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OPINION: Defining black identity in modern-day America | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Taniya Robinson
March 23, 2020
(Photo courtesy of FACT)
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Taniya Robinson is a senior at Shorewood High School and member of FACT, Wisconsin’s youth-driven tobacco prevention program. She reflects upon the differences between African Americans with links to slavery and black immigrants in America, and how the two can find common ground.
Although two black people might not seem visually different, one may have immigrated to America when they were 12, while the other’s great-grandmother was the daughter of two freed slaves taken from their homeland of Africa.
The difference may not be physically visible, but among the black community, the difference can be very significant.
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In the article, “We’re Self-Interested: The Growing Identity Debate in Black America,” New York Times journalist Farah Stockman describes the consequence of having an ancestral link to slavery, and furthermore, what it means to be black. The debate on black identity has caught the attention of the black community, as African Americans with links to slavery have not always been distinguished from black immigrants.
Stockman discusses the stigma that has always been upon “blacks” and “black immigrants,” and the complexity of black identity. Black academics have led the charge in addressing challenges faced by American-born descendants of slavery.
A group of black students at Cornell University expressed, “There is a lack of investment in black students whose families were affected by the African holocaust in America,” in a letter to their college president.
As a result, black Americans think it is necessary for black people who are slavery descendants to have their own racial category, separating themselves from African immigrants.
In fact, Stockman writes that most blacks that immigrated to America from Africa are determined to let people know that they aren’t the same as African Americans. She also notes that there is a $68,000 difference in the net worth of black Americans and black immigrants. Which group do you think has a lower net worth?
Personally, because I am a part of the black community, my voice should be just as important as those who stand on either side of the debate.
The reality is that both groups face disadvantages. Separating the groups could push us further apart when it would be best to use our shared experiences to create positive change for blacks in America.
Helping one another will lead us through the harsh times that our people had to go through. Separating ourselves would just be another factor adding to the destruction. We can work together to make sure that we are all being treated equally and creating opportunities we deserve can lead to greater equity.
Stopping the separation of black Americans and African immigrants may lead to a better era within the community and help us heal from generational and historical prejudices.

author: Taniya Robinson


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 22, 2020

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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OPINION: My conversation with Harriet Tubman for Women’s History Month | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Nia Kamara
March 23, 2020
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Nia Kamara is a senior at Shorewood High School, National Youth Advocate for the Campaign for Tobacco Free-Kids and Youth Advisory Board Member of the FACT (Wisconsin’s youth- driven tobacco prevention program). In this piece, she imagines a conversation with Harriet Tubman, a historical figure she greatly admires.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, I thought about a woman who I admire.
If I had the opportunity to have a conversation with a woman who helped shape our nation, I’d select Harriet Tubman. I’d like to have a conversation with her because she symbolizes black emancipation and women’s suffrage.
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Despite not being formally educated, she was a powerful orator who believed God had a plan for her to help abolish slavery.
Known as “Moses,” she made 19 trips that guided dozens of slaves to freedom, and during the Civil War, she led a raid that freed 700 slaves. Like Joan of Arc, she left a legacy of bravery, courage and deep faith in God.
If I could talk to her today, I’d ask her, “When leading people to freedom, did you ever want to give up?”
I’d describe racially motivated social injustices in America today and ask her, “How painful is it for you to learn about this?”
I’d ask her, “How can the Black Lives Matters and other social justice movements be informed and guided by the abolitionist movement that you and such other women as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Susan B. Anthony, helped lead?”
I’d end the conversation by thanking her for contributing to women’s suffrage and ending slavery.

author: Nia Kamara


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Community Heroes: Meet Milwaukee’s queen of rapid response for those in need | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bridget Fogarty
March 24, 2020
(Photo provided by Shavonda Sisson)
Editor’s note: At the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, we intentionally celebrate ordinary people who do extraordinary things. We are especially interested in our neighbors who are making a difference as we all deal with the effects of COVID-19. Please let us know by emailing us at info@milwaukeenns.org.
This story has been updated to reflect the dollar amount raised for Love on Black Women.
Shavonda Sisson has a way of spreading love to those who need it most all year-round — and a global pandemic isn’t stopping her.
Sisson has given out more than $6,300 since last Monday to about 50 black women and their families in need and continues to receive an influx of monetary donations to her organization Love on Black Women. Founded in February 2019, the program gives black women and children a quick response to relief— listening to their needs and connecting them with funds through her website and mobile payment services.
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“It’s really easy to get bogged down and really frustrated when you see so much that is going wrong,” said Sisson, who is also the director of programming at Public Allies Milwaukee.
While scrolling Facebook, she would see that people needed certain resources or financial help. “I would just post a CashApp, and people would donate money,” she said, surprised by the response. “I was like ‘Wow, people really want to do this.’”
That’s how she first connected with Nikki Walker last year. Walker, who is a single mother, had just gotten major surgery and was out of work when she posted a brief Facebook status and Sisson answered — by paying Walker’s electric bill.
Although the two women have still not met in person,  Sisson has been a consistent friend and “a wealth of knowledge” as a fellow parent and woman, Walker said. “No matter who you are or what it is, she goes that extra mile,” she added.
Creating Love on Black Women was just a way to formalize the process, Sisson said. With this model, she gets physical and financial resources to individuals fast— sometimes within an hour.
“There are really quick responses to things that can be life changing,” Sisson said.
A real-time response
As the spread of COVID-19 alters life in the community, that quick response that Love on Black Women provides has not slowed down.
Sisson continues to monitor updates on the needs of individuals. So far, donations have provided direct funds and grocery support for families, as well as some educational opportunities like online art lessons for children impacted by schools closing. Sisson used funds to pay for an online anime course for Walker’s 12-year-old-son, much to Walker’s surprise.
“You don’t even have to ask for help,” Walker said. “If she sees it’s going to benefit you, benefit your child, benefit your household, she makes sure that it’s taken care of.”
“One of the things she is really good at is, in the middle of chaos, finding the thread to allow people to feel still connected and grounded,” said Monique Liston, who serves with Sisson on the board of Leaders Igniting Transformation, also known as LIT. Liston is the chief strategist at Ubuntu Research and Evaluation, one of eight community organizations that sponsors the Love on Black Women Project.
“It’s like, here goes another challenge I know is going to impact these folks a little more than it normally would— here’s my opportunity to make sure that they have a little bit of stability while all of this is happening,” Liston said.
Even in her most tired and difficult moments, Sisson has always remained committed to helping black women, Liston said.
“She really wants all black women she is in community with to be well,” Liston said. “She is looking for ways for them to be celebrated, for them to enjoy pleasure, for ways to connect with one another.”
Help spread the love
You can make a donation to support or request funds yourself at the Love on Black Women website.
Through Public Allies and a grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Sisson has helped create the Healing Justice Workshop Series. It is a new mindfulness group for people of color engaged in social justice work within an organization or community around the city, and she is still accepting applications here.

