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Supporters hope new library, apartments inspire Mitchell Street ‘renaissance’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
January 29, 2018
A class of small children leaves the Mitchell Street Library. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 12 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). The Mitchell Street Library/Alexander Lofts is a finalist for the State Farm Building Blocks Award for a real estate project that advances the community.
You can vote today for People’s Choice Award winners. Click here to vote.
Sirena Hernandez, 21, went to the old Forest Home Library, 1432 W. Forest Home Ave., almost every day when she was in elementary school. She did her homework there, played games on the computers and socialized with friends.
On a recent Thursday morning, Sirena sat with her mother, Candida Hernandez, at a table rigged with six brand-new laptop computers at the new Milwaukee Public Library Mitchell Street Branch, which replaced Forest Home last fall. Her brother, Marcelo, 15, and 3-year-old son Noah were also with them. As a family, they just recently started coming to the library again.
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“I notice that, now that we’ve been coming, he loves reading,” said Sirena of Noah.
The mixed-use development was completed over the course of a highly publicized process that included community meetings at the space where the library is currently housed. Sixty market-rate apartments fill the floors above, and an old cold storage building in back. It is the neighborhood’s first apartment development in the last 40 years that is not income-restricted.
Sirena Hernandez reads to her 3-year-old son, Noah. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
The building, located at 906 W. Historic Mitchell St., was built in the early 1900s and has served as a department store, hardware store and, in the ‘80s, included a punk rock nightclub. Most recently it housed the Hunger Task Force, the state and county probation office, and a Social Security office and unemployment center.
The library, located on the building’s ground floor, boasts historic railings, columns and a marble floor intermixed with computer stations, a bilingual catalogue, numerous charging outlets and free wireless internet. The hope was that the state-of-the-art library space and upscale apartments would provide “a significant economic impact” to the surrounding area, according to developer Gorman & Company’s Wisconsin Market President Ted Matkom.
Gorman also operates in Arizona, Florida, Colorado and Illinois.
The census tract in which the development is located is one of Milwaukee’s youngest, with a median age of just over 24. It is also one of the city’s poorest. The area’s median household income of $22,591 is less than half of the median income in Milwaukee County. Forty-six percent of residents and 62 percent of children live in poverty.
Ald. Jose Perez called the project “a home run,” and “the envy of a lot of my colleagues.”
“It’s been part of what I consider the renaissance [of] Mitchell Street,” he said.
Nancy Bush, director of Historic Mitchell Street Business Improvement District #4, added, “We had this dark building at night; now we’ve got light, we see people coming and going — kids, teens, parents with their families. This particular project, in the 10 years I’ve been here, is the best thing that has happened to our commercial corridor.”
“I haven’t had a library card in years,” said Candida Hernandez, 41, as she uses a computer to search for jobs. Hernandez, who has worked as a cashier, housekeeper and waitress, has been unemployed for about a year. Hernandez lives near 21st and National with her mother. “It is real hard,” she added.
Wenona Lee Gardner, who lives blocks from the newly opened library, called it, “a lifeblood.” Gardner said she lives on about $575 a month in disability benefits, sharing a one-bedroom apartment to lower her living costs.
Ald. Jose Perez speaks with a visitor to one of the model townhouse apartments. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Gardner is highly engaged in the community. She leads weekly workshops on “The Artist’s Way” — a book she got from the library — and recently launched her own business. She is also taking online classes in media design, which she wouldn’t be able to without the internet access the library provides.
The project would never have happened without the 60 apartments, which were used to close a funding gap of $5 million, according to Matkom. A one-bedroom unit in The Alexander Lofts costs at least $995 a month and a two-bedroom goes for a minimum of $1,225. According to Matkom, other area one-bedrooms — market rate or rent-restricted — go for $550 a month, and a typical two-bedroom rents for $650.
“By leveraging the public library as this amazing public asset … we could attract higher incomes to this severely distressed neighborhood and charge people rents that are double what were currently in the neighborhood,” Matkom said. The apartments are expected to bring people with higher incomes to the retail corridor, which will benefit businesses along Mitchell Street, according to the development company.
Tomeitha Moore, 50, a resident of the lofts, moved to the building because of the convenience and amenities, including a workout room, community room and more, she said. Moore works for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
Moore, who lives with her partner, a teacher, called the apartments “affordable for those who are working.” She believes both the Alexander’s higher-income residents and nearby businesses, which she described as having “very reasonable” prices, will benefit from the new development.
Gardner said it’s “always a concern” that at some point she may not be able to afford to live in the neighborhood where she grew up. Just recently, her Medicare costs increased and her monthly food stamp allotment was reduced by about half.
Sixteen percent of housing units in the census tract are unoccupied, twice the rate of Milwaukee County. The lofts are already 90 percent full, according to Matkom.

created: January 29, 2018


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 28, 2018

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: January 28, 2018

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

author: Adam Carr


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“Syrian Refugees: An Epidemic of Communal Trauma” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jerry Rousseau
January 29, 2018
The United Nations Association – Greater Milwaukee invites you to…
“Syrian Refugees:  An Epidemic of Communal Trauma”
A Presentation by Myron Eshowsky, MS
Free & Open to the Public
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Saturday – February 10th, 2018 from 10 AM – 12 Noon
Redeemer Lutheran Church                                                                                631 N. 19th Street (Rear Entrance) – Milwaukee, WI
Myron Eshowsky, MS, will give a presentation on his work empowering refugees living in the Syrian refugee camps and resettlement areas in Jordan through the Common Bond Institute’s Social Health Care Program for Syrian Refugee Families and Children to develop the tools to manage and heal from the post-traumatic stress of the Syrian Civil War.
Myron Eshowsky, MS, is a co-developer and faculty member of the Common Bond Institute’s Social Health Care (SHC) Program for Syrian Refugee Families and Children.  He has extensive experience providing in-person trauma services aimed at empowering refugees of the Syrian Civil War who are living in the Syrian refugee camps and resettlement areas in Jordan.
He is the co-author of “A Recurring Global Syndrome: Treating an Epidemic of Community Trauma” that is included in a book titled “Why Global Health Matters.”  He has taught throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.  He was a presenter at the:
For more information contact:                                                                                Debbie Metke:  dmetke@gmail.com (e-mail) 414.881.0904 (phone)
The United Nations Association – Greater Milwaukee (UNA – GM) is a chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA).  The UNA – GM is a group of men and women who stand for peace and justice in the world and believe that the United Nations is an instrumental force in creating a peaceful world and support the work and efforts of the United Nations by educating, inspiring, and mobilizing our Milwaukee Community.
The United Nations Association – Greater Milwaukee meets on the second Saturday of each month from January – June and September – December from 10 AM – Noon at Redeemer Lutheran Church – 631 N. 19th Street (Rear Entrance) in Milwaukee).  Each meeting features a presentation & discussion on a specific topic relevant to the work of the United Nations.

author: Jerry Rousseau


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UNA-USA IMAGE (Small) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
January 25, 2018

created: January 25, 2018

author: Name *


text:
Time to shut down MSDF | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ventae Parrow
January 29, 2018
(Photo by Mark Rice)
Ventae Parrow, EXPO of Milwaukee leadership recruiter and trainer and an MATC student, writes that it’s time to shut down the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF). Parrow has been detained at MSDF for the past seven months. He has a revocation hearing scheduled on Feb. 6.
It is time to shut down Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF) and build communities.
I’m one who never thought I would ever see a place like Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility as many times as has happened without committing or being convicted of any new crimes.
I was held captive for the first time in this nine-floor, high-rise, supermax, concentration camp, inhumane, unconstitutional, torture chamber-style prison in 2002 as a stop off on the way to Dodge Correctional Institution.
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I’m telling you it was the most miserable two weeks of incarceration I have ever experienced. I remember not being given access to natural air or sunlight, contact visits, recreation, clean clothes, proper hygiene, adequate health care nor appropriate portions of food.
It strikes me as interesting that I could go from being a college student to the penitentiary without committing a crime or breaking the law. They were able to take me in front of an administrative law judge and give me two years in prison and then turn around and give me 14 months in prison and then turn around and give me a year and eight months in prison and then turn around and give me a 45-day sanction.
It has been an ongoing theme since 2008 where I’ve been in and out of the penitentiary but haven’t committed a crime since 1999: this strikes me as significant. If I’m not mistaken, prison is a place for those who break the law, not for those who abide by the law, pay taxes and are upright citizens such as myself. I’m not saying that I’m perfect because I did commit a crime and I paid my debt to society. I feel like because I paid my debt to society I shouldn’t have to continue to be penalized for something that happened in 1999 due to the way that the system is rigged for me to fail instead of for me to succeed.
I was continuously being held hostage in MSDF for being out late, walking past a park, malfunctioning of electronic monitoring units, obtaining employment without consent, being late for office visits, using a cellular phone or computer without permission, or having visitors in transitional living placements.
I want to get the awareness out here that people are being re-incarcerated without committing crimes and probation agents have more power than the judge. You could be put in prison just for a minor violation that is not against the law of the land.
It’s frustrating when you’re out here working a job, going to college, having a place to lay your head and helping your family out and then whenever they feel like it they snatch the rug from under your feet and they place you in prison even though you have not committed any crime. It’s unfair for a law-abiding citizen to be placed in prison without committing a crime.
I’m not saying the person shouldn’t receive some type of discipline or punishment, but they shouldn’t be put back in prison. There should be a way for them to rehabilitate themselves: some type of program that is really going to benefit society. I feel like society would be safer with the person being rehabilitated and being reintegrated back into the community.
I’m currently incarcerated at MSDF for rules being violated that didn’t involve me committing new crimes.
It’s unconstitutional, inhumane, unjust and also absolutely unacceptable for a prison, in the inner city of Milwaukee or anywhere else, to be overly populated with people who haven’t been convicted of crimes. It is inhumane to have three people reside in a cell designed for only one person; be exposed to cruel and unusual punishment; deprived of natural air, sunlight, human contact, appropriate health care, dental care and mental health care; and denied accurate legal assistance from https://deanhineslawyer.com, law library access and opportunities to effectively rehabilitate and be providers..
We have to redirect our spending to invest in focusing on addressing humanity-based needs. I’m confident we’re ready to invest our money and resources into transportation, elder care, education, livable wages, equal opportunity employment, community restoration, community-based alternatives to incarceration and childcare.
It is time to close MSDF and build communities. Visit closemsdf.org to get involved with the fight for justice and equity.

