text:
Post from Community: February 22nd Program: African American Environmental Pioneer Awards | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
David Thomas
February 10, 2021
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.
In recognition of Black History Month, the African American Environmental Pioneer Awards is in its second year recognizing those in Milwaukee’s African American community working for a better environment.
Due to COVID-19, this will be an online event starting at 6:30 pm, Monday, February 22nd. To attend the event, participants must register to get the link, at www.bit.ly/green-pioneers-2021.
The featured speaker will be pioneering Harlem poet Dahveed Nelson, a member of the Last Poets, credited for work that led to the emergence of hip-hop. Steven Hunter, a veteran of Milwaukee Public Theater will MC the program. Drummer and performance artist Jahmés Finlayson will provide musical interludes. In addition to honoring “Pioneers,” this year’s awards will be intergenerational, as six young “Rising Stars” are among the nominees.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
This event is free and open to the public. Participants must register in advance at www.bit.ly/green-pioneers-2021.
Questions? Email: contact@nearbynaturemke.org

author: David Thomas


text:
Compact-600-Invite.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
February 9, 2021

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: February 9, 2021

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

author: Name *


text:
Election 2021: Meet the school board candidates for District 5 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
February 11, 2021
Abbie Fishman, Jilly Gokalgandhi, Kahri Phelps Okoro and Alex Brower.
Next week voters head to the polls again – as four of the nine seats on the Milwaukee Board of School Directors are up for re-election.
In District 5, which includes parts of Harambee, Riverwest, downtown and the East Side, four candidates will be on the ballot for the Feb. 16 primary. After the primary, two candidates will move on to the general election on April 6.
Early voting is open at City Hall until 5 p.m. Friday. You can find your Election Day polling place here.
Below is biographic information for candidates and answers to five questions about why they feel they are qualified and what they think about some of the school board’s current issues.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Answers have been summarized for brevity, but you can find each candidate’s full answer here: Abbie Fishman, Jilly Gokalgandhi, Kahri Phelps Okoro and Alex Brower
(Photo provided by Abbie Fishman)
60
3335 N. Weil St.
Master’s in literary studies from UW-Milwaukee; bachelor’s in English and secondary education
Retired MPS teacher at Riverside University High School
None
: Milwaukee Teacher’s Education Association
(Photo provided by Jilly Gokalgandhi)
29
1601 N. Jackson St., #501
Bachelor’s, international affairs and economics from Marquette University
Equity in education strategist at American Family Insurance
None
: Director Larry Miller, Director Bob Peterson, State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, Citizen Action Wisconsin, United Auto Workers
(Photo provided by Kahri Phelps Okoro)
Did not provide
2839 N. 2nd St.
MBA in international business and risk management from Concordia University; master’s in reading specialist, Concordia University; and a graduate of Milwaukee Trade and Technical H.S.
Operations manager at Equity Supply Group/JCP Construction and a business development consultant at the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin
Milwaukee Area Technical College District Board
: “Students, parents, and my community.”
(Photo provided by Alex Brower)
33
2536 N. Palmer St.
Bachelor’s in political science from Beloit College
Executive director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans and a substitute teacher for Milwaukee Public Schools
None
: Milwaukee Teacher’s Education Association, Milwaukee Democratic Socialists of America, Milwaukee Solidarity, Green Party of Milwaukee County, Director Marva Herndon, Director Sequanna Taylor, Director Megan O’Halloran, Director Erika Siemsen, Milwaukee County Supervisor Ryan Clancy
I am running for a seat on the MPS school board because I cannot sit idly by while the children in our community do not receive the education they deserve.”
I am a progressive, multilingual, millennial immigrant who is deeply committed to social justice. I have spent my career advocating, lobbying and fighting for public school students, educators, families and schools. I have a personal history, deeply held belief in social justice and experience in Milwaukee Public Schools.”
Do you realize that one out of five students can read the newspaper for comprehension? Only one out of seven students can pass the math portion of a college entrance exam or trades test. What I want is for our students to come out of MPS with a chance at earning a life-sustainable wage. We currently have over 17,300 opportunity youth- youth between the ages of 16 and 24 that are not in school and/or not working. This is unacceptable.”
I am running for school board to bring the transformative change we need to Milwaukee’s public schools. Our public schools here in Milwaukee are under attack from privatization, systemic racism, and underfunding. As an experienced MPS educator, former union president and active community leader, I have defied the skeptics to win real gains for our community. I have the experience, vision and drive to fight for the schools that our students and community deserve.”
My child attended and graduated from Milwaukee Public Schools as did my husband and my father. I taught in MPS for 30 years in a variety of positions. Most of that time was spent as an Advanced Placement literature & composition teacher at Riverside University High School. I served as literacy coach there and at another school also. I finished my career as an advanced academic coach traveling throughout the district supporting Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and gifted and talented programs, teachers and students. My office was located at Central Office, which allowed me to observe how district business is conducted and decisions are made.”
I have proven experience working with our educators, students, families and community partners. My experience includes serving as the community schools coordinator at Bradley Tech High School, working in youth employment, and most recently helping grow MPS STEM programs in K-8s and high schools. I have successfully advocated for progressive policies and investments in every space I’ve worked in.”
As an MPS parent, educator and community advocate, I am a unique representation of over half of MPS’ student demographic. Three of my children attend MPS. I have a teacher’s lens. As a certified reading specialist, I decipher data and determine a student’s equitable course of action. I see the connection required for K-16 education and the trades. I am a businesswoman, and I serve on MATC’s District Board, which makes me familiar with proposals, budgets, projections and community expectations.”
As president of the substitute teachers’ union, I won health care benefits for many substitute teachers by engaging in a 21-day hunger strike. We also defeated efforts to privatize our jobs to a temp agency, and I organized volunteers to knock on hundreds of doors to win a historic school funding referendum.
As an active community leader, I am the executive director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans, a member of Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s Southeast WI Steering Committee, treasurer of the Milwaukee Democratic Socialists of America, and a leader in the movement for a Green New Deal. As an MPS substitute teacher, I built a strong reputation as a high-quality educator, teaching students across this city for over six years.”
The most glaring problem in Milwaukee Public Schools is the shortage of certified, qualified, anti-racist, invested teaching staff. I know firsthand that teaching is a stressful and challenging profession with little appreciation and inadequate compensation. Nonetheless, I cannot imagine a more rewarding career. Working with young people, hearing their naive perspectives and analysis of the world keeps a teacher young and always thinking. MPS must adjust its compensation policy so that those who make the highest salaries make a little less in order for new teachers to earn more. It is untenable that teachers have to work additional jobs just to make ends meet.”
The current most pressing issue that MPS faces is the COVID-19 crisis and what happens once all of our educators are vaccinated and back in the building. To be clear, schools should not reopen until community spread is controlled and vaccines are widely available. Ensuring the health and safety of our students, families, teachers and staff means we will need to provide sanitization products and personal protective equipment. Generations of underfunding for our schools have meant that MPS is dealing with old ventilation systems, lack of appropriate space for distancing and shortages in key staffing areas to support our students. We need to focus our budgets to put resources into protecting the education workers that will be with our children when they return. This includes supporting additional staffing for school social workers, school psychologists, school nurses, paraprofessionals and other staff to assist our teachers and students who have lived through a remarkable but also traumatic time in history.”
There are two important issues facing the board. The most spoken about is the COVID-19 pandemic. The second is the ongoing failure to close the achievement gap. For many years ,our public-school system has been failing our children, specifically Black and Hispanic children, which is over 78% of the student populations. There have been many excuses made as to why our children have been seen but not heard. Parents that had the means have moved to other districts for better educational options, leaving those without options in the district or choosing nonpublic options.”
“Housing and food insecurity, lack of access to health care, climate change and environmental racism, poverty and police violence are all social problems that show up in our classrooms as behavioral issues, achievement gaps and lack of resources and funding. The root cause of these problems is racial capitalism, with the richest among us hoarding their wealth and not paying their fair share, while the vast majority of people are forced to live paycheck to paycheck. The only way for every human being to truly realize their potential is through a new, more just form of social and economic organization: socialism.”
report
I am not at all satisfied with the district’s efforts here. All they have done is give dispassionate lip service to a truly egregious problem. The steps MPS is taking [do] nothing to shut its tap on the school-to-prison pipeline. I believe the steps I elucidate below will result in noticeable change in MPS and our larger community:
Thanks to pressure from student organizations, community groups and MPS educators, as well as significant push from current school board members, the district has put important policies in place in the last year. This includes requiring the MPS administration to give monthly updates on progress in fulfilling the goals set forth by the OCR, the increase in restorative practice and ethnic studies staff in the current year’s budget, continued promotion of the restorative practices professional development, the expansion of community schools, and the school board’s recent directive to require mandatory anti-racist professional development for all staff. As a board member I will remain vigilant to ensure that these positive developments continue and deepen. In particular, I will promote the expansion of community schools, which address the multiplicity of issues which impact the disproportionate disciplining of Black male students. I look forward to working with students, parents, community members and educators including the MTEA and PAMPS [Psychologists’ Association in the Milwaukee Public Schools] to end disproportionate discipline of not only Black male students but of all students of color, male and female.”
Absolutely not. The report is proof that these offenses occurred, but no direct steps have been taken. We need a board, a superintendent and administrators that commit publicly to equity and inclusion. There needs to be acknowledgment that systematic racism exists and contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline and to disproportionately suspending Black males. Also, special education students are not receiving their proper interventions. Create a specific plan of action for the district to follow. By embracing racial equity in policy, practice and procedure in MPS, it’ll be the first step to the equity for students.
Second, create strategic community partnerships.
Third, we need to examine a department dedicated only to equity and inclusion.
Fourth, we should look at the data and determine what is working and what has not been working.
Fifth, we need to take the previous grant work off the shelf and commit to using it with sustainable practices.”
I would change the district’s approach. There is more that the district can do to improve the educational and disciplinary outcomes for Black males in our schools. The majority of our students are students of color, and we need to do a better job of preparing our young men of color for a meaningful life after high school, rather than over-policing them. I want to see the district embrace anti-racist professional development for all employees and especially for school personnel. Anti-racist practices must become the norm. Also, ending the chronic staffing issues at MPS will help to improve disciplinary and achievement outcomes because a more stable workforce means more continuity and stability for students. In addition, I will stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter at School organization, which has four demands: 1) end ‘zero tolerance‘ discipline and implement restorative justice, 2) hire more Black teachers, 3) mandate Black history and ethnic studies in K-12 curriculum, and 4) fund counselors, not cops.”
No. Having sat through the board meeting where they came to this decision, I think they came to it without considering factors such as how close reopening is to the end of the school year for high schools, bus safety and managing students. Moving forward, many students and teachers are being treated for chronic ailments like asthma, diabetes, heart disease and cancer which exacerbate the effects of COVID-19. Schools must be entirely disinfected, and air circulation must be guaranteed before filling them with people again after rates of infection significantly decline.”
I believe that we should keep all instruction virtual until our educators are vaccinated. We can start talking about reopening schools once we have community control of the virus and widely available vaccinations, as well as strict social distancing measures that reflect CDC guidelines and updated ventilation systems ensuring the health and safety of our children, educators and staff.”
The current MPS board and administration have tools, data and research at their disposal. I would not make a recommendation without seeing their data. What I will say is that my daughter who attends an MPS charter is back to in-person school. The parents were provided a choice of in-school or virtual. The virtual space was limited. There was a plan. Their plan is expressly and continuously relayed to the parents and students. The plan includes drop-off and pickup for students as well as entrance and exit plans. While I understand that this is on a much smaller scale, perhaps we can utilize some best practices in the MPS phase-in plan.”
I agree with the decision to keep instruction mostly virtual, and I would support going back to 100% virtual if possible. Every life is important, and I will oppose MPS engaging in reckless behavior with human lives like the suburbs and private schools have been doing. I believe Black Lives Matter, and so I will not be cavalier with the lives of our Black and Brown students and their families by encouraging a premature reopening of schools, which could expose them to the COVID-19 virus. I will oppose any reopening until 1) vaccines are widely available to students, staff and their families, 2) we have free, widely available and mandatory PPE for anyone entering an MPS building, 3) there is a significant reduction in cases and 4) we can practice social distancing with smaller class sizes.“
Election 2021: Meet the school board candidates for District 4
What you need to know about the Feb. 16 MPS school board election