author: Bridget Fogarty


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 23, 2020


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OPINION: Let’s remember the children who live in the shadows of domestic violence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Venice R. Williams
March 24, 2020
Venice Williams shows a visiting group her lovage growing in Alice’s Garden (Photo by Adam Carr)
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It was never a matter of if it would happen, but when it would occur.
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I am not sure how many other children felt the same way, but growing up, I cringed at the thought of days off from school. School was my sanctuary. Even though it was not a complete safe space (there were two girls who loved to bully me), being in school meant no yelling and hollering. No feeling useless as I heard the volumes of my parents’ voices rise, until they reached a pitch that caused me to shake, as tears fell from my eyes, knowing what would follow.
Being in a classroom, away from home, meant not hearing the sounds of slaps and punches coming from the other side of the wall or the floor below. Or choking, and the sound of my mother gasping for air. School kept me from jumping at the knocking of furniture being turned over or the sound of glass shattering. Sitting at my desk, surrounded by my classmates, was a kept promise that I would not hear screams for help which were, more often than not, only answered by me.
School was a place where I thrived without fear. While at school, I never wished I wasn’t born.
During this space of pandemic that we find ourselves in, it is not my own health, or my family’s, that concerns me most. What shreds my heart to pieces, and stirs up familiar fear, nausea and hopelessness in me during these days, is knowing there are thousands of children caught at home, with no release date in sight, within the frightening grip of domestic violence.
As I am in my Milwaukee kitchen cooking, dancing, laughing, brewing up herbal goodness, watching movies with our grandson, a sudden sense of deep sorrow often engulfs me. I think of all the children living in the neighborhoods of this city who are holding their breath in fear. Or hiding and crying. Or screaming. Or ducking.
My Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder flares up, and I see her. I see 8-year-old Venice, who wants nothing more than for school to open again. Sometimes, as I peel an onion, or tighten a lid on a jar, I am able to fight back the tears. Most of the time, I am not, abruptly leaving the kitchen, pretending to have to go to the bathroom, or make my way down the steps to switch over a load of laundry. No wonder, the clothes are all clean and folded.
This feeling is not new for me. I experience it every Christmas break, or spring break, and most definitely thinking of children during summer breaks. Still, those times away from school have an end date. During my childhood, I would count down the days until it was time to go back to school, not mark off the days until school was out.
However, in these days of learning to live within the newness of an untamed virus, my fear and compassion for children such as me, it feels like those emotions are on steroids. This time away from school may last until September. If you are in a household of violent behavior, even one more day is a day too many. There have been moments, over the past six days, where the dread inside of me has caused me to simply be unable to speak. Venice Williams, the woman of impactful and healing words, rendered silent by a crippling fear of what our neighborhood children must be enduring.
I grew up to become a “Wounded Healer” Henri J. M. Nouwen spoke of in the book of the same title. As I entered ministry in this city, almost 31 years ago, I carried the book with me, every day, for 10 or more years, reading from its passages, a guide for my living and my work:
Who can save a child from a burning house without taking the risk of being hurt by the flames? Who can listen to a story of loneliness and despair without taking the risk of experiencing similar pains in his own heart and even losing his precious peace of mind? In short: “Who can take away suffering without entering it?”
During this pandemic, I crave to be “hurt by the flames.” I want to be burnt. I want to knock on every door in this city and rescue fear-filled, trembling children. I do. I really do.
I want to seek them out, with the same energy I wanted someone to find me, all those years ago. “Where is everybody,” I would think, “Why doesn’t someone come and take us away, or just say something?”
The toll we will pay for the impact of the coronavirus is way more than physical death. Financial? Not even the worst of it.
The emotional, spiritual, physical scars of domestic violence are so far-reaching, well into adulthood. Wounds which, sometimes, never heal. I know. It is one thing to be trapped in the cycle of violence under “normal circumstances.” Right now, all of the unexpectedness of how our lives have been turned upside down make me cry every day for our children. I want to be sanctuary for all of them. I am willing to burn for them. I already do.
You know some of the kids I speak of. They are your sister’s children. Maybe, your grandchildren. They are the kids in the apartment next door. The little boy or girl across the street. They are your students. They are your own babies.
Speak to them some of the things I wanted to hear from the adults around me:
I know this is hard. You should not have to live like this.
Y/our family is broken. I want to help find a way to fix it.
I know you hurt all over. What can I do for you?
I see you. I see you. I want to help you.
Say something. The very least we can do is say something.
In case you missed it: Places in Milwaukee where you can find help for domestic violence