author: Ventae Parrow


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On the Block: Aspiring firefighter | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Talis Shelbourne
January 30, 2018
Edurawdo Hawthorne is looking forward to becoming a firefighter in the Milwaukee Fire Department. The 25-year-old has applied for the position, passed a written exam and recently sat for an oral interview. He said he wants to give back to the community by rescuing people when they need help. Hawthorne added that he is heartened by improvements in the central city, including new housing and economic development.

created: January 30, 2018

author: Talis Shelbourne


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 29, 2018


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Unity in Motion pushes Milwaukee’s youth to succeed in school, life | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
January 30, 2018
Allen Ruppel founded his nonprofit organization Unity in Motion nearly 18 years ago, but the sweetest moment for him came just recently. A former student, Quamaine Knox, graduated college and the first person he stopped to see was Ruppel.
“My very first student and I grabbed lunch the other day and it’s amazing to see how far he has come since being a part of this organization,” Ruppel said. “He still calls me senpai from when I first taught him karate,” Ruppel joked.
Alexandra Patten, 27, helps student Mary Brewington, 13, with math homework on the organization’s first night back from winter break. (Photo by Dean Bibens)
With the help of Dawn Steffen, vice president and program coordinator of Unity in Motion, Ruppel launched the organization in 2000 while the two were both working full time at Northwestern Mutual.
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“This organization just brings a lot of purpose to my life, as far as being able to really impact the kids and help them along the way academically,” Steffen said. “When Allen approached me about potentially working with him, I knew it was what I wanted to do.”
Steffen still works at Northwestern Mutual but is also a staff member at Unity in Motion, working whenever she can. Ruppel became full-time executive director of Unity in Motion in 2010, when the organization was incorporated as a nonprofit.
“I had the choice of playing it safe and remaining at Northwestern Mutual for the rest of my career. But, after discussing it with my wife, I knew I wanted to make an impact on Milwaukee’s youth permanently,” Ruppel said.
“I never had the intention of leaving Northwestern Mutual once I got the job there, but Unity in Motion just kept growing over the years and I knew it was meant to be,” he added.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Ruppel was a part of a navigation team on the fifth nuclear submarine to ever circumnavigate the world. “That was a huge accomplishment for me,” he said. Once Ruppel finished his time in the service, he went to school at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where he received his bachelor’s degree in finance.
Allen Ruppel leads students in a chant at Unity in Motion headquarters. “Unity in Motion is what?” Rupple asks. The students respond, “Red hot!”
Unity in Motion, 2600 N. 2nd St., has evolved from a karate class that met once a week to an all-encompassing program that meets every weekday. The organization focuses on building relationships with young people and providing academic assistance, while also offering incentives for good behavior, such as trips to Milwaukee Bucks and Brewers games.
Ruppel’s impact is far-reaching, according to students and parents. Tarina Dodds, 47, has two children who attend Unity in Motion and credits Ruppel with steering them in the right direction. “I believe in what he’s doing,” Dodds said.
“I heard about Unity in Motion from a friend and after talking to him [Ruppel], I could tell he put his blood, sweat and tears into the program. The enthusiasm is always there and my kids love him.”
Student Mary Brewington, 13, described Ruppel as “having everything under control.” She said, “As a leader it’s hard to maintain authority over all the kids in the program, but he does a good job of making sure everyone is doing the right thing.”
Ruppel and his coworkers believe that Unity in Motion can continue to grow and benefit Milwaukee’s youth for years to come, along with other nonprofits in the city.
“Nobody can do it all,” Ruppel said. “We have to leverage all the talent and resources throughout the city because there [are] simply not enough. If we can all work together, I really do believe this city can be great for its youth.”

author: Dean Bibens


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How to celebrate Black History Month in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lydia Slattery / Wisconsin Watch
January 31, 2018
Milwaukee author and activist Reggie Jackson speaks at the Milwaukee Public Library. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Black History Month celebrates accomplishments of African-Americans and marks their roles is U.S. history. Milwaukee has its own history of prominent black Americans and their achievements. Here are ways those interested can learn about black history during February.
Milwaukee is home to America’s Black Holocaust Museum, 11933 W. Burleigh St., which aims to educate people about the legacy of slavery and actions people can take to create a more equal society. The museum is hosting different tours and exhibits throughout February.
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The 2018 Wisconsin Black Arts Festival will be held Feb. 2-4 at the Milwaukee African-American Women’s Center, 3020 W. Vliet St. The event will offer music, food, fashion and more featuring black Wisconsin artists. Registration is available here.
The Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2620 W. Center St., is hosting Genealogy Conference: What’s your story from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. There will also be Urban Heroes: Urban Wood Art Exhibition from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16.
The Milwaukee Public Library is hosting several events to celebrate Black History Month including a class on the history of jazz; film screenings of “13th” and “Milwaukee: 53206”; and a talk by Milwaukee activist Reggie Jackson on structural and institutional racism. Dates, times and locations are available here.
Jewish Museum Milwaukee, 1360 N. Prospect Ave., is celebrating Black History Month with events that include a film screening of From Swastika to Jim Crow at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, and a talk by Reggie Jackson on Redlining, Racism and Reflection at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13. Information on registration, prices and more events is available here.
The UWM Union Cinema, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd. is hosting several films in observance of Black History Month. The films include Marshall at 6 p.m. Feb. 8 and Whose Streets, a documentary about the Ferguson Uprising, at 6 p.m. Feb. 28. More information about tickets, dates and times is available here.
If you know of other events celebrating Black History Month in Milwaukee, please feel free to comment below.

created: January 31, 2018

author: Lydia Slattery / Wisconsin Watch


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 31, 2018


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MATC to offer free help with tax returns at Milwaukee and Oak Creek campuses | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Area Technical College
January 31, 2018
Taxpayers with a family income of $54,000 or less are eligible for free help preparing their basic personal income tax returns at Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus, 700 W. State St.; and Oak Creek Campus, 6665 S. Howell Ave. MATC accounting students provide the service in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and Internal Revenue Service Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs. Volunteers are trained by the Internal Revenue Service and supervised by MATC instructors and staff.
All returns are “e-filed” to ensure speed and accuracy. Now in its 36 year at the Oak Creek Campus and its 16 year at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus, the program helps heighten awareness of Wisconsin’s Homestead Credit; federal and state education credits; and the Earned Income Credit, an often overlooked federal tax break for low-income working people who are raising children in their homes.
Downtown Milwaukee Campus Tax Help Dates and Hours
Oak Creek Campus Tax Help Dates and Hours
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Attendees should bring the following:
Taxpayers filing a joint return must both be present when the returns are prepared because both spouses must sign a joint tax return.
For more information contact Nell Curtis, curtisnh@matc.edu, (414) 297-7461 or Danica Olson, olsond38@matc.edu, (414) 456-5411.
A free self-service tax filing website for individuals or families with a combined household income of $66,000 or less in 2017 is available at http://www.myfreetaxes.com.
Wisconsin’s largest technical college and the most diverse two-year institution in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. Approximately 37,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers 200 academic programs; transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities; and a Pre-College Education division that assists people to complete high school, prepare for college or enter the workforce. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the national standard for academics and student services.

author: Milwaukee Area Technical College


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NNS on Lake Effect: Black Women Say ‘Me Too’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
January 31, 2018
This woman, who asked not to be identified, was sexually harassed on the job by her supervisor. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
Although much of the focus of #MeToo movement has been on high-profile perpetrators and victims, WUWM and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s event Across the Divide: From #MeToo to What Now?, discussed what sexual harassment can mean to those without a platform.
Related story: Black women in Milwaukee say ‘Me Too’
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author: Dwayne Burtin


text:
Lake Effect_harassment | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
January 31, 2018
“Lake Effect_harassment”. Released: 2018.


