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Post from Community: Valley Week celebrates the Menomonee River Valley’s transformation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Menomonee Valley Partners
September 22, 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.
Valley Week, a series of 15 events from September 25 to October 2, highlights experiences that would not have been possible 20 years ago.
Before the Milwaukee community invested in the revitalization of the Valley, it was Wisconsin’s most visible eyesore and most people avoided the area and plugged their noses as they drove past it on I-94 or over it on the city’s viaducts. A train ran down the middle of Canal Street, odors from factories and stockyards intermingled, and there were few reasons anyone would venture in. Fast forward 20 years, and the Valley has created more than 5,200 family-supporting jobs, 1,000,000+ square feet of green buildings, 60 acres of parks and trails, and is home to three of the region’s top destinations, making it a great place to work and visit. Valley Week is a celebration of how far the Valley has come – and all the potential of its future.
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Each event of Valley Week highlights a Valley success story. For instance, the bike and scooter tour routes would have led through deteriorating vacant properties, but now we have a rebuilt Canal Street and Hank Aaron State Trail to cruise along. The location of Takeout & Tunes was, until very recently, a vacant lot under the interstate, but now there are native plants and walking paths, which are just the beginning of what can become of the new greenspace at 940 W St. Paul Avenue. Families would have been sitting on salt piles for the Outdoor Movie Night, but instead will be at the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum along a river that is seeing more and more recreation each year.
On Saturday, September 25, the Hoan Bridge will be illuminated in the Valley’s blue, green, and orange hues to kick off Valley Week and celebrate the revitalization of Milwaukee’s Menomonee River Valley. Menomonee Valley Partners, the lead agency in the Valley’s redevelopment, hopes Milwaukeeans will remember how the Valley looked in 1999, share a moment of pride at its progress, and get excited about its potential when they see the Hoan Bridge shining brightly with orange, green, and blue.
Valley Week is presented by Menomonee Valley Partners and Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. To see all the scheduled events, visit TheValleyMKE.org/ValleyWeek.
Menomonee Valley Partners is a nonprofit organization formed in 1999 with a mission to revitalize and sustain the Menomonee River Valley as a thriving urban district that advances economical, ecological, and social equity for the benefit of the greater Milwaukee community. Since then, more than 50 companies have moved to or expanded in the Valley, more than 5,200 jobs have been created, 60 acres of parks and trails have been established, and 10 million people visit the Valley’s recreation and entertainment destinations each year.

author: Menomonee Valley Partners


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September-25-October-2.png | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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September 22, 2021

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: September 22, 2021

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

author: Name *


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Post from Community: Virtual joint public hearing on proposed 2022 city budget set for Oct. 4 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Cavalier Johnson & Ald. Michael J. Murphy
September 22, 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.
During yesterday’s meeting of the Common Council (Tuesday, September 21), Mayor Tom Barrett presented his proposed 2022 City of Milwaukee budget. In the coming weeks, Council members will begin to review the budget and to engage the community in the process.  and Finance and Personnel Committee Chair  are inviting residents to attend the Council’s Joint Public Hearing on the Mayor’s 2022 Proposed Budget. The virtual meeting will take place
President Johnson is encouraging residents to watch the hearing and – if possible – provide input on budget priorities and preferences. “Input from residents is greatly appreciated by all members of the Council,” President Johnson said.
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Alderman Murphy said: “We want to hear your concerns and suggestions pertaining to the budget, and we invite residents to utilize this forum to provide valuable feedback.”
Residents who wish to share their thoughts at the joint public hearing can register here.
and registration will close two hours before the start of the hearingAfter registering, attendees will be sent a confirmation email with instructions on how to access the meeting. Speakers will be limited to two minutes each and those attending as a group are encouraged to nominate one representative to speak.
For those wanting to view the meeting but not speak, the joint public hearing will be televised live on the City Channel (channel 25 on Spectrum Cable and channel 99 on AT&T U-Verse in the City of Milwaukee) or via streaming video on the city website at www.city.milwaukee.gov/Channel25.


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How Amani’s newest ambassador Maricha Harris plans to serve community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
September 23, 2021
The Dominican Center, a nonprofit organization, has long been an anchor in the Amani community. (NNS file photo)
When Maricha Harris was growing up, her parents wouldn’t let her play outside.
“The neighborhoods that we were in faced some significant challenges,” she said. “And I have a lot of memories from that time in my life.”
But in those challenging times, Harris learned about the power of perseverance.
“I remember the resilience,” she said. “I watched my father overcome his addiction to alcohol and drugs and enroll in MATC, where he earned his accounting degree.”
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Last week, Harris, 34, assumed the role of executive director of the Dominican Center, a nonprofit organization in the Amani neighborhood. Harris succeeded Sister Patricia Rogers, who served as executive director for 10 years before retiring earlier this summer.
“The narrative we hear about this community is not an accurate depiction,” says Maricha Harris, the Dominican Center’s new executive director. (Photo provided by Maricha Harris)
Now it’s Harris time to lead an organization that is an anchor in the Amani community. And it is stories like watching her dad find employment to be able to move the family to a safer neighborhood near North 71 Street and West Hampton Avenue that motivate her.
“Those are the experiences that shaped me, and it’s where I find my passion and my drive,” Harris said.
The Dominican Center was founded by the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1995. The organization works with residents to improve education, health outcomes and economic development. Harris is the first executive director to not be a Dominican nun.
Joe’Mar Hooper, the executive director for Safe & Sound, a longtime partner of the Dominican Center, told Harris about the executive director job.
“She definitely has the leadership skills and the love for the community,” Hooper said, calling Harris thoughtful and deliberate when it comes to decisions and how they will impact the community.
Harris and Hooper first worked together at Milwaukee Public Schools. Hooper recalled how Harris led an initiative to get the Spanish-speaking players from the Milwaukee Brewers involved in the community. MPS had worked with local sports teams in the past, but Harris wanted to make sure the entire MPS community could engage, Hooper said.
Telling the complete story
Harris said she wanted the opportunity to work in Amani and the 53206 ZIP code. The headlines often talk about the challenges, she said, but there’s more to Amani than that.
“I know that the narrative that we hear about this community is not an accurate depiction,” Harris said. “There’s so much passion, so much love, so many amazing things that are happening here and I wanted to be a part of that.”
Before her current position, Harris worked at Safe & Sound for several months. She helped oversee Trini-Dad’s Child Development Center and had previously worked at Jump at the Sun Consultants, Mosaic Communications, Milwaukee Public Schools, Silver Spring Neighborhood Center and Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago.
Harris said her past experiences gives her an in-depth look at what goes on behind the scenes. She plans to use her knowledge to advance the work of the Dominican Center.
Her hope is to deepen relationships within the community and expand the Dominican Center’s profile and relationships with partners and funders.
“It’s important to me that I listen to a variety of voices, as many voices as I possibly can, and that we co-create the future of the Dominican Center and Amani United,” Harris said.
To Harris, the biggest challenge will be changing the way people talk about the Amani community.
“The perception and the narrative are definitely slanted, and I hope that we can tell a more accurate story of Amani and start to change how people speak and think of Amani,” she said, adding, “There’s so much passion and drive to positively change the community.”

