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Post from the Community: Lupe Martinez to become president emeritus of UMOS | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rod Ritcherson
December 14, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here
Lupe Martinez, president and chief executive officer of UMOS, will assume the newly created title and position of president emeritus, effective Jan. 1.
Martinez has been with UMOS for 54 years, 49 years as president/CEO.
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“In my request to the UMOS Board to step back from day-to-day management of the organization, I was honored with the title of President Emeritus. This affords me the opportunity to continue to be of service to UMOS and focus on long-range planning, building, maintaining, and enhancing strategic partnerships, securing funding for the agency, overseeing government and legislative affairs, and assisting the board with the transition of a successor CEO,” Martinez said.
Martinez has grown UMOS from a small, single state, single focused organization into the largest Hispanic-managed non-profit in Wisconsin and one of the largest, multi-state non-profit corporations in the country. UMOS currently operates in seven states with over $100 million in secured contracts.
Martinez has devoted his entire professional career at UMOS to improving the living and working conditions of migrant and seasonal farm workers and other low-income populations. Martinez, himself, is a former migrant worker whose family traveled throughout the Midwest harvesting crops.
When Martinez was appointed Executive Director in 1974, UMOS was a  migrant farmworker serving agency only. Today, under Martinez’s leadership, UMOS is nationally recognized, providing diverse programs and services to diverse populations in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas and throughout Wisconsin.
Martinez has positioned UMOS as a performance-based, data driven, customer focused corporation. He oversees the operations of over 50 programs, often competing against larger, Fortune 500 corporations. UMOS programs are divided into three major divisions: Child Development, Workforce Development, and Social Services. UMOS also produces five corporate and community events.
Martinez advocates for farmworkers and other under-served populations at the local, state, and national level. At the national level, he is chairperson of the National Farmworker Alliance, comprised of 23 CEOs of national and regional farmworker trade associations and organizations.
Martinez sits on the board of Farmworker Justice, a national non-profit that collaborates closely with federal elected officials on immigration reform and other federal legislation that impacts agricultural workers. Martinez also served six years on the board of the National Council of La Raza (UNIDOS US) and is past chair of MAFO, a national partnership of farmworker and rural organizations that conducted a national farmworker conference for 30 years.
At the state level, Democratic Governor Jim Doyle appointed Martinez to sit on the Wisconsin Council on Migrant Labor, a statutory council that enforces the state’s migrant labor laws. He was reappointed by Republican Governor Scott Walker, and recently served as chair of the Council under Democratic Governor Tony Evers.
Martinez is also President of the Wisconsin Farmworkers Coalition, comprised of farmworker serving agencies throughout the state, and served as State Director for LULAC, the oldest Latino civil rights organization in the country.
At the local level, Lupe Martinez serves on the Mexican Fiesta and Employ Milwaukee Workforce Investment Board.
Martinez has received many awards, honors, and recognitions. In the last 5 years Martinez was named by Madison 365 publication as the most powerful Latino in the state of Wisconsin.
He was recognized by the Green Bay Packers Foundation with the Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award. He received the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP) Farmworker Advocate Hall of Fame Award, the Farmworker Justice Farmworker Advocate Award, Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee (HPGM) Lifetime Achievement Award, BizTimes Media Non-Profit Executive of the Year Recognition, the Hometown Hero Award from the Wisconsin State Assembly, the Omega School Legacy Award, The World Citizen Award from The International Institute, the Cesar Chavez Community Service Medallion from the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute, and in November of this year Martinez was honored with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s 2023 President’s Award for Leadership in Racial Equity and Social Justice.

author: Rod Ritcherson


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POST-FROM-COMMUNITY-LOGO-2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
December 13, 2023

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: December 13, 2023

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

author: Ron Smith


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UMOSLUPEPHOTOBUILDINGCROP82007-1-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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 5 things to know and do the weekend of Dec. 15 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
December 15, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Bring your kids to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 1531 W. Vliet St., for a free breakfast with Santa from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. The first 200 kids, 12 years and younger, will receive a free pancake breakfast and a free toy.  More information here.
The Eco Families Sustainability Learning Group will host an eco-friendly gift giving and “treasure trade” from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 5305 W. Capitol Drive. Individuals are encouraged to bring gently used items to trade with others. More information here.
Your Move MKE is a nonprofit organization on Milwaukee’s South Side that provides programs and resources for young people. You can learn more about their programs and meet the staff from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 1107 W. Historic Mitchell St.  More information here. Fron the archives: NNS Spotlight: How Your Move MKE uses hip-hop and chess to help youths
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The Milwaukee Central Library will be teaching children about the winter solstice and making candles from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 814 W. Wisconsin Ave. More information here.
From 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17, UMOS invites individuals to its drive-thru style event at 2701 S. Chase Ave. to pick up a free gift from Santa and a McDonald’s breakfast gift certificate. More information here.
Post from the Community: Lupe Martinez to become president emeritus of UMOS
Post from the Community: Lupe Martinez to become president emeritus of UMOS

created: December 15, 2023

author: Chesnie Wardell


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51846835701_5686fd82ed_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
December 14, 2023

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5 things to know and do the week of Dec. 18 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
December 18, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
A group therapeutic session will be offered by Black Space HQ from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 18 that aims to allow men from Black and Brown communities tap into their mental wellness. This session is free and will be held at 2201 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive . More information here.
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin will be distributing boxes of meats and fresh produce from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at Auer Avenue School, 2319 W. Auer Ave. This is a drive-thru event and is for anyone in need. More information here.
The Milwaukee Public Library Mitchell Street Branch will be serving a meal for the holidays from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 906 W. Historic Mitchell St. While food is being cooked, attendees will also get to play games with one another. Be sure to register.  More information here.
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If you’re an Amani resident who has registered, don’t forget to pick up your free ham dinner box from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at the Dominican Center for Women, 2470 W. Locust St. More information here.
Join the City of Light Church for its Christmas festivities that will include Christmas songs, kids story time and more. The festivities will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 6725 W. Burleigh St. Click here to RSVP.  More information here.
From free meals to coat drives, how you can keep the holiday season affordable in Milwaukee

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Ron Smith
December 17, 2023

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UPDATED: From free meals to coat drives, how you can keep the holiday season affordable in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers and Meredith Melland
December 19, 2023
We’ve compiled a list of holiday events and giveaways during this holiday season.
And we also provide information on how you can donate your money or time.
(Did we miss anything? If so, please put in comments or email us.)
Moms Matter is planning to deliver 500 meals on Christmas Day, Monday, Dec. 25, to moms and families in need in the 53206 zip code and around Milwaukee. Sign up by Thursday, Dec. 21 by emailing momsmatter24@gmail.com with your household name, number of meals, phone number and address. More information here.
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Free, heat-and-serve meals will be available for pick up from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 25 at Rooted & Rising – Washington Park, 3940 W. Lisbon Ave., with registration. More information here.
The Salvation Army will provide free meals while supplies last at the Baird Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave., from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 25. Volunteers can register to help with the feast. New toy donations are accepted year-round at the Toy Shop Distribution Center, 5880 N. 60th St., from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. More information here.
Northcott Neighborhood House will give away gifts and pre-made meals from Big Daddy’s BBQ and Soul Food from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Dec. 25 at 2460 N. 6th St. No registration is required. Volunteers are also needed. More information here.
Brown Berets Wisconsin is collecting coats until Tuesday, Jan. 30 at El Conquistador Latino Newspaper, 4531 W. Forest Home Ave. and all El Rey locations. Monetary donations are also being accepted; $20 will cover the cost of one new coat.More information here.
Capuchin Community Services needs volunteers to help with its toy drive distribution and other services at House of Peace, 1702 W. Walnut St. More information here.
Tikkun Ha-Ir has opportunities to sort holiday gift drive donations and deliver them to local agencies. More information here.
Visit United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County’s Season of Caring 2023 calendar for more local volunteering opportunities. More information here.