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Silver City shines a light on Asian restaurants throughout February | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Cannon
January 31, 2018
In Asian countries such as Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, mornings start at 3:30 a.m. People wake up and walk miles to the nearest market to purchase their day’s meals. They pick out fresh herbs and meats to bring home for their families.
The same tradition has carried over to restaurants near 34th Street and National Avenue in Silver City. Restaurant owners get up early every day and bring fresh ingredients back to their kitchens to prepare and serve to their customers.
George Chai, owner of Thai Bar-B-Que, 3417 W. National Ave, was born in Thailand. He came to the United States in 1984 and opened his restaurant in 2007, after working for his sister at the Asian International Market, 3401 W. National Ave., a local grocery store selling Asian products. He thought most people had no time to cook Asian food, and decided to open the restaurant so they could enjoy authentic Thai food. Chai said he puts quality over cost.
“I have to find special herbs here,” said Chai. He spends a lot of time and money making sure his food is fresh. He gets his ingredients from Chicago and the Asian International Market.
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He said in Thailand, people eat only fresh food. Herbs such as basil, coriander and mint can be found in his pho, a traditional Asian soup that originated in Vietnam.
Thai Bar-B-Que is footsteps away from two other Asian restaurants: Vientiane Noodle Shop, 3422 W. National Ave, and Bamboo Restaurant, 3427 W. National Ave. All three restaurants are participating in the annual Phobruary event, offering pho for $5 per bowl Monday through Friday during February.
Thomg Ksoun is celebrating the 20th year of owning Vientiane Noodle Shop. Born in Laos, Ksoun said she “grew up taught to be a housewife, to cook, to clean.
“We learn that the man is the leader of the house,” she said.
Since she came to the U.S. in 1981 her role has changed. Ksoun is the one making decisions every day about the success of the restaurant she created and has sustained.
“If the customer likes my food, I will go home and sleep happy with a smile on my face,” said Ksoun. She also welcomes criticism, because it helps improve the restaurant.
Toy Schuelke, who was born in Laos and works at the Asian International Market, said she hopes people come to Vientiane to try pho this month, because it is the restaurant’s way of sharing the Laotian culture with the community.
Ksoun goes to the market every day to pick up fresh ingredients for the restaurant. Although they are not related, Schuelke refers to Thomg Ksoun as “grandma.” “We’ve been seeing each other every day for 12 years,” said Schuelke. “Anytime she needs help, I will always help her.”
About 9 percent of Silver City’s residents are Asian-American. The majority of people in the neighborhood are Hispanic.
Both Ksoun and Chai said they hope to expand their restaurants in the future, offering delivery and catering.
Chai said he wants to appeal to people of all nationalities and to help them understand the variety of Asian food offered at restaurants on National Avenue.

author: Margaret Cannon


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39931717871_050f499b27_o | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
January 31, 2018


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City of Milwaukee to celebrate 28 Days of Black History throughout February | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Ashanti Hamilton
February 1, 2018
In honor of Black History Month, the City of Milwaukee website and the City Channel (Milwaukee’s government access cable channel) will again recognize influential figures in Milwaukee’s Black history with the 28 Days of Black History campaign.
“Last year, we had great success with the 28 Days of Black History information campaign,” said Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton. “We shared so many powerful and compelling stories of Milwaukee’s own heroes, and this year we will continue spotlighting notable individuals and their role in Black history.”
“The 28 Days of Black History campaign gives us the opportunity to recognize and honor those who are working or have worked for the betterment of the Black community, but making a greater impact felt throughout the entire community,” said Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs. “These stories are important for all of our community members to hear.”
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The campaign, now in its second year, will center on a theme of “The Soul of Black Folks.” Each day in February, the City Channel will feature a local individual who has made a positive impact on Milwaukee’s Black history. These profiles, photos, and stories of these individuals will also be featured on the official city website (city.milwaukee.gov).
In recognition of the 28 Days of Black History and Black History Month, the City of Milwaukee will host a public celebration on Friday, February 23, 2018 at 2 p.m. in the first floor rotunda at City Hall, 200 E. Wells St.
Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II said he hopes the public will flock to the celebration on February 23. “I look forward to our 2nd annual Black History Program, and I encourage citizens to please come out and join me, Alderman Khalif Rainey and other members of the Council for an enjoyable celebration of culture and good times,” he said.
Working with President Hamilton and Alderwoman Coggs to coordinate the 28 Days of Black History campaign are colleagues Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, Alderwoman Chantia Lewis, Alderman Cavalier Johnson, and Alderman Khalif J. Rainey.

created: February 1, 2018

author: Ald. Ashanti Hamilton


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Community training & planning | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Michelle Jaskulski
February 1, 2018
As we look forward to 2018, we are faced with grim news from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that 63,600 people died from drug overdose in 2016. That is 174 people a day. These ominous figures from the CDC report underscore the importance of what we as a community are doing to combat addiction and strengthen our resolve to do everything we can to get those figures down to zero.
With this in mind, we will be hosting an event on February 10th in Franklin Wisconsin. Executives from Addiction Policy Forum, will lead our discussion and answer questions as together we consider the steps we will be taking to help end addiction in Wisconsin.
This event is appropriate for anyone in the state that has an interest in working towards solutions to the drug epidemic. Individuals, organizations, groups, policymakers, legislators and affected families are encouraged to attend and bring others to this free, informative event.
Hear about what Addiction Policy Forum is doing at the federal and state level to affect changes, including their new online resource & action portal.
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Training on how to share the “What is Addiction” video at events or for groups in your community will be included. Narcan trainign also available.
We would love to have your input and have you join us as we figure out how we can all work together towards our common goals.
https://www.facebook.com/events/193596058046112

author: Michelle Jaskulski


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Job announcement: African American Roundtable Lead Organizer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
African American Roundtable
February 1, 2018
The African American Roundtable is a project of Wisconsin Voices and we envision a Wisconsin where everyone has the means, drive, and freedom to fully participate in a just democracy that provides opportunities for all people to thrive. As a project of Wisconsin Voices, the African American Roundtable exists to improve the quality of life for Wisconsin’s African-American community through civic engagement, education, economic development, access to quality and affordable healthcare and community justice by building long-term political capital through issue based organizing.
The African American Roundtable is currently seeking a Lead Organizer to work with the Director in implementing culturally specific strategies for current and future campaigns to improve the quality of life for African Americans. Specifically, the work in 2018 will be centered around voter engagement, advancing police reform and violence prevention work. The Lead Organizer is responsible for mobilizing grassroots support for issue based organizing to meet AART’s campaign goals. They will also oversee a team of activists to help build and develop a base of leaders and allies to canvass neighborhoods in Milwaukee. The Lead Organizer is supervised by the AART Director. This position will also work closely with community residents, key community leaders and other stakeholders.
Duties and Responsibilities:
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Qualifications
Salary and Benefits: Base salary for this position is $38,000 – $42,000 per year, and experience and aptitude will be taken into consideration for negotiating salary. This is a full-time salaried position funded through the end of 2018 with potential to be continued through 2019. Wisconsin Voices employees receive benefits in their first year that include: 3 weeks paid vacation time, 11 paid holidays, 80 paid sick hours, a 401K retirement plan, partial cell phone reimbursement, mileage and expense reimbursement for required travel, and health, vision, and dental insurance.
To apply: Please send a cover letter letting us know how you heard about the position and why you are interested in applying along with a resume outlining relevant experience and work history to markasa@wisconsinvoices.org by no later than February 23, 2018 . In person or phone inquiries will not be accepted or considered for hire.
Wisconsin Voices is an equal opportunity employer, and does not discriminate based on age, sex, race, ethnicity, religion or sexual preference. Women, persons of color, and individuals from the LGBTQ3 community are strongly encouraged to apply.

