night school program, so we’re at work all day. Had I not actively started looking for ways to help my situation, I would not have stumbled upon this grant.”
Similarly, Brewer said she feels lucky to have happened to see the flier at the health center and hopes UW-Milwaukee advertises it more around campus.
At Cardinal Stritch, Dean of Students Donney Moroney said the grant has been advertised on the school’s website, through a press release, on boards around campus and also by designated advisors trained to work with students who may benefit from the emergency grant.
Teon Austin, assistant dean of students for diversity initiatives at Cardinal Stritch, said the grant program is especially helpful for the school’s first-generation and low-income students who often lack the knowledge and background to obtain financial aid. The grant gives the school the opportunity to both help these students through a difficult time, and to talk with them about other resources to keep them in school, he said.

created: November 16, 2017

author: Elizabeth Baker


text:
MKE Plays receives $100K from Herb Kohl Philanthropies | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Michael Murphy
November 17, 2017
A crowd gathers for the re-opening of Arlington Heights Park, the first of a dozen MKE Plays parks to be renovated. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)
The MKE Plays initiative has received a generous gift of $100,000 from Herb Kohl Philanthropies in support of neighborhood park reconstruction projects throughout Milwaukee. Herb Kohl Philanthropies, the charitable foundation of the former U.S. Senator and former Milwaukee Bucks owner, focuses on improving education, economic opportunity, and quality of life for residents of the Greater Milwaukee area.
“We are humbled to have the support from someone who understands the value of a true public/private partnership. Few people have done as much for Milwaukee as Senator Kohl, and this generous contribution is an example of his dedication to our community,” said 10th District Alderman Michael Murphy, who conceived the MKE Plays initiative back in 2015 as a way to re-prioritize parks for local government while soliciting additional help from private sector partners.
“Improved playgrounds and park spaces help enhance the vitality of our city as well as the
development of young people. The work MKE Plays is doing to engage neighborhoods is a worthy investment,” said Herb Kohl.
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With this in mind, MKE Plays set out to transform the city’s most deteriorated playgrounds over a three year period. Including this commitment from Herb Kohl Philanthropies, MKE Plays has raised more than $1.575 million in private contribution, which will support reconstruction at 14 sites by the summer of 2018.
This gift will further empower local residents with the resources to create parks that are an authentic reflection of the needs, interests, and identities of the neighborhoods they serve.

created: November 17, 2017

author: Ald. Michael Murphy


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 17, 2017


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New Legacy Lofts complex sparks high hopes in Lindsay Heights community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Leah Harris
November 17, 2017
Developers and public officials break ground on the Legacy Lofts. (Photo by Leah Harris)
Arthur Cameron can see the construction on the new Legacy Lofts apartment complex from where he works at The Juice Kitchen, at 617 W. North Ave. Cameron said he’s intrigued by the project because the neighborhood needs more businesses. He hopes it will benefit people who already live in the community.
“I think it’s good as long as it’s not being gentrified and it’s not trying to push in a new wave of people,” Cameron said.
Legacy Lofts is a $13.9 million construction and redevelopment project of the three-story historic Blommer Ice Cream Factory and an adjacent empty lot at 1500 W. North Ave.
Last week, project managers, Milwaukee officials and community members gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony at the defunct factory, which has been vacant for 20 years.
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Sally Peltz, founder and former president of Legacy Midwest Renewal Corp., thanked the neighborhood for making the project a reality. “If this (building) was in the Third Ward it would have been bought up. In our neighborhood this building could have easily been torn down but we have prevented that from happening.”
Community members listen to speakers at the Legacy Lofts groundbreaking ceremony. (Photo by Leah Harris)
The existing historic Blommer building will be rehabilitated and converted into 38 one- to four-bedroom apartments. Immediately to the west, 26 more units will be built in a new, three-story building. About 1,500 square feet of street-level commercial space is also being built and will house the LMRC offices.
Of the 64 apartments, 54 will be reserved for those making between $17,400 and $46,920.  Ten apartments will be available at market rate.
Vincent Ashford, a security officer with Walnut Way Conservation Corp., said he is looking forward to the opening of Legacy Lofts. Ashford works at The Innovations and Wellness Commons building on North 16th and North Avenue. He said that he expects to be contracted to work at the new apartment complex.
Ashford said the lofts could uplift the neighborhood. “It’ll boost the economy and it’ll beautify the neighborhood,” he said, “Hopefully it’ll encourage a working class and people who will take advantage of what the building has to offer.”
Ashford said he also hopes the building prompts the city to do more for the neighborhood. “We have a problem with our infrastructure in the inner city,” he said. “We need the roads fixed, we need police to know the environment and we need more businesses.”
Department of City Development Commissioner Rocky Marcoux said the project is important for the momentum on North Avenue, one of the longest streets in Milwaukee. “In between you can see all the highs and lows of the region. You see racial divides, lack of opportunity, and you also see people who have more money then they can count.”
The apartment complex, which took five years of planning, is being developed through a lead partnership between LMRC and Chicago-based Evergreen Real Estate Group.
District 15 Ald. Russell Stamper praised everyone involved for their hard work. “Yes it’s going to provide an abundance of opportunity and jobs and it’s going to be beautiful,” he said. “But when I see this building when I drive down 15th and North, it’s going to be a reflection of the teamwork and the hard work it took to be built.”
“The vision is simple. We want a clean, healthy, safe and vibrant community where everyone has the opportunity to become successful,” said Stamper. “It doesn’t matter how slowly we get there as long as we don’t stop.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct this statement: “Of the 64 apartments, 54 will be affordably priced between $17,400 and $46,920.” We apologize for the error.