author: Venice R. Williams


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OPINION: ‘The courage to speak truth to power’: Jimmy Harris’s long struggle for justice | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Paul Mozina
March 24, 2020
Editor’s note: Got 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.
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Under the regime of City Attorney Grant Langley, justice is a long time coming if you or your loved ones are the victims of police misconduct. Just ask Jimmy Harris, Robert Lee Stinson and Jerry Smith Jr. Or the families of Derek Williams, James Franklin Perry, Dontre Hamilton and Sylville Smith. Or any of the more than 74 plaintiffs subjected to strip/body cavity searches.
In the last year alone, the self-insured municipal corporation doing business as the City of Milwaukee has racked up judgments and settlements stemming from police misconduct totaling approximately $13.8 million.
My eyes were opened regarding the Office of the City Attorney last year when I asked Deputy City Attorney Jan Smokowicz a question regarding the ACLU’s “Stop and Frisk” settlement agreement and court order. He replied, “You’re not my client” and walked away.
We, the people living in the geographic area known as the City of Milwaukee, who comprise the municipal corporation and are taxed to fund its operations and pay its employees’ salaries are  the “clients” of the Office of the City Attorney? Welcome to the MACHINE.
For decades, the Office of the City Attorney has doggedly defended the police, no matter how heinous their acts, fighting plaintiffs’ tooth and nail, prioritizing what the office perceives to be the interests of the municipal corporation above the interests of the human beings who comprise it.
“The fish rots from the head,” so they say, and it is time for a change of philosophy in the Office of City Attorney that is more in line with the U.S. Department of Justice’s motto: “The United States wins its point whenever justice is done one of its citizens in the courts.”
Thank God justice was finally done on March 4 in the case of Jimmy Harris, who, by virtue of the hard work and expertise of his attorney, Nate Cade, won a jury verdict in his civil rights lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee and four members of the Milwaukee Police Department (three of whom were promoted and are still on the force).
Jimmy’s MAN vs MACHINE case is instructive not only for the courage and determination demonstrated by the plaintiff, but also for the stubborn obstinance and heartlessness of Mr. Langley’s bulldog, Deputy City Attorney Smokowicz, who pulled out all the stops attempting to defend the indefensible.
MPD Officer Froilan Santiago (now detective) did not know who he illegally stopped the night of Nov. 19, 2010, even though he looked up Jimmy’s vehicle plate in the DOT’s database, matched the VIN to the car and had his driver’s license in hand — he did not see the MAN. Jimmy, street-smart and originally trained to be a corrections officer, legitimately questioned why he had been stopped and what Officer Santiago was doing pulling cars over with liquor on his breath.
Jimmy had the courage to speak truth to power and took a beating for it, hence the civil rights lawsuit decided in his favor. Unfortunately, money will never compensate Jimmy for the permanent damage inflicted on him that night or his permanent disability.
Perhaps it is not fair to draw the conclusion that police misconduct stems from a feeling of invincibility, “qualified immunity” if you will, that comes from knowing that the Office of the City Attorney is ever ready to go to the mat to defend them – no matter what they have done.
Jimmy Harris, bruised and battered, took a lonely bus ride home after finally being released from the MPD holding cell with the resolution to fight back, to change the system, to make sure no one else had to go through what he went through, indelibly etched in his mind and heart. With the help of his fiancée, Charita Sims, who witnessed the assault, he immediately filed complaints with the MPD, Fire and Police Commission, Office of the City Attorney and Mayor Tom Barrett, who informed him that he does not get involved with those types of matters.
The MACHINE tried to grind Jimmy up, ignore him, stall him, deny his open records requests — anything to make him give up and go away. Not only did Jimmy not go away, he devoted himself to the struggle armed with the insights that come from intimate contact with the gears of the machine.
He championed: new procedures to make sure that police body mics were working (Officer Santiago’s body mic was coincidentally not working on Nov. 19, 2010, which made Jimmy’s case harder to prove); independent investigations by entities outside of the MPD for police shootings; community access to dash cam video and later body cam video; allowing concealed carry for firearms; restricting police use of the smell of marijuana as probable cause to escalate an encounter; and updating the MPD’s “Use of Force” policy to require quarterly reporting and increase the scope of police actions that would require that a “Use of Force” report be written.
After three and a half years of persistent struggle, Jimmy filed his civil rights lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Milwaukee County pro se on July 14, 2014. Ultimately, he refiled his complaint in the federal district court pleading indigency to get the $400 filing fee waived.
Timothy Baldwin, his court-appointed pro bono attorney, was told by the MPD that, “there were no records of the report requested” in response to his detailed and specific discovery requests and Mr. Smokowicz did not respond to a request for help.  Baldwin filed an amended complaint for Jimmy on July 19, 2016, and gave way to attorney Nate Cade shortly thereafter.
Expert testimony was gathered, witnesses were deposed and a motion for summary judgment by the defendants – playing their qualified immunity card like a one-trick-pony – followed and was beaten back by Cade.
Through it all, up to the moment he took the stand eyeball-to-eyeball with Santiago and told him: “You thought this day would never come,” Jimmy remained steadfast, calm and even-keeled.
After the verdict was read and Jimmy embraced Charita and his brother Roosevelt, he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a picture of his mother, who passed away in 2017, and said: “This is for you.”
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”
-Frederick Douglass
Thank YOU, Mr. Jimmy Harris!