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PHOTOS: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee 2024 Youth of the Year celebration | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jonathan Perez
December 19, 2023
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee announced its 2024  Youth of the Year on Thursday, Dec. 14.
Ten students from across the city competed in this year’s program, which teaches leadership development skills to young people.
The students, along with representatives and mentors from the Milwaukee Bucks and Kohl’s, gathered to celebrate their achievements.
This year, the top honor went to Youth of the Year Loren Muwonge, representing the Ready Center.
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Mia Moore, the 2023 Youth of the Year, was named the runner-up.
Muwonge will represent Milwaukee at the state competition.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee is one of the largest and longest youth-serving agencies in Milwaukee and the largest Boys & Girls Club in the country, with more than 50 locations in Milwaukee.
The organization serves youths ages 4 to 18 by offering  after-school and summer programming that includes academic support, mentorship, organized athletics, arts and nutritious meals.

author: Jonathan Perez


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Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center still serving residents in need | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
December 20, 2023
The Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center is returning to its roots of providing streamlined tenant and landlord resources to help more Milwaukeeans keep their housing.
The center opened during the height of the COVD-19 pandemic and expanded to walk-ins a little over a year ago. Because of the demand and the funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act, the center quickly became a hub for tenants in need of rental assistance.
Maudwella Kirkendoll, the chief operating officer of Community Advocates, where the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center is housed, said during that time the center saw from 30 to 50 people a day who sought rental assistance aid.
Since then, visits have gone down to about 100 people a week.
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Though the Rental Housing Resource Center can no longer offer rental assistance to residents at risk of eviction, it can still connect residents to services such as  education on rental housing rights; legal and mediation services; access to training and education; and access to staff from IMPACT 211’s homeless prevention program.
“We are doing more outreach, making people aware that we weren’t just emergency rental assistance,” Kirkendoll. “We have all these other services and connections that we want people to be aware of.”
The center also works in partnership with the Milwaukee Justice Center to help rentersfrom within the courts.
The Milwaukee Justice Center utilizes volunteers to address the legal needs of low-income residents in Milwaukee County.
“We are different entities, but we have the same goal,” said Meagan Winn, the eviction diversion court coordinator for Milwaukee County. “We want to provide as many prevention resources as possible.
The Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center is located at Community Advocates’ downtown location at 728 N. James Lovell St.  Kirkendoll said walk-ins are welcome from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The center can be contacted at info@renthelpmke.org or 414-895-RENT.
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee: 414-727-5300
Mediate Milwaukee: 414-939-8800
Legal Action of Wisconsin: 414-278-7722
Milwaukee Autonomous Tenants Union: 414-410-9714
IMPACT 2-1-1: 211

created: December 20, 2023

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


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PHOTOS: Santa for a Day and the Housing Authority provide Christmas gifts to 400 kids | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
December 20, 2023
Staff from the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, or HACM, spent the past few months collecting holiday wish lists from children who reside in Housing Authority properties.
On Dec. 14, HACM staff spent the day giving out gifts chosen from the wish lists.
The Housing Authority, which partnered with the nonprofit Santa for a Day, gave more than 400 children Christmas gifts. It allowed anyone to be “Santa for a Day” by collecting wish lists from children. Donors then bought gifts based on each child’s letter.
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Milwaukee County pushes for affordable housing in suburbs to narrow disparities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jonmaesha Beltran / Wisconsin Watch
December 21, 2023
When Mark Hammond saw a vacant lot near the Mayfair Collection mixed-use community in Wauwatosa, he knew he wanted to build an apartment complex.
The location checked all the boxes for desirable housing. It had access to transit, schools, parks, jobs, grocery stores and a medical center. Such a project could also chip away at a long-standing affordable housing shortage in Milwaukee County’s suburbs.
So Hammond — a Wauwatosa resident, former chair of the city’s Community Development Authority and current vice president of MSP Real Estate, Inc. — got to planning, which included asking the county to chip in.
The result is an 80-unit housing development, with most units available to those earning up to 60% of the county’s median household income.
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The project is one of MSP Real Estate’s 18 affordable housing developments statewide and its first project subsidized by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley’s effort to expand housing options for lower-income workers in Milwaukee’s suburbs — the region’s largest affordable housing push in over 20 years.
Hammond said about $2.5 million in aid made the project possible during a time when financing workforce housing is particularly difficult.
“The financing that we got through the county really took a project that would not have been able to proceed — would really have had no chance in moving forward — and made the project feasible,” he said.
Municipalities statewide face an affordable housing crunch, but the Milwaukee metro region is home to a particularly big mismatch between jobs and workforce housing. Most job growth is happening in the suburbs, while affordable housing is largely concentrated in the city of Milwaukee’s historically disinvested neighborhoods, especially in Black and brown-majority communities.
For instance, 92% of Wauwatosa workers lived in another municipality when last measured in 2019.
“You don’t want people to come into your community, work and leave,” Crowley told Wisconsin Watch.
Crowley and his colleagues since 2022 have allocated more than $15 million to boost affordable housing in the suburbs — aiming to reduce barriers that prevent residents from living near work and seeking broader opportunities.
“You’re going to have to have affordable housing units in places outside of the city of Milwaukee,” Crowley said. “We can no longer continue to use affordable housing to concentrate poverty.”
Milwaukee County officials hope the investment will incentivize affordable housing construction at a time when developers face worker shortages and rising costs due to inflation and interest rate hikes. But subsidies alone can’t fix the problem, experts say. Success would also require loosening restrictive municipal zoning policies that have narrowed space for development and reinforced the region’s stark racial segregation.
The Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis metro area ranks sixth nationally for restrictive zoning policies, according to an index developed by Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. Less than 2% of the region’s developable land is zoned for densities that could accommodate affordable housing.
But Hammond is optimistic about the region’s progress. He sees not-in-my-backyard sentiments easing in some communities.
“Since I started in this space I’ve noticed much more of an acknowledgment or an appreciation by most all communities of a need for affordable housing,” Hammond said.
About 70,000 Milwaukee County families earn $15 per hour or less, but the county has just 30,000 rental units considered affordable for them — those costing no more than $650 per month, according to a December 2022 county memo.
The 40,000-unit shortage for such lower-income families includes 7,000 suburban units, according to the memo.
That limits options for people earning higher incomes as well, including those living paycheck to paycheck but making too much to qualify for housing subsidies.
After moving out of his parents’ South Side Milwaukee home in 2020, 24-year-old Rogelio Balderas, who works in Wauwatosa for a real estate services company, said he found apartments ranging from $700 to $800 on Milwaukee’s Upper East Side. Now he struggles to find a similarly priced one-bedroom apartment, requiring him to increase his monthly budget to $1,100, nearly 40% of his income.
“There’s nothing available within a reasonable price range,” he said.
Affordable housing is generally defined as costing no more than 30% of a person’s income.
Robin Alexander, who lives on Milwaukee’s East Side, said he and his partner would consider moving to a suburb, but they can’t afford it. That’s even as he works two jobs — one full-time, one part-time — and his partner also works part-time. Alexander spends 40% of his income on rent, limiting his opportunities to buy a car.
“It’s just unaffordable kind of no matter where we are,” he said.
Milwaukee County now seeks to incentivize multi-family housing projects in communities that have traditionally put them off limits.
Developers tend to concentrate lower-income rentals in parts of Milwaukee’s central city, where they can snatch up cheaper land — away from amenities and centers of commerce, said Kori Schneider-Peragine, senior administrator of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council.
That has widened a gap between economic opportunity and affordable housing.
“There’s obviously a need everywhere. But obviously the biggest needs are in places that have a lot of jobs. When people think about where we should put affordable housing, they tend to think, well, let’s put it in places where lower-income folks already live,” said Kurt Paulsen, an urban planning professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “But there’s probably an abundance of housing already in those neighborhoods.”
In 2022 the county set aside $15 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds to help finance projects in suburban communities. The county’s request for proposals to build multi-family properties ends Dec. 31.
The county additionally allocated $4 million for county-wide affordable housing projects in its 2024 budget.
It has thus far spent $9 million to collectively add 211 affordable units in Brown Deer, Wauwatosa and South Milwaukee, where new business occupancies have increased 525% over the last six years. A senior apartment complex is additionally slated to break ground in Greenfield.
The county could help finance three additional projects in Whitefish Bay, Brown Deer and South Milwaukee, adding 133 affordable units.
“In many of our suburban locations, it’s a new day, and they are welcoming these projects,” said Teig Whaley-Smith, chief alliance executive of Community Development Alliance, which has helped Milwaukee County craft its strategy for improving economic mobility.
But more is needed to propel affordable housing projects to the finish line. Nearly every county-funded project has also required some sort of local zoning change, Whaley-Smith added.
Wauwatosa —  historically home to restrictive zoning laws — is exploring ways to unlock more land for affordable housing.
For decades until the 1960s, signs at Wauwatosa’s city limits signaled that not all were welcome:
“ENTERING WAUWATOSA
CITY OF HOMES
RESTRICTIVE ZONING.”
But in 2021 the city launched the “Zone Tosa for All” project to reassess zoning regulations and other policies to boost housing options and eliminate discriminatory barriers. More work is needed to understand the project’s results, Alderperson Margaret Arney said.
Zoning regulations in the United States date backto the 19th century and originally stemmed from concerns about fire hazards and light and air pollution. They run the gamut from restrictions on lot sizes and building height to prohibitions of multi-family homes.
But more than a century ago, race-based zoning forbade people of color and lower incomes from moving into white-majority neighborhoods. After the U.S. Supreme Court banned explicit racial zoning in 1917, municipalities adopted other types of restrictions to discriminate less directly.
A major reason American suburbs originally incorporated was to gain zoning power and to exclude apartments, Paulsen said.
“It’s a complicated and racist history,” he said. “It was when you allow a municipality to choose its own zoning without a sense of the greater regional need, of course, majority-white homeowners in suburbs are going to zone out any apartments whatsoever.”
That has unfolded in River Hills, a mostly white Milwaukee County village of 1,600. It has allowed only single-family homes, mostly on multi-acre lots, since its incorporation in 1930.
River Hills lacks any affordable housing options, a federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) resource locator shows. Years after rejecting a plan that initially included apartments, senior housing, duplexes and single-family homes for more than 500 people, the village in 2020 settled a lawsuit that alleged violations of the federal Fair Housing Act and the state’s “Smart Growth” law.
Just west in Waukesha County, single-family homes account for nearly 70% of housing units. Developers over the past 11 years have built only three affordable housing projects targeting low-income households, according to a Wisconsin Policy Forum report. That’s compared to 71 such developments in Milwaukee County.
In one of the state’s priciest housing markets, Waukesha County has just one housing unit for every 1.37 jobs — far above the state average.
Some Waukesha County municipalities restrict the building of smaller homes on smaller lots. Many prohibit duplexes and multi-family housing development in most areas — or impose parking requirements that inflate the cost of each unit, the Wisconsin Policy Forum report said.
Not everyone agrees on the need to welcome lower-income workers.
“We don’t step down to allow the people who can’t afford to live in Brookfield to come in because then we become West Allis and we become Wauwatosa,” Brookfield Alderman Kris Seals said in January 2023, drawing a mix of condemnation and support as the city council discussed an apartment project that would offer reduced rents to lower-income families.
He added: “If you can’t afford those units, then you live in Wauwatosa or West Allis until you can afford to move into Brookfield.”
The federal resource locator shows just two Brookfield properties available for people with low incomes, and they both serve seniors.
Senior housing projects typically draw applicants from a smaller geographic radius than family housing, potentially making them more palatable in white-majority communities less likely to welcome people of color, Schneider-Peragine said.
Although the Wisconsin Legislature has limited local control on other housing issues, lawmakers have traditionally refrained from meddling in local decisions concerning land use and zoning.
Some housing advocates say state legislation may be necessary to open up more housing opportunities for low-income residents. Community Advocates, a Milwaukee-based social service nonprofit, calls for setting aside more tax credits to incentivize multifamily developments and requiring local governments to end exclusionary zoning laws.
The League of Wisconsin Municipalities, which advocates on behalf of Wisconsin’s local governments, launched a “cookbook” in 2022 that suggested local zoning changes that could cut construction costs and add options for low-income and moderate-income families through denser development.
The league has not tracked whether its members have implemented the recommendations and cautions against state mandates.
“The state Legislature passing a mandate that says build more workforce housing units would be kind of a meaningless mandate without the resources to do that,” said Jerry Deschane, executive director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.
Some lawmakers say mandates could be a last resort to free up land for affordable housing.
“We’re going to provide some carrot with some compliance, and if the communities don’t step up, then our only alternative is mandates like a lot of other states have had to turn to,” Rep. Robert Brooks, R-Saukville, said during a joint informational hearing on Wisconsin’s housing shortage in March.
For now, Crowley hopes the county’s growing existing partnerships in Wauwatosa, Brown Deer, South Milwaukee and Greenfield will spur others to aid the cause.
“If we’re going to look to the future and see how we can do more of these developments, we’re going to need partnerships with banks,” he said. “We’re going to need partnerships with developers, with the state, with the federal government because we’re going to have to leverage all of our resources because of how expensive it’s become to create these types of projects.”
PrincessSafiya Byers of Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service contributed to this report.
The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
This article first appeared on Wisconsin Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