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Heartbreaking outcome from the family of school crossing guard Andrew Tyler | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Cavalier Johnson
November 20, 2017
This week, most Americans are preparing to travel to join family as they celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Right now, there is a family traveling from Tennessee to Milwaukee – not to celebrate with family and to give thanks, but to say goodbye to a beloved family member. Andrew Tyler, the crossing guard who was struck by a hit-and-run driver will not survive his injuries.
Andrew was a son. Andrew was a brother. Andrew was a father and a family man. Andrew was a public servant. Andrew worked to realize racial equality in fair housing in Milwaukee during the 1960’s. Andrew was an NAACP Commando. Andrew worshipped at the same church in Milwaukee all of his life. Andrew was a teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools at Washington High School. Andrew worked with the Milwaukee Police Department serving as a crossing guard, making sure that our kids get to school safely. Now, Andrew has been taken away from his family and our community.
After the hit-and-run on November 10, Andrew had to have his left leg amputated. Days later, his kidneys began to fail and his right leg also had to be amputated. The first phone call that I received during this week of Thanksgiving was from Andrew’s daughter telling me he is now brain dead.
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We all need to think about our actions out on the street. We need to think about the people we may hurt and the reasons we may do it. Our actions not only affect a person directly, it impacts their daughters and sons and grandchildren, who in this case, wait for their father and grandfather to come home. The actions of the reckless prevented Andrew from doing that, and it isn’t fair. It isn’t right. Not for the victim, and surely not for family members.
Andrew Tyler’s family is offering a reward of at least $1,000 dollars for evidence that result in an arrest. I am again calling on the person who struck Andrew to do the right thing, take responsibility, and turn him/herself in. Andrew’s family deserves justice and closure.
Andrew’s family is still working to pay medical bills and will now be preparing for funeral costs. I encourage members of the community to contribute at www.gofundme.com/andy-the-crossing-guard.
The Milwaukee Police Department is still searching for the reckless driver responsible for Mr. Tyler’s injuries. The police are looking for a burgundy, 4-door, 1997-2001 Buick Park Avenue or LeSabre. I urge anyone with information to call Milwaukee Police at 414-935-7360 and bring justice in this tragic situation.

created: November 20, 2017


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Here We Make Our Home: Journey Stories | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Latino Arts, Inc
November 20, 2017
Latino Arts, Inc. is excited to announce an upcoming art exhibit titled, Here We Make Our Home. Through this project and in collaboration with Greater Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin schools as well as local organizations like The Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Latino Arts aims to foster an environment for respectful dialogue around journey and immigration stories.
The Here We Make Our Home exhibit invites teachers and students to explore the visual, poetic, and metaphoric imagery of a birdhouse. Students involved will create a unique piece of art that tells their personal journey story possessed through family heritage or personal experience. Birdhouses were selected as the vehicle for storytelling to represent the idea of home, settlement and migration.
This exhibition employed best practices learned through the Advancing Literacy and Math through the Arts (ALMA) project, tasking lead educators from each participating school to collaborate with fellow teachers and create an interdisciplinary art project based unit. Each school developed their own unit based on their interpretation of the exhibition’s title, using birdhouses as a visual element. The artwork could take on any form and a variety of materials were used to produce two and three dimensional art.
Participating schools included Sheboygan North High School, University School of Milwaukee, Bruce Guadalupe Community School, St. Robert School, Milwaukee High School of the Arts, UCC Acosta Middle School, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, Central City Cyber School and Repairing Together.
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In order to further explore this topic, Latino Arts will also host a “Lunch and Learn” on January 26, 2018. During this event, a panel of local leaders will gather to share a meal and narrate their own journey stories, demonstrating that while each person has a unique story everyone has the “journey” in common. Additionally, cast members from The Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s new production One House Over, an empathetic examination of neighbors that explores topics of boundaries, power, privilege and fear, will perform a reading of the play for guests.
Here We Make Our Home’s opening reception will take place on Friday, December 1 at 5:00 p.m. at the Latino Arts Gallery and the exhibit will be on display through February 2018. Exhibitions in the gallery are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. for a suggested donation of $1. After the show closes in the Latino Arts Gallery, selected pieces from the exhibit will be displayed at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater during the world premiere of One House Over from February 27 – March 25.
Connect with Latino Arts on Facebook at www.facebook.com/latinoartsinc and follow @latinoartsinc on Twitter.

author: Latino Arts, Inc


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Milwaukee Repertory Theater names pillar partner United Community Center recipient of the A Christmas Carol Families Program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Repertory Theater
November 20, 2017
Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s annual production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has become Milwaukee’s favorite holiday tradition. With its timeless message of hope and redemption, the production has been a cornerstone of The Rep’s programming for 40 years playing to over 1.5 million people. In fostering The Rep’s mission of creating positive change in the community, the A Christmas Carol Families Program raises funds for underprivileged families during the holiday season. This year we are pleased to announce that families from the United Community Center, one of our Mpact Pillar Partners, will be the A Christmas Carol Families Program recipient.
After each performance of A Christmas Carol, cast members will collect money from patrons for families from the United Community Center that are in need this holiday season. The Rep staff volunteers will purchase and wrap gifts – including clothing, toys, household items and grocery gift cards – and then present them to the families selected by the UCC. Any funds remaining after the gifts are purchased will be donated to the United Community Center to support the excellent work they do in the community. The Rep typically raises $40,000 annually via the A Christmas Carol Family Program benefiting such organizations as Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Running Rebels, COA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, La Causa, Journey House, Sojourner Family Peace Center and Next Door Foundation.
“Our A Christmas Carol Families Program has become as much a tradition as the show itself.” Stated Managing Director Chad Bauman. “Over the years, The Rep staff has volunteered thousands of hours to ensure that families in need are not forgotten this holiday season. With this annual production and our amazingly generous audiences, we wish to continue the theme of hope by raising funds to support local families in need and the exceptional work the United Community Center does for our community.”
“We are thrilled to have been selected as A Christmas Carol Families program recipient—what an incredible program. We admire Milwaukee Repertory Theater for all of their efforts to make a positive impact in the community. We have been working closely with them over the last couple of years and this is just one example of the great work they’re doing.” said Ricardo Diaz, Executive Director of United Community Center. “This generous gift from Milwaukee Repertory Theater is astounding— you can’t imagine the impact it will have on families who face many hardships in our community. It will certainly ensure a happy and stress-free holiday where needs are met for clothing, recreation and food. We’re delighted to partner with The Rep on initiatives like this one that make a difference in Milwaukee.
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author: Milwaukee Repertory Theater