author: Paul Mozina


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‘We are still here for you’: Center that provides bilingual support for domestic violence victims open despite COVID-19 shutdown | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 24, 2020
A vigil for domestic violence victims was held outside of the old location of the Latina Resource Center on Mitchell Street in 2016. The center is now located at 2701 South Chase Ave. Suite D. (File photo by Clara Hatcher)
Even with scores of people isolated at home and advocates cautioning that domestic abuse incidents could increase in a city where the situation is already dire, the phones at the UMOS Latina Resource Center still aren’t ringing, said its manager, Mariana Rodriguez.
“I think that people need help, but they think we are shut down because of the coronavirus,” said Rodriguez. The center provides support to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.
Although services are provided to people of any gender, race or age group, she said, many of the clients the center helps are undocumented immigrants who work in the affected industries.
“I think they are experiencing this COVID-19 crisis like no one else,” she said.
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She wants them to know that they are not alone.
Bilingual and other help available
“We are still here for you, although we are doing things a little differently right now,” Rodriguez added.
The Latina Resource Center operates a 24-hour bilingual crisis line to provide safety planning, help contacting law enforcement and other support from advocates. The center has also partnered with Civitas Law Group to help individuals, including those who speak only Spanish, file temporary restraining orders online. Monday was the first day individuals in Milwaukee County could file for restraining orders online, a process created to help safeguard individuals from COVID-19.
The Sojourner Family Peace Center also is providing support for domestic violence victims and assistance to those looking to file temporary restraining orders online.
“Our Advocates help with the filing process and discuss other strategies and options
for staying safe,” read part of a statement issued Monday by Carmen Pitre, CEO and president at Sojourner. “If needed, our Advocates can help prepare to present a case to the court and offer moral support. We also can participate in hearings by phone, if needed.”
Those who already filed for restraining orders and have a hearing date scheduled should show up to Milwaukee County Courthouse, Room 712, at their scheduled time, while advocates will attend by phone. Those who do not appear will have their orders dismissed, according to the statement from Sojourner.
Those in danger
Rodriguez also offered advice for those who might feel trapped in a violent situation:
Domestic abuse resources
You can reach the UMOS Latina Resource Center at (414) 389-6500 or contact the 24-hour bilingual crisis line at (414) 389-6510.
You can reach the Sojourner Family Peace Center by calling its 24-hour hotline at (414) 933-2722. To get help filing a temporary restraining order online from Sojourner call (414) 278-5079 and leave a message that includes your full name and a safe call-back number.
Here is a comprehensive list of places you can find help for domestic violence.

author: Edgar Mendez


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Ascension St. Joseph Hospital opens mobile testing center for free COVID-19 tests | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez and Ron Smith
March 25, 2020
Ascension St. Joseph is located at 5000 W. Chambers St. in the Sherman Park neighborhood. (File Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Ascension St. Joseph Hospital has opened a free mobile testing center to help residents navigate the fast-moving COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Patricia Golden, the primary care medical director of Ascension Medical Group Wisconsin who is leading the system’s mobile testing efforts, said the hospital system has been working for weeks to launch the center.
“We are there for the St. Joseph community,” she said of the center, which opened Tuesday. “I want people to feel reassured they have the resources they need if they truly need it.”
There are 295 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Milwaukee County, with three deaths, according to data from the county. In addition, news of a fourth death in the city’s Midtown neighborhood was tweeted by the medical examiner’s office around 1 p.m. Wednesday.
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Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik announced this week that most of the COVID-19 cases in Milwaukee were on the North Side, and that middle-aged African American men were the victims.
On Wednesday, Ald. Khalif Rainey, who represents District 7 on the Common Council, called on Ascension St. Joseph to provide free COVID-19 testing to the poor and uninsured.
The hospital “is the only source of medical care for many of my own constituents and serves some of Milwaukee’s poorest residents – many of whom lack adequate insurance. This pandemic cannot – must not – become a death sentence for the poor and uninsured,” wrote Rainey in a letter sent March 16 to Joseph R. Impicciche, president and CEO of Ascension.
Golden said the hospital system has been phasing in the mobile test centers at its locations. Several centers opened in other locations last week, and three more will open next week.
How mobile testing works
Patients who are uninsured will not be billed for COVID-19-related testing or treatment. The hospital system will cover co-pays for those with commercial insurance.
Reggie Newson, vice president of government and community services and chief advocacy officer for Ascension Wisconsin, said no one will be turned away.
“We will care for anyone who comes to us, regardless of their ability to pay,” he said.
The sites are by appointment-only. If you want to be tested, you must get pre-screened by an Ascension Medical Group provider, by phone or virtually.
During the screening, you will answer questions about symptoms, travel history and any potential contact with COVID-19 patients. If you meet the criteria, which is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you will be given an appointment for drive-through testing.
Getting tested
At the testing site, patients remain in their vehicle. An Ascension employee will look up the patient’s information to confirm he or she has been screened and requires testing.
Nasal swab samples will be collected and sent to a state-approved laboratory for analysis, which can take up to one week. Ascension will contact patients with results. Positive results will be reported to the Wisconsin Department of Health.
Toll-free information line
Ascension Wisconsin has established a dedicated telephone resource for COVID-19 questions. This can be accessed 24/7 by calling 1-833-981-0711. Call 9-1-1 if it’s an emergency.