created: February 11, 2021

author: Sam Woods


text:
50909261038_7b0fc03f56_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 10, 2021

created: February 10, 2021

author: Adam Carr


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 10, 2021


text:
50909955246_0940bcc0e4_o (1) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 10, 2021


text:
How COVID-19 has helped dramatically decrease the number of influenza cases | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
February 11, 2021
Health leaders are still encouraging flu shots despite the fact that cases of influenza have decreased dramatically because of social distancing and other COVID-19 precautions. (NNS file photo by Alison Dikanovic)
While attention has remained focused on the coronavirus pandemic, another respiratory disease has practically disappeared in Wisconsin.
Influenza cases in the state, and across the country, are lower than they have been in over a decade.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services releases a weekly respiratory report during flu season, detailing cases, hospitalizations and deaths related to influenza.
For the week of Jan. 25, 2020, there were 9,257 cases of flu in Wisconsin.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
For the week of Jan. 23, 2021, there were 37.
Greg Stadter, program director for the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership, a co-op of private and public organizations attempting to improve access to health care for underserved communities, said social distancing and COVID precautions have helped to drive the totals down.
The flu, which is spread through droplets similar to the coronavirus, has been handled relatively effective by masking and social distancing. People who have the flu are contagious for a much shorter period of time and the disease does not spread as easily as COVID-19.
Dr. Mary Beth Graham, an infectious disease specialist who works at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Froedtert Hospital, said the number of cases was “profoundly low.”
She said national cases are down nearly a hundredfold this year, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC collects samples from hospitals and health organizations to monitor flu spread.
Normally, about 10% to 20% of the national samples come back positive for influenza in a given week, she said.
For the week of Feb. 1, 0.1% of cases came back positive. Since Sept. 27, 2020, 0.2% of all samples have been positive.
Despite the low numbers, Graham said there was not a significant bump in vaccinations for influenza last year. Stadter helped lead an effort to get more people in Milwaukee vaccinated for the flu in anticipation of coinfection with the coronavirus.
Vaccinations were up to about 40% in southeastern Wisconsin for the 2020-’21 flu season but saw declines in the Black and Latinx populations from the 2019-’20 flu season, two target groups for the efforts.
“We tried to figure out how to promote free shots and make it low-barrier,” Stadter said.
The efforts included community events at the Progressive Community Health Center, 3522 W Lisbon Ave., and Muslim Community Health Center, 803 W Layton Ave.
He said over half of the people who came to these events were not established patients with the health centers, a sign that improvement is needed in getting community members involved in local health organizations. The partnership also included directories for free flu shots in their outreach.
Stadter warned that the flu season was still not over, and COVID-19 prevention measures should be factored into our understanding of the numbers. He also said it is not too late to get a flu shot.
Graham said there are lessons to take into the future from this flu season, particularly in the ways that have limited the spread. Masking, for instance, is a nonintrusive way to slow the spread of influenza and this could be continued even after the coronavirus ends.
“These are really practical things people should think about doing every year,” Graham said.
In case you missed it
In year of COVID-19, health care professionals put extra emphasis on flu shots

author: Matt Martinez


text:
Post from Community: Forward 48, civic leadership development program accepting applications | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Committee
February 11, 2021
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.
Forward 48, a civic leadership initiative launched by the Greater Milwaukee Committee, Hoan Group, and The Commons, is accepting applications for its second cohort of 48 future leaders. Confirmed faculty for the spring cohort includes Jeff Yabuki, Mary Ellen Stanek, Ulice Payne, Rep. Gwen Moore, Cory Nettles, and Gale Klappa.
Deadline to apply or to nominate a participant is March 3, 2021. The program seeks a diverse group of emerging leaders in Milwaukee, who are committed to growing both professionally and personally within their community. Meetings will take place on Wednesday afternoons from 3 to 6 p.m., beginning March 24 and concluding on April 28. Apply or nominate by visiting www.foward48.com.
Forward 48’s initial cohort launched last fall with Thelma Sias, Commissioner Bud Selig, Dr. Michael Lovell, Dr. Jeanette Mitchell, Gregory Wesley, Betsy Brenner, Rolando Rodriguez, and Rich Meeusen. The initiative is focused on connecting diverse, rising leaders in the community with established leaders by creating a robust and diverse civic leadership succession strategy through experiential learning, professional development, and exclusive networking opportunities.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“Forward 48 is intentional in its approach to identifying legendary and emerging talent and leveraging the skills of each to promote healthy discussion, growth, networking, leadership skills, and more,” said Kristina Bell, Forward 48 participant and Manager of Diversity + Inclusion at Johnson Controls. “I finished the program with a new perspective, a wider network and an energy toward making a lasting impact in our city.”
Utilizing best practices for engaging virtual learning, Forward 48 provides: live instruction and direct engagement with the area’s top business and community leaders, advanced leadership skill development and toolkits to spur economic growth and civic impact, and access to an extensive network of mentors and trusted thought-leaders in Milwaukee.
Tuition is $2,000, which includes expert facilitation, up to four tuition scholarship credits that can be applied to MBA or Masters in Public Service programs at Marquette University, a free 6-month membership to the University Club of Milwaukee and the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, access to exclusive alumni experiences, and complimentary subscriptions to a variety of Milwaukee publications.