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Poverty drives epidemic of childhood trauma, panelists say | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
November 20, 2017
Children cross N. Holton Street, one of Milwaukee’s racial dividing lines. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Twelve years — 4,380 days — is the difference in life expectancy between someone who lives in the 53217 ZIP code, Milwaukee’s healthiest, and 53206, which is infamous for its challenges.
According to City of Milwaukee Health Department Commissioner Bevan Baker, who shared the numbers at a recent panel on poverty at Marquette University, the disparity underscores the responsibility to address it.
“My heart just weeps,” he said. “And, it makes me wonder about the capacity of human beings to allow this to happen, to go home at night and sleep, peacefully, knowing that this exists.”
The two ZIP codes, only about a mile apart at their closest point, are stark in their differences. In 53206, the population is 94 percent black with an average age of about 29. In this, the most incarcerated ZIP code in the country, 47.5 percent of people and two-thirds of children live below the poverty line. In 53217 — where 87 percent of inhabitants are white, the average age is over 40 and only 5.3 percent of people live in poverty — the median household income of $99,268 is more than four times that of 53206.
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Baker added, “There are young children who are waiting to stand on our shoulders … and we’ve failed.”
Audience members look on during the panel discussion. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
The panel of seven men, which included scientists and researchers as well as public health, law enforcement and philanthropic professionals, pointed to the adverse impact of prolonged stress on the brain and lack of resources available for mental health treatment. They stressed the importance of being more proactive in caring for individuals.
“The earlier you start, the better,” said Robert Fox, a Marquette University psychology professor and founder of the Behavior Clinic, a 15-year partnership with Penfield Children’s Center.
Fox, who works with poor, central city families, largely headed by single women, described living situations that lacked amenities and often included some type of trauma. According to Fox, one in 10 children in the country have a “behavior problem” as a result of trauma. One out of every four children under 5 lives below the poverty line. In Milwaukee, more than 40 percent of children (under 18) live below the poverty line. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes the conditions of poverty as a risk factor for trauma.
These experiences can lead to stunted growth. Many children who experience trauma have difficulty in school and, according to Milwaukee’s Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern, 80 percent of prisoners in the U.S. self-report that they were abused or neglected as children, or witnessed abuse or neglect in their household growing up.
John Schmid, an economics reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel who published a report on childhood trauma earlier this year, said the combination of poverty and a lack of mental health care creates a “downward, self-perpetuating dynamic” that can be difficult to address. “You can have all the make-work, cookie-cutter job programs and investment in job training in the world and … in many cases it won’t make a bit of a difference.”
According to a recent report, released by the Coalition on Human Needs and 9to5 Wisconsin, the state’s poverty rate dropped from 13.2 percent in 2014 to 11.8 percent last year. However, as of 2016, 32.9 percent of Wisconsin’s African-Americans were living in poverty. More than 660,000 Wisconsinites earn wages less than the federal poverty line and about 280,000 make less than half that amount.
The report says federal programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) and Medicaid help to raise people out of poverty but “do not reach enough of the people they are designed to help” and could do more good if they were better funded. That prospect, however, looks grim under the Trump administration, which has passed a budget resolution calling for $5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, SSI and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) by 2027.
“When we talk about children and the poverty that is happening to children, it is irresponsible not to also talk about how parents, heads of households, which are largely women, are not being supported,” said 9to5 Wisconsin State Director Astar Herndon in an interview. She did not attend the panel discussion.
According to the 9to5 report, child poverty cost the United States economy $672 billion in 2015. Almost two-thirds of households in 53206 are headed by single mothers, a figure exacerbated by the city’s disproportionate incarceration of black men.
Herndon also called race the “elephant in the room,” saying that it is “embedded in the fabric of this country.” American capitalism, she said, necessitates haves and have-nots and has branded people of color “the unspoken group that should never have.”
“The Holocaust happened. But there [were] also those who did nothing, said nothing and let it happen,” Baker told the audience. “So, yes, we need structural change, we need policies, but we also need people to speak up and … to recognize the horror of other people’s existence.”
Frank Cumberbatch, vice president of engagement at Bader Philanthropies, said it’s essential that the leadership of Milwaukee “get its act together.” He said people have to start talking to each other so resources can reach where they need to go.
“There’s no owner of the solution — it belongs to all of us.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 19, 2017

created: November 19, 2017


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Bader grant to help implement new violence prevention plan | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
November 21, 2017
OVP Director Reggie Moore (at podium) introduces the Blueprint for Peace as (from left) Mayor Tom Barrett, Health Commissioner Bevan Baker and members of the steering committee look on. (Photo by Fred Croen)
After the official release of the city’s first comprehensive violence prevention plan on Friday, Bader Philanthropies, Inc. took the lead in offering financial support for the plan.
The first goal of the “Blueprint for Peace,” developed by the Milwaukee Health Department Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) is to implement Ceasefire, an effort to immediately interrupt conflicts that can lead to violence. The program will launch in spring 2018 in the Old North Milwaukee neighborhood.
The Bader grant is a significant step toward funding a second neighborhood, according to the health department. The 2018 city budget also allocates $280,000 for the program. Ceasefire is modeled on Cure Violence, a public health approach that implements strategies used to reverse epidemics.
“I can think of no more pressing issue for this great city than for us to lean forward in a true public health approach to violence prevention,” said Health Commissioner Bevan Baker, who noted that race, segregation, poverty, educational attainment and the adverse effect of childhood trauma must all be considered in addressing the complex issue.
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MPS Superintendent Darienne Driver said that it gives her hope that now “when we talk about violence prevention, it is being talked about as a health crisis, because that’s truly what it is. How am I going to keep my young people safe …is what keeps me awake at night,” Driver added.
Carmen Pitre, director of the Sojourner Family Peace Center where the blueprint was unveiled, said the plan is not just about ending violence, it’s also about helping people “create wellness in their lives. This is a human rights issue. Everybody deserves to live in peace.” Pitre is a member of the blueprint’s steering committee.
Spelled out in a 96-page book richly illustrated with photos and graphics, the plan is the result of a process launched on Nov. 1, 2016. More than 150 community partners and residents were represented at the initial planning meeting at Discovery World. About 1,500 community partners and residents — including many young people — contributed through surveys, interviews, community conversations and forums over the course of the year, according to OVP Director Reggie Moore, who led the effort.
Health Commissioner Bevan Baker says the release of the violence prevention plan is a watershed moment for the city. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
The plan, originally expected to be released in June, was presented to the Common Council on Monday.
“We wanted to hear from people whose voices aren’t often heard,” said Mayor Tom Barrett, “people who have the stresses in their lives that lead them to situations where there is violence.”
Designed to be carried out over 10 years, the blueprint identifies five other goals, in addition to interrupting conflict that leads to violence, and 30 strategies for working toward them. The additional goals are: promote healing and restorative justice; support children, youth and families; promote economic opportunity; foster safe neighborhoods; and strengthen capacity and coordination of violence prevention efforts.
The blueprint calls for its strategies to be implemented in 10 priority neighborhoods “disproportionately impacted by persistent and concentrated levels of poverty and violence.” They are Old North Milwaukee, Harambee, Franklin Heights, Silver Spring, North Division, Amani, Sherman Park, Historic Mitchell, Lincoln Village and Midtown.
The plan highlights risk factors — such as limited employment and economic opportunities, and lack of access to resources and quality housing — as well as resilience factors that need to be strengthened to reduce violence. Each factor is linked to one or more of the blueprint’s goals. Resilience factors include initiatives to improve the physical environment, family connections and relationships with other caring adults; and arts, cultural expression and faith.
Next steps include familiarizing residents with the blueprint through a series of community briefings and creating a Violence Prevention Council that includes cross-sector leaders and residents of priority neighborhoods.
Among its responsibilities, the Violence Prevention Council will guide implementation of the blueprint, ensure input from residents and monitor progress. The blueprint includes a list of first-year milestone actions and performance measures.
The planning process was funded by a grant from the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment with partial funding from the Tides Foundation and ReCAST Milwaukee.
“This blueprint is a validation of the work that’s happening,” said Moore, “but it’s also calling for things that we haven’t done as a community.” Most importantly, he added, is “improving our coordination … to really make the impact that we need to have.”
Barrett, Baker and Moore all emphasized the multifaceted nature of the problem and the importance of the entire community taking ownership of the blueprint and contributing in whatever way possible. They also called for financial support from businesses, philanthropic organizations, government entities and private contributions.
The blueprint and information on how to get involved will be available online at 414LIFE.com.