created: September 23, 2021

author: Ana Martinez-Ortiz


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
September 22, 2021

author: Dwayne Burtin


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OPINION: Voter suppression laws and abortion bans are just the beginning. But to what end? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sarah Noble
September 23, 2021
Sarah Noble writes: “Every single indicator of our poor health and access to care can be linked to racism, which is synonymous with control. Having our freedom and being able to control what happens to our bodies are one in the same.” (Photo by Adam Carr)
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
I write these words with a heavy heart and spirit. I’ve spent decades of my life working for justice. I’ve marched, lobbied, organized, written countless documents and recited many speeches. While the work is necessary, it takes a toll.
That truth became personal when I fainted on the steps of the Wisconsin Capitol in 2011while giving a speech about health disparities among women of color. Moments before my speech, I had asked women of color colleagues to stand behind me. Television cameras were there, and I wanted them to capture our Black and brown faces — after all, my speech was about us. As the cameras were rolling, I fainted and other women caught me before I hit the ground. I was taken by ambulance to an ER and learned I had an undiagnosed health condition that caused my heart to literally skip beats. I also learned my condition was serious and I could have died.
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All of us there that day continue the work because the attacks on our lives are ever present. In fact, we’re going backwards. So much of our work is focused on the rights we’ve won and now lost. We have fought hard for the right to vote and as of June, dozens of states introduced laws making it harder to do so. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed six voter suppression laws just last month!
We have also fought hard for the right to control what happens to our bodies, but that fight has become even bigger. In August, a six-week abortion ban, with no exception for rape and incest, became the law in Texas. Most people do not even know they’re pregnant at six weeks. Many other states will copy this law and pass similar bans. We continue this work because we know and witness the harsh realities that follow these egregious attacks on our democracy and our bodies, especially among Black women, Indigenous women and other women of color.
We are in this work together because our stories are intertwined. Some of those stories are heart-filled like the story of Congressman Gwen Moore becoming the first Black woman to represent Wisconsin, and the tears of joy my mother cried the day Gwen was elected. For my mother, that win meant 79 years of waiting not only for the right person to represent her, but for someone who knew her lived experiences, because in essence, she was her. There are countless stories of triumph like this one — and there are still far too many that don’t end well.
Our stories include poverty, ones that shame us for having children and deny our right to parent the children we have in neighborhoods with quality schools, affordable housing, access to food, free of environmental toxins and violence. They include racism, sexism and misogyny that take the form of coercion, incest, rape and forced sterilization. And there are stories about us that read more like statistics than the inclusion of our human experiences. They are the stories of disproportionate rates of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, unintended pregnancy and lack of access to reproductive care, including birth control and abortion services.
Every single indicator of our poor health and access to care can be linked to racism, which is synonymous with control. Having our freedom and being able to control what happens to our bodies are one in the same. But we’ve always known we can’t wait for justice to be granted. We must fight to make it happen.
Our other long histories include our contributions to every movement, including abortion rights and reproductive freedom. We’ve always understood the intersectionality of every justice issue. It’s no coincidence that Texas enacted the most restrictive voter suppression law and the most restrictive law to control our bodies in the same week.
Their common goal here is control, and the dangers harken back to the worst of times. Not only does SB 8 ban abortion after six weeks, but it also allows people to sue someone who provides an abortion, helps someone obtain an abortion — by giving them a ride, for example — or even intends to do these things. The law also includes a provision to deputize everyday people to enforce the ban and give them a bounty of at least $10,000 per violation when they prove someone has broken this law.
We are seeing this happen in 2021 in a country with an ugly history of hunting humans for a living.
Even though abortion remains safe and legal in Wisconsin, the threat to future abortion care is real. Gov. Evers supports reproductive freedom and pledges to veto any bills to ban abortion. However, our state already has an old criminal abortion ban, which hasn’t been enforced since Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in 1973. After that decision, the Wisconsin law was never removed.
The U.S. Supreme Court plans to hear arguments related to the long-standing court precedent and could possibly overturn it by next year. If that happens, the old criminal abortion ban will once again become law in our state. That and the expectation that conservative Wisconsin legislators will copy the Texas law presents a real danger to our right to seek safe and legal abortions.
It’s up to us to stop this assault on our rights. Call your Wisconsin legislators. Tell them you expect them to uphold their responsibility to protect all of our human rights and to repeal the Wisconsin criminal abortion ban.
Regardless of where you stand on abortion, ask yourselves who is hurt by laws like SB 8. Know that with every other conservative strategy, there’s an end game — to take away our rights and have complete power over us. Voter suppression laws and abortion bans are just the beginning. Their wins are setting the stage to upend all other constitutional rights — our right to religion, free speech, to assemble, to be tried by a jury of our peers, to be protected against cruel and unusual punishment.
Together we can stop this. Our lives and our democracy depend on it.
Sarah Noble, founder and principal partner of BeNoble Group, has been actively working for justice for more than 30 years.

author: Sarah Noble


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Post from Community: MATC to Host Public COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus Sept. 28 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Area Technical College
September 23, 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.
Milwaukee Area Technical College will host a free, public COVID-19 vaccine clinic from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus. The clinic will be held in Room M605, of the Main Building, 1015 N. 6th St..The Pfizer vaccine will be administered.
Free vouchers for the parking structure at North 8th and West State Streets will be available, and snacks and wellness kits will be offered.
Walk-ins are welcome, but you may pre-register at www.matc.edu/coronavirus. Just click the sign-up button at the top of the page or click on https://tinyurl.com/pdhyuaxe.
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The Pfizer vaccine may be administered to anyone 12 years of age and up with parental approval. Vaccines are free, but please bring your insurance card.
“MATC wants to encourage members of the community, students and staff to get the vaccine to keep everyone safe and healthy,” said Dr. Josie Veal, MATC’s public health officer. “This is especially important as the more contagious Delta variant has caused a surge in Wisconsin.”
For more information on both clinics, call Dr. Veal at  414-297-8095.
Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 170 academic programs; and transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

author: Milwaukee Area Technical College


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Project RETURN Celebrates 41 Years of Serving the Formerly Incarcerated at Fundraiser October 16 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Project Return
September 23, 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.
Project RETURN is celebrating its 41 year of service to the formerly incarcerated at its annual fundraising event on October 16. Project RETURN has been an integral part of the racial social justice movement for more than four decades, helping men and women make a positive, permanent return to their communities.
Project RETURN considers each successful return of an individual to his or her community a cause for celebration. Thus, each year, the non-profit organization holds one large event—Celebrate the Return—to highlight the uplifting, powerful and moving success stories of Project RETURN clients.
Ray Mendoza is one such story. He attended his first Project RETURN Circle of Support peer support group about two years after returning from 17 years in federal prison. “I had the support of family and friends, but not of anyone who had gone through what I had—the amount of time or being as institutionalized as I was,” Mendoza said. “Trying to transition from a controlled environment to a free world with no controls was a challenge. I was lost for a while and began to think that the only solution was to do something that would send me back to prison, where I felt more comfortable.”
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Fortunately, Mendoza met some people who were aware of Project RETURN and its Circles of Support and, in 2018, Mendoza attended his first group. “Circles helped me to navigate everything I was going through and to acclimate to the free world. The experience impacted me so much, I wanted to help others the same way,” he said. He trained up and has been leading a Circle at God Touch Milwaukee every Wednesday evening ever since.
“It brings me a lot of joy to get to know the guys who come to the Circle, how apprehensive they are at first, and then, after 2-3 weeks, how open and willing and ready they are to release what’s on their mind,” Mendoza said, who also works as a Violence Interrupter Supervisor for 414 Life.  “The Circle is there to listen in a judgment-free zone.”
During the pandemic, the increased isolation and mental health pressure impacted the formerly incarcerated intensely, and the demand for Circles of Support increased. Project RETURN responded by expanding the program by nearly 50%, making certain a Circle was available every night of the week. During lockdown, all Circles went virtual. Now both in-person and virtual Circles are offered. Mendoza’s Wednesday Circle remains virtual at this time.
“We’ve just trained 14 new Circle Keepers and are planning to continue to expand our Circles offerings to meet our clients’ needs,” said Project RETURN Program coordinator, Amanda Smit. A Women’s Circle of Support and a Family Circle of Support are two new offerings that have debuted recently. Another group will be starting for registrants.
At the October 16 Celebrate the Return gala, in addition to testimonials from individuals who have been directly impacted by incarceration, there are awards given to community leaders who have made an important contribution to social racial justice and prison reform. This year’s award winners are:
The event will be emceed by Dr. Robert S. Smith, the Harry G. John Professor of History and the Director of the Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach at Marquette University.
The 41 Annual Celebrate the Return gala takes place Saturday, October 16, starting at 5:00 p.m. at Marquette University’s Alumni Memorial Union. For more information and to RSVP to attend, visit: https://www.projectreturnmilwaukee.org/celebrate

author: Project Return


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logo-2020-v1.png | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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September 23, 2021