author: Greater Milwaukee Committee


text:
48-logo | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 15, 2021

created: February 15, 2021

author: Dwayne Burtin


text:
Post from Community: SPARC accelerator for small businesses accepting applications | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Committee
February 11, 2021
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.
Scale Up Milwaukee is launching its fifth SPARC cohort with applications being accepted from business owners throughout Wisconsin and the surrounding region through the beginning of March for the business accelerator program focused on Black-, Hispanic-, and woman-owned businesses.
Programming will be held in a virtual setting and is open to companies owned by women and people of color with annual revenue under $1 million. Applications for the program can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SPARCSpring2021. The program offers a great opportunity for business owners to recalibrate their approach to business amid the evolving economic and social landscapes impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as efforts to achieve greater levels of social justice.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
There will be 10 weekly classes from March through May, providing one-on-one access with program instructors and experts, with more than 30 hours of instruction. Businesses outside of the greater Milwaukee area are welcome to apply.
“All of this has me on a whole new level for my business,” said Charisse Cook, owner of CharVid Janitorial Services that participated in SPARC’s fourth cohort this past fall. “I valued success with profit, but now I see success in a whole different light. To know who I am and what I stand for with wisdom and knowledge is true success.”
SPARC has been instrumental in helping companies most affected by the pandemic to stabilize and grow.
“SPARC has been a great benefit to growing business owners in our region for the past four years. With the need and ability to go virtual, we’ve been able to cast a wider net and provide enhanced tools, partnerships, and resources in our curriculum. Our mission is to transform the culture of growth in our region. Elevating our Black, Hispanic, and women-owned businesses is an essential component of that growth,” said Scale Up Milwaukee Executive Director Elmer Moore, Jr.
Curriculum will focus on how businesses can pivot operations to a digital presence, remote work, crisis recovery and planning, cash flow, and use of government funding from programs like the Paycheck Protection Program.
The SPARC program has 93 alumni businesses that average over 50 percent increase in revenue. JP Morgan Chase provided funding support to launch the SPARC program in 2017.
About Scale Up Milwaukee: Scale Up Milwaukee, an initiative of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, is transforming the culture of growth in the greater Milwaukee area. We host impactful events and accelerators designed to infuse growth into every corner and help spread inclusive economic prosperity.


text:
We have another election Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know for early voting. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
February 11, 2021
Residents will weigh in on races for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, school board District 4 and 5 and a special primary for County Supervisor District 10 on Tuesday. (File photo by Adam Carr)
It may seem hard to believe that we have another election Tuesday.
But here we are.
In-person early voting ends at 5 p.m. Friday for the Feb. 16 spring primary, which features races for State Superintendent of Public Instruction; school board District 4 and 5; and a special primary for County Supervisor District 10.
Early voting is available at City Hall, 200 E Wells St. on the fifth floor Voter parking is available on Wells Street, just east of the building.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12
If you have requested an absentee ballot by mail and have not yet returned it, you are strongly encouraged to use one of the city’s ballot drop boxes. Voters can return their absentee ballots to the drop boxes until 5 p.m. Tuesday.
•Atkinson Library, 1960 W Atkinson Ave.
•Bay View Library, 2566 S Kinnickinnic Ave.
•Capitol Library, 3969 N 74th St.
•Center Street Library, 2727 W Fond du Lac Ave.
•Central Library Centennial Hall, 733 N 8th St.
•City Hall Complex, 200 E Wells Street, 830 N Market St.
•East Library, 2320 N Cramer St.
•Election Commission Warehouse, 1901 S Kinnickinnic Ave.
•Good Hope Library, 7715 W Good Hope Rd.
•Martin Luther King Library, 310 W Locust St.
•Mitchell Street Library, 906 W Historic Mitchell St.
•Tippecanoe Library, 3912 S Howell Ave.
•Villard Square Library, 5190 N 35th St.
•Washington Park Library, 2121 N Sherman Blvd.
•Zablocki Library, 3501 W Oklahoma Ave.
For more election information, click here.

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


text:
5 things to do and know the weekend of Feb. 12 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
February 12, 2021
Vibez Creative Arts Space, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave., is hosting a family craft day on Saturday, Feb. 13. (Photo provided by Vibez Creative Arts Space)
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday.
1. Free flu shots at the Mexican Consulate: Friday, Feb. 12
Ascension St. Francis is giving free flu shots at the Mexican Consulate, 1443 N. Prospect Ave., from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Feb. 12. Appointments and identification are not required. The service is available for adults ages 18 and older. Those interested can enter through the back door. In case you missed it: How COVID-19 has helped dramatically decrease the number of influenza cases
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
2. “Our Roots Say that We’re Sisters: An Image of Hope”: Friday, Feb. 12
Marquette University’s Faber Center and Haggerty Museum of Art are presenting a virtual conversation with mural artist Mauricio Ramirez titled “Our Roots Say that We’re Sisters: An Image of Hope.” Ramirez’s mural “Our Roots Say We’re Sisters” can be found on the south exterior wall of the Varsity Theater, 1326 W. Wisconsin Ave. The conversation will focus on hope and will take place on Zoom from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 12. Click here to register.
3. Family craft day: Vibez Creative Arts Space: Saturday, Feb. 13
Family craft day at Vibez Creative Arts Space, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave., is back. Craft day will take place from noon to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13. Craft prices range from $5 to $25. This is a walk-in event and customers will be seated as space is available. DIY craft options include magnets ,mini-flower boxes, flower bears, wood paintings and more.
4. Couple’s yoga with Embody YOGA: Saturday, Feb. 13
Embody YOGA, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave., is doing a yoga class for couples from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13. The class costs $50 for in-person at the studio and $40 for at home. Pre-registration is required. This class is appropriate for beginners.
5. Romancing the stars: Virtual Valentine’s Day stargazing: Saturday, Feb. 13
The Milwaukee Public Museum is presenting a special virtual program for Valentine’s Day. Milwaukeeans are invited to take a romantic tour of the night sky from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13. Tickets cost $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Viewers can also send in a love poem (limit is four lines or 50 words) to planetarium@mpm.edu. Winners will be featured in the show.
Bonus: Where to find Black History Month events in Milwaukee

created: February 12, 2021

author: Ana Martinez-Ortiz


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 11, 2021


text:
An NNS Valentine’s Day: After 30 years, North Side couple are still learning new things about their relationship | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
February 12, 2021
Venice Williams and Demetrius Brown know from experience that for a relationship to work, it needs a healthy foundation. (Photo provided by Venice Williams)
Starting a relationship can be hard, but maintaining a relationship requires real effort and work.
Venice Williams and Demetrius Brown understand this better than most.
This past year has brought them closer, while also forcing them to re-examine the strengths and weaknesses in their relationship.
“The pandemic has allowed us to take a closer look at ourselves,” Demetrius said. “We’re really getting to know how strong our relationship is and how strong it isn’t.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The couple, who got together over 30 years ago when Venice first came to Milwaukee, embarked on some new adventures this past year. Demetrius made the decision to retire and Venice opened a store in the Sherman Phoenix, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave., called Kujichagulia Producer’s Cooperative.
These two developments have allowed the couple to spend more time together, Demetrius said, both at the store and in Alice’s Garden, 2136 N. 21 St.
“During this past growing season, the garden became a place of safety and healing and hope,” Venice said.
The programs and attendees quadrupled, she said. It became a place to be where people could process the coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. The garden became an essential place for Demetrius, in particular.
“I think going through my personal transitioning, I really saw how effective it was to bring more community in,” he said.
He also learned how patient Venice is.
“Through some of my trials and retiring and changing my situation around, she’s been very patient with me,” he said. “I didn’t realize her patience was as strong as it is.”
One of the keys to their relationship is facing the challenges and the obstacles together.
“We hang in there,” Venice said. “We go through it and not around it. We pray together and we listen to music together. We back up a little bit. We can’t take everything as seriously as it seems in the moment.”
Venice explained knowing when it is time to take something head on and when it is time to let it rest is essential to any relationship.
“You’re not dismissing it, but now is not the moment,” she said. “We will address it, but right now, we’re going to back off and do something else.”
When there’s a challenge, the two discuss it and come up with a mutual agreement on how to move forward, Demetrius said.
Recently, the couple spent three days in Lake Geneva. It’s important to claim relationship time, Venice said, adding that it’s something they plan to be more intentional about in the future. This time next year, they hope to be in South Africa for a long-awaited trip.
Individuals should know what it means to be an anchor for their partner and what a healthy foundation looks like, Venice said. Having a healthy foundation and making one’s home a sanctuary filled with nourishment and support and a sense of belonging is critical.
“Understand what the foundation of your relationship is,” Venice said. “Be honest why it is that you are together and why you remain together. Keep coming back to that.”
“Make sure you want to stay together and what that means,” Demetrius added. “You need to know all the elements of what brought you together and how to maintain that to maintain the relationship.”
Read: An NNS Valentine’s Day: ‘There are no separate lives for us’: Love and service go together for North Side couple