author: Edgar Mendez and Ron Smith


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 25, 2020


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Post from Community: Mental health resources you can use during COVID-19 (and beyond) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mental Health America of Wisconsin
March 25, 2020
Mental Health America of Wisconsin has compiled a list of mental health resources as we all try to navigate COVID-19.
Mental health information for disease outbreaks
Living With Mental Illness During COVID-19 Outbreak– Preparing For Your Wellness
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This webpage provides information and wellness tips for individuals living with mental health conditions during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Medication Access During COVID-19
Changes and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 can make it difficult to know what to do to make sure you have access to needed medications. Here are some tips and pieces of information to help you prepare and care for yourself or your loved ones
These fact sheets provide information and recommendations for healthcare personnel, families, leaders, and businesses to address the psychological and behavioral health impacts of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
These mental health considerations were developed by the WHO Mental Health Department as support for mental and psychological well-being during COVID-19 outbreak.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) created a document to help guide individuals that have specific questions about their mental health situations.
Dr. LaGenia Bailey, former DBSA board member, discusses tips on how to stay well during this public health crisis. In this podcast, she addresses benefits of mindfulness practice, lifestyle habits, and ways to stay connected with others to avoid isolation.
In this special three-part COVID-19 Crisis series, Dr. Lieberman of Columbia University speaks with renowned experts who have expertise in relevant disciplines that pertain to this COVID-19 pandemic. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Tools and information on anxiety
One of the quickest and easiest ways to tell if you are experiencing a mental health condition is to take an online screen. MHA has nine different screening tools for mental health conditions on our site, including anxiety.
Tools to connect with others
An online community where people can connect with others. MHA hosts a dedicated mental health community, but there are communities related to a variety of topics.
Resources for immediate response
Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746.The Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) provides crisis counseling and support for anyone in the U.S. experiencing distress or other behavioral health concerns related to any natural or human-caused disaster, including public health emergencies.
Text MHA to 741741 and you’ll be connected to a trained Crisis Counselor. Crisis Text Line provides free, text-based support 24/7.
Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678678. A national 24-hour, toll free confidential suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth.

author: Mental Health America of Wisconsin


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 24, 2020


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Milwaukee teachers go the virtual distance to keep students engaged | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
March 25, 2020
The hallways may be empty, but teachers across the city are doing their best to keep their students engaged during the COVID-19 pandemic. (File photo by Adam Carr)
To begin class every day, a student in each of Kelly O’Keefe-Boettcher’s English classes at Rufus King International High School recites a meditation of sorts called “the moment.”
“It goes, ‘You are here. I am grateful to be here with you. You can leave behind what is pulling at you. You can breathe deep and trust this space. Notice your strength. Notice your goodness. Welcome to this moment,’” O’Keefe-Boettcher said.
During a time of fast-paced news and widespread uncertainty, her students have been reciting “the moment” to each other through a webcam before discussing the play they’re reading as a class.
“These are their people, this is their routine, and it’s unnerving for them to not be in school,” she said of her students.
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While Milwaukee Public Schools is providing free meals and paper learning packets to thousands of students across the city every day, the state’s largest school district is not offering virtual instruction while schools remain closed for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Neighboring suburban school districts like Menomonee Falls, Wauwatosa and Oak Creek-Franklin are teaching online, and those districts are providing devices to students who need them.
Within MPS, O’Keefe-Boettcher and some of her peers are figuring out ways to continue some aspects of teaching, without making any work required. Part of their reasoning is that so many students in Milwaukee Public Schools may not have access to the internet or the necessary devices at home to complete assignments.
“Unless you can guarantee that everyone has access, no matter what we do it’s not totally equitable,” O’Keefe-Boettcher said of teaching online. “You’re creating a difference between the haves and the have nots.”
O’Keefe-Boettcher has been meeting with some students online every day since schools closed, checking in, sharing optional learning materials like videos and slideshows and just chatting.
The hallways may be empty, but teachers across the city are doing their best to keep their students engaged during the COVID-19 pandemic. (NNS file photo)
According to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2017, about 1 in 6 households in Milwaukee do not have a computer, and nearly 30% of households do not have internet subscriptions.
Of the more than 75,000 students served by Milwaukee Public Schools, 84% are deemed economically disadvantaged by the Department of Public Instruction.
In addition to not having the tools needed to learn virtually, O’Keefe-Boettcher said she’s doing her best to consider other challenges her students are facing at this time as well.
For example, some who have younger siblings are providing all-day childcare while parents continue to work, and those who usually have individualized learning plans aren’t getting the support they need. Throughout the district, 1 in 5 students receive special education services.
“There’s this beautiful saying I love, ‘We make the road by walking,’” she said. “And that’s what we’re doing right now (when schools are closed). We’re making this road, and we’re moving the boulders, and we’re looking behind and asking, ‘Who’s not on the road yet, and who needs a bike to help them get here?’”
She’s not the only teacher going above and beyond to be there for her students.
has been holding morning and afternoon video lessons, driving and dropping off homework packets at her students’ houses and reading Greek mythology stories over livestream to them each night since schools closed.
The fifth-grade teacher at Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language said she wants to make the most out of this time so that her students don’t fall behind.
“A lot of my kids have made so much progress this year getting closer to grade level, and I really don’t want them to backslide,” she said. “That’s something that happens over the summer a lot.”
Besides academic progress, Gillaspie said she wants to make sure that her students are receiving the emotional support they need.
“One of the biggest concerns for me is that a lot of my kids have really bad anxiety and anger and have experienced trauma, and I’m worried about them, because they don’t have anyone trained to support them right now,” she said.
Gillaspie shared with her students a virtual calming room where they can listen to guided meditations or nature sounds.
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students are too young to engage in an online chat. Most of the 3-year-olds she works with at Zablocki Community School have significant delays in their speech and language skills.
The school speech pathologist has been creating videos of herself making different speech sounds to share with parents.
For example, to practice an “S” sound, Scannel made a scavenger hunt challenge asking the kids to find a spoon, a pair of socks and sunglasses, and practice saying the words.
“This is a stressful, hard time for all of us, but I want to make sure (the parents) feel like they can help their kids as well,” she said.
Scannel said that making tools for parents has made her look at her job differently and that she may work more with family members in the future.
“It’s changing how I teach going forward,” she said.
is helping make sure her students at Bay View High School are going to graduate, even if they may not get to walk across a stage.
The English teacher has been reaching out to encourage students to complete makeup work and finish all assignments they may have missed.
“If seniors are failing, this is an opportunity to get them passing,” she said.
Parents and students have sent her questions on Facebook Messenger, and some students are even sending her jokes, trying to add some levity to the situation.
“I want to make a space so they can talk, even not about academics,” she said. “And to help them get information and resources. There’s so much uncertainty for a lot of these families.”
One of Werve’s biggest concerns is that her students may not have access to the mental health resources they need while not in school.
“This is going to cause undue stress for students who have already experienced trauma,” she said.
While challenging, Werve said she’s seen a lot of collaboration and resilience among her fellow teachers.
“It’s given a chance for educators to come together to look for solutions for our students,” she said. “It’s shown the nation that we are more than just educators. We provide a lot of other services for students, and I think families are now realizing how much the district provides our students on a day-to-day basis.”
If you want to help a student you know continue to learn during the COVID-19 pandemic, here are some resources you can use:
For more coverage, check out our landing page.