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5 things to do and know the weekend of Sept. 24 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
September 24, 2021
The Milwaukee Diaper Mission, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and the Jewish Community Center of Milwaukee are hosting a diaper distribution event this Saturday, Sept. 25. (Photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz)
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know.
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. Latin dance lessons with Salsabrositas MKE: Friday, Oct. 24
Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is hosting Latin dance lessons. Salsabrositas MKE will be teaching the lessons. This week, the class will take place at 700 W. State St., Room M616, from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 24.
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2. Community diaper distribution: Saturday, Sept. 25
Milwaukee Diaper Mission, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and the Jewish Community Center of Milwaukee are hosting a community diaper distribution. There will be free diapers, food and live music. The distribution will take place at Metcalfe Park Rising, 3401 W. Center St., from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25.
3. Menomonee River Valley Week: Saturday, Sept. 25 to Saturday, Oct. 2
Menomonee River Valley Week is kicking off on Saturday, Sept. 25 and will conclude on Saturday, Oct. 2. The activities include a scavenger hunt, a beer run, a bike tour, an outdoor movie night, a blood drive and more. For the full list of events, click here.
4. Mitchell Park Domes: Mums, mosses and mushrooms: Saturday, Sept. 25 and Sunday, Sept. 26
The Mitchell Park Domes, 524 S. Layton Blvd., has a new floral show called “Mums, Mosses & Mushrooms.” This weekend, the show will be on display from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25 and Sunday, Sept. 26. The show will be on display until Sunday, Nov. 7.
5. Urban Ecology Center annual HKE MKE Week: Saturday, Sept. 25 to Saturday, Oct. 2
The Urban Ecology Center’s seventh annual HKE MKE Week fundraiser is taking place from Saturday, Sept. 25 to Saturday, Oct. 2. Various hikes and activities are scheduled throughout the week at the center’s three locations: Riverside Park, 1500 E. Park Place; Washington Park, 1859 N. 40th St.; and Menomonee Valley, 3700 W. Pierce St. To sign up, click here. The proceeds go toward the Urban Ecology Center.
In case you missed it: 8 ways to continue celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

created: September 24, 2021


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
September 23, 2021


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A count says homelessness has significantly dropped in Milwaukee. Those on the frontlines see a different trend. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
September 24, 2021
Milwaukee’s homeless residents often set up tent camps underneath the Marquette Interchange. This photo was taken in 2018. (NNS file photo by Max Nawara)
Although leaders have reported a record low number of people facing homelessness, those who work with that population say challenges still persist in Milwaukee County.
Each year, officials conduct the Point-In-Time count, which helps communities plan services and programs to address homelessness issues.
Volunteers, homeless care provider staff and homeless advocates conduct the count in one night in January by going out in teams to document the number of people they see sleeping outside.
This year, they counted 17 unsheltered individuals. In 2020, the number was 87 and the year before that the number was 114, according to data provided by the Milwaukee Continuum of Care.
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The Milwaukee Continuum of Care is a coalition of local agencies that advocates for people experiencing homelessness.
In a news release in June, city and county officials said the count “saw the sharpest decrease to date of individuals staying in unsheltered settings.” They attributed the low number to expanded street outreach, the use of CARES Act funding for additional permanent housing, efforts to reduce evictions, emergency hotel placements and allowing Clare Hall to be used for temporary shelter.
But the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty stated in a report that these types of visual street counts are often inaccurate primarily because people need to be seen in order to be counted and people facing homelessness are not always visible.
‘Hiding during the winter’
Eva Welch, the co-founder and director of Street Angels, a Milwaukee nonprofit that helps feed, shelter and advocate for those facing homelessness, said she’s noticed the same issue with the count.
“The Point-In-Time count only happens once a year in the middle of January,” she said. “People living on the streets are hiding during the winter.”
Welch said Street Angels keeps its own database to track people living on the streets, adding her group’s street outreach team has been seeing an average of 150 people a night.
In addition, Sister MacCanon Brown of the MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary said the number of people her organization serves has tripled. She estimates the sanctuary helped from 80 to 100 individuals each time it was open during the last year.
Another provider, Lyn Hildenbrand, the executive director of the Gathering, a meal program, said she saw a slight decrease in people coming to get meals in the beginning of the summer. But she added that number is now going back up to about 100 people a day for the group’s breakfast program.
All three women, however, acknowledge that homeless prevention efforts have helped.
Emergency hotels, which at their peak housed from 190 to 195 individuals experiencing homelessness a night, played a large role in achieving the lower numbers, said Rafael Acevedo, the grant compliance manager for the City of Milwaukee. They allowed shelters to comply with new capacity limits because of COVID-19 and provided space for people to isolate themselves when needed.
He said there are still about 100 people being housed in hotels: “Now the goal is to get people out of the hotels and into housing.”
Welch, Brown and Hildenbrand express fear of what will happen once homeless benefits run out. Many of these benefits, like rental assistance, have received and continue to receive funding that’s meant to last through 2022.
“We’re planning for the worse and hoping for the best,” Hildenbrand said. “If we’re already seeing more people needing us what will happen when all of these benefits stop?”
Acevedo believes that moving people from hotels to housing will be possible because the city has more federal funding to help.
“We have the aid to help people put down a security deposit and possibly a few months of rent,” Acevedo said.
“The silver lining of this pandemic was that it allowed us to make great partnerships with both large and small local landlords,” he said. “We got to talk to them and understand that they don’t really want to evict.”
. “You can support the organizations that make up the Milwaukee COC,” Acevedo said. These organizations include Community Advocates, Guest House of Milwaukee, Hope House Outreach Community Health Center and many more agencies.
“Talk to your local officials,” said Welch. “We’re never going to get necessary shelters if policymakers don’t know that homelessness is an issue.”
. Both the MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary and the Gathering are searching for volunteers.
If you need housing assistance, you can seek help through rent assistance programs being administered by Community Advocates and the Social Development Commission. You should reach out to the Rental Housing Resource Center, or RHRC, for other housing issues. Officials can be contacted at info@renthelpmke.org or 414-895-RENT.

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


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Dwayne Burtin
September 23, 2021


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NNS Spotlight: ‘Diapers, dollars and doers’: How Milwaukee Diaper Mission is answering the community’s needs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
September 24, 2021
“Diaper banks are powered by diapers, dollars and doers,” says Meagan Johnson, the co-founder and executive director of the Milwaukee Diaper Mission. (Photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz)
A few months ago, the Hmong American Women’s Association received a donated box of diapers for its community closet. The group, also known as HAWA, divided the diapers into packs of five. By the end of the week, they were gone.
“We started noticing more parents and women that have kids or take care of kids showing up,” Leana Yang, the outreach and education director, said. “And their high demand was, ‘Are you all going to get more diapers? Are you all going to get more wipes?’”
Yang knew that the group needed to find a sustainable answer to the community’s needs. Through conversations, Yang learned about the Milwaukee Diaper Mission, a nonprofit diaper bank aimed at providing low-income individuals with diapers, menstrual products, wipes and more.
After connecting with Meagan Johnson, the co-founder and executive director of Milwaukee Diaper Mission, HAWA became an official distribution partner in July.
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Seeing a need, filling a need
Johnson didn’t plan on starting a nonprofit. Initially, she was looking to educate low-income families on the benefits of cloth diapering.
When she struggled to find a local diaper bank, she reached out to the National Diaper Bank Network, which encouraged her to start her own.
Johnson, alongside her cousin Jessica Syburg, co-founded the Milwaukee Diaper Mission in September 2020. By October, the group had a space, 2612 S. Greeley St., Suite 222, and by November, it was distributing to local organizations.
Syburg initially served as vice president for several months and now works as a volunteer.
As of August, the group has distributed over 140,000 diapers and over 80,000 menstrual products.
While Milwaukee Diaper Mission is a part of the National Diaper Bank Network, other groups such as United Way, the Care Net Pregnancy Center of Milwaukee and the African American Breastfeeding Network offer diaper products to individuals.
IMPACT 2-1-1 received 212 calls for diaper-related requests from January 2020 to June 2020. This year, it received 107 diaper-related calls during that same time period. The organization referred individuals to agencies such as House of Peace, the Alpha Women’s Center, Women’s Support Center of Milwaukee and more.
The Milwaukee Diaper Mission offers both reusable and disposable diapers and believes in dignity of choice. (Photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz)
Dalvery Blackwell, the co-founder of the African American Breastfeeding Network, explained that part of the organization’s funding is unrestricted and can be used to purchase items such as diapers, breastfeeding supplies and more.
When a pregnant woman comes to a class, she is automatically enrolled in the program, Blackwell said. The network provides clients with a doula, breast pumps, diapers and more, free of charge.
“As long as they’re breastfeeding then they have a need for our services,” she said.
The group makes daily deliveries to clients and plans to set up a pickup system.
‘Dignity of choice’
The Milwaukee Diaper Mission offers both disposable and reusable diaper options to its partners.
“We do disposable and reusable,” Johnson said. “Dignity of choice is really important to our organization. We want to make sure that families have the option to choose what products they use on their body, on their baby’s body and so we offer as much as we possibly can to them.”
Johnson became interested in cloth diapers while pregnant with her first child.
“I’ve always been environmentally conscious, and it seemed natural to focus on learning about cloth diapers and trying them with my baby,” she said. “It’s also a great cost savings. That was an added benefit that I hadn’t even thought of either as someone who had never purchased diapers before I had no idea how expensive they were on a monthly basis.”
According to the National Diaper Bank Network, in 2018, the average monthly cost of diapers for one child was about $80. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a federal assistance program, can help families cover the cost of diapers, but that money is also used to help cover bills, rent, clothing, transportation and more.
While the initial cost can range, the average startup cost of cloth diapers is about $150 not including the cost of water and detergent, Johnson said.
The group relies on in-kind and monetary donations and volunteers. The group received $20,000 in CARES Act funding, which it used to spend on inventory. She noted that the group is always in need of size six diapers, wipes and menstrual pads.
“Diaper banks are powered by diapers, dollars and doers,” Johnson said. “Those three things were all hard to come by during the pandemic. As a small organization just getting off the ground, that was probably our biggest struggle.”
Packages of diapers and wipes are distributed monthly to various partners such as HAWA, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, Next Door Milwaukee and Maroon Calabash. Occasionally, the group does postpartum care kits and has plans to create menopause care packages.
“It’s a passion of our organization to support people in this season of life,” Johnson said.
How to help
Information on drop spots, acceptable donations and more can be found here.