text:
An NNS Valentine’s Day: COVID-19 has taught this South Side couple how to weather the storms of life. Together. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
February 12, 2021
Eric Kleppe-Montenegro and Kika Meráz had plans to marry in June but decided to tie the knot at the courthouse on Valentine’s Day. (Photo by Marcelo Martinez)
Eric Kleppe-Montenegro and Kika Meráz got married last Valentine’s Day after originally planning to tie the knot in June.
At the time, the South Side couple had no idea the pandemic was around the corner and initially thought they would be able to celebrate their wedding as scheduled.
Instead, they postponed the reception and adjusted to a new normal, which for the first time had both of them working at home.
“It’s kind of funny to think that the first year of our marriage has come and gone like this,” Eric said.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Eric, who is a filmmaker, DJ and photographer, was used to working at home. Kika who teaches English as a second language at South Division High School was not.
At first, it was an adjustment, Eric said. He was used to not only being in the house but to Kika leaving for work in the morning. But, according to Kika, learning to occupy the same space during the day has been enjoyable.
“Obviously, we sometimes butt heads over the dishes, but it’s nothing serious,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed being able to be here with him, and I wouldn’t want to be working in a job that would make anything riskier for either of us.”
The two went into the stay-at-home order with a good mindset. Their focus is on supporting each other during this time. Eric noted that Kika has been really good about handling the challenges the pandemic has unleashed.
“I feel like she’s really good at adapting and living with things the way they are and making the most of it,” he said. “She’s definitely taught me to keep a level head with everything that’s going on and to always stay focused on what’s around the corner.”
Although they each approach challenges differently, Kika says she’s learnt how to respect the difference in their approach. They try to analyze the situation together and work through a solution.
In a tense moment or argument, it’s easy to spiral down, Eric said, but what keeps him grounded is remembering why he’s here in Milwaukee with Kika and why he always appreciates her.
“Always remember why you’re in a relationship with that person and never take them for granted,” Eric said.
Kika added that it’s important to know oneself.
“Always make sure that you have a space within your relationship and that space is respected for you to do your own things,” she said.
Read: An NNS Valentine’s Day: ‘We never would have met each other if we weren’t in these organizations’: Activism is a common thread for South Side couple


text:
Post from Community: Local soup kitchen throws virtual Mardi Gras | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
The Gathering
February 12, 2021
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.
The Gathering is a local community meal program that provides close to 90,000 free meals a year to the hungry and homeless populations. The Gathering is honoring and recognizing its 39 years of serving individuals experiencing food insecurities, this coming Fat Tuesday, February 16, 2021.
“Last year was extremely difficult on all of us,” says Lyn Hildenbrand, Executive Director of The Gathering. “Our organization took a hit as our operations continuously changed and our expenses grew.. We wish we could celebrate our 2020 successes in-person, but the ‘big gala’ will have to wait until 2022. This coming Fat Tuesday, we’re ecstatic to virtually honor the hungry and homeless individuals we serve.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
On February 16 at 7PM, The Gathering is providing an interactive evening of raffles, music by saxophonist Olu Sijuwade, divination “psychic” readings by Kat Regan, stories from meal guests and interviews of partners at Running Rebels Community Organization, Feeding America Southeastern Wisconsin, Hunger Tasks Force, City of Milwaukee District 15 Alderman Stamper and more. As a unique touch, The Tandem restaurant is donating a Cajun themed dinner and dessert for some of the event registrants. The Gathering’s volunteers are delivering the meals along with Mardi Gras beads and masques to registrants the evening of the event.
Registration to attend the event is open through Tuesday, February 16, 2021. To register, visit: www.thegatheringwis.org
About The Gathering of Southeast WI, Inc.
The Gathering was founded in 1982 and over the years, has provided the community with a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner program that run throughout the week across four different meal sites. The Gathering provides other programming such as the Bag Lunch Program and Fresh Produce Preservation Project. Its Mission is to provide meals to the hungry and homeless population who would otherwise go hungry or without. The Gathering works with over 2,000 volunteers and serves nearly 90,000 meals in a fiscal year with only 10 paid staff members. To learn more visit, www.thegatheringwis.org

author: The Gathering


text:
TG_MardiGras2021_SocialPosts_1.12_2_FB | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 15, 2021


text:
‘He shouldn’t have had to die’: COVID-19 infects half of Wisconsin inmates, five times the overall state rate | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Vanessa Swales, Wisconsin Watch
February 13, 2021
CalvinJohnson spent his final weeks at Prairie du Chien Correctional Institutionwracked in pandemic anxiety, a former cellmate recalled. He closely trackedCOVID-19’s spread in and outside of the medium-security state prison— eyeing infection counts in surrounding Crawford County and acrossWisconsin.
Johnson,who grew up in Milwaukee and was affectionately called “Chicken,” wore a maskat all times in the cramped cell that he shared with three others, saidRandy Forsterling, one of the cellmates. Johnson, 52, lived with high bloodpressure, asthma and the sense that COVID-19 would kill him.
“Iwas given 13 years for my crime. I was not given a death sentence,” Johnson,who was convicted of armed robbery in 2016, wrote in an Oct. 19 request tomodify his sentence for health reasons.
MilwaukeeCounty Circuit Judge Milton Childs denied the request about a week later.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Johnson’shealth declined over the next month, and he died at a La Crosse County hospitalon Nov. 30. The cause: complications from COVID-19.
ThePrairie du Chien prison was designed to hold 326 inmates, but about 500 packedthe prison  during Johnson’s final weekalive. The facility has reported 413 inmate infections during the pandemic.
Half of inmates infected
Thecoronavirus has run rampant across Wisconsin’s prisons, infecting at least 2,153 staff members at adult institutions and 10,786 inmates throughout the pandemic — morethan half of the inmate population. The state has detected infections amonginmates at a rate more than five times higher than in the general population.At least 25 inmates have died, according to DOC data. John Beard, an agencyspokesman, declined to say whether any prison staff had died of the virus.
Advocatesfear more inmates have died; the agency hasn’t updated its COVID-19 death tollsince Jan. 7, and county medical examiners say determining a cause of death cansometimes take weeks or months.
WisconsinWatch interviewed more than a dozen inmates at seven facilities for this story.Inmates at five prisons said they witnessed times in which infected inmatesweren’t separated from others. And chronic overcrowding remains a major factordriving prison outbreaks in Wisconsin and other states, inmates and expertssay.
“Ifyou wanted to reduce the number of people in prisons — whether prisonersor staff — who get sick and die of COVID, the most effective thing youcould do is cut the numbers (of inmates),” said David Fathi, director of theAmerican Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project.
Wisconsinhas trimmed its prison population by about 3,400 since early March 2020— now at its lowest point in more
than two decades. Revocations — violations of post-releasesupervision — are trending down, Beard said, meaning fewer people areserving time for that reason. Still, the state’s 19,858 inmates as of Jan. 29 are filling facilities designed tohold only 17,609.
Inmateadvocates say Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, could alleviate crowding byissuing reprieves or commuting the sentences of medically vulnerable inmates.He has declined to wield those powers despite previously setting a goal to cutthe state prison population in half.
Ina Dec. 1 media briefing, Evers dismissed suggestions thatovercrowding made inmates significantly more vulnerable to COVID-19. Moreimportant, he said, was to halt the virus outside of prisons and block itspathways in.
“It’sthe issue of what’s going on in the community and in the state of Wisconsin —and in our country — that this virus is so prevalent,” he told reporters.“If we had 5% of the prisoners left in an institution, they’d still be gettingCOVID-19.”
Inmateinfection rates have slowed in recent weeks, and vaccines offer additionalhope. But inmates fear additional outbreaks, and families are mourning losses.
“Heshouldn’t have had to die like that,” Milwaukee resident Sherita Johnson saidof her uncle. “Calvin wanted to stay well enough to come home, and he nevermade it.”
Dangerous by design
Prisonsnationwide have struggled to contain the coronavirus. Compared to Wisconsin,most states have confirmed more COVID-19 deaths among inmates when adjusted forpopulation. But Wisconsin ranked 10th in infection rates as of Feb. 5,according to tracking by The Associated Press and TheMarshall Project.
Manyof Wisconsin’s prisons are poorly designed to keep viruses from spreading.Inmates in some facilities sleep in barrack-like arrangements and cells arecramped. Inmates share toilets, showers and sinks. Prisoners say air typicallyflows poorly through the facilities — conditions common in prisons
nationwidethat allow aerosols to remain in the air.
“It’snot that this virus is behaving differently in correctional systems,” said Dr.Lisa Puglisi, an assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine and expert inpost-incarceration care. “It is that the (correctional) systems can’t handlethe virus.”
Wisconsin’sDOC has adopted policies in line with many of U.S. Centersfor Disease Control recommendations. The state rolled out mass testingfollowing a slow start, developed quarantine protocols, mandated mask-wearingamong staff and issued at least three cloth masks to inmates free of charge.
“Thecurrent state of COVID-19 in our institutions is drastically different than itwas in the fall,” Beard wrote in an email. “I believe the work of ourinstitution leadership and staff in stemming the tide of this virus, even iftemporarily, should be recognized.”
ButPrince Rashada, a 52-year-old inmate at Fox Lake Correctional Institution, wasamong seven   inmates at three prisonswho told Wisconsin Watch that soap and sanitizer remained hard to access— or that sanitation was broadly lacking. He was also among eight inmatesat five prisons who said infected inmates weren’t always isolated from others.
“The fact remains that they put our lives at risk,” Rashada said in a phone interview. “I fear for my life, and I feel I’m going to die in prison.”
Withmore than 1,200 inmates, the Fox Lake prison is about 25% overcapacity. Nearly900 inmates there have tested positive for COVID-19, and at least two havedied.
Rashdasaid he began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms last April but was refusedtesting; Fox Lake tested no more than a handful of inmates until mass testingbegan in June, according to DOC data. Rashada later tested positive forCOVID-19 in November and now suffers headaches, kidney trouble, lost appetiteand fatigue, according to Faithe Wills, his fiancé.
Transfers pose risk
Wisconsinhas struggled for years to
fully staff prisons, and the pandemic has worsened that challenge.
Citingunderstaffing at Waupun Correctional, DOC in December announced it would closea cell block at the 170-year-old maximum-security institution — transferringabout 220 inmates to medium security institutions through the end of February.The Waupun prison still held 1,007 inmates as of Jan. 29, exceeding capacity by14%.
Correctionsofficials have sought to reduce the risk that transfers will fuel outbreaks.That includes suspending movement this fall between DOC institutionsexperiencing outbreaks, Beard said. The agency says inmates are tested andquarantined before moving between DOC institutions — or before arrivingfrom a county jail. The policy calls for another quarantine upon arrival.
Butinmate Matthew Schumacher says he went untested in December before moving fromColumbia Correctional to Oshkosh Correctional, where he says he was placed inbarracks-style housing and wasn’t tested for two weeks. That test came backnegative, and Schumacher says he hasn’t felt COVID-19 symptoms.
Morethan 1,800 inmates pack the Oshkosh prison, exceeding its capacity by 23%. Atleast 1,030 Oshkosh inmates have been infected — most of them beforeSchumacher’s transfer.
Threeinmates at Kettle Moraine Correctional Institution (35% overcapacity) told the Wisconsin State
Journalthat they weren’t separated from infected cellmates during a September outbreak— details that three unnamed staffers confirmed. Those inmates also latertested positive, the newspaper reported. The prison in Sheboygan County hasreported one death and nearly 900 COVID-19 total infections.
Advocates seek Evers action
Severalfactors are driving DOC’s recent population dip, including the agency’s
limits on taking inmates from county jails during the pandemic. Additionally, a preexisting EarnedRelease Program allowed more than 2,100 nonviolent offenders over the past yearto pursue substance abuse treatment in lieu of prison.
Inmates’rights advocates want more action from Evers, who campaigned on an
open-ended promise to cut the state prison population by 50%. But he hasn’tused his powers during the pandemic to shorten sentences or issue reprieves— a rarely used tool to temporarily suspend sentences and reinstate themlater.
Evers’administration also opposed an ACLU lawsuit — dismissed last April — to force releases of elderlyand medically vulnerable inmates.
“Whenthe pandemic hit, we were sure this would provide a really great avenue for thegovernor to release people,” said Peggy West-Schroder, a coordinator forMilwaukee-based Ex-incarcerated People Organizing. “But we haven’t really seenany movement at all on the governor’s behalf.”
When to vaccinate inmates?
Vaccinationscould slow the spread of COVID-19 in prisons.
Wisconsinis currently vaccinating people 65 and older. Corrections officials are alsoamong those currently eligible. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services on Jan. 26 announced that people in congregate livingsettings — including jails and prisons — would be included in the next phase of eligibility, tentativelybeginning on March 1.
Ina Feb. 6 email, Schumacher reported that vaccinations for inmates 65 and olderhad already begun for Oshkosh Correctional. And 69-year-old inmate RonSchilling told Wisconsin Watch on Monday that a Kettle Moraine Correctionalnurse was asking older inmates whether they want vaccines.
Republicanlawmakers oppose prioritizing other inmates. Legislation that
cleared a Senate committee last month would bar Wisconsin fromprioritizing an inmate before that person would be eligible as a member of thegeneral public.
“Ahealthy 30-year-old three-time murderer would be entitled to receive a vaccinebefore other at-risk individuals,” Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, said lastmonth at a hearing.
Puglisi,the Yale professor, said despite the vast number of inmates who have alreadyhad COVID-19, reducing populations until vaccinations are more widespread wouldbe wise as researchers still
don’t know the frequency of reinfection.
Butvaccines will arrive too late for Calvin Johnson. Loved ones remember him as ajokester who never forgot birthdays — even sending cards from prison.
Oldersister Jereldine Johnson said she hopes that sharing Calvin’s story willtrigger stronger protections for inmates.
“Ijust don’t want my brother to die in vain,” she said.
Wisconsin Watch investigations editor Jim Malewitz
contributed to this report. Wisconsin Watch (wisconsinwatch.org)
collaborates with 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.