created: November 21, 2017

author: Andrea Waxman


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 21, 2017


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On the Block: ‘Broken promises’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
November 21, 2017
Lewis Lee, a former Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative employee, said he is beginning to question city leadership and whether the will exists to change conditions in Milwaukee. He said elected officials should have a closer connection to the community, but noted that it is the responsibility of neighbors to create the safe communities they want.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 20, 2017


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Pastor of Moravian Church brings healthy food ministry to Sherman Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Madison Marx
November 21, 2017
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of pieces about grassroots leaders in Milwaukee.
The Rev. Christie Melby-Gibbons, executive director at Tricklebee Café, received a package in the mail from her parents recently. Inside she found plastic food and order tickets saved from her childhood.
“It sort of hit me. Twenty-five years ago I was already starting my own little restaurant and it had a benevolent side to it,” said Melby-Gibbons, an ordained pastor of the Moravian Church.
Tricklebee Café, at 4424 W North Ave, is a member of One World Everybody Eats (OWEE), a nationwide network of cafés with a pay-what-you-can business model. The café has suggested prices between $5 to $7, but the model allows customers to set their own price for their meals. Customers who can pay more are able to offset the price for customers who cannot afford to pay for their meal.
While living in Los Angeles, Melby-Gibbons’ religion inspired her to collect newly expired food from grocery stores to feed the hungry. She successfully filled her local church with food to give away, followed by a shared community meal. Eventually she decided that she wanted to continue to feed the hungry, but on a larger scale through a restaurant. After conducting research, she discovered One World Everybody Eats.
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Melby-Gibbons investigated a few different cities before deciding to open the café in Sherman Park. She believed that the neighborhood would benefit from a pay-as-you-can café because there were no other nearby food providers offering healthy food.
“Within a mile radius of the café, there are no grocery stores that are serving healthy options,” said Melby-Gibbons.
According to One World Everybody Eats, food insecurity — reliable access to affordable, nutritious food — affects 17 million households in the United States. There are more than 60 pay-what-you-can cafés operating in the U.S.
Tricklebee Café receives most of its produce from local farms, either through a plot at Alice’s Garden or through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) from a local farm. The café has also experienced the generosity of neighborhood farmers who often donate extra produce. Many community members have told Melby-Gibbons that they had desperately wanted a healthy place to eat for years.
But food is not the only thing that Tricklebee serves up. Melby-Gibbons also hopes to nourish the psyche of the community. Sherman Park made news headlines across the country after a police officer fatally shot a young black man in August 2016. Melby-Gibbons said the café is a peaceful gathering place for all in the community.
Tricklebee Café will celebrate its one-year anniversary on Nov. 23.
“I have all sorts of plans for the café,” said Melby-Gibbons. In the next year, she hopes to expand hours and occasionally serve breakfast, with the help of donations and grants.
She also would like to get entrepreneurs together in one spot in the neighborhood through a maker’s market. She pointed to a closed Walgreens across the street as a possible location for the market, which would help locals start their own businesses.
Looking back on her life, Melby-Gibbons, 34, said that she feels very fulfilled by nourishing communities through food.
“I am surprised I ended where I am because as a kid I grew up in a religious setting that taught that women are ‘lesser than’ and should not be in leadership roles,” said Melby-Gibbons.
“Eventually I grew away from that and discovered that I had a sense of call to ministry so I went down the track of being ordained in the Moravian church,” she added. “I also got this other deep sort of awakening to do this feeding stuff.”

author: Madison Marx


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Aurora Family Service feeds more than 3,100 families for Thanksgiving | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
November 23, 2017
More than 3,000 families picked up groceries for a Thanksgiving meal Monday, courtesy of Aurora Family Service. The grocery bags included a 12-pound turkey, stuffing, bread rolls, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, butter and a pan to cook the turkey.
Families signed up through Aurora Family Service, 3200 W. Highland, or partnering community organizations ahead of time to receive the groceries.
This program has been fully funded by local businesses and their employees, as well as individual donors, including Aurora caregivers.
The purpose of the grocery giveaway is to strengthen families by bringing them together to make and share in a holiday meal. This reduces stress over the holidays, creates memories and strengthens bonds.
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created: November 23, 2017

author: Sharon McGowan


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24701849478_cce851a68a_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 22, 2017

created: November 22, 2017


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Adam Carr
November 22, 2017


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Adam Carr
November 22, 2017


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Adam Carr
November 22, 2017


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Adam Carr
November 22, 2017


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Adam Carr
November 22, 2017


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Adam Carr
November 22, 2017


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Happy Thanksgiving | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
November 23, 2017
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service wishes you and your family a happy and bountiful holiday.