created: December 21, 2023

author: Jonmaesha Beltran / Wisconsin Watch


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Ron Smith
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5 things to know and do the weekend of Dec. 22 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
December 22, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Join the Sickle Cell Warriors of Wisconsin from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22 at 2107 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to swap a book or plant. You’ll have the chance to learn about various species and discover new books. Refreshments will also be served. More information here.
Fondy’s Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market is held weekly at 5305 W. Capitol Drive, where farmers and artisans gather to sell produce, body products and more. The next one takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 23.  More information here.
Raising the Bar Solutions and A Better Tomorrow for Families invites you to their second annual Christmas giveaway from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 23 at 2717 W. Atkinson Ave. The event will feature toys, winter apparel and resources. There will also be $200 given to 10 families in need. More information here.
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Join the Milwaukee Islamic Dawah Center at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24 at 5135 N. Teutonia Ave. for “Islamic Jeopardy.” Attendees will compete to answer questions on various Islamic topics to win a prize. Click here to RSVP. More information here.
City of Light Church will hold a Christmas celebration from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24 at 6725 W. Burleigh St. Music, family photos and more will be available to ensure a good time. More information here.
BONUS:  UPDATED: From free meals to coat drives, how you can keep the holiday season affordable in Milwaukee

created: December 22, 2023


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Ron Smith
December 21, 2023


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A very special delivery: How this Milwaukee mom will feed hundreds on Christmas Day | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
December 23, 2023
Like many others, Johnna Taylor is spending the days before Christmas shopping, prepping and cooking.
However, the Milwaukee native has a special goal for the holiday: She will support mothers and families in need by delivering hundreds of free meals to her neighborhood in Milwaukee’s 53206 ZIP code and throughout the city on Christmas Day.
“We want to make sure that the people in Milwaukee are taken care of on Christmas,” Taylor said.
Taylor founded Moms Matter Inc. this year to provide information and support for single mothers.
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“My desire is to meet some of those needs as much as I can, offer information where I can, so that women can change their lives for themselves, right, but also for their children,” said Taylor, who has experienced being a single mother.
Partnering with E’sha Cooper of Indianapolis, Taylor has registered people for meals, purchased food in bulk and is cooking and organizing meal deliveries for Monday.
Taylor and Cooper met years ago when they both lived in Indianapolis, where Cooper organized Christmas dinner drop-offs before the COVID-19 pandemic that fed over 100 people.
Cooper owns Einstein Eckstein Lawn and Tree Service LLC in Indianapolis. After a profitable year in business this year, Cooper was looking for a community in which to deliver meals but had trouble finding a local partner in Indianapolis.
Taylor, having moved back to Milwaukee, saw a need in her 53206 ZIP code and an opportunity to get the word out about Moms Matter.
The 53206 neighborhood, an under-resourced area with economic struggles, is situated on the city’s North Side and includes the Amani, Arlington Heights, North Division/Lindsay Heights and Franklin Heights neighborhoods.
“She was sharing with me her program that she was starting, and then I was like: Wow. That would be awesome if we could just bless the families in Milwaukee,” Cooper said.
They decided to take the giving up a notch this year by attempting to distribute 500 meals. Cooper’s lawn care business is funding the giveaway.
“The vision is to make this a big thing, just helping people experience the love of Christ on Christmas,” Cooper said.
As of Thursday, Taylor has registered 275 families.
Because of the scale of the operation, Taylor reached out to The Neighborhood Kitchen, 8103 W. Tower Ave., a 4,000 square foot commercial kitchen on Milwaukee’s Northwest Side.
“I told her that I would donate the space just because they do it all out of their pocket,” said Suzy Wagner, owner of The Neighborhood Kitchen.
Wagner said the Kitchen and its more than 50 vendors strive to be a collaborative space that gives back to the community, such as helping the MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary with an event.
The meals consist of baked chicken, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, a dinner roll, dessert and bottled water.
Christmas is “the day that you show up for real. Not before, not after, that day,” Cooper said. “Because that’s when everybody’s feeling it, right? The loneliness is real that day.”
In case you missed it:  UPDATED: From free meals to coat drives, how you can keep the holiday season affordable in Milwaukee