created: February 13, 2021

author: Vanessa Swales, Wisconsin Watch


text:
covid_prisons_01_protestv2-1170×780 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 11, 2021


text:
covid_prisons_04_rashadav3 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 11, 2021


text:
covid_prisons_06_whitesidev2-1170×780 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 11, 2021


text:
covid_prisons_11_johnsonv2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 11, 2021


text:
Covid_Prisons_Graphic_12v4-1170×780 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 11, 2021


text:
Covid_Prisons_Graphic_13v4-1170×780 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 11, 2021


text:
5 things to do and know this week in Milwaukee: Feb. 15 to Feb. 20 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
February 15, 2021
Melody McCurtis of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges alerts a resident about the group’s drop-off. The makers behind “Metcalfe Park: Black Vote Rising” will be talking with the documentary’s stars on Monday, Feb. 15. (File photo by Sue Vliet)
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday.
1. “Metcalfe Park: Black Vote Rising”: Film screening and talk back: Monday, Feb. 15
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges is hosting a film screening of “Metcalfe Park: Black Vote Rising” followed by a talk back with Miela Fetaw, Marissa Williams, Melody McCurtis, Danell Cross and Brad Lichtenstein. The event will begin at 5 p.m. on Facebook Live on Monday, Feb. 15. To watch the film in advance, click here.
2. “Keeping Score: Everything You Never Knew About Credit”: Tuesday, Feb. 16
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Antonio Butts, executive director of Walnut Way, is joining the YWCA to help lead two personal financial management workshops. The first workshop will focus on credit score and is titled “Keeping Score: Everything You Never Knew About Credit.” The workshop will take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16. The workshop is free to attend. Click here to register.
3. “The roots of medical distrust in the Black community”: Tuesday, Feb. 16
“Frank Talks” is a series created by the Zeidler Group. This week, the conversation is on “The Roots of Medical Distrust in the Black community.” The talk will take place on Zoom at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16. To register for the meeting, click here.
4. Progressive Community Health Centers: Virtual Milwaukee gospel jubilee fundraiser: Thursday, Feb. 18
Progressive Community Health Centers’ annual fundraiser is going virtual this year. The group is having a virtual Milwaukee gospel jubilee to raise money for the center. There will be appearances by The Walls Group, Voices of Faith and Earl Stokes. Tickets cost $10 and proceeds go toward the Progressive Community Health Center. The concert will take place on Zoom at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18. Click here to register.
5. Scale Up Milwaukee is accepting applications: Ongoing
Scale Up Milwaukee is currently accepting applications for Cohort 5 of SPARC, a business accelerator program. The 10-week program aims to help grow Black-, Hispanic- and women-owned businesses. To apply, click here or email Elizabeth Cizinsky at elizabeth@sumke.com. In case you missed it: Business accelerator program seeks next cohort of minority and female business owners
Bonus: Where to find Black History Month events in Milwaukee


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 14, 2021

created: February 14, 2021


text:
PHOTOS: Showing Black History Month (and each other) the love | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sue Vliet
February 15, 2021
It was a day of love and history at Milwaukee Excellence Charter School, 4950 N. 24th St.
Students were brought back to the campus Thursday to celebrate both Valentine’s Day and Black History Month in the school’s parking lot.
The event featured Valentine’s Day decorations and, to celebrate Black history, cutouts of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama.
Students and their families received a small gift bag with candy and other items from teachers and staff as they drove through the school’s parking lot.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Milwaukee Excellence, which has more than 500 students enrolled in grades six through 10, has been conducting classes virtually since the start of the school year.
Bonus: Where to find Black History Month events in Milwaukee