author: African American Roundtable


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Job Posting: Milwaukee Succeeds & Portfolio Administrative Assistant | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Michelle Gutknecht
February 1, 2018
SUMMARY
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County has an opening for a Milwaukee Succeeds and Portfolio Administrative Assistant in our Community Impact division! Be part of our mission to change lives and improve our community! In this important role, you’ll provide high quality, accurate administrative support to our Health, Education and Financial Stability priority areas and the Milwaukee Succeeds Initiative.
KEY JOB FUNCTIONS
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT                                                                                95%
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Milwaukee Succeeds (50%) (Community-wide initiative focused on cradle to career success for all youth.)
Health, Education and Financial Stability Portfolio Support (45%)
RECEPTION AREA COVERAGE                                                                                5%
KEY REQUIREMENTS
OTHER SKILLS
Work in a complex environment using technical and interpersonal skills. Strong analytical abilities, also demonstrating the ability to anticipate problems and identify and implement solutions when needed. Work independently, recognize tasks, implement and follow through to completion. Problem solve and work with flexibility.
TO APPLY:
For further job criteria and complete details, click on: https://www.milwaukeejobs.com/j/19871269. If you meet or exceed job requirements, please apply directly at this web address today. Please indicate salary requirements.
Equal Opportunity Employer
M/F/Disability/Vet

author: Michelle Gutknecht


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LBWN project increases community pride, unity with simple neighborhood projects | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
February 1, 2018
LBWN Executive Director Brianna Sas-Pérez and Community Outreach Managers Jonatan Zuñiga and Gisela Ortega talk about the Block Project Menu during an event in January. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 12 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). The LBWN Block Projects Menu is a finalist for the PNC Bank Trailblazer Award for an innovative approach to a community problem.
You can vote today for People’s Choice Award winners. Click here to vote.
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors is proving small changes can make a big difference.
Through the organization’s Block Project Menu initiative, many Burnham Park, Layton Boulevard and Silver City residents have received address plaques, neighborhood flags and exterior lights for their homes. The residents say that as a result of this and other LBWN projects, they feel safer on their blocks and more connected to their neighbors.
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The idea for the Block Project Menu stemmed from a desire to build leadership and social cohesion among neighbors and improve the safety, identity and appearance of the three South Side neighborhoods LBWN supports.
In 2011, LBWN created a Quality of Life Plan for its communities, with goals of improving neighborhood appearance, community safety and social engagement, among other things. However, the organization struggled at first to spur real change, explained Jonatan Zuñiga, a LBWN community outreach manager.
“In community development we have these discussions about how do we build resident leadership, how do we build social cohesion in diverse neighborhoods like this one where we have residents who only speak Spanish and residents who only speak English,” Zuñiga said.
Residents hang Layton Park Neighborhood flags outside their home to show neighborhood unity and pride. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
So in 2016 the organization started individual block projects, in which the residents of one street gather outside on the block and choose the project they want to pursue from a “menu,” including flowers, decorative outdoor chairs, flags, exterior lighting, yard signs and address plaques.
“It makes an abstract idea into something concrete the neighbors can do,” Zuñiga said, “and it makes it easier to engage residents.”
More than 300 neighbors have participated in block projects, including 31 who have stepped up as block captains.
Zuñiga recruited resident Debby Montano a few years ago to serve as a block captain to help engage neighbors in block parties and projects. Montano has lived in the neighborhood for four years but was never involved in her community until she began working with LBWN.
“Now I try to promote all the community events in our neighborhood,” Montano said. “We want to make sure our neighborhood shines, and if we keep using the resources that are here, they’re going to stay. If we’re not utilizing the things that are here in our neighborhood, we’re not going to get the funding, we’re not going to get the participation and be able to voice the concerns that we have.”
She said her efforts are paying off.
“Once we started having those block parties and coming together as a block, now our neighbors are talking to each other, now our neighbors are watching out for the other kids, now our neighbors are very comfortable sharing concerns about something that doesn’t look right in the community or on our block.”
LBWN surveyed residents of two blocks — one that received address plaques and the other neighborhood flags — to gauge their satisfaction with their community before and after the projects took effect. The percentage of block residents who agreed their neighborhood is an attractive, desirable community went from 38 to 71 percent after they received the address plaques. On the block that received flags, 100 percent of respondents said they either agreed or strongly agreed their block was attractive, up from 69 percent before the flags were distributed.
LBWN also helps facilitate communication between English- and Spanish-speaking neighbors.
Burnham Park resident Maria Poradek, who speaks only Spanish, said she appreciates LBWN’s translating services when it comes to community meetings or forms she has to fill out. LBWN translators also helped her communicate with an English-speaking neighbor to resolve an issue.
Jim Gac has lived with his wife in their Layton Park home for 37 years and has experienced many changes on the block. Since helping Zuñiga coordinate a block party a few summers ago, he has noticed increased social pride among his neighbors, he said. More people socialize with each other, neighbors are taking better care of their homes and yards, and there are group efforts to improve safety. Plus, with Zuñiga’s help, he can communicate with his Spanish-speaking neighbors and serve them as a neighborhood leader.
Angela Mitchell, community outreach liaison at the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Development Corp., lauded LBWN’s successes in engaging residents and recruiting community leaders.
“One of the things I most admire is how they build neighborhood leaders,” Mitchell said, referring to the block captains LBWN has recruited to engage neighbors in community activities and projects. “The neighborhood community groups can’t always bring the change that we’re looking to see. Sometimes you need the neighbors to hit the ground doing that.”

author: Elizabeth Baker


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Virginia Eubanks to present “Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor” on February 5 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lisa Kaiser
February 1, 2018
Are low-income Americans unfairly targeted and punished through digital decision-making tools? That’s the question explored by Virginia Eubanks in her new book, Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor.
Eubanks will discuss her findings at the Milwaukee Public Library’s Richard E. and Lucille Krug Rare Books Room (814 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee), at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, February 5. Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, the Milwaukee Public Library, and Boswell Book Co. are sponsoring her talk. Boswell will offer Automating Inequality for sale.
In Automating Inequality, Eubanks shines a spotlight on Indiana’s digitized welfare benefits process, Los Angeles’ screening tool for those experiencing homelessness, and the information collected on public services seekers in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
Of the book, Naomi Klein writes: “This book is downright scary—but with its striking research and moving, indelible portraits of life in the digital poorhouse, you will emerge smarter and more empowered to demand justice.”
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Eubanks will speak from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Milwaukee Public Library’s Richard E. and Lucille Krug Rare Book Room, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave., on Monday, February 5. This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited so registration is required. Please register on the library’s website at mpl.org/services/events/?eid=81421 or by calling 414-286-3011. Note: This event may be moved to a different venue within the library.
Community Advocates established the Public Policy Institute in 2008 to work toward preventing and reducing poverty while improving the quality of life for individuals and families in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin. The Public Policy Institute targets poverty by changing relevant public policies and laws; preventing its effects through public health efforts; and working to increase opportunity and wellness for low-income people by fostering factors related to success, resilience, and well-being.

author: Lisa Kaiser


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Eubanks_headshot | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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February 1, 2018


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Report finds city is making progress toward improving black male achievement | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
February 2, 2018
The Promise of Place report highlights Milwaukee Public Schools’ efforts to increase educational outcomes for black and Latino male students. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Milwaukee is making progress towards improving the life outlook for African-American boys and young men, according a new report from Campaign for Black Male Achievement, a national membership network. The campaign’s recently released “Promise of Place” report measured the progress of 50 cities across the United States.
“The Promise of Place report speaks to the deep investment that Milwaukee is making towards black and Latino achievement,” said Juan Baez, director of Milwaukee Public Schools’ Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement, created in May.
The report assessed progress in Milwaukee and other cities using an index score measuring five indicators, which together measure a city’s level of engagement. They include city-led commitment to supporting black men and boys, and the presence of national initiatives such as My Brother’s Keeper. Examples of increased support cited in the report also include creation of the Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement and the launch of the website MyBlackStory.us, which features positive stories about the efforts and impact of black leaders in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee’s score increased from 63 to 71 since the first report, released in 2015, placing it 13th among cities measured. According to the report, the Campaign for Black Male Achievement has supported the MPS department and the Black Male Achievement Advisory Council, by working with city, district and community leaders to identify best practices and coordinate resources. The Black Male Achievement Advisory Council was established by the city in 2013 to lead its effort to increase black male achievement and make recommendations to the Common Council.
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Ald. Khalif Rainey speaks during a 500 Fathers United rally in 2016. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Milwaukee is one of five cities CBMA is targeting for additional resources due to its wide racial disparities, according to Shawn Dove, CEO of CBMA. CBMA facilitated a coordinated information exchange between Milwaukee officials and leaders from the Oakland Unified School District’s African-American Male Achievement Initiative.
“We are using those cities as our learning laboratories and proof points, sharing what we learn across the country,” Dove said. CBMA launched 10 years ago in what was intended to be a three-year campaign tied to President Barack Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. The Promise of Place report was created as a way to track the nation’s progress, he said.
Milwaukee’s  higher score is a positive development, but hasn’t resulted in increased black male achievement yet, said Ald. Khalif Rainey, chair of the Black Male Achievement Advisory Council. The council, created as part of the city’s participation in national My Brother’s Keeper efforts, is in limbo since the firing last month of Mike Williams, former director of the city’s Community Engagement and Achievement Collaborative, Rainey said. The collaborative provides the human capital and infrastructure needed to advance the council, including oversight of the My Brother’s Keeper program and Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative.
The Black Male Achievement Advisory Council released a five-year action plan in 2015, which outlined goals such as increasing graduation rates for students of color, improving the justice system and increasing the capacity of males of color to combat violence and victimization. Though some of those efforts have stagnated, according to Rainey, there have been successes, such as the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative and the 500 Fathers United initiative,and the establishment of a Center for Driver’s License Recovery and Employability. Still, he said, the increased engagement highlighted in the report, while significant, hasn’t translated into lower crime rates or higher graduation rates for black males in Milwaukee.
“We haven’t moved the needle yet and improved the quality of life in the city for black families, and that could be said for many cities,” Rainey said.
Baez also acknowledged that increased engagement hasn’t translated into better educational outcomes for black and Latino students at MPS, citing four-year graduation rates of 49 percent for African-American males and 57 percent for Latino males. But, he also cautioned against measuring the department’s success based on graduation rates.
“We didn’t get into the situation we’re in overnight. It took centuries,” Baez said.
The Department of Black Male Achievement has identified five key strategies aimed at leveling the playing field for black and Latino male students in the city, Baez said. The strategies have been shown to improve minority achievement in other cities, according to Baez. They include better school design, culture and climate; promoting positive narratives of young black and Latino males through a targeted media campaign; expanding manhood academies to more schools (they are now at Washington and Bradley Tech high schools) and hiring more male teachers of color. Currently, 71 percent of teachers at MPS are white and about half are female, Baez said.
“We’re not saying that white people can’t teach students of color, but research has shown that when students of color have instructors and teachers that look like them they do better,” he added.
The key to effectively implement the strategies will be to build upon the foundation that has been built and was noted in the report, Baez said.
“We have to meet the challenge and work together to do better and improve the lives of males of color in Milwaukee,” he added.