created: December 23, 2023

author: Meredith Melland


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Ron Smith
December 22, 2023


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5 things to know and do the week of Dec. 25 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
December 24, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance
A Washington Park Christmas Dinner Giveaway will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 25 at 3940 W. Lisbon Ave. Pick up a hot meal that can feed a family of four. To register, call      414-344-1818, email rebia.taylor@rootedandrisingwp.org, or go in person. More information here.
Cross Roads Kitchen will host a Christmas party from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 25 at 931 W. Madison St. The party includes a dinner, Santa Claus and more. To RSVP call 414-649-9555. More information here.
Your Move MKE will hold a six-week workshop every Tuesday called “Makin’ Moves Breakdancing.” Youths will learn about how breakdancing can benefit them. The next session is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 26 at 1107 W. Historic Mitchell St. More information here.
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Play chess at the Milwaukee Public Library Atkinson Branch from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 26 at 1960 W. Atkinson Ave. All skill levels can participate. More information here.
The Urban Ecology Center’s Menomonee Valley branch, 3700 W. Pierce St. invites women to take a walk from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28 to build comfort in green spaces and a sense of community. More information here.

created: December 24, 2023


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December 24, 2023


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Ron Smith
December 24, 2023


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My favorite story of 2023: Seniors finally celebrate quinceañeras | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
December 27, 2023
I felt a bit overwhelmed when I visited the sewing group at the United Community Center’s Senior Center, 730 W. Washington St., and realized just how many members were waiting their turn to share their story with me.
That feeling washed away as one-by-one, they shared their beautiful and sometimes tragic memories with me.
The women had all missed out on their quinceañeras, a Latin American rite of passage celebrated on a young woman’s 15th birthday.
Most shared stories about their families not having enough money for a large celebration, while others already had families of their own by that time.
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Thankfully, organizers at the United Community Center gave them another chance.
Together as seniors they wore beautiful dresses, danced to traditional songs and took hundreds of photos as they celebrated their quinceañeras. They glowed like teenagers.
What I felt was most important about my conversations with them was a lesson that several of the women taught me.
Although their bodies were older, they had young minds and still carried hopes and dreams that lived with them since their childhoods.
The quinceañera gave many of them a chance to realize one of those dreams.
Their stories made this story my favorite of 2023.
Read the story here.

created: December 27, 2023

author: Edgar Mendez


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Ron Smith
December 26, 2023

created: December 26, 2023


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December 26, 2023


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December 26, 2023


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NNS Spotlight: How Jesús Salas documents the legacy of Wisconsin farmworkers – and his own | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
December 27, 2023
In 1966, Jesús Salas led the historic march of migrant farmworkers from Wautoma to Madison, in the process helping organize Wisconsin’s first farmworker union.
He went on to become a leader in Latinx community organizations throughout Milwaukee and Wisconsin. His memoir, “Obreros Unidos: The Roots and Legacy of the Farmworkers Movement,” was published in June by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
Salas’s story details how the work of the farmworkers movement created a lasting impact on the Latinx community in Milwaukee and the rest of Wisconsin.
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Salas came from a family of migrant workers and spent most of his childhood working in fields across the nation.
“It was a family-based working system when we were migrant workers because wages were so low you depended on a family income,” Salas said. “But in my family, we still had to go to school whether our clothes were stained from sugar beets, or we smelled like onions, it was a part of our life.”
After spending years as migrant farmers, Salas’ family settled in Wautoma, Wisconsin, in 1959.
But a trip back to the labor camps changed his trajectory. He went back to help open a day care center for the children of workers.
“So, I went back to the labor camps after a few years of being away and I got a different picture of what conditions of the migrant workers were,” he said. “Parents we were trying to recruit for the day care would come me with problems about housing conditions, how they weren’t getting paid, lack of sewer systems, people getting hurt and not knowing what to do, etc.”
After three years, Salas got word of Cesar Chavez marching in California and called him to form a relationship and learn about the labor organizing being done there. That’s how he began organizing.
“So, we went on strike and petitioned the Wisconsin employment relations commission to recognize us as a union,” Salas said.
According to Salas, it was a rocky start because they lost the first strike. But after going back to the drawing board and learning a bit more, they organized a walkout and then they began to see progress.
“It was a tremendous victory because people were doubting us and feeling like we weren’t representing the workers,” Salas said. “But after that victory, it was a resounding message to the whole industry that workers were interested in joining our union.”
Salas landed in Milwaukee in 1968 after participating in the grape boycott to support California farmworkers organizing for a union. Boycott efforts were concentrated in the big cities and displaced migrant workers were going to cities in search of jobs.
What he saw in Milwaukee pushed the fight even further.
“The big battles were access to education and the Latinization of service agencies,” he said. “Because at that time, we had all of the service agencies being born. But the problem was Latinos couldn’t access them because we didn’t have a college education.”
Salas, with other young leaders, fought for space for Latinos on University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s campus and bilingual opportunities in Milwaukee Public Schools.
In addition to working to change minimum wage laws and housing codes, Salas and Obreros Unidos, the name of the union, also participated in civil rights marches with James Groppi and the NAACP Youth Council.
“I was getting settled in on the 500 block of West National to organize a grape boycott,” Salas said. “Several blocks down the street, here comes Father Groppi from the North Side marching with the NAACP Youth Council protesting employment discrimination against Allen-Bradley.”
After meeting them, Salas said the two groups began supporting one another by getting involved in one another’s marches and addressing issues that affected both communities as a unit.
The work of Obreros Unidos led to changes in the law surrounding migrant workers, housing conditions and the wages system, as well as opportunities outside of farm work.
It was integral to the creation of many service agencies. It helped bring health care to migrant workers.  And the group helped create better educational opportunities for Latino students throughout Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
Salas became the first Latino CEO of United Migrant Opportunity Services. He also taught courses at MATC and UW-Madison.
You can click on this site, “Obreros Unidos: The Roots and Legacy of the Farmworkers Movement,” to get the book through the Historical Society. But it is also available on other platforms.


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December 26, 2023


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UPDATED: How to stay healthy for the holidays: Stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Trisha Young
December 28, 2023
With the season for family gatherings and celebrations fast approaching, doctors advise people to get vaccinated to stay safe and healthy over the holidays and throughout the winter season.
Although the national COVID-19 public health emergency ended in May, experts warn that the virus is all but over.
“It’s easy to think COVID’s not around or ignore it,” said Ajay Sethi, professor of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services or DHS, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations has increased to over 400 hospitalizations this month. This is in comparison to the state’s all-time low of the pandemic, which occurred in July of this year with fewer than 60 people hospitalized.
Sethi emphasized the importance of everyone, especially immunocompromised people, such as the elderly and disabled, getting vaccinated this winter season, or “respiratory virus season,” as he calls it.
Since people will be spending more time indoors, often with others, illnesses like COVID are much more likely to spread.
Vaccinations protect against life-threatening illnesses and even death, said Dr. Heather Paradis, Milwaukee Health Department medical director.  “And (they) help against the spreading of the virus too,” she said.
Despite this, just 10.8% of Milwaukee County residents have received at least one dose of vaccines, which is slightly lower than the rate of vaccinations for the rest of the state, according to DHS.
COVID strains are still circulating and mutating, Paradis said. But most vaccines, even if they aren’t the newest ones on the market, can help protect against the most recent strains.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has reported, however, that getting the most updated vaccines will work the best against current strains of the virus.
People opting to get the vaccinations can now choose between getting the mRNA vaccine and the Novavax vaccine, which are similar to vaccines that were introduced early on in the pandemic.
Both vaccines work about the same and last an equal amount of time, Sethi said.  (Learn more about the differences here.)
Doctors recommend people get vaccinated or boosted every six months. Sethi said people can wait from two to six months after a COVID infection to get boosted.
Paradis encourages people to get boosted when they’re COVID free and feeling well enough to do so. It’s also safe to get flu shots and COVID vaccines at the same time, she said. And many clinics offer both.
For those holding off on getting the COVID vaccine because of the fear of potential side effects, Sethi has the following message:
“The benefits of vaccinations far outweigh the disease itself.”
Monday: 3 to 6 p.m.
Tuesday: 1 to 4 p.m.
Wednesday: 3 to 6 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Check out Healthy MKE’s updated map and list here. This site will also let you know about upcoming vaccination events where rides can be provided.