author: Sue Vliet


text:
The NNS coronavirus update for week of Feb. 15: Milwaukee Walgreens offering vaccinations; new Department of Health Services dashboard; Kirsten Johnson confirmed as commissioner | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
February 15, 2021
A new dashboard by the Department of Health Services features breakdowns by age, sex, race and ethnicity in the state. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Here’s the latest update on COVID-19 in Milwaukee and the resources you need to combat it.
As NNS reported last week, Walgreens pharmacies across the state began receiving coronavirus vaccines for distribution Friday.
Vaccine appointments, which can be accessed through the Walgreens webpage, are now available. Locations are expected to receive about 100 vaccines on average.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Here’s a list of Milwaukee-area Walgreens locations that will receive the vaccine, grouped by ZIP code:
Walgreens, 1400 E. Brady St.
Walgreens, 1433 W. Burnham St.
Walgreens, 2625 W. National Ave.
Walgreens, 3109 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
Walgreens, 3701 S. Howell Ave.
Walgreens, 2727 W. North Ave.
Walgreens, 3522 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Walgreens, 4808 N. Hopkins St.
Walgreens, 7171 N. Teutonia Ave.
Walgreens, 2950 N. Oakland Ave.
Walgreens, 2222 W. Capitol Drive
Walgreens, 2826 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive
Walgreens, 370 E. Capitol Drive
Walgreens, 2410 W. Forest Home Ave.
Walgreens, 3233 S. 27th St.
Walgreens, 620 W. Oklahoma Ave.
Walgreens, 5115 W. Capitol Drive
Walgreens, 6707 W. Hampton Ave.
Walgreens, 6030 W. Oklahoma Ave.
Walgreens, 6442 N. 76th St.
Walgreens, 4730 S. 27th St.
Walgreens, 7600 W. Capitol Drive
Walgreens, 9040 W. Good Hope Rd.
Walgreens, 5201 N. 91st St.
Walgreens, 9100 W. Beloit Rd.
Walgreens, 1600 W. Wisconsin Ave.
The Department of Health Services has launched a new dashboard that provides more information on vaccinations in Wisconsin.
The dashboard features breakdowns by age, sex, race and ethnicity in the state. It can also be used to view specific data by county.
Counties are color-coded by vaccine distribution rates; a darker green means more people have been vaccinated in that county. With an 8.7% rate, Milwaukee County is in a lighter shade of green than most of the state, clocking in at 66 out of 72 counties in Wisconsin.
The dashboard states that over 11% of all Wisconsinites have received at least one dose of the vaccination.
The dashboard also shows some disparities in vaccine distribution: In Milwaukee County, 9% of the white population has been vaccinated, compared with 3% for both the Black and Latinx populations.
This compares about evenly with the state of Wisconsin, as 10% of the white population has been vaccinated, and the number remains 3% for both the Black and Latinx populations.
The new dashboard also links to another DHS webpage that provides data on COVID-19 racial health disparities.
“Compared to White Wisconsin residents, Hispanic or Latinx residents have 1.7 times greater case rates, Black residents have 2.1 times greater hospitalization rates, and American Indian residents have 1.5 times greater death rates,” the Department of Health Services website says.
The Milwaukee Common Council voted 12-2 last week to confirm Kirsten Johnson, former health commissioner of Washington and Ozaukee counties, as the new commissioner of the Milwaukee Health Department.
Ald. Russell Stamper and Ald. Khalif Rainey voted against Johnson’s confirmation, and Ald. Milele Coggs abstained.
Interim Commissioner Marlaina Jackson will return to her role as deputy commissioner of public health once Johnson begins. There is no confirmed date yet for when Johnson will take office.
A highly infectious strain of the coronavirus was reported in nearby Waukesha County last week, the second confirmed case of the “UK variant” in Wisconsin.
B.1.1.7, nicknamed the “UK variant” was found in a patient last week in Waukesha County. The patient has since been contact traced and placed in isolation. It is not clear whether or not the patient recently traveled.
The UK variant is spread much more easily and may also be more dangerous, according to recent reports from the United Kingdom, where the strain has been prevalent since November.
Dr. Ben Weston, director of medical services for the Milwaukee County Department of Emergency Management, said a recent study from the UK found the strain could be up to 70% easier to spread and up to 30% deadlier.
Weston said the measures for preventing the transmission of the UK variant are the same as COVID-19: masking, social distancing, sanitizing and getting vaccinated.  He urged people to take the strain seriously, as current trends estimate it could be the dominant strain within a month.
As of Feb. 3, the city of Milwaukee has vaccinated 59,252 people.
As of Feb. 12, the state of Wisconsin has fully vaccinated 213,571 people with both doses of the vaccine. The state has administered at least one dose to 669,396 people.
About 36% of Wisconsinites over the age of 65 have received the vaccine, for a total of 365,717 people.
Check out our Instagram primer
8 things you should know
Read our story here.
Read our story here
To obtain a free mask, residents can visit these sites:
NNS reporters also gathered a list of where to buy locally made masks if you’re looking to show some local business love when masking up.
Check the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s website for the most updated facts and answers to questions about the mask ordinance.
Look here for up-to-date statistics on COVID-19 in the county. More precautions on how to stay safe and information on COVID-19 can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
Contact your health provider, call IMPACT 2-1-1 or take a look at the county’s testing site map to find a testing center near you. The free community testing sites at the Northwest Health Center, 7630 W. Mill Rd., and Southside Health Center, 1639 S. 23rd St., are now open and operating. American Family Field (formerly Miller Park), 1 Brewers Way, is also open as an effective testing site.
For more information on testing, including how to identify symptoms and when you should get tested, visit TestUpMKE.com. Available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Burmese and Arabic.
For more information on vaccine distribution and where to find it, visit HealthyMKE.com. Available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Burmese and Arabic.
Check out our continuing coronavirus coverage.
Looking for more personalized direction to resources and information during the coronavirus crisis? Get connected with News414, a texting-based news resource from Milwaukee NNS, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media. You can text MILWAUKEE to 73224 and begin to receive free, personalized data via text messages.


text:
A community gem for many, many years to come’: How ThriveOn Collaboration plans to transform North Side | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Caroline White
February 16, 2021
CCOVID-19 has complicated the start date of the project, but the ThriveOn Collaboration hopes to begin renovating sometime this spring. (Photo provided by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation)
‘The Greater Milwaukee Foundation and a handful of Medical College of Wisconsin programs are gearing up to move into a new home together on the North Side.
The organizations will share part of the 455,000 square-foot building that was formerly a Gimbels-Schuster’s department store in a community outreach partnership they’re calling the ThriveOn Collaboration.
“This will be a community gem for many, many years to come,” Gregory Wesley, senior vice president of strategic alliances and business development of the Medical College, said in a video tour of the unrenovated headquarters.
The collaboration will be housed in ThriveOn King, at 2153 N. Martin Luther King Drive, near where the Halyard Park, Harambee and Brewers Hill neighborhoods meet.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
COVID-19 has complicated the anticipated timeline for construction at ThriveOn King, but the organizations hope to begin renovations on the $100 million project sometime this spring and are looking to open its doors in spring 2022.
Kenneth Robertson, executive vice president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of the foundation, said the partnership between the foundation and the Medical College began about three years ago when the organizations recognized their similar desire to work more closely with the community.
“The stars aligned,” Robertson said.
ThriveOn King will be home to the foundation’s headquarters and a handful of Medical College programs, including the Center for AIDS Intervention Research, the Institute for Health and Equity, offices of Epidemiology, Community Engagement, Cancer Center Outreach and the Center for Advancing Population Science.
In addition to housing the organizations’ independent operations, the foundation and the Medical College will work with Royal Capital Group, the owner and developer of the six-story building, to provide a space for community engagement.
The ultimate goal? To use “a range of strategies to invest in the health, equity and economic well-being of people across Milwaukee,” the website says.
The building will also include office spaces for other potential partners and over 70 mixed-income housing units ranging from one bedroom to four bedrooms.
Meeting people where they are
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is currently at 101 W. Pleasant St. in Schlitz Park. The motivation behind moving operations to the North Side, Robertson said, is to better connect with the people the foundation seeks to serve.
“If we want to meet people where they are, we have to be in the communities they’re in,” he said.
The ThriveOn Collaboration used community guidance and data to select five areas in particular to support through its work: housing, early childhood education, health and wellness, social cohesion and economic opportunity.
Robertson said that the organizations have made efforts to include community voices throughout the planning process, including forming a Community Advisory Council. The council is made up of 15 individuals living in the surrounding neighborhoods who are tapped to give input on grant-making decisions and other program initiatives.
Dalvery Blackwell, a resident of Harambee, has been a member of the Community Advisory Council for about a year. Blackwell has long been an advocate for her neighbors as a co-founder of the Historic Third Street Residents Council. The council formed to discuss the concerns of residents in and around the eight-block rectangle formed by North First Street, West Center Street, North King Drive and West North Avenue.
Blackwell said she is glad community voices are being included in the decision-making process.
Most recently, the Community Advisory Council helped the ThriveOn Collaboration decide which four neighborhood organizations would be awarded grant money totaling $30,000.
“For me, the priority is to continue to engage the residents so they feel that they have a voice and that they can contribute to this opportunity that’s available in our neighborhood,” she said.
Tell them what you think
The project’s community engagement team hosts two virtual office hour sessions per week: from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays and from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays through April 27. To share your thoughts about the partnership or to be added to the ThriveOn Collaboration mailing list, email communityengagement@greatermilwaukeefoundation.org.