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


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22624131954_580e9418bd_k-1024×686 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 22, 2017


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Free help with health insurance decisions offered | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care
November 24, 2017
Buying health insurance can be challenging. So many choices, levels and decisions. Free help with understanding and selecting a plan will be available on Fridays, Dec. 1, 8 and 15, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care-Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Ave.
An insurance expert with the Wisconsin Association of Free & Charitable Clinics will answer questions and explain health insurance choices, including state and local programs and the marketplace set up by the Affordable Care Act. People currently uninsured can receive help enrolling in either Medicaid/BadgerCare, Medicare or a plan within the marketplace, depending on their income level. He can also answer questions about eligibility or insurance terms, and offer options for people who are losing coverage or have had a life-changing event.
People are asked to come to the help sessions with a list of their medications and doctors and their estimated income. Those not born in the U.S. should bring immigration documents, such as a permanent resident card or naturalization certificate to photocopy at the time of application.
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If you would like to reserve a time for insurance consultation, call 920-707-1423.
Here is some key information for people who purchase health insurance on their own rather than getting it through an employer:
•Open enrollment in states using the federal marketplace continues until Dec. 15 for coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2018.
•People who qualify for tax credits to help pay for premiums or subsidies to lower their deductibles and co-payments will receive them.
•Marketplace insurance will continue to offer comprehensive coverage and cannot reject someone due to pre-existing medical conditions.
•At least one insurer will offer marketplace coverage in every sign-up area.
•Selecting a health plan will be even more important this year for people who get subsidized coverage so they can avoid being automatically enrolled in a plan they don’t like. Auto-renewal date is expected to be Dec. 16, the day after open enrollment ends.

created: November 24, 2017


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 24, 2017


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Medical student from 53206 hopes to improve health in urban communities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Leah Harris
November 24, 2017
Na’il Scoggins is studying to become a pediatrician or neonatologist. (Photo by Leah Harris)
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of articles about the people and places of 53206.
Na’il Scoggins knew he wanted to be a doctor ever since he was 7 years old. He recalled going to a rummage sale when he was in grade school and instead of toys, he picked up a human anatomy book. He said he loved going to my optometrist in Cranberry to get eye exams when he was a kid.
Scoggins is now 22 and is in his first year of medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
In middle school, at a Grandparent’s Day event, Scoggins noticed that many minority students didn’t have living, healthy grandparents while many white students did. “That sparked my interest in health disparities and made me want to be someone who actively fought against them,” he said.
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Scoggins grew up in 53206 — which has the most incarcerations of any ZIP code in the country. He said it is a dangerous area because of crime, but also because of severe health problems such as high rates of infant mortality, chronic illness and sexually transmitted diseases.
Despite growing up in the inner city, Scoggins attended school in the suburb of Whitefish Bay since preschool.
His mother, Michelle Scoggins, said she was determined to get him into a better school than the ones in the inner city. The Chapter 220 program allowed Scoggins and other minority students to attend schools in predominantly white, suburban areas to encourage racial diversity. “I remember running to sign him up.” When his name was pulled in the lottery, I knew it was meant to be, she said. The program ended in 2015.
Michelle Scoggins is very supportive of her son’s dream to become a doctor. (Photo courtesy of Medical College of Wisconsin)
“It was always interesting to have these two worlds,” he said. “If we saw a white person in our neighborhood, it was a scandal,” he continued. At school, Scoggins was one of the few people of color. “There were a lot of experiences when you’re the only black person or the only minority and you have to speak for your race,” he said. Although it was difficult, Scoggins also saw value in those experiences because he said they prepared him for the real world.
“I’ve attended predominantly white institutions my whole life,” he said. Scoggins attended college at Denison University in Ohio. He is part of the Research Opportunity for Academic Development in Science program at MCW. The ROADS program offers opportunities to diverse high school students interested in medicine.
ROADS supported Scoggins as a high school student, an undergraduate and now as a medical student.
“ROADS is a program for students underrepresented in medicine or research,” said ROADS Program Manager Jean Mallet. “They’re really changing the face of medicine.”
Scoggins said his mom is one of his biggest supporters.
“We grew up just having enough. We never had to be on government assistance but I never had the same luxuries as my classmates in Whitefish Bay,” he said.
Michelle Scoggins, a single mother, earned her bachelor’s degree while her son was in college. “I’ve never met anyone like him,” she said. “He is his own person. He’s not like the other guys in the neighborhood and he’s not like the other guys at Whitefish Bay.”
“He’s selfless,” she said. “He has a real understanding of seeing people for who they are and what they need.”
Scoggins said he wants to stay in Milwaukee after school to help combat health disparities. “My community inspires me. I see what’s working and what’s not working and that propels me to keep going and to stay focused.”
While studying takes up most of his time, Scoggins likes to hang out with family and friends and to volunteer. He is a mentor at Project Ujima, which helps youth victims of violence.
Scoggins, who is interested in pediatrics, has three and half years of medical school left followed by at least three years of residency.
“The path is hard,” Scoggins said, “But I always have that vision of community to keep me going.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 23, 2017


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MPS shows slight improvement on latest state report card | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
November 24, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
Milwaukee Public Schools continues to make progress as shown on the 2016-17 Wisconsin District Report Card, increasing its overall score slightly as compared to the 2015-16 report card.
The district remains in the Meets Few Expectations category, but made improvement in priority areas measured in the report card. Improvements were realized in both the Student Growth and Closing Gaps areas.
While district progress toward On-Track and Postsecondary Readiness remained the same, the district did see an uptick in the four-year graduation rate and a decrease in the dropout rate. The four-year graduation rate increased to 60.9 percent, up from 59.3 percent. The dropout rate declined to 5.1 percent in the 2016-17 school year compared to 5.7 percent the previous year.
“While we have improvements to celebrate, the areas of attendance, absenteeism, and improving academics continue to be major challenges for the district,” said MPS Superintendent Darienne B. Driver.  “We have been and continue to devote significant time and resources in these key areas. We are focused on moving more students from below basic to basic and from basic to proficient.”
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More MPS schools Significantly Exceed or Exceed Expectations than in the 2015-16 school report cards. Four of the schools that failed to meet expectations are now closed: Universal, New School for Community Service, BEAM, and Community High School.
Thirty-four schools moved up one category and 81 remained in the same category as the previous year. Thirty-one schools declined one category as compared to last year’s report cards.
For more information about efforts MPS is engaged in to improve student achievement, visit the Initiatives & Strategic Planning section of the MPS website.