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5 things to know this week in Milwaukee: Sept. 27 to Oct. 2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
September 27, 2021
You are invited to walk around and learn about Lincoln Creek. The public is invited to meet at the Bee Bus Sign, 4335 N. 35th St., at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 28. (Photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz)
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday.
1. Résumé and interview workshops: Monday, Sept. 27 and Tuesday, Sept. 28
Employ Milwaukee is hosting résumé and interview workshops this week. The résumé workshop will take place virtually at 1 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 27, and the interview workshop will take place virtually at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 28. Individuals must RSVP to join the workshop. To sign up, email Carrie Diener at carrie.diener@employmilwaukee.org.
2. Historic Lincoln Creek nature walk: Tuesday, Sept. 28
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Northwest Side Community Development Corporation and Nearby Nature Milwaukee are hosting a nature walk along Lincoln Creek. Local experts will guide the walk and talk about the creek’s history. The groups will meet at the Bee Bus Sign, 4335 N. 35th St., at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 28.
3. Free eye exam at the Mexican Consulate: Thursday, Sept. 30
Prevent Blind Wisconsin will offer eye exams for children and adults at the Mexican Consulate, 1443 N. Prospect Ave., from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30. Individuals may be able to receive financial support for glasses depending on their income.
4. Register for Milwaukee’s Data Day: Ongoing
Data You Can Use is hosting its seventh annual Milwaukee Data Day from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Oct. 20. Registration for the event is now open. Data Day explores how data can be used to spur action in Milwaukee and the importance of data literacy when it comes to making change. The theme this year is “Slaying Dragons with Data,” and the keynote speaker is Emmanuel Letouzé, the director and co-founder of Data-Pop Alliance.
In case you missed it: NNS Spotlight: Nonprofit uses data research to spur change in communities
5. Garden Homes housing rehab job fair: Saturday, Oct. 2
The 30th Street Corridor is hosting a housing rehab job fair in Garden Homes Park, 2600 W. Atkinson Ave., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1. The Corridor is starting housing rehabilitation projects in Garden Homes. Experienced workers are needed, but training will be available to inexperienced workers as well.
Bonus: First Stage annual ImpACT event: Thursday, Sept. 30
First Stage is hosting its annual ImpACT event at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, 325 W. Walnut St., from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30. This is an opportunity to learn more about First Stage. To register, click here.
Bonus two: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is collaborating with Historic Milwaukee for a second installment of “Neighborhood Gems: Behind the Scenes,” taking place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29. The free digital event, part of Doors Open 2021, will feature five-minute “lightning round” presentations from seven community projects, using multimedia and storytelling to share their backstory. You can sign up to join the event in Zoom or watch the Facebook Live stream on our Facebook page. You can also stream 2020’s Neighborhood Gems event here.

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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
September 26, 2021

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‘Neighborhood Gems’: Learn about the new Dolores Huerta mural and Quan Caston’s Chess and Art Academics Club | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 27, 2021
It’s back!
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is collaborating with Historic Milwaukee for a second installment of “Neighborhood Gems: Behind the Scenes,” taking place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29.
The free digital event, part of Doors Open 2021, will feature five-minute “lightning round” presentations from seven community projects, using multimedia and storytelling to share their backstory.
You can sign up to join the event in Zoom or watch the Facebook Live stream on our Facebook page. You can also stream 2020’s Neighborhood Gems event here.
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In the lead up, we’re publishing mini-features on the projects, including the new Dolores Huerta mural and developments in Clarke Square as well as Quan Caston’s Chess and Art Academics Club.
Artists Nyia Luna and GirlMobb hosted community events this summer to engage neighbors in the creation of their Dolores Huerta mural. (Photo provided by Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative)
Public art has blossomed on Cesar E. Chavez Drive in recent years and this summer, artists Nyia Luna and GirlMobb added an important dimension to that collection, creating a collaborative mural honoring labor rights legend Dolores Huerta located at 1247 S. Cesar Chavez Drive. Blocks from artist Ck Ledesma’s representation of Huerta’s iconic rallying call “Si Se Puede,” the new mural is the most recent project of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative artist-in-residence program.
This presentation will be given by artist Nyia Luna and Dr. Patricia Nájera, executive director of Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, who will share other developments taking place in the neighborhood.
Quan Caston first began teaching chess to Milwaukee youth in 1996. (NNS file photo by Andrea Waxman)
A multitalented veteran of community work, Quan Caston spent this summer working with Metcalfe Park youths participating in his Chess and Art Academic Club. Caston uses chess sets and dictionaries as tools to open the door for lessons in literacy, critical thinking, intergenerational relationships and more. The club was organized in partnership with Metcalfe Park Community Bridges.
Caston will give the presentation.

author: Adam Carr


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1 Huerta | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
September 26, 2021


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OPINION: We don’t need to destroy Felmers O. Chaney Correctional Center to offer a local alternative for Lincoln Hills | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Emilio De Torre, Shannon Ross & Molly Collins
September 27, 2021
We call for keeping the Felmers O. Chaney Correctional Center open because of the services it offers to men in our community. (Photo by Ana Martinez Ortiz)
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
There is currently a conversation about closing and demolishing the Felmers O. Chaney Correctional Center and using that space to open a Type 1 juvenile correction facility to finally deliver on the Legislature’s promise to close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth prisons.
We believe this is an unnecessary sacrifice that Milwaukee shouldn’t have to make. We believe that it is possible to find a site for the youth facility, in or near the City of Milwaukee, and that our community and political leaders can agree on a location that isn’t at the expense of another important service.
It is absolutely critical that we close the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth prisons. The children there need to be in smaller facilities, closer to their families and communities, rather than over four hours north, where they can’t receive the help they need. Because of a state law requiring the existence of a Type 1 facility, we can’t close that prison without opening a new one. But we don’t need to close the Chaney center to do so.
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The Chaney center provides critical pre-release services, with 100 beds for men returning to our community from prison. While there, people can get substance abuse or mental health treatment, find employment and housing, and be in a supportive environment while they get back on their feet. These are essential services and help people rejoin our community and improve their success and healthy connection to their families and neighborhoods, which makes us all safer.
More people in the Wisconsin prison system return to Milwaukee County than any other county in the state. The Chaney center allows them to successfully reintegrate through a variety of programs designed to produce successful re-entry into the city. This includes providing comprehensive fatherhood programming, family support within proximity of their families, interactive off-site events, public speaking and volunteering opportunities in the community, custom employment prospects and a variety of substance abuse and mental health treatment offerings.
One man currently there is beginning a career in computer automated drafting, which he learned during his sentence. Opportunities like this are difficult to impossible at other work centers, yet they are exactly what we need for returning citizens so they can have the sustainable structure that will make them not only refrain from crime upon release but also become assets and leaders in Milwaukee.
Both Gov. Tony Evers and former Gov. Scott Walker called for the closing of Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth prisons. The Wisconsin State Legislature has failed to put the appropriate money in the budget to create an alternative to this violent site that was found to be unsafe for children and adults, and that neglected to provide the necessary social or educational services for the children in the state’s care.
The Chaney center has long been considered by men who resided there to offer the best support for a successful return to Milwaukee in contrast to the state’s other facilities. To remove it in order to provide a safer and improved environment for incarcerated children is a ridiculous trade-off, and one for which there are many other alternatives.
We do not believe that Milwaukee lacks commercial or public real estate that can be developed into a more supportive and appropriate environment for our children. We do not believe that the Chaney center must be destroyed to offer a successful local alternative for Lincoln Hills.
We should not reduce the number of available pre-release beds in our community because we can’t agree on a suitable location for a new youth facility. We have to do better and serve both groups of people who need help.
Emilio De Torre is the executive director of Milwaukee Turners, Shannon Ross is the executive director of The Community, and Molly Collins is a standing member of the Felmers Chaney Advocacy Board.
In case you missed it: SPECIAL REPORT: A tale of two cities: How New York and Milwaukee approach juvenile justice