created: February 2, 2018

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 1, 2018

author: Adam Carr


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AWE provides opportunity for student artists to ‘feel successful and connected’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rachel Kubik
February 5, 2018
AWE’s Health Equity mural was unveiled in August 2016. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 12 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). Artists Working in Education is a finalist for the BMO Harris Cornerstone Award, which recognizes commitment and effectiveness over time.
You can vote today for People’s Choice Award winners. Click here to vote.
John Kowalczyk spread out papers on tables littered with colored pencils, glitter, sequins and other supplies. Kowalczyk, Artist-in-Residence program director at Artists Working in Education, sat down next to a teenager busy drawing a mandala.
“I absolutely love working with students and the youth. They totally inspire me and make me happy,” Kowalczyk said, as he surveyed the students working in the bottom-floor art room of Riverwest COA Youth & Family Center. “I believe in their voice and I believe in their potential and what they can do. I like being able to help them see that in themselves.”
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In AWE’s Artist-in-Residence 5 x 3 program, a professional team of artists is paired with a small group of students to work on public art projects. It is named 5 x 3 because it works in five neighborhoods — Clarke Square, Silver City, Washington Park, Lindsay Heights and Harambee — and the program is in its third year.
Raina Johnson, AWE donor stewardship and storytelling manager, said the project’s goal is for young people to create something that is meaningful to them. It also gives youth opportunities to make decisions about land use, public space and neighborhoods by creating public art. The project is funded by a grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.
John Kowalczyk passes out art supplies for an activity. (Photo by Rachel Kubik)
Kowalczyk said that the Artist-in-Residence program offers about 15 residencies a year at schools, youth centers, parks and libraries.
One of Kowalczyk’s favorite AWE projects is the Health Equity Mural at the corner of W. Scott Street and S. Chavez Drive. “I loved the collaboration there between a doctor, a church, a youth center in the neighborhood and then (they became) a team of artists all coming together to create something great and give back to the community,” Kowalczyk said.
AWE worked with the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative and other partners on the Health Equity Mural. Ian Bautista, executive director of CSNI, said that creating art helps students explore a medium of communication that they might not have the opportunity to practice at home or school.
“Our neighbors here in our community are talented and exceptionally gifted in the area of artistic expression. This gives them the channel to be able to do that and the opportunity to see that that’s a viable career, that that’s a viable way to improve their community,” Bautista said.
Another recent AWE project on the South Side was the creation of a mosaic along the staircase at Arlington Heights Park, at 35th and Pierce streets. The park already had been renovated with a new band shell and playground. “There was this ugly staircase kind of forgotten about in the corner of the park that was going to collect some litter, graffiti and stuff like that,” Kowalczyk said.
Area residents asked AWE to beautify the staircase. Working with community members and Escuela Verde, a school at 3628 W. Pierce St., AWE created a mosaic waterfall last fall.
Johnson said AWE is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and the organization has reached more than 60,000 youth.
“We don’t really make people come to us, we go where people are, wherever the need is, and I think that is important,” Johnson said.
Kari Hanson, turnaround arts manager at Milwaukee Public Schools, said she was involved with AWE since she was in college. When she was supervisor for the MPS Partnership for the Arts & Humanities, which supports after-school and summer programming, AWE received a grant from the partnership.
“I think our students in school don’t get enough opportunities to find their own way; it’s like there’s almost always a right or wrong answer. In the arts, they get to explore, work through challenges and figure things out for themselves,” Hanson said. “They can always be right in the arts and have an opportunity to feel successful and feel connected to one another.”
Hanson said she loves that AWE’s work is connected to neighborhood development. “I think the arts definitely also help us create an environment that is welcoming to us, stays with us and expresses who we are as a neighborhood and makes it a joyful place,” Hanson said. “There aren’t a lot of organizations doing it the same way they are.”
Kowalczyk said AWE is more than just an art education organization. “We really work on developing stewards of our city and turning youth into amazing citizens that want to share their voice, share their ideas and create change in their community,” he said.
AWE lead artist Megan Zimont was at Anna F. Doerfler Elementary School, a K-8 school located at 3014 W. Scott St., for a recent after-school program. She helped students to make drawings and watercolor design ideas for a 30- to 40-foot section of a mural for the school.
It will eventually cover most of the circumference of the building and a wall that separates the playground from the sidewalk.
Julissa Chavez, 15, an eighth grader, said she enjoys the social part of making art in the after-school program. She painted five bands of color horizontally across her paper, with a quote about money and love. “I draw (at home), and like painting and mixing colors. I (also) like to write,” she said.
Damarious Taylor, 13, an eighth grader at Doerfler, drew a mouse with red eyes and a line of blood extending down from each corner of its mouth. “I don’t really like art but I’m doing this right now and I’m kind of surprising myself. I didn’t used to draw and I can draw.”

created: February 5, 2018

author: Rachel Kubik


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 4, 2018

created: February 4, 2018


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 5, 2018


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Donors urged to help the Red Cross maintain blood supply | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
American Red Cross
February 5, 2018
Winter storms and the flu don’t just mean a lot of people are missing work and school – it also means they can’t keep their American Red Cross blood and platelet donation appointments. The Red Cross is urging healthy donors of all blood types to roll up a sleeve to help maintain the blood supply for patients in need.
In 2018, severe winter weather forced about 600 blood drives to cancel, resulting in more than 17,500 uncollected blood and platelet donations. And, widespread flu across the U.S. has resulted in lower turnout at blood drives.
Blood and platelet donations are needed in the coming days to help replenish the blood supply and ensure patients continue to receive lifesaving treatments. Donors can help even more patients when they invite a loved one, friend or co-worker to give with them.
Make an appointment to donate this winter by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
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Upcoming blood donation opportunities:
2/8/2018: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Manpower, 100 Manpower Pl.
2/12/2018: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., School of Languages, 8400 W Burleigh St
2/19/2018: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Cardinal Stritch – Bonaventure Hall, 6801 N Yates Rd
2/20/2018: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Lutheran Chapel of the Cross, 3353 S. Whitnall
2/21/2018: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m., Xperience Fitness – West Allis, 6706 W. Greenfield Avenue
2/24/2018: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Wisconsin Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave
2/27/2018: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Alumni Memorial Union, 1442 W Wisconsin Ave
2/28/2018: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., UWM Student Union, 2200 Kenwood Blvd
How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, from a computer or mobile device. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.
Volunteers needed
Another way to support the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross is to become a volunteer transportation specialist and deliver lifesaving blood products to local area hospitals. Volunteer transportation specialists play a very important role in ensuring an ample blood supply for patients in need by transporting blood and blood products. For more information and to apply for a volunteer transportation specialist position please visit rdcrss.org/driver.