created: December 28, 2023

author: Trisha Young


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Ron Smith
December 20, 2023


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Ron Smith
December 27, 2023


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Final COVID | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
December 27, 2023


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Final-COVID | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
December 27, 2023


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‘She’s a hero’: Quick use of Narcan by office assistant at King Community Center saves 2 lives | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
December 28, 2023
Dec. 2 began as a routine day at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, office assistant Shanice Collins recalls.
While some visitors worked out at the fitness center and others played basketball, Collins, 34, watched live footage from the security cameras and noticed crowds gathering.
“Then someone came in here and told me that someone was having a seizure,” she said.
Collins, a former certified nursing assistant who has a son with epilepsy, raced downstairs to the area near the gym to help. There she encountered a man who was not breathing.
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“He wasn’t responding when I tried to open his hands or talk to him, so that’s when I knew it wasn’t a seizure and was something else,” she said.
That man and another young man, who collapsed near a stairwell, had both overdosed on opioids.
Collins raced into action, retrieving Narcan, a medication used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, from the Harm Reduction Vending Machine located in the center’s lobby.
“I squirted one in one nostril and one in the other,” Collins said, administering two doses of Narcan to each man.
While she did that, two other employees from the center, located at 1531 W. Vliet St. gave the men CPR until medics arrived.
Once the medics arrived, they administered another dose of Narcan to each man and provided additional treatment until they were fully revived.
“These young men were gone,” said      Dee McCollum, director of the King Community Center.  “If she had not administered the Narcan when she did, they would not have been here.”
The King Center is one of 11 locations that received Harm Reduction Vending Machines in July, said Clarence Jenkins, administrative coordinator for the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services’ Community Access to Recovery Services.
Since then, he said, 188 doses of Narcan, 388 fentanyl test strips, 137 medication deactivation bags, 163 medication lock bags and 97 gun locks have been retrieved from the machine located in the center.
“The Martin Luther King Center has been a great host and has played a significant role in saving lives in our county,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said 4,419 fentanyl test strips and 2,539 doses of Narcan have been distributed through the county vending machines.
He said eight more vending machines will be placed in the community next year.
McCollum said the young men had visited the center to play basketball. They then stepped outside to a car, came back inside and entered the bathroom together.
Five to six minutes later, McCollum said she noticed that their demeanor began to change and then they collapsed.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, signs of an opioid overdose include unresponsiveness or unconsciousness; slowed or stopped breathing; cold or clammy skin; snoring or rattling sounds; and discolored lips or fingernails.
Collins said it was the first time she’d ever administered Narcan, but that she had received a short training for it.
She said the incident helped her realize just how much opioids were impacting the community.
“I didn’t know it was that bad until that day,” she said. “I was asking the young men if they realized that they were not breathing and almost died.”
McCollum said she plans to offer extensive training on Narcan for her entire staff and continues to be amazed by Collin’s response.
“She remained calm in an emergency situation,” McCollum said. “She is a hero.”
Challenges in Narcan distribution hamper efforts to slow pace of drug overdose deaths
How to use Narcan to save a life during a drug overdose
Where to find substance abuse resources in Milwaukee


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Ron Smith
December 27, 2023


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5 things to know and do the weekend of Dec. 29 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
December 29, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to provide the correct address for the “Open Family Play” at the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market.
Your Move MKE and Milwaukee Turners invites gentlemen to their “Knights and Kings Tie Tying and Shirt Fitting” event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 29 at 1107 W. Historic Mitchell St. Gentlemen will learn how to formally dress themselves for professional settings. Refreshments will also be provided. Click here to RSVP. More information here.
The Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition will host a brunch while analyzing how Mary, the mother of Jesus, intersects with Muslim tradition. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, Dec. 29 at 5235 S. 27th St. A $15 purchase is required. You must RSVP.  More information here.
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Kwanzaa’s fifth principle is called Nia, which means “purpose.” The Sankofa Council of Milwaukee will  honor this principle with a celebration from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 3353 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Individuals can also join via Zoom by emailing sankofacouncilmke@gmail.com to pre-register. More information here.
The Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market will include an “Open Family Play,’’ where children can participate in imaginative play and learning activities from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Table, 5305 W. Capitol Drive. Adult supervision is required. More information here.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will hold an animal feeding from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30 at Havenwoods State Forest, 6141 N. Hopkins St. Visitors will have the chance to learn about different animals such as turtles, snakes, and more while feeding them. More information here.

created: December 29, 2023


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Ron Smith
December 28, 2023


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December 28, 2023


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My favorite story of 2023: As overdose deaths rise, drug-related arrests decline by 67% in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
December 29, 2023
This story did a great job of breaking down an issue that concerns Milwaukee’s residents in a way that was fair and digestible.
Sometimes we can notice a pattern without understanding why that pattern exists.
I think Edgar Mendez did a great job of noticing a pattern, working to understand it and then explaining it in a way that people who may not see the pattern can understand.
It was good storytelling and a great use of data that affects our neighbors.
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Mendez wrote this story in July but highlighted an issue that remains relevant to Milwaukeeans today.
Read the story here.


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My favorite story of 2023: How Djdade Denson is building community and changing lives in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
December 29, 2023
In writing about Milwaukee’s neighborhoods for about six months now, I have already met so many residents who love their block, their neighborhood and the city and contribute to its success.
Djdade Denson radiates passion about community-building in Milwaukee.
As a project management freelancer in the construction industry, co-owner of a restaurant, director of a camping retreat for Milwaukee boys and men and recent graduate of the Associates in Commercial Real Estate program, Denson wants to support and be a resource in the community he grew up in.
When I interviewed Denson a few months ago for a profile story, we planned to meet during his off hours at Coffee Makes You Black, the gathering space he now co-owns.
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After I arrived, he called me and said he was still needed at the construction site he was working at, Gallery 507, and invited me to do the interview there.
As we sat outside of the building and talked, Denson reflected on commercial development, learning from elders and the challenges and opportunities he sees in his ZIP code, 53206, and across Milwaukee.
I scribbled notes in case my audio recording would be filled with background noise of cars passing by. Storm clouds darkened and rolled closer until it started to sprinkle and we moved inside.
This experience was my first time interviewing someone at an active construction site. It gave me a deeper understanding of one of the environments Denson works in, and I appreciated him being generous with his time and space.
It also served as a reminder to show up, because you never know what details you will notice.
The story required thoughtful editing to cover Denson’s range of accomplishments without being too long, and I hope the final product gives readers a glimpse into his mission.
Read the story here.


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December 29, 2023


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My favorite story of 2023: Milwaukee makes plans to replace lead service lines. Is there money to pay for it? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Trisha Young
December 29, 2023
For my favorite story this year, I chose the article I wrote on Milwaukee’s plan to replace lead laterals.
This was a story that involved a tremendous amount of lifting, fact checking, editing and even breaking some news.
It was also my first in depth story as a reporter. I have to thank my since retired editor, Ricardo Pimentel, for helping me push through the sticky facts and information of the story.
The story called attention to the need for government departments to work together to ensure residents have clean drinking water.
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In working on this story, I found that the mayor’s office had a different, much shorter timeline to replace lead laterals than the Milwaukee Water Works original timeline.
This issue came down to funding; the lack of employees and contractors; and a lack of communication in city departments as well as a failure to keep the community informed.
The story also highlighted just how pervasive the issue of lead in the water is in Milwaukee. Lead causes all sorts of physical and mental health issues, especially in children.
It also affects Black and Brown communities the most, which is why I believe it’s one of the most important health issues confronting Milwaukee.
In writing this story, I was also able to connect to so many community members, organizations and civil service employees who are ultimately working toward the same, albeit, difficult goal: clean water for all.
It’s a difficult task to accomplish, but I see Milwaukee moving in the right direction.
The most recent win for Milwaukee residents happened this month, as the Milwaukee Common Council voted to eliminate all private costs to homeowners in replacing lead laterals, saving all participants $1,600 per home.
I’d like to thank Milwaukee Water Works, Get the Lead Out and every community member I spoke to in shaping this story.
Read the story here.