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
September 27, 2021


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Post from Community: 2021 Milwaukee Roots Dialogue Series | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Center for Urban Research
September 27, 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 Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach (CURTO) at Marquette University invites you to register for the Milwaukee Roots Dialogue Series, a virtual event series Co-sponsored by CURTO, the Center for Community Service, the Burke Scholars Program, and the Service Learning Program.
Join us on a virtual journey through Milwaukee’s rich history of social change. Registration is open though Friday, October 1st.
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author: Center for Urban Research


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Milwaukee-Roots-copy.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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September 24, 2021


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Post from Community: MATC Gap Year experience to begin January 2022, applications now open | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Area Technical College
September 27, 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.
Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and NEWaukee are proud to announce that applications are now open for the MATC Gap Year program.
The new program will provide an alternative educational experience for a group of 25 high school graduates who are taking a gap year before continuing their education.
Participating students will be led through a curated program that will include MATC hands-on career exploration, career exposure at local companies and network development with peers. The program will take place on Thursdays from January 20, 2022 to March 24, 2022, followed by a year of career mentorship and special events to fuel participants’ ongoing inspiration.
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Benefits of participation include complimentary transportation, complimentary lunch and snacks at every session, a participation stipend of $1,200, exclusive invites to events throughout the year, access to area employers and mentors, and MATC career readiness services.
“During these uncertain times, recent high school graduates may be evaluating all their options for success.  We are proud to offer this unique Gap Year opportunity in partnership with NEWaukee for those students who want more time to explore careers, discover their passion and connect to their community, ” said MATC President Dr. Vicki J. Martin. “This is an important option along the college-to-career path.”
Major contributors to the first year of the MATC Gap Year program include the Dohmen Company Foundation and Manpower. MATC is seeking additional funding to help scale the program. If you or your organization is interested in sponsoring the MATC Gap Year program, contact Laura Bray, MATC Vice President – College Advancement and External Communications, at braylm@matc.edu.
To be eligible to apply, applicants must live in the Milwaukee Area Technical College district, have graduated in 2020 or 2021 with a high school diploma, and have a demonstrated financial need as determined by household income not exceeding $75,000. Space is limited to 25 students. Students will be accepted based on the quality of their application. There is no cost to apply or participate.
To apply, visit matc.edu/gapyear. Applications are due by midnight on October 31, 2021.


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MATC.jpeg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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September 27, 2021


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Post from Community: New “Taste of Lindsay Heights” carry out cafe grand opening Saturday, Oct. 1st | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Walnut Way
September 27, 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.
“Taste of Lindsay Heights,” a carryout cafe featuring cuisine from local food entrepreneurs, will host a grand opening on Saturday, October 2from 9:30am to 4:00pm. The café, located at 1617 W. North Avenue, Milwaukee, is owned and operated by Walnut Way Conservation Corps, a resident-driven nonprofit organization which promotes work, wealth and wellness within the Lindsay Heights community. The Grand Opening includes a ribbon cutting with community leaders at 9:30am, followed by food and beverage samples, opportunities to meet food entrepreneurs, and order from the fresh food focused menu between 10:00am and 4:00pm.
Featured entrepreneurs represent a wide array of tastes and styles including Jamaican-inspired ginger beers, fresh-pressed juices, rum cakes, fruit dips, and much more. The café will have a regular menu and feature “pop-ups” for new entrepreneurs to test and promote their products. The youngest entrepreneur is Kyric Burt, 11 years old, owner of Kyric’s Lemonade.
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“The Taste of Lindsay Heights is part of Walnut Way’s strategy to help food entrepreneurs grow their businesses and offer fresh, healthy foods within our community. Customers will be delighted with the choices and quality of our products, made fresh by the most talented chefs in Lindsay Heights! We are also pleased to partner with United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Center for Independence on the workforce development components of this innovative project, ” said Antonio Buttts, Executive Director of Walnut Way.
The Taste of Lindsay Heights is an initiative of Walnut Way’s “Community Wealth Building” campaign to identify resident skills and assets and help them turn these into economic opportunities. Walnut Way is partnering with other tenants of The Wellness Commons, where Taste of Lindsay Heights resides, to offer workforce and employment support. Milwaukee Center for Independence (MCFI) is sharing kitchen facilities for chefs, and United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee (UNCOM) is assisting with café staffing through their Employ Milwaukee workforce program.
Participating food entrepreneurs include Poundcakes by Paula, GLDN HNY, Inc., Kreative Fruitz, Simple Snacks, Kyric’s Lemonade, Aunt Manda’s Beverages, as well as Funky Fresh Spring Rolls. The café will also feature other local talents in the form of “Pop Up’s.
More information on the chefs, menu and hours is available at  https://www.tasteoflindsayheights.com/
About Walnut Way: Walnut Way Conservation Corp. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit neighborhood organization founded in 2000 by Lindsay Heights residents to reclaim and redevelop the economic health and vitality of the community. In the years since, Walnut Way and its partners have rolled out a series of successful and innovative programs and initiatives addressing the neighborhood’s most pressing economic, environmental, and health issues.  Lindsay Heights is a 110-block, predominantly African American community on Milwaukee’s near north side and home to nearly 9,000 residents. Through its programs and partnerships, Walnut Way has built a national model for place-based environmental sustainability, racial equity, and wellness. www.Walnutway.org

author: Walnut Way


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Taste-of-Lindsay-Heights-Image.PNG | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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September 27, 2021


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Post from Community: Northwestern Mutual to provide more than $3 million in education grants throughout the Milwaukee community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
September 27, 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.
Deepening its commitment to closing the opportunity gap in Milwaukee, Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, today announced more than $3 million in grants to educational programs, nonprofits and local schools. The new grants support the company’s long-term focus on investing in high-quality education at targeted public, charter and choice schools in Southeast Wisconsin – investments that have eclipsed more than $50 million over the past 25 years.
“We have a core belief that access to a quality education, influential mentors and consistent career preparation lay the groundwork for a strong community and are crucial to life-long success,” said Ray Manista, executive vice president and chief legal and compliance officer at Northwestern Mutual, where he leads law and public affairs, including oversight of strategic philanthropy. “These grants will help bridge the social, economic and racial gaps facing far too many students in our community, helping them achieve their full educational potential.”
The company’s efforts to address educational disparities focus on supporting Milwaukee’s high-performing schools while building pathways – from kindergarten to employment – that will help close the opportunity gap among talented, yet underrepresented students. This year’s grants will assist with some of the most pressing needs that schools and nonprofit partners identify as areas for growth, including social and emotional learning (SEL), advanced technology in the classroom, alumni and family support and a strong curriculum spanning all three sectors of public, charter and choice schools.
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Spotlight: Milwaukee Academy of Science
As one of Milwaukee’s highest performing schools, enrollment at Milwaukee Academy of Science has reached an all-time high. Recent applications have more than doubled, and the school recently announced a capital campaign for a building expansion that will add seats for an additional 250 students by 2024. Northwestern Mutual is contributing $500,000 over a three-year commitment towards this effort to support an expansion of four high school classrooms, four middle school classrooms, three multi-purpose science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) labs, interactive and modernized technology and increased computer bandwidth capacity. The expansion will also improve the school’s athletic facilities by adding a second 6,700-square-foot gymnasium.
Milwaukee Academy of Science is an independent K-12 charter school with a STEM-focused curriculum that serves more than 1,350 students and provides transportation for students in 25 zip codes across Milwaukee. Of the schools’ students, 99% are African American and 96% qualify as economically disadvantaged. Since 2015,100% of Milwaukee Academy of Science seniors have graduated and been accepted to college, with many gaining acceptance to top-tier universities on fully funded academic and athletic scholarships.
“Northwestern Mutual has gone above and beyond as a partner with this gift. We are grateful for Northwestern Mutual’s recent support and leadership in this important area of education,” said Anthony McHenry, CEO of Milwaukee Academy of Science. “This gift will have an impact on 250 additional students at Milwaukee Academy of Science each year and our city overall in the years to come.”
Spotlight: Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC)
Through the support of Northwestern Mutual, as many as 375 local students will be enrolled at MATC – either post-high school or through dual enrollment – by next year. Creating an opportunity to continue to provide wrap-around support to the students in its targeted pathways after high school graduation and into college, the company has committed a four-year, nearly $700,000 grant to MATC, a complement to its established higher education partnership with All-In Milwaukee. The grant will support:
“Strong advising and financial support are proven ways to keep students on track for success. We are grateful for Northwestern Mutual’s strategic commitment in helping MATC to transform the lives of more students and strengthen our shared community,” said Dr. Vicki J. Martin, president of MATC. “As an institution where the majority of students are students of color, we are equally proud to have partners in our work to build and sustain the diverse talent pipeline for the success of the region’s economy. Through innovation and partnerships like this, MATC can best meet employer and industry needs now and for the future.”
Other grants will support almost 40 Milwaukee-based schools and nonprofits, spanning from early childhood education to post-secondary completion. View the company’s full list of education partners here.
Beyond disparities in education, Northwestern Mutual is committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, while also fighting racism and discrimination in all forms. The company has a dedicated task force, Sustained Action for Racial Equity, led by Chairman, President and CEO John Schlifske, which takes a holistic look at actions that will have the greatest impact to drive sustainable change. Locally, Northwestern Mutual also collaborates with partners to revitalize underserved neighborhoods and support prominent local destinations. Nationally, the company is focused on funding research to find better treatments and cures for childhood cancer, while also supporting families currently undergoing treatment and survivors living with the lasting effects.