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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City’s fair and affordable housing crisis in the spotlight | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Rozga
November 27, 2017
Audience members listen attentively at the UWM Urban Studies program’s annual summit, titled “Far From The American Dream: Milwaukee’s Fair and Affordable Housing Crisis.” (Photo by James Harris)
Margaret Rozga, poet, civil rights activist and professor emerita of English at UW-Waukesha, finds hope in the progress that successful housing programs have achieved, especially in terms of finding paths to housing stability and affordability.
Since Milwaukee’s 200 nights of marching for fair housing in 1967-68 and passage of national and local fair housing legislation in April 1968, we’ve had, in the words of Fred Freiberg, 50 years of “all deliberate lethargy.” Freiberg, co-founder of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council in 1977, was keynote speaker at the group’s 40 anniversary celebration on Nov. 16.
The spotlight was on Milwaukee’s long-neglected fair and affordable housing crisis that Thursday, coincidentally the birthday of Father James E. Groppi whose name is synonymous with Milwaukee’s fair housing marches. Content-rich public events at different venues under different sponsorship began at 7:30 a.m. with “Milwaukee Housing: Crisis and Opportunities,” a program co-sponsored by the Milwaukee Global Shapers Community, ACTS Housing and the Fair Housing Council. In the afternoon, the UWM Urban Studies program offered its 11 annual State of Milwaukee Summit, this year focused on housing under the title “Far From The American Dream: Milwaukee’s Fair and Affordable Housing Crisis.” That evening the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council celebrated its 40th anniversary.
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Kavon Cortez-Jones, one of Milwaukee’s dynamic young poets, capped off the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council event and the day with an audience-energizing spoken word performance. He rapped the history of Milwaukee’s 1967-68 open housing marches in a way that made their spirit palpable. He kept the story fresh and relevant, weaving in present-day details of his own experiences along the 16 Street route of the most famous of these 200 nights of marching. He never missed a beat, though moving at a rapid-fire pace. If only we could keep up this pace in working toward solutions to the issues of fair and affordable housing in our community.
Present at two of these events, I am convinced this day’s housing focus offered a promising start. Among the hopeful signs is the fact that all three of the day’s housing events had attendance at the capacity of the venues where they were held. Also hopeful is the progress that successful programs have achieved, especially in terms of finding paths to housing stability and affordability. We know what works. We need the will to build upon what we know.
Rebecca Stoner, director of development at ACTS Housing, was a panelist at both the morning and afternoon programs. She reported that in Milwaukee one-third of renters pay 50 percent or more of their income for rent. When they become homeowners through ACTS Housing, these cost-burdened families find their housing costs significantly reduced.
At the afternoon State of Milwaukee Summit, James Mathy, housing administrator for Milwaukee County’s Housing Division, cited statistics to show the effectiveness of the division’s Housing First policy in reducing homelessness and providing housing stability. In 2011 there were 1,466 chronically homeless persons in Milwaukee County; this year that number is down to 900. Housing First policies also cost less than alternatives such as jail or temporary shelters. Case management costs under the Housing First policy are less than $80 per day.
Need is still great for persons facing housing eviction, as Raphael Ramos of Legal Action of Wisconsin’s Eviction Defense Project said. With some people paying more than half of their household income for rent, the likelihood of failure to pay rent on time increases and thus so do evictions. Less than 1 percent of tenants facing eviction, 112 out of 13,476 cases, had legal representation. The new Milwaukee County budget provides for a small increase in legal help for people in such cases.
Southeastern Wisconsin remains a hyper-segregated area both economically and racially, as Kori Schneider-Peragine, senior administrator of the Housing Inclusivity Program at the MMFHC, explained at two of the day’s housing forums. Most job growth in the area is in Waukesha County. The highest unemployment is in Milwaukee. This spatial mismatch could be resolved either through improved public transportation or through increased housing integration.
Both remedies have stalled. Low-income housing choice vouchers could provide for “movement to opportunity,” but currently only one in four people who meet the qualifications for a housing voucher have one; the housing voucher program is significantly under-funded.
Fifty years after the passage of national and local fair housing laws, these discussions offer hope that we may be ready to move beyond lethargy into problem-solving mode. Eviction defense, home ownership, increased funding for housing choice vouchers and protection for voucher holders from discrimination are all worthy steps for which we’ve already waited too long.

created: November 27, 2017

author: Margaret Rozga


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 26, 2017

created: November 26, 2017


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Manpower On-The-Spot Interviews | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Frederick Nelson
November 27, 2017
Manpower will be hosting on-the-spot interviews — please bring an updated resume and come dressed for success.
Thursday, November 30th , 2017
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Job Center Central 6th floor
4201 North 27th St
Milwaukee, 53216
They will be interviewing for the following positions:
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•Assembly/General Labor
•Customer Service Reps
•Data Entry Clerk
•Groundskeeper/Landscaping
•Inspection/ Production
•Machine Operators
•Packaging Operators
•Sales Rep/Account Managers
•Environmental Services
•Office/Clerical
•Warehouse
Questions, please contact:
Frederick Nelson
Department of Workforce Development
Job Service
4201 N 27th St, Milwaukee, WI 53216
Office (414) 874-1655; Email: Frederick.Nelson@dwd.wisconsin.gov