author: Allison Dikanovic


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Post from Community: Where to go for emergency food assistance and help with domestic violence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Continuum of Care
March 25, 2020
(Photo provided by Capuchin Community Services)
Here is a snapshot of current emergency food assistance resources:

author: Milwaukee Continuum of Care


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Screen Shot 2020-03-24 at 6.24.04 PM | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 24, 2020


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Community Heroes: Mutual aid group steps it up to help neighbors in need | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
March 26, 2020
When first-grade teacher Angela Harris put out a call to help our neighbors, the community answered. (Photo provided by Angela Harris)
Editor’s note: At Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, we intentionally celebrate ordinary people who do extraordinary things. We are especially interested in our neighbors who are making a difference as we all deal with the effects of COVID-19. Please let us know by emailing us at info@milwaukeenns.org.
With schools closed, Angela Harris is technically off duty, but the first-grade teacher has been working around the clock.
She started Milwaukee Community Care and Mutual Aid to help connect residents who need support during the COVID-19 pandemic with those who are able to help.
“My initial goal was to make sure that folks would have what they need during this time,” Harris said. “I know how hard it is for folks to get connected to resources and get what they need while they’re struggling.”
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Nearly 500 people responded to Harris’s initial survey that was shared on Facebook and open for less than a week, and volunteers have been sorting through the responses to figure out how they can fill gaps and provide neighbors with what they need.
“One of the major needs was non-food items that are going to become more needed by folks throughout this pandemic,” said Jane Audette, a volunteer with Milwaukee Community Care. “We had an idea to create depots where we could collect those items and become a conduit to connect them to food pantries when they needed them.”
The group is requesting donations of goods like Tylenol, soap and toiletries.
Two local churches, one on the North Side and one on the South Side, volunteered to be drop-off sites for the non-food items that volunteers will sanitize, sort and distribute to several pantries around the city.
However, after Gov. Tony Evers announced his Safer at Home order, limiting non-essential activities in Wisconsin to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, both Bethel Bethany United Church of Christ and St. Patrick’s have moved to remote donation only, using an Amazon wish list. People can purchase the items online and have them shipped directly to the churches.
In addition to the donation depots, Harris and volunteers like Audette are working to connect the people who responded to the first survey offering to help with those who have expressed needs, based on neighborhood.
For example, if someone asked for grocery delivery in one neighborhood, Harris and her team are trying to connect that person to someone who offered to grocery shop and deliver in that same neighborhood.
“We want to do that for every category, every need and every resource,” she said.
The top three concerns people brought up on the first survey were parents not being able to find or afford child care but still having to work; elderly people needing assistance getting groceries or prescriptions; and monetary aid, especially people who lost their jobs or wages from service industry shutdowns.
“They don’t have an income, and bills are still due,” Harris said of service industry employees and hourly workers. “They still have to pay rent.”
Milwaukee Community Care has opened up its next forms to continue connecting Milwaukeeans who want to help each other, but this time, the survey is broken up into two separate categories.
One survey is for people who are requesting support, and the other survey is for people who are offering to provide support or volunteer.
Harris said that she hopes to continue connecting community members throughout the pandemic, and that the relationships and supports that emerge will continue well after COVID-19 has passed.
“The thing that I want everybody to know is that this work is our shared work,” Harris said. “It is a shared responsibility. We are only as strong as the weakest link in our chain. We want to make sure that all of our chain links in our community are strong.”
You can donate through Amazon and have the items shipped directly to Bethel Bethany United Church of Christ or St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
If you want to learn more about where you can find food and meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, here is a resource list.