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Ron Smith
December 28, 2023


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December 28, 2023


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My favorite story of 2023: Residents express concerns that changes to Fire and Police Commission will lead to weaker oversight of Milwaukee police | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
December 29, 2023
It is not rare that reporters describe a piece of news as being pivotal or consequential.
News outlets are filled with over-the-top clickbait to get your attention. One reason I love working at NNS is because we work hard to avoid this sort of journalism.
But without exaggeration, the changes that took place this year with the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission were pivotal and consequential.
These changes are affecting us right here and now, and that is why I wanted to write this story.
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While reporting on the changes to the commission brought about by 2023 Wisconsin Act 12, I learned just how unique Milwaukee’s commission has been.
Milwaukee is one of a few places in the country where civilians – people who are not employees of the police or fire departments – have been able to create policy for these departments.
This is a power that the commission used in the past few years, including the banning of chokeholds as well as “no-knock” warrants.
By speaking to the commission, and making their voices heard in other ways, residents have been able to have meaningful influence over how their police and fire departments act.
Again, this is more the exception than the rule.
When Act 12 was enacted this year, the commission’s ability to create policy was eliminated.
This also means that residents’ influence over the police and fire departments was, at the very least, stunted.
The passage of Act 12 by the Wisconsin Legislature also demonstrated how things that happen at the state level can have profound effects locally.
Despite the changes, the main lesson I have taken from this change is that Milwaukee residents are more than capable of this work.
Milwaukeeans insist on making their voices heard.
Read the story here.

author: Devin Blake


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Ron Smith
December 28, 2023


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Ron Smith
December 28, 2023


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Ron Smith
December 28, 2023


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Update: African American Roundtable’s $40,000 community initiative focuses on youth and elders | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
December 29, 2023
The African American Roundtable, or AART, has announced the winners of its participatory budgeting initiative: Youth and elders are at the forefront.
In October, the Roundtable awarded four organizations $10,000 each.
The awards come after years of AART leaders urging the City of Milwaukee to establish a participatory budgeting process that would give residents a say in how city resources are spent.
The Roundtable committed $40,000 to launch the initiative, which is based on the Northwest Side, an area the organization’s leaders say has seen decades of divestment, a lack of leadership and neglect.
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During the process, Northwest Side residents proposed, voted on and executed ideas on community-led projects.
“We invested these dollars to affirm our commitment to the community,” said Devin Anderson, the African American Roundtable’s membership and coalition manager.
The four projects that received the most votes belonged to Building Youth Opportunities Through Creative and Holistic Initiatives, Brentwood Church of Christ, Korey’s Kids and Vaun Mayes of We Locked In MKE.
Hazel Miller of Brentwood Church of Christ has experience working with Milwaukee’s seniors through  her work with the county’s aging and disability services.
“The goal is to create a space for fellowship for our seniors, where they can have a meal, along with some programming and access to resources they may need. A service that focuses strictly on seniors,” she said.
Louise McKenzie, the founder of Korey’s Kids, said the funding came just in time for the group’s biggest annual event. “We host our Christmas event annually but there is always a need to fill,” she said.
Korey’s Kids is hoping to add an emergency hotline for parents in need.
According to Anderson, the community investment initiative received over 30 proposals and over 850 votes from residents ranging from ages 14 to 75.
“We wanted our voting process to reflect the community this program is meant to serve,” he said. “Because this is our program, we get to determine what democracy looks like, so we opened up the voting eligibility.”
Anderson said the African American Roundtable is hopeful this project will spark something on a citywide level.
“I hope this shows that we can trust residents,” he said. “Residents can execute plans that are meaningful to their communities.”
The group plans to measure the success of this initiative by the impact each project has had on the community after a year.
“We will look at how this project built infrastructure and how we as people in community with one another have grown through the process,” Anderson said. “We’ll analyze what we learned and what we can do differently because this is an experiment.”
The African American Roundtable wants the City of Milwaukee to establish a participatory budgeting process to give residents the ability to propose, vote on and implement local budgeting decisions.
Participatory budgeting is a democratic process in which community members decide how public dollars are spent.
Although the organization has created its own program, members said their advocacy for a city-funded program will not stop.
“We’ve been advocating for participatory budgeting since 2019 and the city has been saying no,” said Anderson. “We are hopeful this project will spark something and show we can trust residents to execute plans that are meaningful to their communities.”
You can follow the African American Roundtable on Facebook.
Visit liberatemke.com and aartmke.org to learn more about participatory budgeting and the Roundtable’s work in Milwaukee over the years.


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Ron Smith
December 29, 2023


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These residents have formed a development group to create affordable housing opportunities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
December 30, 2023
It all started with a Facebook post.
And now six people from different backgrounds are  working together to create affordable housing opportunities in Milwaukee.
Alice Pugh, a career educator, shared on social media her interest in an informational meeting on the Homes MKE initiative, which renovates vacant, foreclosed City of Milwaukee properties and then sells them to residents at affordable prices.
Adrienne Hunter reached out to Pugh about their husbands’ shared interest in the initiative. And then the two decided to work together to send a proposal to the Department of City Development to be one of the developers to participate in this project.
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Then other folks in their network reached out.
Together, they’ve created EmprUve, a real estate development group that includes: Hunter, the CEO of a nonprofit that serves youths; her husband, Gregory Hunter, who has a background in law enforcement; Alice Pugh, a retired Milwaukee Public Schools teacher and a relationship manager with an investment group, and her daughter Jamila Pugh, a real estate developer; Anita Clinton, a real estate broker; and Jennifer Webster, who provides social services to youths and families.
“It just came together organically through shared interest,” Alice Pugh said. “We all had an interest, and we were all OK with all of us working together.”
EmprUve focuses its efforts on homeownership and community revitalization.
The group is one of 16 developers chosen to work on the Homes MKE initiative across 23 neighborhoods throughout Milwaukee.
Its leaders are working to rehab five homes.
Though no one in the group has ever worked in development, the leaders said they are excited about the future.
“Everything we’ve done so far and will continue to do is out of a desire to be a part of the solution,” Hunter said.
In a news conference in May, Lafayette Crump, the commissioner of city development, said implementing Homes MKE aligns with the department’s mission to improve the quality of life in Milwaukee by providing equitable opportunities for residents.
“Creating affordable housing is just the first step,” said Hunter. “This is about pride in communities and creating connections with and between the people and businesses that reside in them.”

created: December 30, 2023


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Ron Smith
December 30, 2023


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 25, 2015

author: Adam Carr


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5 things to know and do the week of Jan. 1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
January 1, 2024
t’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
The last day of Kwanzaa is called Imani, which is a celebration of faith. To honor this principle, a community program, featuring drumming, dancing, and more, will be from noon to 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 1 at the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center, 3020 W. Vliet St. More information here.
Free yoga sessions will be offered by Milwaukee Recreation on Monday, January 1 at the Beulah Brinton Community Center, 2555 S. Bay St. Bring your yoga mat and towel as required. Refreshments will be provided. Times vary, and registration is required. More information here.
Join the Havenwoods State Forest for a hike to kick off the new year. The guided hike will take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 1 at 6141 N. Hopkins St. Dress warmly for the weather. More information here.
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The Milwaukee Police Department District 5 will hold its monthly Crime and Safety Meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at 2909 N. 20th St. Attendees will receive crime prevention tips and updates on neighborhood crime. More information here.
Milwaukee Mobile Crisis will provide mental health and harm reduction resources from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4 at the Milwaukee Public Library Zablocki Branch, 3501 W. Oklahoma Ave. More information here.