author: American Red Cross


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Inspiring connection: Race in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rick Deines
February 5, 2018
Rick Deines, a conversation facilitator with The Zeidler Center for Public Discussion, reflects on the importance of telling personal stories about race relations.
How we relate to the question of race depends a good deal on our perspective. It is largely shaped by our history, our story. To close the gap between racial groups, we need to solicit the stories that have brought people to this moment.
My wife Dixie and I moved into our home in the Woodlawn community on the South Side of Chicago in July 1966. We were in our mid-20s. From my sister’s living room near Denver, we had been watching the nightly news for two days. We saw people hauling TVs down the street in front of our new home. The community was being vandalized. We drove all night and moved in. National Guard troops were less than a stone’s throw away in the alley beside the house. We are white; our neighborhood was 99.9 percent black.
Were we courageous, naive, searching for our own meaning or something altogether undefined? We always knew that we could leave anytime, a privilege not available to most of the people of Woodlawn. Ambiguous, certainly. Nevertheless, this became the context for six-plus years.
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Our neighbors and co-workers still had vivid memories of their experiences in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas. I listened to Evelyn share with me her waking up at 8 years old to see a cross burning in her backyard. Dawson would drive hundreds of miles to be with his family in Mississippi on holidays, but drove straight through because no motel would have a room for him and Edith. While stopping for gas, locked out of the bathroom, they had to go behind the station in the wooded area.
Evelyn and Dawson were two of dozens of our new friends with similar accounts. When moving to Chicago, they were limited in where they could live, school their children, and find work that matched their education and skills. Yet, I do not remember an instance where my race was used against me.
It was in Woodlawn where the daily presence of the Blackstone Rangers, a youth “gang” that controlled the streets and faced off with the police, who used extreme “law and order” techniques to keep control. When I asked the young people I knew about joining the gangs, they would say they had little choice because the gang would protect them from the police. Many were kids with at least one caring parent, doing pretty well in school, and having no interest in the gang activities. But little choice.
It was in Woodlawn where Annie J. headed the Social Welfare Committee of The Woodlawn Organization (T.W.O.), the first Saul Alinsky-inspired community organization in the black community. I would pick her up at her home in the projects, work with her committee to bring fairness to our neighbors, and spend hours of reflection learning about her, the neighborhood and the future of Woodlawn.
Dixie taught in the neighborhood schools, gave birth to our two children and actively participated in a church committed to deepening its spiritual/civic responsibility.
We crowded a Baptist church in Englewood to hear Dr. King and attended marches. We were driving three teenagers to present the Woodlawn story in a Chicago suburb, when the radio voiced his assassination. The teens insisted we continue to the meeting, now more important than ever.
This is the foundational story of race in my life. Few people in my Milwaukee circles know much about that background. However that is my reality, my truth and how that has shaped me. At best I hope that parts of my story will resonate with people who have their own experiences to share.
I grew up in Cheyenne, Wyoming. My church taught general concepts of compassion and tolerance. Those teachings guided me the summers I worked alongside laborers from Mexico. It convinced me to be liberal in my relationship with the Latinos and African-Americans who played on my basketball teams. I remember telling my mother I was dating the “Chase” girl, when her name was Chavez. I became aware that some of my friends and teammates were considered at best second-class citizens.
My high school history teacher, accused of being a Communist, sent me to the library to check out Richard Wright’s “Native Son” and “Black Boy.” My American Problems teacher gave time to have us consider the Little Rock Nine. At a junior college in New Mexico in 1960, I had white classmates from the South who told stories of standing on the corner for entertainment on Saturday nights with 2 by 4s to hit “niggers” who were standing on a public corner. I stared at the water fountains in the Amarillo, Texas, bus station labeled “white” and “colored.” I did not publicly protest.
This is the skeleton of who I am as I figure out how to live with our current racially divided truth. How I participate with that question in Milwaukee includes how my life has been adjusted through those encounters. How I live today, how I am within my family, city, nation and world is framed by that history.
And today? I continue to reflect on how being satisfied with doing good may not be the best path.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was aware that not just the segregationists but also the “choir,” his audience, had not faced the reality of our own complicity in denying his dream.
As Dr. King wrote in 1963 as he sat in a cell in a Birmingham jail, “Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.”
The current environment is so poisoned with unreflective hateful behavior that many see nothing new on the horizon. But for some us perhaps, the “new day has come,” as Oprah proclaimed recently. She continued:
“… as we try to navigate these complicated times … what I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have.”

author: Rick Deines


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Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin temporarily not allowing kids under 12 to visit patients in the hospital | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
February 6, 2018
Statement from Mike Gutzeit, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin:
“To help prevent the spread of the influenza virus and to protect the health of our patients, families and staff, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is implementing a temporary visitor restriction at both our Milwaukee and Fox Valley hospitals.
Effective Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018, no person under the age of 12 will be allowed in any inpatient care area. This policy does NOT include clinic appointments.
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This year’s flu season is one of the most severe we’ve seen in recent years. Throughout Wisconsin and the country, hospitals are reporting much higher levels of influenza activity than past years and experts say it still hasn’t peaked. As a result, many children’s hospitals across the country have taken similar precautionary steps. By restricting patient visitation, we will limit potential exposure to the influenza virus.
We know this change may be difficult for some of our patient families. While we understand and appreciate the inconvenience this may cause, patient safety is our primary goal.
This restriction will be lifted as soon as possible and will be assessed on a regular basis as new information about the influenza season becomes available. Updates will be provided at chw.org/flu.
It is still not too late to get vaccinated if you haven’t already. While this year’s influenza vaccine is somewhat less effective than in past years, getting the vaccine is still one of the best ways to prevent the illness and reduce its severity. Also, be sure to wash your hands regularly and thoroughly. If you or your child is showing any symptoms, please stay home.”

created: February 6, 2018

author: Children's Hospital of Wisconsin


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Crime Prevention Awards recognize efforts to improve public safety | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
February 6, 2018
LISC Milwaukee and Safe & Sound, two nonprofit organizations dedicated to safe and vital neighborhoods in the greater Milwaukee area, recently hosted the 69th Annual Crime Prevention Awards Luncheon, where community members and law enforcement representatives were honored for their efforts to improve safety in their communities. The event took place at the Wisconsin Club, 900 W. Wisconsin Ave.
The winners are listed below:
•AAA Wisconsin Traffic Safety Award to Law Enforcement: Police Officer Randolph Bruso
•AAA Wisconsin Traffic Safety Award to a Community Member: MilWALKee Walks
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•The Salvation Army Chaplaincy Program Outstanding Individual Involved in Crime Prevention: Michael Hupy
•Outstanding Greater Milwaukee Partnership in Crime Prevention: PeppNation
•Outstanding Block Club Involved in Crime Prevention: 1500 31st and 32nd Street Block Club
•Outstanding Corporation/Business Involved in Crime Prevention: DJRC Entertainment
•Outstanding Faith-Based Organization Involved in Crime Prevention: Christ St. Peter Lutheran School and Church
•Outstanding Community Liaison Officer Involved in Crime Prevention: Police Officer Dan Pierce
•Outstanding Professional Contribution to Crime Prevention: Police Sgt. Gregory D. Hunter, Sr.
•Outstanding Civilian Contribution to Crime Prevention: Lucy Hoeft
•Outstanding Crime Prevention Advocate: Elizabeth Hammer

author: Sharon McGowan


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Jezamil Arroyo-Vega named interim Executive Director at Artists Working in Education | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Artists Working in Education
February 6, 2018
This year, Artists Working in Education, Inc., is celebrating 20 years in community providing greater access to the arts, inspiring youth creativity and re-imaging public space, all ways that contribute to a more vibrant Milwaukee.  AWE is excited to continue this work under the leadership of Jezamil Arroyo-Vega, who has been named Interim Executive Director.
Arroyo-Vega brings an array of organizational administration, planning, design and fund development experience to her role at AWE. Recently Arroyo-Vega was living and working in Puerto Rico bringing best-practices of neighborhood stabilization efforts to an international audience. She worked as a capacity-builder with Puerto Rico’s Housing Financing Authority, and returned to Milwaukee after Hurricane Maria ravaged much of the island.
Jezamil received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and she also served as a member of Public Allies – Milwaukee, AmeriCorps in 2008 – 2009. Throughout her career, Jezamil has collaborated on projects in Milwaukee’s most vibrant neighborhoods, such as Silver City, Burnham Park, Layton Park, Harambee, Bronzeville and Avenues West.
“I believe that creativity and art are valuable gateways of expression in the transformation of individuals and communities. They allow us to heal, dream, believe and be inspired as we grow. I feel honored to continue nurturing Milwaukee youth’s imaginations through AWE’s meaningful art programming throughout the city,” Jezamil Arroyo-Vega said.
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Previously, AWE was led for six years by Beth Haskovec who recently joined LISC Milwaukee to lead its commercial revitalization initiatives. The organization is committed to their mission and a search for a permanent executive director will begin immediately.

author: Artists Working in Education


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 6, 2018


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New development coming to MLK Drive | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
February 6, 2018
Today, the Common Council passed legislation sponsored by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs to approve the sale of four city-owned vacant lots at 1940-48 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. and 227R W. Brown St. in the Historic King Drive Business Improvement District.
“I welcome this excellent new addition to King Drive, to be located on unused and/or under-utilized parcels,” Alderwoman Coggs said.
“And I look forward to continuing our efforts to make King Drive the best King Drive in the nation,” she said.
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The property will be purchased by Dr. Mexton Deacon for $40,000. Dr. Deacon plans to develop a three-story medical office building and move his business, the Milwaukee Advanced Foot and Ankle Clinic, from Wauwatosa to the new location. The building will also house four apartment units on the third floor, a surgical center for the clinic on the first floor, and a 15 space parking lot behind the 12,864 square-foot development.
Dr. Deacon is planning to invest more than $2 million at the new development location along MLK Drive.