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OPINION: ‘We need decisive, justice-driven, equity-oriented action’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
St. Joe’s Accountability Coalition
March 26, 2020
(Photo by Wes Tank)
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.
The St. Joe’s Accountability Coalition, a grass roots partnership representing residents, community groups and unions, calls for justice and equity focused action to deal with pandemic and the socioeconomic crisis it will exacerbate.
The St. Joe’s Accountability Coalition (SJAC) is calling on elected officials representing Milwaukee at the city, county and state levels to take bold action to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The work of SJAC has always focused on improving access to health care on the North Side of Milwaukee and fighting racial inequity in health care. We believe that this pandemic will exacerbate the existing inequities in health care access and quality of life for black and brown communities.
Milwaukee County is ranked second to last in the state in health care outcomes according to a study done by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. At the time of this writing, the majority of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin are located in Milwaukee County. After years of ever-decreasing health care access for black and brown communities in Milwaukee, we need decisive, justice-driven, equity-oriented action from elected officials during this pandemic.
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With this understanding, SJAC raises these demands:
1. Moratorium on rent and mortgage payments: Institute a moratorium on rent, mortgage payments and utility payments (including internet access and cell phone access) for the people of Milwaukee County so that nobody has to choose between practicing safe social distancing and going to work.
2. Child care support: Enact child care subsidies or alternative methods of child care for all community members in need of child care. Also, quality protections for child care providers with the influx of need during this crisis.
3. Free, accessible testing and medical treatment: Provide COVID-19 testing and related medical treatment at no cost to all residents of Milwaukee County. We have the largest population in the state and the majority of COVID-19 cases. Testing to combat the pandemic should beat the need.
4. Basic income support: Institute an emergency guaranteed basic income to all Milwaukee County residents to cover the costs of purchasing basic supplies (such as groceries, medicine and cleaning products) that will allow our community to remain as healthy as possible.
5. Expand health care access: Push all health care institutions, whether private or public, to expand their capacity to meet the demands of the pandemic. Push the federal government to support this effort as well.
6. Paid Leave: Push all employers to enact paid leave for all workers in Milwaukee County. In an effort to support the public health of Milwaukee County residents, many businesses have shuttered. We need to support the workers of those businesses as we work through this pandemic.
7. Reduce jail and prison populations to reduce COVID-19 pandemic: Move as swiftly as possible to reduce jail and prison populations as the incarcerated are more vulnerable to disease due to overcrowded conditions.
The St. Joe’s Accountability Coalition includes community groups and unions committed to ensuring that St. Joseph Hospital – and its corporate parent Ascension Health – live up to their obligations as nonprofit institutions. SJAC believes that St. Joe’s must not only provide health care services that address the community’s pressing health needs, but also be a high-road employer, a responsive community partner and a responsible local business.

author: St. Joe’s Accountability Coalition


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OPINION: What we don’t need: Gun dealers are profiting from COVID-19 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Antonio Ramirez
March 26, 2020
(Photo courtesy of Creative Commons/Matthew Burpee)
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.
Antonio Ramirez, assistant professor of history and political at Elgin Community College in Illinois, shares his outrage at a gun dealer in his neighborhood who appears to be profiting from the COVID-19 crisis.
As I walked through my neighborhood last night, there was an eerie silence. Homes were quiet. Bars and restaurants were closed.
But one business was booming: the local gun store.
The gun dealer’s parking lot was overflowing. Men were rushing in and out of the store, which looked full to capacity.
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Recently, to help halt the spread of coronavirus, the White House instructed Americans to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people. Apparently, my local gun store’s employees didn’t watch the news. Or they did and decided that selling guns was more important than promoting public health.
The store’s Facebook page boasted that its team put in “crazy hours” this week. “Great to see so many new faces at our Range today,” it said. “Stop on by tomorrow, we still have ammo in stock and lots of guns still on sale.” It also mentioned that because of high demand, the store was instituting a 300-round daily ammunition limit per customer.
The fact that the United States has too many guns, and too much killing, is inescapable. Milwaukee, where I grew up, just lived through a tragic mass shooting at the Molson Coors Brewery. And last year, near my new home in northern Illinois, a man killed five people just blocks from my wife’s workplace.
Today, dealers like my neighborhood gun store are selling lots of guns as worry about the global pandemic grows. FBI checks of potential gun owners have risen to the highest levels in years.
Gun dealers are reaping profits from the coronavirus.
This situation is doubly dangerous. More guns on the streets, especially during anxious times, is a bad idea. And each person that goes out in public to buy a gun or visitsshooting range can potentially spread the illness.
Most of us understand “social distancing” and are staying home. Mothers and fathers are trying to work from home while quarantined with children; the elderly are trying to stay healthy in a scary and isolated new world. Public schools across the nation are closed. Kids are missing out on learning to keep others healthy.
We are all making sacrifices. Gun owners should, too.
Call me a radical, but I believe a child’s right to public education is more important than an adult’s right to buy a gun.
Local and state authorities should shut down gun dealers like they have done schools, restaurants and bars.
Everyone is worried about coronavirus. I get it. But gun dealers are thumbing their noses at social distancing, and our collective health, just to earn a dollar.
We can disagree about the right to bear arms. But no one has the right to profit from a crisis.