created: January 1, 2024


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Ron Smith
December 31, 2023

created: December 31, 2023


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As temperatures drop, here’s where you can stay warm this winter | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
January 2, 2024
With colder weather on the way, Milwaukee County leaders have announced locations where people can stay warm this winter.
In addition to already existing services, several warming centers will be opening in the coming weeks.
A warming center is a short-term emergency shelter where people can go to stay warm when temperatures become dangerously low.
Here’s a list of warming centers that are open through March 31:
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Milwaukee County’s Hillview, 1615 S. 22nd St.
Greater Galilee Baptist Church, 2432 N. Teutonia Ave.
Guest House of Milwaukee, 1216 N. 13th St.
St. Ben’s, 930 W. State St. (Available only if the temperature is 25 degrees that evening). The coordinated entry team is available in person on Fridays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Repairers of the Breach, 1335 W. Vliet St. You can find the coordinated entry team in person on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
The Milwaukee Rescue Mission, 830 N. 19th St.
For more emergency or long-term resources, you can reach out to Milwaukee County’s coordinated entry team. Coordinated Entry is available 24/7 by dialing 2-1-1, texting your ZIP code to TXT-211 or online at 211 Wisconsin.
Check out the Wisconsin Department of Health Services or the Milwaukee Health Department for more tips on staying warm.

created: January 2, 2024


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53436068588_2b4354ab3a_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 1, 2024


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Mentorship program seeks to keep youths on right track | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
January 3, 2024
Although he has a mother and father who are present and engaged in his life, Cameron Grosz, 16, said that about a year ago, he started to make unwise choices.
He was spending time with other youths who were staying out at night and stealing cars.
“I guess I was trying to be like them, kind of,” Grosz said.
Worried, Grosz’s mom found out about the MIRROR program, where each youth is connected to three mentors: an officer from the Milwaukee Police Department; someone convicted of a violent offense; and a crime survivor.
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“We tried to … surround them each with three mentors, symbolically their past, present and future,” said Adam Procell, cofounder of Paradigm Shyft, the organization that created and oversees the program.
“I received a life sentence two days after I turned 15 for a gang-related homicide and served almost a quarter of a century,” he said. “So I was one of these ‘at-risk youth.’”
Procell said he and cofounder Shannon Ross, also formerly incarcerated, wanted to create the program “that would’ve potentially worked for us when we were teenagers.”
“And we know mentorship works,” he added.
Three Milwaukee teenagers are in the first group of participants in the MIRROR program.
Together, the mentors seek to make a positive impact on their mentees, said Milwaukee Police Department Sgt. Amy Rivera, one of the mentors in the program.
But this process takes time.
The mentors and mentees have engaged in activities over the course of several months to develop the trust and camaraderie needed for success.
After a couple of meet-and-greets last year, the three teenagers and their mentors traveled to a property owned by former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson.
Thompson has been vocal about his regret in the role he played in the increase in incarceration in Wisconsin during his administration.
Thompson hosted MIRROR program participants at his property in Elroy, which includes a vineyard.
The three mentees are from the ages of 13 to 16.
Some activities the group took part in at Thompson’s property included four-wheeling and fishing.
“It was super cool,” said Grosz. “I had a great time.”
After returning to Milwaukee, the mentors continued to spend time with their mentees, helping them articulate and pursue their goals.
Grosz worked at getting a driver’s license. But long term, he said he wants to be an entrepreneur.
“You can always change at any time. Just do what you want to do,” Grosz said.
The original funding for the program ended in October, but Paradigm Shyft received a second round of funding to keep the program going.
Rivera stressed mentorship does not necessarily need to be formal or tied to a program.
“If there are community members, people in the community that see a youth, be their positive mentor,” she said.
“Maybe you are the only one that can maybe change some perspective and just show that there is some hope out there,” Rivera said. “Just be that positive light for them.”
Devin Blake is the criminal justice reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. His position is funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, which plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

created: January 3, 2024


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Ron Smith
January 2, 2024


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This week, the city begins overseeing maintenance issues at Housing Authority properties | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
A precedent?
January 4, 2024
Starting this week, the City of Milwaukee will oversee Housing Authority residents’ maintenance concerns and provide funds to address them.
In October, the Common Council approved an ordinance change to give the Department of Neighborhood Services authority to inspect properties and issue code violations to the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, also known as HACM.
In addition, the council approved $250,000 in funding in the 2024 budget to address maintenance issues at Housing Authority facilities.
The ordinance change, sponsored by Ald. Robert J. Bauman and Ald. Russell W. Stamper II, creates a Housing Authority Maintenance Fund Special Purpose Account with $250,000 in funding.
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This will enable the Housing Authority to accelerate maintenance and repair work and to make other improvements to properties.
Bauman said the council has a duty to its residents to ensure they live in safe and affordable housing.
He said the funds will help the Housing Authority address its backlog in repairs and maintenance issues that affect tenants, especially those who are older or have disabilities.
Citing the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason the Housing Authority fell behind in repairs, Bauman called the funds a one-time installment to help it catch up.
Stamper said: “What good is it to criticize and police without providing aid for repair?”
Ald. Michael Murphy said he’s concerned that using the funds will create a significant precedent for the council.
“Housing Authority will now be accepting property tax levy dollars for maintenance of its property,” he said. “We are now taking responsibility for what is the federal government’s job.”
Murphy said the council has no proof that the Housing Authority is properly appropriating the funds it already has, so he was hesitant to make their repair issues a taxpayer issue.
Ald. Scott Spiker agreed.
“I fear what happens when $250,000 isn’t enough,” he said. “What do we do when all of these same arguments still exist next year?”
Kevin Solomon, an organizer with Common Ground, the group that brought HACM’s maintenance issues to the forefront, said he isn’t sure throwing money at the issue will help.
“No one knows HACM’s current financial situation,” he said. “Even HUD (Housing and Urban Development) can’t find out what’s going on with their finances.”
Common Ground has since shared the stories of residents who say their housing conditions have not changed despite promises by leaders.

created: January 4, 2024

author: A precedent?


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13256949274_bdbd3413a5_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 3, 2024


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5 things to know and do the weekend of Jan. 5 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
January 5, 2024
t’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
The Enderis Park Neighborhood Association invites  residents to bring their holiday trees to 2956 N. 72nd St. from 9 a.m. 10 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6. The trees will be mulched, and participants will receive a goodie bag. More information here.
The Milwaukee Public Library is hiring Library Teen Interns who will serve as faces and voices for the library, spearhead teen outreach projects and develop new programs for teens in the Milwaukee community. They consult on space design and redesign, mentor their peers and host events. You can fill out the application here.
Leaders from the Growing MKE initiative, a citywide planning effort that focuses on housing growth, seek the input of residents. You can take a survey here. In case you missed it: The city seeks your input on how Milwaukee grows. Here’s how to provide it.
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Juanibi Wellness will offer $5 Afro-Caribbean dance classes from noon to 1 p.m., beginning on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 800 W. Walnut St. The classes are designed to give participants a safe space to be themselves while learning new dance techniques.  More information here.
Veterans can attend a free biweekly group wellness session from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 7. at the Sherman Phoenix Marketplace, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave. Attendees can participate in mental health workshops and receive resources that support their wellness.  Click here to RSVP. More information here.

created: January 5, 2024


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Ron Smith
January 4, 2024


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5 things to know and do the week of Jan. 8 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
January 8, 2024
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
A crime and safety meeting will be held by Milwaukee Police Department District 7 from      5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 8 at 4129 W. Villard Ave. Attendees will be updated on crime statistics, traffic stops and other topics. More information here.
The Youth Empowerment Program invites Native American youths ages 7 to 18 to attend a storytelling class from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, 930 W. Historic Mitchell St. Elders from the Menominee and Ho-Chunk nations will share traditional stories. Refreshments will also be served. Please register or RSVP with Amaya Varela by calling 414- 316-5011 or emailing avarela@gliihc.net  More information here.
Attend a poetry open mic night on Tuesdays at Mi Casa Su Cafe, 1835 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The event will take place from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan 9. Tickets are $5, and seating is first come, first served. The event will feature open mic, poets, local vendors, soul food and more. Performing artists will need to sign up upon arrival. More information here.
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Spend your Tuesday afternoons for the next month, viewing a movie at the Milwaukee Public Library Zablocki Branch, 3501 W. Oklahoma Ave. The film, “The Princess and the Pirate” will be presented from  12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9. Refreshments will be provided. More information here.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is hosting a community engagement session from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 10 to hear from parents and community members about what they believe is best for students when it comes to public schools and libraries. The session will be held at the Milwaukee Public Schools Central Services, 5225 W. Vliet St. Click here to register. More information here.