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


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Residents want homegrown police chief with personal touch | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elliot Hughes
February 6, 2018
About 100 people attended a recent forum at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
The last time the Milwaukee Police Department was in need of a new chief, it got an outsider with no connection to the city, but who built excitement around his potential to modernize the department and use data to improve policing.
That is not at all the profile that community members are looking for in Edward Flynn’s successor.
Last week, about 100 residents attended a panel discussion at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society about what qualities they would like to see in the city’s next police chief. It was clear that those in the room wanted someone from within the ranks of the Milwaukee Police Department who would work well with others and rebuild trust with the community.
“We would like to see a police chief that the community can trust,” said Regina Howard, a retired MPD captain who served under Flynn and who is also a representative of the League of Martin, which advocates for African-Americans in law enforcement. “Show some respect and treat people with dignity.”
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Attendees at the event, hosted by the Community Coalition for Quality Policing and LISC Milwaukee, had an opportunity to fill out questionnaires that will be forwarded to Milwaukee’s Fire and Police Commission, which will hire an interim chief on Feb. 15.  But they also had a chance to pepper the panel with questions about the next chief. A timeline for determining the permanent successor has not been announced.
From left to right: Michael Crivello, president of the Milwaukee Police Association; Alexander Ayala, MPD detective and president of National Latino Peace Officers Association; Regina Howard, former MPD captain and representative for the League of Martin; Marisabel Cabrera, member of the Fire and Police Commission; and Jamaal Smith, racial justice community engagement manager of YWCA Southeast Wisconsin. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
Panel members included Howard, a member of the FPC, a current MPD detective, the president of the police union and a community activist. The discussion was moderated by Donsia Strong Hill, LISC Milwaukee executive director, and Fred Royal, president of the NAACP Milwaukee Branch. Panelists earned the biggest applause whenever they advocated for a chief who is from Milwaukee and would earn the trust of the community, police officers and city officials.
Together, they outlined how trust between the department and the community fizzled out over the last several years. Howard said the department has lost a personal touch with residents — officers simply engaging with people and being respectful.
Panelists also referred to a draft report from the U.S. Department of Justice that concluded MPD’s traffic stop practices have a disparate impact on the African-American community. Alexander Ayala, an MPD detective who is the president of the local chapter of the National Latino Peace Officers Association, admitted that as an officer he was pressured to make traffic stops “at certain locations” in the city.
“The fact that we’re even talking about police-community relations is an issue in itself,” said Jamaal Smith, the racial justice community engagement manager at YWCA Southeast Wisconsin. “Many people feel like you’ve disconnected yourselves from us.”
Smith said it is “vital” that the next chief be someone who has roots in Milwaukee, saying it “breeds authenticity.”
Meanwhile, there are also bridges to rebuild within the department.
Howard described a retaliatory work environment for officers. She said that on more than one occasion, she or coworkers would speak their mind, and if it reflected poorly on superiors, they would be reassigned to “unfavorable assignments” or barred from morning briefings. She said minorities within the department were more susceptible to this kind of treatment.
Marisabel Cabrera, who sits on the FPC, said members of the department have approached her over the years with concerns, but never wanted to go on record with a formal complaint out of fear of retaliation.
Cabrera said the FPC, which is responsible for choosing the next police chief, would be looking at candidates who already have been active in the community and want to expand their involvement. In a Jan. 12 news release, the FPC asserted that “the selection process for the permanent chief will include ample opportunity to meet and discuss the desired qualities that our community has for our city’s next permanent chief of police.”
Last week, the FPC named three finalists for the interim position: Inspector of Police Michael J. Brunson, Assistant Chief of Police James Harpole and Police Captain Alfonso Morales. The candidates will appear at a special FPC meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, at Mexican Fiesta, 2997 S. 20th St., where the public can ask them questions. Cabrera said the point is to see how they interact with community members.
There were clear signs at last week’s event of just how much trust has eroded. At one point, after Cabrera had already outlined the process more than once for selecting the next chief, she faced questions about whether the public could trust the FPC, and whether the FPC or the mayor would pick the next chief.
Cabrera said she had made herself clear and then an audience member yelled:
“And the mayor will have a big input in it, we already know. Don’t lie. God don’t like liars.”

author: Elliot Hughes


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African Garden restaurant opens on South Side | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
February 7, 2018
In 1991, civil war erupted in Somalia. Mohamed Abubaukar, 40, was 18 years old at the time and knew he needed to get out of his homeland as quickly as possible. “Once my family and I [had] the opportunity to leave the country, we did.”
Since coming to the United States, Abubaukar and his sister, Shams Nur, 38, opened a grocery store on 10th and Mitchell streets, Amana Halal Meat Garden of Eden, but wanted to do more. “My sister kept pestering me about starting up a restaurant and eventually I gave in,” Abubaukar said. “I’m glad I listened to her,” he joked.
African Garden, 1428 W. Lincoln Ave., opened on Jan. 1 and is starting to develop a following, according to Abubaukar.
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“We opened this restaurant because there was only one Somali restaurant in the area and we felt like there needed to be another place for people to come, hang out and eat,” he said. “So far, we’ve had a lot of people stop into the restaurant and I expect there to be more.” The restaurant offers a variety of different foods; among the items on the menu are rice, pasta, chapatti and samosa.
Abubaukar’s sister praised him for his hard work on the business. “(Mohamed) does so much that goes without notice, but I am grateful for him,” she said. Nur was inspired to help create a restaurant from watching cooks such as Ranveer Brar, a chef and TV show host. “I’ve loved cooking my whole life and I’ve always enjoyed watching others cook,” she said. “Brar was a [role] model of mine and he is part of the reason why I am in this position today.”
Ahmed Raghe, 58, is a regular customer. “The food is great and the Somali community has come together since its opening,” he said.  He added, “It’s nice that Moe and his sister were able to put together a place where we can all feel at home.”
When Abubaukar opened his restaurant, he said he felt a sense of pride but also some sadness. “As a kid, my dad died when I was two and then my mother died when I was nine,” he said. “My uncle and brother raised me and I credit them for becoming the man I am today; I just wish my parents were here to see what I have become and created.”
Abubaukar still remembers the first day he stepped foot in the U.S. “It was a great moment for me; going from my country of Somalia to here is like two completely different worlds,” he said. “I will always be grateful that I have the opportunity to live here and fulfill my dreams, but, eventually, I want to go back to where I came from and see what it’s like now.”

created: February 7, 2018

author: Dean Bibens


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How to volunteer in February | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Volunteer Wisconsin
February 7, 2018
A dad and his daughter take to the floor at the 2017 Daddy Daughter Dance, sponsored by Milwaukee Recreation.
Suffering from the winter blahs? There’s nothing better than a warm heart to help you through a cold winter. Volunteer Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukeefeatures a calendar full of events for volunteers, both one-time and ongoing. Here are a few of the opportunities in February.
Decorate, register guests, check coats, assist in dining room or photo booth for Milwaukee Recreation’s Daddy Daughter Dance at MPS North Division High School Saturday, Feb. 17; 4-8:30 p.m.
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Contact Sophia Smith at smith28@milwaukee.k12.wi.us or 414-773-9823
Provide one-on-one GED tutoring to adults Monday-Wednesday, mornings or afternoons at Next Door.
Contact Martina Stevens at mstevens@nextdoormke.org or 414-999-2529
Answer telephones, screen calls and schedule appointments Tuesdays or Wednesdays at Holton Street Clinic; must have computer experience.
Contact Jim Stewart at jims@holtonstreetclinic.org or 414-264-8800
Assist K4 and K5 students learn the alphabet by tracing and learning the sounds of letters weekdays at Milwaukee Academy Of Science.
Contact Monica R. Ducksworth at volunteercoordinator@MAScience.org or 414-933-0302
Prepare and serve breakfast Monday-Friday 7-10 a.m. (individuals and groups) and/or lunch Saturdays 9:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (volunteer groups of 10-25) for The Gathering; various locations.
Contact Angela Wright at soulfood@thegatheringwis.org or 414-272-4122
Groups are needed to provide and serve a meal for clients and their families to celebrate their substance abuse recovery at Meta House Thursday, Feb. 15.
Contact Laura Jacobson at ljacobson@metahouse.org or 414-977-5823
Register guests, keep bars supplied, assist in VIP room and sell raffle tickets Sunday, Feb. 25 at Italian Community Center for Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation.
Contact  glhfintern@glhf.org or 414-257-0200