author: Frederick Nelson


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 27, 2017

author: Adam Carr


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Northwestern Mutual provides $225,000 in grants to local nonprofits | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
November 27, 2017
Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, is dedicating its support to causes that are meaningful to the company’s employees with grants totaling $225,000. Twenty-five local nonprofits will receive $1,000 to $10,000 on behalf of Northwestern Mutual employees through the company’s Days of Sharing program, now in its 10th year.
Milwaukee residents Lynnette Harris, Janet Wright, Sean Flanagan, Laura Simmons-Larsen, Sunil Pradhan, Tiffany Dillon, Oscar Castaneda, Kyle Bigelow, Jeremy Mick and Monica Murphy were chosen to receive grant funds in their names for Cynthia’s Breast Cancer Giving Circle, Secure Futures, Downtown Montessori Academy, Second Hand Purrs, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee, Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin, Latino Veterans Legacy of Valor Foundation, Lad Lake, AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin and Feeding America.
“We continually strive to cultivate a culture focused on giving back, and our employees are a key part of this,” said Eric Christophersen, president, Northwestern Mutual Foundation. “Our Days of Sharing program provides an opportunity to celebrate the season of giving while honoring the volunteer service and community support given by dedicated employees.”
Beginning in October, employees nominated their nonprofits of choice. From that group, 25 organizations were chosen at random. Northwestern Mutual also encouraged employees to vote for pre-selected nonprofits to receive grants totaling $125,000. This year, the top five chosen from this list are Alzheimer’s Association of Wisconsin, Girls Who Code, Fisher House Wisconsin, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Greater Milwaukee and Latino Veterans Legacy of Valor Foundation.
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This year’s program invited the company’s New York and Arizona offices to nominate nonprofits in their communities alongside the Milwaukee-area campuses. Since 2007, the company has awarded more than $1.5 million in grants on behalf of its employees through Days of Sharing.

author: Northwestern Mutual Foundation


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Shopping cart proposal won’t target homeless, sponsor says | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elliot Hughes
November 27, 2017
An abandoned cart from a nearby Walmart store sits discarded on North Holton Street. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
A proposed ordinance that would fine business owners who do not prevent their shopping carts from being taken off the premises would not target homeless people who use those carts to move their belongings, said Ald. Chantia Lewis, sponsor of the ordinance
The proposal would allow the city to fine business owners $250 for every abandoned shopping cart that city workers retrieve. It also would allow the city to hand out fines to businesses that do not have some sort of anti-theft device on their carts.
Lewis authored the legislation after a study by the Common Council found that abandoned shopping carts are a blight in some neighborhoods, lowering property values and obstructing roadways, she said.
“They were in bus stops, they were in the medians, they were on the sidewalks, they were in the creeks,” Lewis said. “They just became a nuisance.”
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A man walks to his car after shopping at the Pick ‘n Save at 605 E. Lyon St. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
People who are homeless sometimes use shopping carts to move their belongings, but Lewis said the ordinance is meant to prevent teenagers from stealing the carts. She said teens take them, fool around with them and leave them sitting in the streets.
“We’re not going and looking for those that already have the carts; this is just to prevent more carts from being in the community,” Lewis said. “So we’re definitely not targeting the homeless population. And to note, they’re keeping their carts and they’re with them. They’re not leaving their carts all around the community.”
Art Arnstein, the co-owner of United Milwaukee Scrap, said people occasionally use stolen shopping carts to transport scrap metal to exchange it for cash at his scrap yards. The company refuses to do business with anyone who shows up with a stolen cart, he said.
Brother Rob Roemer, executive director of Capuchin Community Services, which provides a community meal, said he doesn’t think the ordinance would have much of an impact on homeless individuals. “Most seem to have backpacks or suitcases,” he said.
“I don’t think it would affect them a whole lot,” he added.
The Public Safety and Health Committee unanimously recommended approval of the proposal. Lewis noted at the Nov. 20 meeting that businesses often make no effort to retrieve their stolen carts, leaving the task to Department of Public Works employees, who perform the duty on an almost daily basis.
Lewis said she frequently sees carts out in public from Save-A-Lot, Pick ’n Save and Walmart, while companies such as ALDI, which requires users to insert a quarter into a machine before taking a cart, avoid contributing to the problem. She said the carts are present in most Milwaukee neighborhoods as well as the suburbs.
Carlos Cecil, an assistant manager at the Pick ’n Save at 1100 E. Garfield St, said he thinks the proposal is unfair to businesses. “I have carts that end up a half mile, mile from my store. There’s nothing I can do to control that.” He added that store employees drive around to pick up the carts.
Meanwhile a representatives from Save-A-Lot store at 6410 N 76th St. said the store now has anti-theft devices similar to those at ALDI. “Hopefully that will prevent people from taking carts,” said Armando Diaz, the store manager. Michael Massey, assistant manager at the Save-A-Lot at 4821 N. 76th St. said all the local stores are supposed to have the anti-theft devices within a week.
The Common Council is expected to vote on the matter at its Nov. 28 meeting.