author: Northwestern Mutual Foundation


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Post from Community: UW Credit Union’s clear account receives national certification by banking advocates as safe, affordable account | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
UW Credit Union
September 27, 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.
Today, UW Credit Union’s Clear Account was officially certified by the national Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) as meeting the Bank On National Account Standards (2021 – 2022). The national safe account Standards, co-created by consumer advocates, leading national nonprofit organizations, civic leaders, and other financial institutions, designate both core and strongly recommended features that ensure low cost, high functionality, and consumer safety.
Since its introduction in 2018, Clear Account benefits have included no overdraft or nonsufficient fund (NSF) fees, no minimum balance requirements, surcharge-free ATMs, and federal deposit insurance. It provides a simple, paperless experience to pay bills and make purchases through free, exclusively designed debit cards. There is no monthly fee for Clear Account when members use Direct or Mobile Deposit. Otherwise, there is a low $5 fee per month.
“We’re thrilled that our Clear Account has earned national Bank On account certification,” said UW Credit Union President & CEO Paul Kundert. “Since UW Credit Union’s inception 90 years ago, we’ve been on a steady path to creating more equitable, accessible banking. We amplified that in 2018, when we first introduced our Clear, Launch and Encore accounts and then again, this summer, by reducing all overdraft/NSF fees for our other accounts to just $5. While we’re motivated by this progress, we recognize that the financial industry has a long road ahead to curbing inequities.”’
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The goal of Bank On is to ensure that everyone has access to safe and affordable financial products and services. The Bank On National Account Standards identify critical product features for appropriate bank or credit union accounts, making it easier for local coalitions across the country to connect consumers to accounts that meet their needs.
“UW Credit Union offers consumers who are looking to improve their finances a safe, affordable, and truly useful mainstream banking product,” said Jonathan Mintz, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund. “This is especially important during COVID-19, as consumers need to access and manage their money both affordably and safely. The Clear Account brings UW Credit Union into the forefront of national banking access efforts, and we thank them.”
Accounts that meet Bank On National Account Standards are now available at over 33,600 branches in all 50 states and Washington, DC; financial institutions with Bank On certified accounts already comprise over 52% of the national deposit market share. Clear Account can be opened online or in every one of UW Credit Union’s 29 branches across Wisconsin. Over 115 other financial institutions with Bank On certified accounts are available across the country. Data collected by the CFE Fund in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis through Bank On’s national reporting platform shows that these accounts are meeting consumers’ needs; since their offering, millions of consumers have opened Bank On certified accounts, with approximately three quarters of them opened by consumers new to the financial institutions.
“UW Credit Union’s new certification status for its Clear Account helps to expand banking options and access for financially vulnerable families,” said Constance Alberts, Bank On Greater Milwaukee program. “We’re excited about our continued partnership and pleased to see UW Credit Union’s ongoing efforts to see banking through an equity lens. Trusted financial partners are critical to overcoming longstanding challenges and trust issues that plague so many of today’s families.”
The CFE Fund leads the national Bank On movement, supporting 85 local coalitions working to connect individuals and families to the financial mainstream through partnerships between governments, financial institutions, and community organizations.
To learn more about UW Credit Union’s Clear Account, click here. To learn more about Bank On and the National Account Standards click here, or follow the conversation on Twitter @CFEfund #BankOn.
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 more than 800 employees serve the financial needs of more than 300,000 members through world-class technology systems, and through a convenient network of 29 branch locations and over 100 ATMs. With assets exceeding $4.6 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 the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund)
The CFE Fund supports municipal efforts to improve the financial stability of households by leveraging opportunities unique to local government. By translating cutting edge experience with large scale programs, research, and policy in cities of all sizes, the CFE Fund assists mayors and other local leaders to identify, develop, fund, implement, and research pilots and programs that help families build assets and make the most of their financial resources. The CFE Fund is currently working in over 100 cities and counties, and has disbursed over $52 million to local governments and their partners to support these efforts. For more information, please visit www.cfefund.org or follow us on Twitter at @CFEFund.
About Bank On
Bank On coalitions are locally-led partnerships between local public officials; city, state, and federal government agencies; financial institutions; and community organizations that work together to help improve the financial stability of unbanked and underbanked individuals and families in their communities. The Bank On national initiative builds on a grassroots movement of over 85 coalitions in cities across the country, offering national account standards, capacity grant support, pilot funding, and a learning community. In addition to connecting unbanked individuals to accounts, Bank On programs raise public awareness, target outreach to the unbanked, and expand access to financial education. Visit www.cfefund.org/bankon for more information, or follow the conversation on Twitter @CFEFund #BankOn.

author: UW Credit Union


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IMG_6996.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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September 24, 2021


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‘Neighborhood Gems’: Learn about the Innovation & Wellness Commons: Phase II and Newline Community Cafe | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 28, 2021
It’s back!
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is collaborating with Historic Milwaukee for a second installment of “Neighborhood Gems: Behind the Scenes,” taking place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29.
The free digital event, part of Doors Open 2021, will feature five-minute “lightning round” presentations from seven community projects, using multimedia and storytelling to share their backstory.
You can sign up to join the event in Zoom or watch the Facebook Live stream on our Facebook page. You can also stream 2020’s Neighborhood Gems event here.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
In the lead up, we’re publishing mini-features on the projects, including the Innovation & Wellness Commons: Phase II and Newline Community Café.
The Innovations & Wellness Commons: Phase II features a 2,000 square foot rooftop terrace that overlooks North Avenue. (Photo provided by Walnut Way)
Innovations & Wellness Commons: Phase II
Building on the first phase completed in 2015, the second phase of the Innovations & Wellness Commons (1609 W. North Ave.) continues Walnut Way Conservation Corp’s major investment on North Avenue. Equipped with cutting edge green technology, the building is designed to meet community health needs, stimulate economic growth and strengthen social connectivity. Current and future tenants include community organizations working in mental health counseling, nutrition, recovery and more.
This presentation will be given by Antonio Butts, executive director of Walnut Way Conservation Corp.
Students from Escuela Verde are training to work as baristas at Newline Community Café, which is located next door to their school. (Photo provided by Newline Community Café)
Newline Community Cafe
Newline Community Cafe (3618 W. Pierce St.) is a coffee shop and community event space run by students and staff of Escuela Verde, a charter high school in the Silver City neighborhood. Formerly Velobahn Cycle and Coffee, the cafe opened in June. The school-based enterprise is a vehicle for classroom assignments and workshops, with students earning credit — and eventually income — as they take on the operations of the business.
This presentation will be given by student baristas of Newline Community Cafe as well as advisers Jeremy Ault and Sarah Luther.