created: January 8, 2024


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Ron Smith
January 7, 2024

created: January 7, 2024


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‘I decided to struggle’: How one man turned his life around so he can help others | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
January 9, 2024
After being released from prison in 2013, Bryan Winters wanted something different for himself.
More than 10 years later, Winters, 42, is now a single dad who has primary custody of his four children.He has a house and a full-time job as a community health worker
And Winters has found numerous ways to use his skills and experience to help people who are where he has been.
“They say ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ – but then give me some boots. I don’t have any boots,” Winters said.
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“I’m in no way saying everything that happened in my life is my fault,” Winters said. “But at the same time, there are some things that I could’ve done differently.”
For about two years, Winters has worked for a Milwaukee-area hospital, helping connect those soon to be released from prison to medical care in the community as well as other resources, including food, clothing and housing.
His journey has not been without challenges.
Winters excelled in grade school, skipping the last half of seventh grade and going straight to eighth grade. But he hid this side of himself to fit in, acting one way at school and another way with friends and neighbors back home.
“It was like I had to be two different people,” he said.
Winters and his siblings lived in various neighborhoods on the North Side. Poverty was a constant.
Winters and one sister were the only ones among his siblings to graduate from high school.
Within a couple of years of graduating – 10 days after turning 20 – a decade’s worth of stints in prison began.
Looking back, Winters said things should have been different.
“Even though academically I did great, the guidance counselor did not pull me aside and say, ‘You should go to college,’” he said.
But in 2013, “instead of getting back into the things that I previously was doing, I decided to struggle,” said Winters.
After being released, “it took some time for me to really expose myself to society, because I still had the experience kind of like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and certain things would trigger those thoughts and make me feel less than a human being,” Winters said.
“So I had to try to figure out what it was that I wanted out of life and who I was as an individual and not who society portrayed me as,” he said.
Eventually, Winters decided to pursue his passion for helping people and began working with adults with physical and cognitive disabilities.
In 2015, he earned an associate degree in human services at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Shortly after, he received a substance abuse counselor-in-training certificate.
There is a serious and ongoing need for this work, Winters said.
When people leave incarceration, they often report inadequate medical care during their time inside as well as a poor understanding of their medical needs, Winters said.
“Quite often, these individuals use the emergency room as a form of primary care,” he said.
He also serves as a “circle keeper” at Project RETURN (Returning Ex-incarcerated People To Urban Realities and Neighborhoods), a nonprofit that supports and provides resources to returning citizens.
“His passion really drives how he interacts with people … ,” said Amanda Smit, program coordinator at Project RETURN. “He also has a calming, peaceful spirit that I feel is very important in this work.”
Dr. Laura Hawks, a primary care doctor and health equity researcher at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, sees the same passion and concern.
Hawks met Winters about a year ago, and they continue to meet informally to discuss their work.
“He has really good ideas about what people need in terms of basic material needs but also how a community health worker is best suited to help train, lift up other people and actually be the person in the center of that re-entry process,” she said.
Winters is working to create a model in which services are designed and provided by those who have the lived experience of incarceration.
By doing so, said Winters, people returning from incarceration will be able to “stand on their physical and mental health. … and not be giving up because society is looking at you, saying ‘oh you did this.’”
Devin Blake is the criminal justice reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. His position is funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, which plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

created: January 9, 2024


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53282894284_5518c3e79d_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 8, 2024


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In a ‘history-making moment,” Milwaukee nonprofit certifies new class of doulas | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
January 10, 2024
Jazmine Duncan, 35, always wanted to be a doula.
But after using a doula for her pregnancy, she became motivated to complete the process to become one.
“My experience having a doula was just so great. I want to be able to provide that same experience to others,” she said.
Both Jazemine Duncan and her mother, Barbara Duncan, completed training and have become a certified doulas together through the African American Breastfeeding Network.
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Barbara Duncan, 53, said she didn’t know anything about doulas until her daughter had one, but she loved being present for experience.
“Her doula was amazing,” she said. “To be able to advocate for someone is awesome to me.”
The mother and daughter were certified in October as community-based doulas along with 15 other Milwaukee women through the African American Breastfeeding Network, or AABN.
Doulas are trained professionals whose job it is to provide support and resources before, during and after childbirth.
“This is a history-making moment for our community,” said Dalvery Blackwell, the executive director of AABN. “Never has an organization implemented a 20-week community-based doula training in Milwaukee. We are very proud of all of the graduates. Their commitment proves that they are ready to help improve maternal-infant health outcomes.”
The Medical College of Wisconsin Institute for Health & Equity is partnering with community groups like AABN to look at what contributes to maternal morbidity in Southeast Wisconsin.
According to the most recent Wisconsin Maternal Mortality Report, Black, Non-Hispanic Asian and Hispanic mothers made up 24% of Wisconsin births in 2016-2017, yet they represented 42% of all pregnancy-related deaths.
AABN’s doula program is part of a national resurgence of doulas’ work in response to the U.S. maternal-infant health crisis, Blackwell said.
Nationally, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than non-Hispanic White women, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
However, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, in Wisconsin, they are five times more likely to die.
AABN hopes to change that.
The organization has received funding from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to replicate the nationally recognized HealthConnect One doula model and provide direct services to 130 pregnant women in Milwaukee.
In order to be certified, graduates had to have a 95% attendance rate over the 20-week training program, Blackwell said.
The graduates completed weekly homework assignments, observed three live births and learned about prenatal and postpartum support services.
“These women are making tremendous sacrifices to be doulas,” she said. “Most of them have full-time jobs and children, and they sacrifice that time to support birthing people.”
Jessica Olsen, an assistant professor in the Division of Community Health within the Medical College’s Institute for Health & Equity, said the institute has worked with the African American Breastfeeding Network for 10 years.
“When you look at the doulas’ value and impact, plus the love they give the community, and their willingness to tackle the root causes of the maternal-infant health crisis head on, it feels like this is the answer,” she said. “This is how we eradicate the health crisis.”
A second session of doula training is planned for 2024. Click here for details. You can also call 414-207-6728.

created: January 10, 2024


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53305788569_1cc86e2e62_h | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 9, 2024


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Want to keep your energy bills low? The Focus on Energy program can help. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
January 10, 2024
As winter progresses, Focus on Energy is offering tips to help residents save money on their energy bills.
Focus on Energy,  a statewide program funded by electric and natural gas utilities, has helped residents save money on their energy bills for over 20 years.
Here’s how the program can assist you:
Focus on Energy partners with service providers to connect Wisconsin residents and businesses to affordable energy efficiency services.
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You can find more information here.
Focus on Energy offers rebates for high-efficiency furnaces, heat pumps, insulation and air sealing for homes and a small rebate for rooftop solar.
“It’s kind of like the cashback program where you’re going to do the work first,” said Brady Steigauf, the community liaison manager for Focus on Energy. “And then you apply for the rebates and then get that check back in the mail to help pay for that cost.”
You can find more information here.
The program offers free energy-saving packs annually. All households, apartments included, are eligible for a free pack that has things like efficient LED lights, water-saving shower heads and a weatherization pack that helps you get your home ready for winter.
The packs have things like window plastic and weatherstripping for doors and insulated outlet covers to keep out cold air and drafts, helping homes be more comfortable and thereby, reducing heating bills.
1. Use LED bulbs: If you’re a renter, replacing all your light bulbs with LEDs can save you money.
2. Turn the thermostat down
3. Avoid using “vampire energy”: Everything you plug into the wall, or most things, will still use some energy even when you’re not using it. Things like chargers, computers and TVs can use around 20% of the power when nothing is charging or plugged in.
Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program
The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program assists eligible households with their heating and electric bills. Eligible families must make less than 60% of the median state income.
Weatherization Assistance Program
The program provides energy conservation services in eligible households to help reduce home energy costs and save energy. The program covers work like insulation, sealing air leaks and repairing or replacing inefficient furnaces or other appliances.
Milwaukee County Energy Program
The Energy Assistance Program provides qualified Milwaukee County residents with a one-time, annual payment toward heating and electric bills. How much assistance you receive depends on your household size, income and energy costs and goes directly to the energy supplier.


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Ron Smith
January 9, 2024


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Ron Smith
January 9, 2024


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Ron Smith
January 16, 2024

created: January 16, 2024