author: Elliot Hughes


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Experts share ideas about solving Milwaukee’s affordable housing crisis | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
November 28, 2017
The Milwaukee Common Council Housing Trust Fund is helping fund affordable units in The Griot apartments, currently being built on North Avenue and 4th Street, just next to the Historic Garfield Apartments. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
Danita Graham is a 30-year old mother living in Milwaukee. Despite having a master’s degree in social work, serving as a PEARLS for Teen Girls program coordinator and sitting on a development board in the Harambee neighborhood, she feels like she’s drowning as she struggles to obtain affordable housing.
“I’m in all of these systems, but yet, even in understanding real estate and development … I cannot afford a low-income property, even at the lowest level,” Graham said. “Even for an educated woman who’s communicated and worked in all these places, it’s not feasible.”
Graham voiced these concerns at a recent panel discussion, MKE Housing: Crisis & Opportunities, hosted by Global Shapers Milwaukee, a group of young adults committed to action and dialogue in the community, and ACTS Housing. About 35 people attended, including representatives from neighborhood groups, community organizations, corporations, and banks, as well as concerned residents.
Rebecca Stoner, a Global Shaper and ACTS director of development, said the book “Evicted,” by Harvard professor Matt Desmond about the housing crisis in Milwaukee, and the 50-year anniversary of the fair housing marches this year inspired conversations about these issues among the Global Shapers and throughout the city.
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Global Shapers and ACTS sought to bring together people on the front lines of the city’s housing crisis to highlight the good work being done in Milwaukee, identify gaps where additional strategy and investment are needed and raise awareness for others to get involved in solutions.
Danita Graham, program coordinator at PEARLS for Teen Girls (left), asks panelists a question as Jermaine Alexander (right), director of housing at the Sherman Park Neighborhood Association, listens. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
Panelists were Irma Yépez Klassen, housing policy director in Mayor Tom Barrett’s office; Kori Schneider-Peragine, senior administrator of the Inclusive Communities Program at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council; and Dorothy York, associate director of ACTS. ACTS Executive Director Michael Gosman moderated.
Gosman cited statistics that set Milwaukee apart when it comes to affordable housing. One-fifth of people in the United States spend more than half their income on housing, compared to one-third of Milwaukeeans. One of every eight Milwaukee renters moves because of evictions. Decades of segregation have increased disparities, and the metro area has the lowest black suburbanization rate in the country.
The panelists agreed: It’s a challenge too big for any one entity to overcome, but too often in Milwaukee organizations struggle to take a step back and make adjustments when something isn’t working.
Graham reiterated these frustrations. “How can we work together better to really make a difference, to bring that humanness to it?” she asked.
Awareness is key, said Schneider-Peragine. Her work with the Inclusive Communities Program supports neighborhood integration so that people of color and low-income families can have access to better employment and education.
“It’s like the water we swim in is segregation, and there are things that we don’t even question — when you go to a restaurant and you don’t see another person of color, or you go trick or treating and you know immediately who’s not from your neighborhood.”
City officials recognize this reality and are working to maintain affordable units as new development booms throughout downtown and nearby neighborhoods, Schneider-Peragine said. She cited a newly proposed ordinance in the city Neighborhood, Zoning and Development Committee that would require all new privately financed apartment developments of 20 units or more to include 10 percent affordable units.
In addition, the city is talking directly with residents and local business and community leaders to make sure new developments, particularly expansion of the streetcar in Bronzeville and Walker’s Point, won’t push residents out of their neighborhoods.
Awareness and understanding about the variety of resources available to those seeking affordable housing options is also lacking, Stoner said. She cited a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation, which noted that in July 2015 — the last time the Milwaukee Housing Authority’s waiting list for housing assistance opened up — about 35,000 people registered. From that list, only 3,000 were selected through a lottery system to join a waiting list, and as of August, more than 1,000 of those were still waiting.
Gosman said he disagrees with Desmond, the author of “Evicted,” who believes housing vouchers are the answer for Milwaukee. “The housing voucher system is broken,” Gosman said. “Anything that’s meant to be a safety net shouldn’t be rationed.”
Rental assistance isn’t the only resource available, Stoner said, “and if more people knew that, then we would be able to more clearly see the gaps of people who we’re not getting to with the current resources available.” For example, ACTS helps low-income people own homes.
York said that ACTS Housing’s one-stop shop model assists people in financing a home and helps them work through the buying and renovation process with real estate agents, contractors and repairmen. Providing these resources under one roof eliminates barriers to home ownership, York said.
The panel discussion left both Stoner and Graham with mixed feelings.
Resources exist, but Stoner acknowledged that navigating them is incredibly challenging. She said that housing organizations “are not talking to each other, and there is a lot of red tape and documentation collection that makes it cumbersome to figure it all out.”
However, she was excited to see so many people passionate about fixing these problems.
Graham agreed. She said she often sees the same people discussing the same issues at events like this. At this panel, though, she said she was happy to see several new people.
“It was good to be here today to see different faces of people who are looking for answers and educating themselves — to know that they are interested in changing the dynamic.”

created: November 28, 2017


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On The Block: Grieving mother | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
November 28, 2017
Since Devin Cameron’s younger son was shot and killed by her nephew two years ago, she has realized that she and her surviving children would have benefitted from counseling.
She also realized that she can memorialize her son by improving her own education. He worked hard for his middle school diploma and looked forward to high school and college. Cameron recently obtained a high school diploma and is earning high grades in a college business program, she said.
In the future, she hopes to share what she has learned from this tragedy with others who have lost children through gun violence.
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Common Council approves Municipal Court legal representation for indigent residents | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Michael Murphy
November 29, 2017
Yesterday the Milwaukee Common Council unanimously passed Alderman Michael J. Murphy’s initiative to provide Municipal Court representation to indigent residents in non-criminal cases. The proposed ordinance passed unanimously, allocating up to $45,000 to the non-profit Legal Action of Wisconsin (LAW). In partnership with the city, LAW will offer free representation to residents who can’t afford an attorney in Municipal Court cases, especially in cases where police officers are expected to testify against the defendant, or in cases where defendants face suspension of licenses or jail time.
Ald. Murphy says, “I’m happy to help people of all socioeconomic backgrounds gain fair representation. Before this initiative passed, indigent residents were walking into court at a disadvantage, I don’t want to people to be incarcerated for their inability to pay a citation or fully understand their legal rights. This will help improve the justice system and enhance confidence in the judicial system.”
LAW will work in partnership with the city. David Pifer, Executive Director of Legal Action of Wisconsin says they are eager to assist, “We are pleased that the city recognizes the need to provide free lawyers for low-income individuals in Milwaukee Municipal Court. We look forward to working with the city on this initiative.”
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Alderman Murphy collaborated not only with LAW, but also with Alderman Nik Kovac of District 3.
“I am glad to see that this goal is now being realized,” said Ald. Kovac, who introduced the amendment in last year’s budget, with Alderman Murphy, to create the funding for this program. “Too many of our neighbors in this city do not know their rights when they appear in Municipal Court, and some of them then end up in jail merely for their inability to pay. Now that Legal Action will be in court to advocate on their behalf, I expect that we will get results in our courtrooms that are more respectful of each other’s dignity and more consistent with the law.”
Gretchen Schuldt, executive director of the Wisconsin Justice Initiative, advocated for the funding.
Schuldt said, “This will simply balance the scales a little bit. The city has funded Municipal Court prosecutors for years. Now, for the first time, poor people who don’t understand Municipal Court processes and don’t have the ability to adequately represent themselves will have a defense lawyer to help them.”
She went on to say the Municipal Court is a revenue generator for the city, and that now some of the revenue will go into ensuring effective representation for all of our residents.
Ald. Murphy credits his colleagues for their support and efforts as he propelled the initiative forward.

created: November 29, 2017