created: February 16, 2021

author: Caroline White


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 15, 2021


text:
50906837306_ed48cbe115_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 15, 2021


text:
Causey’s Career Corner: How a yarn business helped her knit together a community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Damia S. Causey
February 17, 2021
Michelle Buckhanan in her store, Yarn Junkie and Gifts, with some of her cozy hats. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Michelle Buckhanan had no clue that taking up crocheting as a stress reliever seven years ago would lead to the opening of her own yarn store.
Buckhanan started crocheting during a time of transition from her 30-year career in the financial market. Happy with her newly learned skill set, she began posting pictures of her cozy hats and scarves on Facebook. As she became more adept at her craft, she started receiving requests for sets from her friends and family and her social media audience. Eventually, she found herself going to craft stores daily for supplies.
One day, out of frustration, Buckhanan posted a statement on social media:
“I put it out on Facebook one day saying, ‘I wish we had a Black-owned yarn shop in Milwaukee,’” said Buckhanan. One of her followers responded and said: You’re a businessperson. You should open up one.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Sure, Buckhanan had a background in finance, but she knew nothing about yarn, so she didn’t take the comment seriously. At  first. But she kept thinking about it.  She looked at the financials of starting the business. She discussed it with her husband, Walt. He gave his blessing
A space was secured right next door to their insurance business. Just 11 weeks after posting her wish on Facebook, Yarn Junkie and Gifts officially opened its doors at Lovers Lane and Silver Spring roads on March 1, 2016.
Yarn in many colors graces Yarn Junkie and Gifts. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Business was going well, and Yarn Junkie provided local crafters the opportunity to sell their products in the store. The store became a gathering place for crafters and creatives alike. Some people even had baby showers and birthday parties there.
A group of women, ages 50 to 83, gathered at the store for a crafting circle every Thursday afternoon. They’d bring their current projects to work on as they conversed with one another. Well, sometimes they’d craft. Other times they’d order lunch and enjoy each other’s company, catching up on news events and news about each other’s children and grandchildren. Most of these women are single or widowed. They began to look out for one another. If someone was missing, the women would call and check if their fellow crafter was OK, Buckhanan said.
Things were going swimmingly for the first couple years. So much so, that the Buckhanans decided to relocate both of their businesses to another building. In February 2018, the business temporarily closed to relocate and then reopened at its new location, 12527 W. Hampton Ave., in Butler, in April 2018, in a building they now owned instead of leased.
At the onset of the pandemic, Buckhanan was gearing up for a busy season of prom and wedding alterations and custom dressmaking.
Then COVID-19 came. The virus quickly halted Buckhanan’s business. But only for a short time. Within weeks, Buckhanan pivoted and began making masks. One of the first to offer them for sale in the city, she was able to make hundreds of masks, including orders from health care workers.
“I was making so many masks, I couldn’t even answer the phone,” she said.  Then as stores began stocking masks, things slowed downed a second time. Buckhanan was able to shift again. She began making custom hats. She joined several hat-making groups on social media and has customers in different parts of the country.
“In business, you have to be flexible,” she says. “And I’m speaking from a business that I have a passion for.”
Dolls made of yarn at Yarn Junkie and Gifts. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Buckhanan offers several tips to help new entrepreneurs shore up success:
And Buckhanan has two last bits of wisdom to impart:
“Only consider going into a business if you’re passionate about it.”
“Comparison, that’s your enemy. Don’t compare yourself to anybody.”
About this column: I will share stories of those who have taken a nontraditional approach to employment or an unusual career path. I will also list employment information such as job fairs, resource fairs and job training events. I encourage organizations to email me at damiacausey@milwaukeenns.org with career information.

created: February 17, 2021

author: Damia S. Causey


text:
50872827371_7223177821_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 16, 2021


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 16, 2021


text:
Groups, lawmakers push to ease expungement of low-level criminal convictions | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
February 17, 2021
Shanyeill McCloud of Clean Slate Milwaukee checks a man’s criminal record to see if he is eligible for expungement during an event in 2016. (File photo by Scottie Lee Meyers)
Shanyeill McCloud has heard countless stories from people who have been hurt by their past criminal record.
“If a person cannot find jobs even though they are qualified, it plays on their mental health,” said McCloud, the founder of Clean Slate Milwaukee.  “That negatively affects the role that person is able to play in their household and their relationship with their family.”
Clean Slate Milwaukee provides expungement services for eligible young adults who have misdemeanor or nonviolent felony convictions. Expungement is the process of having your criminal record removed,  or sealed, which can help eliminate employment barriers.
It’s a process that doesn’t happen often in Wisconsin, which has one of the toughest expungement statutes in the country.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
McCloud and others who’ve been pushing to reform Wisconsin’s expungement laws are hopeful that will change soon, thanks to new bipartisan legislation unveiled by Democratic Rep. Evan Goyke, Republican Sen. Alberta Darling and others.
“This proposal will provide immediate employment access for thousands of individuals who are looking to overcome their past and find success in the workforce,” said Goyke, who plans to help introduce the full bill, which has not been made public yet, this month.
The proposed bill would still limit expungement eligibility to individuals who have been convicted of nonviolent and low-level crimes. But it would change the requirement that an expungement decision be made by a judge at the time of sentencing. It would also expand eligibility to those aged 25 years and older, rather than limiting it to individuals below that age as the current law does. A 2018 report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum found that nearly 63 percent of all criminal cases in the state from 2006 to 2017 involved offenders aged 25 and older.
Goyke and others pushed a similar legislation, Assembly Bill 33/Senate Bill 39, in 2019. The bill made it through the Assembly and reached the Senate early in the pandemic, but it never came up for a vote and died there.
The new proposal now has more bipartisan sponsorship, the backing of the conservative group Americans for Prosperity and others, and support from several business advocacy groups, including the Waukesha County Business Alliance and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerceor MMAC, which helped lead the push for reform.
Steve Baas, senior vice president of governmental affairs for the organization, said the legislation is key to expanding the regional workforce to meet the needs of the economy.
“Expungement reform is one way to get people who are on the sidelines back into the game,” he said.
Another important change in the latest version of the bill, Baas said, is that it would add protections to employers wary of being exposed to lawsuits if someone they hire had a prior criminal record that was expunged.
“You can’t be treated as if you should have known if we’re going to make that information less accessible to employers,” Baas said. “It makes the process of hiring an individual easier.”
Individuals who have their record expunged would need to remain crime-free and would only be eligible for expungement once, Goyke said.
“Many have a conviction and are never arrested again,” he added.
McCloud said everyone would benefit from the proposed changes.
“We’re not talking about hard-core criminals. We’re talking about people that made a mistake,” she said. “We’re hurting our economic base because it’s one less taxpayer, and we’re hurting our families because it’s one less contributor.”
In case you missed it: ‘One thing can follow someone for a really long time’: How to get your record expunged in Wisconsin

author: Edgar Mendez


text:
Post from Community: UW Credit Union invests $1.5 million in Madison and Milwaukee to address racial equity | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
February 17, 2021
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.
UW Credit Union will invest $1.5 million to address racial inequities in Madison and Milwaukee through a new fund launched in partnership with United Way of Dane County and United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County.
The UW Credit Union Fund for Racial Equity will address the barriers to economic mobility for people of color, with a focused goal of funding transformational programming solutions in Dane, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and/or Washington counties. Specifically, programs that increase financial stability and improve educational outcomes.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“The UW Credit Union Fund for Racial Equity is an extension of our brand mission, “Here for Every You,” said Sheila Milton, UW Credit Union Vice President of Diversity Equity, and Inclusion. “This fund is about investing in our neighbors in a tangible, meaningful way. This includes improving the financial wellbeing and capability of our Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) community members.”
The investment totals $1 million for Dane County, where most UW Credit Union members reside, and $500,000 for the greater Milwaukee area. In addition to focused initiatives that address racial equity, the new fund will also support emergency grants totaling $250,000 across both markets. Emergency funds will assist with COVID-19 relief efforts for underserved communities and help provide a buffer against future crises, so that nonprofits can respond with immediate resources.
“The pandemic has brought increased attention to the racial disparities that have always existed in our communities,” said Renee Moe, President & CEO of United Way of Dane County. “Communities of color have been hit the hardest – our Black and Latino friends and neighbors are experiencing pandemic-related hardships at nearly twice the rate of the rest of our community. For over three decades, United Way has centered on racial disparities and the work needed to address inequities, but this level of funding and flexibility is a game-changer. And in partnering with our United Way Foundation in making this gift, UW Credit Union has set another example in how they creatively address community needs.”
Traditional funding models often reward well-resourced organizations that can spend ample time on funding applications as well as non-profits with existing financial investors. UW Credit Union seeks to overcome that dynamic through a simplified, equitable process that makes funding more attainable. In addition to opening the application process with a brief quiz to determine eligibility, the unique funding model shifts the decision-making to a community advisory board comprised of community members and representative UW Credit Union employees.
“Purposefully addressing racial equity should be a priority for all funders,” said Nicole Angresano, Vice President of Community Impact, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. “With this generous investment from UW Credit Union, we will invest in community-defined and community-led solutions to address employment inequities in ways that will promote economic transformation.”
Beginning March 17, interested applicants can apply for funding directly. Local organizations are encouraged to visit www.uwcu.org/racialequity in advance to learn more. While applicants are not limited to United Way agencies, geographically they must serve Dane, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, or Washington Counties. Beyond the monetary investment, UW Credit Union will support grant recipients with volunteer hours and financial education resources.
About UW Credit Union
UW Credit Union is a growing, federally insured financial institution and a leading provider of a full range of financial services to University of Wisconsin communities. UW Credit Union’s over 730 employees serve the financial needs of 290,000 members through world-class technology systems, and through a convenient network of 28 branch locations and over 100 ATMs. With assets exceeding $4 billion, UW Credit Union is ranked nationally among the leading credit unions. Founded 90 years ago by members of the University of Wisconsin faculty and staff, UW Credit Union continues to operate as a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative with locations in the Madison, Milwaukee, Stevens Point, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Whitewater and La Crosse areas.
About United Way of Dane County:
United Way of Dane County has been tackling Dane County’s toughest challenges for 99 years. With a mission to unite the community to achieve measurable results and change lives, we are committed to build a Dane County where everyone can succeed in school, work and life. Through strategic partnerships and collaborative work, United Way brings the many voices of Dane County together to find common ground and develop a strategic architecture for change, while engaging businesses and individuals to give, advocate and volunteer in Dane County. Together, we are The Power of Many. Working for All.
About United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County:
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our local community.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 17, 2021


text:
Post from Community: Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus applauds PSC for adding diversity inquiries to utility annual reporting | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Black Caucus of the Wisconsin State Senate & Assembly
February 17, 2021
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.
Public Service Commission Chair Rebecca Valcq recently announced that the PSC will begin requiring each utility it regulates provide information regarding its diversity policies and metrics as part of the PSC’s Annual Reporting requirements. Upon this announcement, Chairwoman of the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus (WLBC) Shelia Stubbs released the following statement:
“This is a terrific step on the part of the PSC to require Wisconsin’s regulated utilities report information relative to diversity. We have worked closely with PSC Chair Rebecca Valcq and her very capable staff on this important diversity initiative and look forward to collaborating with utilities that are interested in making progress relative to providing opportunities for African American employees and businesses.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“In the wake of the George Floyd murder, there has been a recognition by many corporations of the deep racial inequities in this country and the need to aggressively address long-standing problems of underrepresentation of people of color. The WLBC is focused on working with utilities to ensure that African Americans have full and fair opportunities to serve as board directors, employees and suppliers”
“Further, the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus is grateful to Governor Evers for his continued commitment to diversity and inclusion, which cultivated an environment for Chair Valcq to take this action.”