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2 Commons | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
September 27, 2021


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2 Newline | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
September 27, 2021


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Post from Community: Exposed to Scams: Can challenging consumers’ beliefs protect them from fraud? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wisconsin Better Business Bureau
September 28, 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.
New findings from a two-year study bring researchers closer to understanding why some people are more likely to lose money to financial fraud.
The FINRA Investor Education Foundation (FINRA Foundation), Better Business Bureau (BBB) Institute for Marketplace Trust, and the University of Minnesota completed the study, Exposed to Scams: Can Challenging Consumers’ Beliefs Protect Them from Fraud?, in advance of World Investor Week, October 4-10, 2021.
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Link to download the report
Link to download the infographic
Investigators found that the attitudes and beliefs shaping the ways study participants looked at the world—known as “mental frames”—may have influenced the way they reacted to scams.
Specifically, researchers propose that mental frames governing compliance, opportunity, intelligence, and order may have affected the way that interviewees interpreted what scammers told them. Individuals were more likely to lose money if they believed that:
Study participants were identified from a pool of people who filed reports with BBB Scam Tracker℠, an online fraud reporting tool offered by the Better Business Bureau. Researchers from Metro Tribal, LLC, an ethnographic-based social insight firm, conducted in-depth interviews that yielded key insights.
The researchers spoke with 17 people who were targeted by scammers. In recorded interviews, some participants explained how scammers reached out with promises of easy money or lucrative investments. Others described receiving phone calls from fraudsters posing as IRS agents and demanding payment of back taxes. Researchers also interviewed two young men who worked from an overseas call center to defraud hundreds of people using the IRS scam. Details of their activities and tactics, described in their own words, are included in the report.
“Exposed to Scams is an important addition to BBB Institute’s library of fraud research, encouraging us to learn how our mental frames could potentially impact our scam risk,” said Mel Trumpower, executive director, BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust.
A related quantitative study, Exposed to Scams: What Separates Victims from Non-Victims?, was released in September 2019. These studies offer vital insights for policymakers, financial institutions, law enforcement officials, and others who seek to protect investors and the public from financial scams.
For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

author: Wisconsin Better Business Bureau


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BBB-logo-2.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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September 28, 2021


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Post from Community: First Stage’s Amplify – BIPOC Short Play Series continues this fall with STEP KIDS | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
First Stage
September 28, 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 second play in First Stage’s fall 2021 Amplify –BIPOC Short Play Series will be STEP KIDS, a new one-act musical by Tyrone L. Robinson and Postell Pringle with orchestrations by Wilkie Ferguson and drums by Deonte Malique Ellis. The production will be directed and choreographed by Christopher Gilbert, a popular Milwaukee dancer, choreographer and First Stage Theater Academy Teaching Artist. Christopher will be making his directorial debut with this production. In STEP KIDS, a group of seemingly unconnected high school students find common ground in the most unlikely of places – the audition for their school’s competitive step dance team. As the students become unified through the power of rhythm and dance, they experience the joy of finding their tribe in this energetic performance. The Amplify series is sponsored by Children’s Wisconsin. This project is also supported in part by a grant from the Milwaukee Arts Board and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin. Suggested for families with young people ages 10+.
Director/Choreographer Christopher Gilbert had this to say about the Amplify production he is directing: “STEP KIDS is about a group of kids who represent different pockets of the city, but in general society – some LGBT, some disabled. It’s their moment to be seen – they’ve always felt that they have been stepped over, so now it’s their time to step up and be seen. It’s about highlighting their greatness, which is just as unique as anyone else’s. Nobody can be you on their best day and even you on your worst day!”
STEP KIDS is free to stream on demand on First Stage’s YouTube channel and premieres on Monday, October 11 at 7 p.m. It will stream October 11 – December 5, 2021. For more information about STEP KIDS, please go to: firststage.org/events-tickets/2021-22-season/amplify-bipoc-short-play-series/
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STEP KIDS will also be performed in-person for free for a limited number of performances with limited seating. Limited capacity live performances at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center will be held on Saturday, October 2 at 4 p.m. & 7 p.m.and Sunday, October 3 at 1 p.m. & 4 p.m.  (Please note: The performance on Saturday, October 2 at 4 p.m. is sold out.) To reserve tickets to the in-person performances, please visit: firststage.org/events-tickets/2021-22-season/amplify-bipoc-short-play-series/
The Amplify series first launched in the spring of 2021 and begins its second season this fall. In this new series, three short plays have been created by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) playwrights that center on the young person’s point of view, amplifying the voices of these artists and young people throughout the Milwaukee community.
First Stage has had a long history of age-appropriate casting and of centering its work on the young person’s point of view. Understanding the power of connection that young people feel when they see themselves and their stories on stage, the organization is excited to continue this series featuring newly commissioned work from noted BIPOC playwrights and directors. First Stage’s commitment to commissioning work by Black, Indigenous and People of Color whose voices offer the organization an opportunity to expand its artistic horizons and develop its audience’s perspective.
Artistic Director Jeff Frank commented on the next installment of the Amplify series: “I am thrilled that First Stage is able to offer the second season of our Amplify series. Each of these productions features the work of a national playwright using their voice to lift those of the young people of Milwaukee. Connecting these remarkable writers with our amazing young people and witnessing them all working together to create powerful plays that speak with authenticity has been an amazing experience. We can’t wait to share their work with First Stage audiences.”
BIOGRAPHIES
Tyrone L. Robison (Playwright) is an actor and writer. Recent directing credits include: OWEN AND MZEE (tour) for Vital Theatre Company in New York, resident director at Actor Screener Shoot in New York City, and the short film Un{H}armed, which was an official selection of film festivals nationwide. Upcoming: THIS BITTER EARTH by Harrison David Rivers at InterAct Theatre Company (Philadelphia), WHITE ALLY (reading) by Douglas Williams at Bristol Riverside Theatre (PA) and a remount of OWEN AND MZEE for Vital Theatre Company which will run in New York City and on tour (Spring 2022). Awards/Honors: Joseph Jefferson Award, ASCAP Frederick Loewe Award, Off-Broadway Alliance Award (nominee) and Evelyn Russell Layton Award.  Selected Writing: SHOW WAY at Vital Theatre Company (New York – Off Broadway Alliance Award nominee); BLISS at New York’s Public Theatre (Emerging Writer’s Group reading starring Andre DeShields and Daphne Rubin-Vega); short film screenplay Overrated (Winner Action On Film MEGAFEST/Script Summit Screenplay Contest for Best Short/Web Series) and Chris Rock’s Comedy Central Network Television Writing Programs. Recent Writing Commissions: TheatreWorks USA, Children’s Theatre Charlotte, First Stage and The Kennedy Center. M.F.A. NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Postell Pringle (Composer) is a seasoned 20-year veteran of the stage, the lens, the pen and the microphone . . . and he’s just warming up. A critically-acclaimed performance artist, Pos takes a multi-disciplined approach to art. Based solely on an urge to fuse a love of stagecraft, visual and oral storytelling, folklore and hip hop music. Just as David Chang flips a southeast Asian noodle dish using NYC street cart ingredients, Pos is dedicated to creating new works by breathing life into a dusty, old cannon. The result: a transportive, historically rich, delicious trip. Family-style. No reservations necessary. He’s an actor, performer, rapper, music producer, playwright and occasional director and choreographer. He hails from Decatur, GA. He resides in ‘do or die’ Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn NY.
Wilkie Ferguson (Orchestrator) is a Broadway veteran, a native of Miami, Florida and a graduate of New World School of the Arts. Having studied mathematics at Morehouse College, and classical piano performance at Eastman School of Music, his first job after college was assistant director/piano accompanist/music theory instructor on the faculty of the Boys’ Choir of Harlem, where he had the privilege of working with some of the most talented young voices imaginable. In addition to being a classical pianist, Ferguson has also worked as a professional singer, dancer and actor. He was a part of the original broadway casts of the Tony Award- winning THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL and WONDERLAND and has toured with IN THE HEIGHTS, HAIRSPRAY and DREAMGIRLS. As a film composer, Wilkie’s work can be heard in Parrotheads, the documentary of Jimmy Buffet’s fan club, currently the number one documentary on iTunes. Wilkie is the creator and orchestrator of Take On Me and Hip Hop Musicals. Take On Me is an original ’80s pop musical revue, featuring jazz arrangements and a live big band, which has enjoyed critical acclaim and sold out runs in Los Angeles and South Florida. Visit takeonmemusical.com for more info.
Christopher Gilbert (Director/Choreographer) is a First Stage Theater Academy Teacher, Director and Choreographer. He is from the north side of Milwaukee and began teaching his own dance classes by age 14. His first introduction to the industry was acting and dancing with the Nickelodeon show Yo Gabba Gabba which helped instill in him a new perspective on life. After touring and working on the TV show in L.A., he transitioned back to Milwaukee so he could invest back into the community. In 2013 Christopher went full time as an educator, musician and motivational speaker. Since then, he has choreographed for Black Arts MKE, First Stage and Wisconsin Lottery. He has also coached the Grand Dancers for the Milwaukee Bucks and collaborated with the Milwaukee Brewers. For the past four years, he has been directing his own motivational dance show called Elevation at Dominican High School.
Deonte Malique Ellis (Drummer) (aka Malique Lion), born in Milwaukee, is a young up-and-coming percussionist. He is setting an example for his peers and the next generation, by trailblazing the Milwaukee Music Scene. Deonte currently is a part of a few ensembles and bands as well as teaching, all while maintaining his own business ventures. To name a few: Milwaukee Bucks Drumline, coach of his high school drumline at Riverside and drummer for bands “Nwa Na Agbe” and “The Urbanites,” to name a few.
Jeff Frank (Artistic Director) is recognized as one of the top directors in the field with an expertise in developing new work for theater for young audiences. He holds a BFA in Theater from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and an MFA in Child Drama from the University of Utah. Having served as First Stage’s Education and Academy Director from 1996 – 2003 and as First Stage’s Artistic Director since February 2003, Jeff remains committed to the power of theater to transform lives and is forever thankful to call First Stage home.
CAST
STEP KIDS features First Stage Young Performers: Gavin Miller as Alex; Tateona Watson as Yessica; Silver Anderson as Morgan; Lukas Barnes as DLo; Michael Loomans as Jenkins; Madison Jones, Vivian Madson, Zachary Noweck and Riley Meskin as Ensemble and Deonte Malique Ellis as Drummer.
The Artistic Staff for STEP KIDS includes: Christopher Gilbert (Director/Choreographer); Tyrone Robinson (Playwright); Postell Pringle (Composer); Wilkie Ferguson (Orchestrator); Jeff Schaetzke (Musical Director/Director of Artistic Operations) and Megan Harris (Stage Manager).
STEP KIDS
A one-act musical by Tyrone L. Robinson and Postell Pringle
Directed by Christopher Gilbert
Limited capacity live performances at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center:
Saturday, October 2 at 4 p.m. (SOLD OUT) & 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 3 at 1 p.m. & 4 p.m.
Streaming October 11 – December 5, 2021
A group of seemingly unconnected high school students find common ground in the most unlikely of places – the audition for their school’s competitive step dance team. As the students become unified through the power of rhythm and dance, experience the joy of finding your tribe in this energetic performance. Suggested for families with young people ages 10+.
_____
Additional productions in the 2021/22 Amplify – BIPOC Short Play Series are:
HOW TO ACTUALLY GRADUATE IN A VIRTUAL WORLD
By Nikkole Salter
Directed by Samantha D. Montgomery
Streaming now – December 5, 2021
When Milwaukee High announces that graduation will be virtual, TT gathers friends to come up with a way to make the ceremony special. As they weigh their options – and battle invisibility, hopelessness and indifference – we learn how the pandemic affected them all. Is an achievement an achievement if it goes unacknowledged? Tune in and consider this question in this provocative short play. Suggested for families with young people ages 12+. The production can be viewed here: youtube.com/watch?v=kJTSDnxCROA&t=117s
THE TALE OF LA LLRONA AS TOLD BY CONSUELO CHAVEZ
By José Casas
Directed by David Flores
Limited capacity live performances at the Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater:
Saturday, October 23 at 4 p.m. & 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 24 at 1 p.m. & 4 p.m.
Streaming October 30 – December 5, 2021
Disappointed that a thunderstorm has stopped them from their traditional trick or treating, six middle-schoolers huddle together in a basement on what might be the last time they are together to celebrate All Hallow’s Eve. To pass the time, they share some of their favorite ghost stories . . . but are they just stories? Suggested for families with young people ages 12+. Warning – the performance includes blackouts, loud noises and scary moments.
To reserve tickets for in-person performances or for additional information, please go to: firststage.org/events-tickets/2021-22-season/amplify-bipoc-short-play-series/ or call (414) 267-2961.
About First Stage
First Stage is one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families. First Stage touches hearts, engages minds and transforms lives by creating extraordinary theater experiences through professional theater productions that inspire, enlighten and entertain. Its Theater Academy, the nation’s largest high-impact theater training program for young people, fosters life skills through stage skills and serves nearly 2,000 students each year. As Wisconsin’s leader in arts-integrated education in schools, First Stage’s dynamic Theater in Education programs promote literacy, character building and experiential learning throughout the curriculum, serving over 20,000 students each year. First Stage was selected to participate in the Partners in Education program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2012), and was the recipient of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s Eureka Award, recognizing creativity and innovation in business, education and the arts for its Next Steps program for students on the autism spectrum (2013, 2015). First Stage is a member of TYA/USA, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, Milwaukee Arts Partners and is a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF). firststage.org