author: Volunteer Wisconsin


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Drug take back envelopes at Milwaukee fire stations make it easier to combat opioid crisis by disposing of medicine | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Take Back My Meds MKE
February 8, 2018
Residents of Milwaukee will now be able to find drug take back envelopes at all Milwaukee fire stations. A map of all fire station locations with envelopes, and a comprehensive list of drug take back locations across Milwaukee County, can be found at takebackmymeds.com.
The easy availability of unused prescription medications is a major factor in overdose, which is the leading cause of accidental death in Milwaukee County.   Roughly 80% of heroin users have used unused medicine to start or feed an addiction.
The network of drug take-back sites in Milwaukee County helps combat the opioid epidemic by keeping unused prescription medications out of the wrong hands.   It also keeps drugs out of Lake Michigan because sewage treatment plants are unable to treat medicine that is flushed down the toilet.
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“Safely disposing of unused medicine is something each of us can do to combat the opioid crisis and protect Lake Michigan,” said Jon Richards, Coalition Director of Take Back My Meds MKE and a local attorney. “The Milwaukee Fire Department is making it that much easier for everyone to get rid of their unused medicine.   This is yet another example of the Fire Department working effectively on the front lines to combat the opioid crisis.”
Take Back My Meds MKE thanks Alderman Michael Murphy, the chairman of the City/County Opioid, Heroin and Cocaine Task Force, for facilitating the placement of envelopes in Milwaukee Fire Stations and Alderman Jim Bohl who, along with Alderman Murphy, played a key role in developing the Milwaukee drug take back envelope initiative.
Take Back My Meds MKE is a coalition of 14 community organizations and businesses dedicated to making it easier for Milwaukee County residents to combat the opioid crisis by safely disposing of unused medicine.  A full list of the coalition’s members can be found at takebackmymeds.com.

created: February 8, 2018

author: Take Back My Meds MKE


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Meta House names Valerie Vidal new President & CEO | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meta House
February 8, 2018
Meta House, Inc. today announced the appointment of Valerie Vidal as President and CEO of the organization, effective March 5, 2018.
Vidal currently serves as a Partner in the Quarles and Brady Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution group. She has been recognized for her pro bono work, where she regularly represents victims of domestic violence and served as the Quarles and Brady’s point person for a national pro bono project that assisted non-violent drug offenders draft petitions to appeal for reductions in their sentences.
Vidal’s community involvement has earned her numerous accolades, including a 2018 Milwaukee Business Journal 40 Under 40 award, a United Way of Greater Milwaukee Philanthropic 5 award and a “Match of the Year” award from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee. She is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin Pro Bono Honor Society and has been named a Rising Star by the Wisconsin Super Lawyers magazine annually since 2012.
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Meta House Board Chair Molly Schweiger noted, “Valerie was a standout throughout the rigorous search process. We’re confident in Valerie’s ability to lead the strong team at Meta House.  As a past volunteer and advocate for the organization, she brings passion and commitment to this important role and will work in tandem with our colleagues and community partners to provide our clients with the best care possible so they may lead healthy, prosperous lives.”
“Meta House has a strong history of empowering women and helping families heal,” said Vidal. “In a time that an unprecedented number of families in our community are losing loved ones to drug overdoses, I’m honored to take part in the important work that Meta House is doing to help women not only overcome addiction, but thrive in recovery.”
Vidal will officially take the helm March 5.
About Meta House: Meta House is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit that ends the generational cycle of addiction by healing women and strengthening families. The organization has been providing gender-responsive, trauma-informed, evidence-based addiction treatment for women for over 50 years. Learn more at http://www.metahouse.org or follow the agency on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MetaHouse

author: Meta House


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Safe & Sound ‘meets people where they are’ to build community, decrease crime | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Cannon
February 8, 2018
Damien Smith tests Milwaukee youth on drug and alcohol statistics for prizes at Safe & Sound’s Red Day Party for National Drug Facts Week. (Photo by Margaret Cannon)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 12 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). Safe & Sound is a finalist for the PNC Bank Trailblazer Award for an innovative approach to a community problem.
You can vote today for People’s Choice Award winners. Click here to vote.
On a recent Friday at the Neighborhood House, 2819 W. Richardson Place, Milwaukee young people were rollerskating, eating pizza and playing “red light, green light” — and learning about drug and substance abuse prevention in their communities.
The Red Day Party, hosted by Safe & Sound for National Drug Facts Week, “is about engaging young people and community members in something that is positive in their neighborhood,” said Elena Burke, prevention manager at Safe & Sound. “It’s an opportunity to learn something new, have fun and to be in a positive space.”
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Founded in 1998, the nonprofit started working to reduce crime in low-income, high-crime areas of Milwaukee by working with youth, partnering with law enforcement and community organizing.
Cacy Kemp, associate director of Safe & Sound, said that the organization is successful in improving public safety because of this coalition. “Besides the police department, we are probably the only agency [whose] sole focus is public safety; we just do it in a different way.”
In 2015, Safe & Sound introduced a new strategic plan. Instead of acting as a go-between by funding after-school programs for youth, it decided to hire youth organizers who would work directly with young people to strengthen collective efficacy — the sense of community and informal social controls required to decrease crime.
Participants created posters at the Red Day Party about why they choose not to use drugs. (Photo by Margaret Cannon)
Damien Smith, 46, was one of the first youth organizers at Safe & Sound. Born and raised in Milwaukee, he has worked with area youth for most of his life. He said he wanted to join the organization because he believes in its mission.
“I think this is great work and I think it is something that should be replicated everywhere,” said Smith. “I think it plays to people’s strengths.”
Smith said he is planning a project to start meaningful connections between seniors and youths by discussing their perspectives on life in Milwaukee.
“Essentially older residents typically don’t deal with young people; they see them as a problem in the neighborhood, so we are just going to face that head-on and have the seniors actually interact with the youth,” he said.
Another project involves bringing together groups of people not normally associated with one another to sit down together and talk. For example, in January, teenagers from Whitefish Bay and Harambee discussed stereotypes associated with each community, facilitated by youth organizers.
Amari Cobbs, 14, attended the Red Day Party and has participated in after-school programs run by Safe & Sound for a year and a half. She said these programs have helped keep her off the streets and achieve life goals.
Randle Chavis, 19, received an award at the annual Crime Prevention Awards co-sponsored by Safe & Sound last week. A DJ at parties and Safe & Sound youth events, he worked with the organization to create a social media campaign against opioids.
Chavis said Safe & Sound gives him the opportunity to help young people to enjoy themselves, while educating them about “things they may not know about.”
In addition to winning the White House Champion of Change Award in 2011 and the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award in 2016, Safe & Sound was also chosen as Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s Heart of Canal 2017 charity of choice.
Safe & Sound received a $100,000 grant from Potawatomi and is using those funds to support youth-based projects in 11 neighborhoods, including Amani, Sherman Park, the Near West Wide and Harambee.
“I think one of the main reasons they were chosen was for the coalition-building efforts they make between neighborhoods in our city, the police department and other leaders working with Milwaukee,” said Ryan Amundson, a spokesman for Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. “They do a really nice job of bringing people together and making change in those neighborhoods.”
Since creating the youth organizer position, Safe & Sound conducted an independent evaluation through the Medical College of Wisconsin and found that its three-prong approach increased collective efficacy in six of the eight neighborhoods evaluated.
Smith said that Safe & Sound organizers are effective because of the type of outreach they do. He said by canvassing door to door, organizers have built relationships with neighborhood residents.
“We make it very personal, and I don’t think other organizations do it like that.”
Safe & Sound also works to bridge the relationship between residents and law enforcement through its Community Prosecution Unit Coordinators, civilians who work in five of the seven police districts. Residents can contact a coordinator if they have a concern they want to raise with the police.
Maritza Ugarte, 30, has been working at Safe & Sound since 2013. She started as a community organizer and is now a CPUC in District 2, a primarily Hispanic district. Ugarte, who is bilingual, said people are afraid to call law enforcement because of their immigration status, past experiences and fear of retaliation from their neighbors.
“We have to meet people where they are,” said Ugarte. “I think people lose hope and are frustrated and feel like there is nothing that can be done. There is definitely a lot they can do and a lot of power is in their hands,” she added.
The coordinators also work with assistant district attorneys, Milwaukee Police Department community liaison officers and representatives of the city’s Department of Neighborhood Services to address problems ranging from violence and drug deals to park beautification and broken streetlights.
Since 2016, Safe & Sound has been providing technical assistance to other cities about how they can use collective efficacy to their advantage.
Bree Spencer, the director of evaluation and technical assistance, said Safe & Sound believes in the importance of local expertise and that the goal is to replicate programs that fit a community’s specific needs. Spencer is currently helping officials in Racine integrate police officers into the local schools.
Referring to Safe & Sound, Spencer said, “The bottom line core of the work that we do is trying to make sure that residents are being heard in issues that impact their lives.”

author: Margaret Cannon


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 7, 2018