text:
50839942_397595560997434_9213527258847772672_n | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 19, 2021

created: February 19, 2021


text:
Post from Community: Young brother duo authors book to raise money for worthy causes | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Connie Davis
February 17, 2021
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.
The newest addition to a lineup of books that promotes positive images of children of color in literature is written by brothers Zion (8) and Zephaniah (12) Singh Ponder. Not only are the young siblings authors, but they’re also the co-chairmen of the social venture that will publish the book, Story to Tell Books. On February 11th, Zion and Zephaniah are officially releasing Selah’s Bridge, a middle grade chapter book that tells the story of a friendship between characters of vastly different backgrounds who face separation due to one of their fathers’ prejudices.
A portion of the proceeds from Selah’s Bridge, like other titles by Story to Tell Books (STTB), will be donated to other organizations, ones which foster positive images of and opportunities for children of color. Since 2016, the social venture has raised thousands of dollars for worthy organizations such as Running Rebels and United Way.
When asked about the main theme of the book, Zion said, “We wanted to show that we can get further with bridges than fences.” Zephaniah added, “It is important not to divide, but instead to come together.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The book’s beautiful illustrations are the work of Nilima Singh, age 12, who comes from a family of artists!
Selah’s Bridge can be purchased for $11.99 at www.storytotellbooks.com or starting mid March from online bookstores. Educators, parents, caregivers, and people who support children of color are encouraged to add Selah’s Bridge to their book collection.

author: Connie Davis


text:
promotional-designs-for-Selahs-Bridge-FB-Cover-small.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
February 11, 2021


text:
2 Milwaukee organizations win grants to address domestic violence, sexual assault | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
February 18, 2021
The UMOS Latina Resource Center provides assistance to women seeking help in abusive relationships (NNS file photo by Marissa Evans)
Two Milwaukee organizations have each received $125,000 grants from Advocate Aurora Health to bolster domestic abuse and sexual assault advocacy programs.
United Migrant Opportunity Services, better known as UMOS, and the Asha Project were both recipients of the grants. UMOS mostly serves Latinx residents, and the Asha Project mostly serves members of the Black community.
The grants come at a time when they are much needed. Rod Ritcherson, a UMOS spokesman, said there has been an increase in domestic violence since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He attributed this to the isolation due to the state’s “Safer at Home” order, which kept victims confined close to their abusers. In addition, stresses and loss of income leads to higher rates of violence, Ritcherson said.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Both organizations will address the issue with the funding.
The Asha Project
The Asha Project is a nonprofit dedicated to addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and elder abuse. The organization has been active since 1989.
Shawn Muhammad, associate director of the project, said the organization provides services to victims that include community-oriented programming such as sister circle groups, which are safe spaces for survivors to come together and heal.
The Asha Project also attempts to help abusers break their behavioral patterns: Its Ujima Men’s Program seeks to help men manage their anger and break any tendencies toward violence.
“In order for domestic violence to be eradicated, men have to play a part,” Muhammad said.
Muhammad said not all women will want to leave their abuser. Many just want to stop the abuse and do not want to see their significant other incarcerated.
“We believe in the preservation of the African American family,” he said.
Muhammad said more traditional organizations have a  “one size fits all” mentality and don’t get into the culture of a community. For example, he said, many programs may seek to get law enforcement involved without considering issues of mistrust that nay be embedded in the community.
Muhammad said the Asha Project provides an important stopgap so people can address their situations without getting involved with “the system.”
While the Asha Project maintains contact with authorities, he said, it works outside of the law enforcement system and provides assistance on a personal level.
“They say ‘If I call the police, they’ll kill my husband … they’ll take away my child … ICE will get involved,” Muhammad said.
The Asha Project gives these families another option, one that provides a holistic approach and understands where they’re coming from.
Muhammad said the grant from Advocate Aurora will be used to hire advocates for the programs, including one full-time and one part-time position.
UMOS
UMOS is a nonprofit organization focused on workforce development, child development and social services.
Though it began by concentrating solely on migrant farm workers, UMOS has since expanded to serve a wider client base. It provides programming to address domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.
Mariana Rodriguez, manager of the UMOS Latina Resource Center, said the advocacy programs are meant to be holistic, included things like crisis response, safety planning and a reporting system for instances of domestic or sexual assault.
UMOS also provides legal assistance in filing for restraining orders as well as transitional housing. Rodriguez stressed the importance of housing, especially for migrant workers who may have no other place to go.
Rodriguez said the grant money will be used to help fund these services, as well as increasing resources for those who seek them.
“The grant helps increase public awareness, fund direct advocacy services and strengthens our partnership with the Aurora Healing and Advocacy Services,” Rodriguez said.
One of the most important things, she said, is helping clients in the programs become self-sufficient so that they do not have to return to abusive environments.
“We develop a plan and figure out how they (the victims) will be self-sufficient after six or 12 months in the program,” Rodriguez said.
Ritcherson said that the programs make use of some of UMOS’ internal services to help clients bridge that gap. It has a food pantry and a program for those struggling with substance abuse, and it runs a jobs center on the South Side of Milwaukee.
Many of the clients that UMOS serves are migrants who are vulnerable for human trafficking and sexual assault.
Many take jobs as farm workers, located in rural areas where services in the city are too far to reach.
Rodriguez said UMOS has an advocate working to reach out and identify migrants who need services in those communities.
The need for these programs is increasing. Ritcherson lamented the fact that “you can’t go a day without” hearing stories of domestic violence, sexual assault or human trafficking.
“For too long, domestic violence has been a conversation that no one wanted to have,” he said.

created: February 18, 2021


text:
9 things you should know about Milwaukee Habitat’s affordable homeownership program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
February 18, 2021
Once accepted into the homeownership program, you will complete “sweat equity” instead of paying a down payment. (2020 file photo provided by Habitat for Humanity)
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct the timelines for response and home construction.
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity is now accepting applications for first-time homebuyers interested in building their own home.
The affordable homeownership program makes access to homeownership possible for low- to moderate-income families who often face obstacles of extremely high interest rates or large down payments from traditional lenders.
We talked with Jake Brandt, director of marketing and communications at Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, to answer questions about the process after seeing high levels of interest from our Post from Community column.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
1. What do prospective homeowners need to know about this program?
These opportunities are coming at a time when Milwaukee is in an affordable housing crisis, where one in three renters are spending half or more of their income on housing.
Milwaukee Habitat’s mortgage won’t exceed 30% of a family’s income. Typical mortgage payments will average $500 to $800 per month, based on family income and type of home.
2. How does one learn more about the program?
Register and watch the free, no-obligation homeowner orientation online here. The orientation will cover the requirements, benefits and other details about Milwaukee Habitat’s affordable homeownership program.
3. How do you know if you qualify?
The main qualification is the need for affordable housing. Which means you must be a first-time homebuyer with inadequate housing.
All qualifications are online here.
4. How do I apply?
After watching the online orientation. You can fill out an application here.
The application process is easiest when applicants turn in all necessary documents when they return the application. Here are the documents needed.
5. What if I have more questions about the process?
We find that most questions people have are covered in the homeownership orientation, so be sure to pay attention to that. If you have questions after that, you can email Mirella Reyes at mreyes@milwaukeehabitat.org.
6. How long should I wait to hear back about my application?
People should hear back within four to six weeks.
7. What do you need to do as a homebuyer?
Once accepted into the program as a partner family, you will complete “sweat equity” instead of paying a down payment. This means you will contribute hundreds of hours of work in the construction of your home and the homes of your neighbors.
This means you will get construction skills, home maintenance skills and financial education classes to help prepare for the unexpected.
8. Can I still apply if I do not meet all of the qualifications?
We encourage you to apply anyway. We are willing to help you repair your credit or anything else you may need to be ready when applications open again.
9. Anything else to know?
It can take from 12 to 18 months to complete building on a home. We have a few home designs we use, but homebuyers can help pick flooring, counters, paint colors and siding for their homes.

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


text:
50950268703_86f8a196b2_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 17, 2021