author: First Stage


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Chris-Gilbert-head-shot.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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September 28, 2021


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Post from Community: Milwaukee County Residents invited to share ideas to allocate federal funds via new website | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Supervisor Shawn Rolland
September 28, 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.
Milwaukee County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Task Force is inviting the public to share their ideas outlining how to allocate the federal funds Milwaukee County will receive as part of ARPA.
“Milwaukee County: we want to hear from you,” said ARPA Task Force Co-Chair Shawn Rolland, a Milwaukee County Supervisor representing District 6. “We can’t do our best work until we hear from our neighbors.”
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Milwaukee County residents can provide input online at Milwaukee.gov/ARPA.taskforce. The site allows users to rank their spending choices from an established list of services and share their own unique project proposals. Those who submit proposals are encouraged to verify that their project meets federal spending guidelines, provide metrics to measure the success of the proposal, give a cost estimate, and explain how the proposal advances the county’s mission of racial equity.
How the funds can be used
The U.S. Department of the Treasury guidelines for the allowable uses for the APRA recovery funds include:
Milwaukee County will receive about $183.6 million in ARPA funding. Thus far, the task force is recommending that:
“These federal funds will not solve the extreme fiscal challenges faced by Milwaukee County, but I still urge neighbors to dream big, share your great ideas, and help us deliver strong recommendations that our community will believe in,” says Supervisor Rolland.
Next steps to engage community input
The ARPA Taskforce plans to solicit and collect ideas throughout the fall, then evaluate feedback and debate proposals before making an initial recommendation to the Milwaukee County Board in the spring. The ARPA Task Force plans to hold a series of community education meetings and town hall events this fall. More information about these events will be shared when details are finalized. The next Milwaukee County ARPA Task Force meeting is planned for Monday, Oct. 18, 2021 at 11 am. Anyone who would like to speak to task force members during their virtual meetings is welcome to provide live public comment by visiting: milwaukee.gov/PublicCommentAdHoc and following the instructions provided.
About Milwaukee County’s ARPA Task Force
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 was signed into law by President Joseph R. Biden on March 11, 2021, to provide support to individuals, families and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 13, 2021, County Executive David Crowley signed the “ARPA Task Force” resolution sponsored by Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson. The resolution created the task force and called on its members to engage input from the community, especially underrepresented groups; develop non-binding recommendations for the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors; and provide updates and recommendations to the county board until all ARPA monies are allocated.

author: Supervisor Shawn Rolland


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Post from Community: Milwaukee County retailers: Keep yourself and our community safe by checking IDs safely and preventing the underage sale of tobacco | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lorraine Lathen
September 28, 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.
Like everyone else, retailers have adjusted to life during a pandemic to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. But, unlike many of us, retailers, including those who sell tobacco, operate on a face-to-face, hand transaction to hand transaction basis, which puts them at high-risk for COVID-19.
While mitigating those risks, retailers still take other measures that impact public health. One of those measures is checking IDs to ensure that underage individuals and minors can’t access dangerous products such as tobacco. This is extremely important considering most adult smokers first used tobacco as minors, and because the federal government has raised the age to purchase tobacco to 21-years, up from 18.
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We are thankful to retailers for taking and also mitigating risks of spreading COVID-19, and would like to offer them some tips on how to check IDs while doing your best to keep safe.
These are just some tips we offer retailers to help remain safe while also helping keep youth away from tobacco. Another helpful tip is for retailers to access WiTobaccoCheck.org, which provides free online training for employees, and best practices for checking ID’s. You can also Retailers were also given a new window decal detailing the new age requirement as a deterrent for underage buyers.
Retailers looking to learn more about this change in Federal tobacco sales law should visit www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/tobacco21. They can receive access to free, state-approved training to help their employees avoid underage sales at www.witobaccocheck.org. This training is intended to keep communities healthier and prevents retailers from receiving fines for selling tobacco to those underage. Tobacco users ready to quit can call 1-800-QUIT NOW (784-8669) or text “READY” to 200-400 for free help. Tobacco users enrolled in Medicaid can also talk to their doctor about free support available.

author: Lorraine Lathen