author: Antonio Ramirez


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14 places where you can find good eats during COVID-19 shutdown | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz & Claudia Delgadillo
March 27, 2020
Restaurants such as Funky Fresh Spring Rolls and owner TrueMan McGee are offering delivery to patrons. (File photo by Naomi Waxman)
Editor’s note: This list has been updated to include additional restaurants.
Restaurant owners are turning to alternative options such curbside pickup and delivery and gift cards as COVID-19 closes the city.
Below is a list of restaurants in our neighborhoods that continue to serve hungry Milwaukeeans.
Editor’s note: This list is subject to change as restaurants upgrade their hours. Did we miss a restaurant? Send us an email at info@milwaukeenns.org with  the subject line “COVID-19 restaurants.”
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1. The Tandem – curbside pickup
The Tandem, 1848 W. Fond du Lac Ave., is offering free community meals to those in need. To place an order, individuals should call (414) 885-1919. Visit The Tandem’s Facebook page for that day’s menu.
2. Emerald City Catering & Events – curbside pickup
Emerald City Catering & Events, 3555 S. 13 St., is offering a pay-as-you-may menu. Each day, Emerald City features a community meal, which is available while supplies last. Check out its Facebook page for the day’s menu. To place an order call (414) 672-3434.
3. Rise & Grind Café – curbside pickup
Rise & Grind Café, 2723 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive is offering curbside pickup. To place an order, individuals are encouraged to go online or call (414) 249-3846. Online ordering hours may change, and patrons are encouraged to order in advance.
4. Terri Lynn’s Soul Food Express – curbside pickup
Terri Lynn’s Soul Food Express, 10742 W. Hampton Ave., is open for curbside pickup. To place an order, call (414) 464-1111. Soul Food Express is open noon to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, noon to 8 p.m. on Fridays, noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays.
5. Coffee Makes You Black – curbside pickup
Coffee Makes You Black, 2803 N. Teutonia Ave., has curbside pickup available. To place an order for pickup, call (414) 562-5225.
6. SkyBox Sports Bar – curbside pickup
SkyBox Sports Bar, 2213 N. Martin Luther King Drive, is offering curbside pickup. To place an order, call (414) 810-0763.
7. Tusk – curbside pickup
Tusk, 5513 W. North Ave., has curbside pickup. To view Tusk’s menu, click here. To place an order, call (414) 763-2095. Tusks hours are 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
8. Mi Casa Su Café – curbside pickup and delivery
Mi Casa Su Café, 1835 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, has both curbside pickup and delivery options available. To place an order, call (414) 488-9916. Delivery costs $4 and is within a three-mile radius.
9. Bougie Berries – in store
Bougie Berries, 7157 W. Burleigh Ave., is open for business. Two customers are allowed to enter the store at a time. The store previously offered curbside pickup. Call (414) 585-0234 if additional assistance is required.
10. Orenda Café – curbside pickup and delivery (GrubHub and Door Dash)
Orenda Café, 3514 W. National Ave., has curbside pickup and delivery options available with GrubHub and Door Dash. Click here to see the menu. Call (414) 212-8573 to place an order.
11. Ruby’s Bagels – curbside pickup
Ruby’s Bagels, 636 S. 6 St., is open for pre-orders. When ordering, individuals will be asked to specify a pickup time and date. Orders can be picked up Friday through Sunday.
12. Funky Fresh Spring Rolls – delivery
Fans of Funky Fresh Spring Rolls, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave., can order their favorite spring rolls online. The menu changes daily. Frozen roll orders must be placed by 7 p.m. on Friday and will be delivered on Sunday. Salad and burger orders placed before 3 p.m. will be delivered the day of, any orders after that will be delivered the next day.
13. Oscar’s Pub & Grill – curbside pickup and delivery (15 min. away)
Oscar’s Pub & Grill’s entire menu is available for pickup and delivery, to destinations 15 minutes away. To place an order, call (414) 810-1820. Click here to see the menu. Gift cards are also available for purchase.
14. Triciclo Perú – curbside pickup
Triciclo Perú, 3801 W. Vliet St., is offering curbside pickup from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. To place an order, call (414) 239-8388. Click here to view the menu. Triciclo is also offering gift cards and take and bake options.
15. City.Net Jazz Café – curbside pickup
City.Net Jazz Café, 306 E. Wisconsin Ave., is open for business from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The café continues to offer its daily specials and coffee drinks. To see what specials the café is offering that day go to its Facebook page. To place an order, call (414)-336-1723 or (414)-469-1770.
16. Oak and Shield Gaming Pub – curbside pickup and delivery
Oak and Shield Gaming Pub, 600 E. Ogden Ave., is delivering food, board games and puzzles to Milwaukee County. The pub’s regular menu is available for curbside pickup otherwise delivery options will be dropped off the next day unless otherwise indicated. For the delivery schedule, click here. To place a carry out order, call (414)-988-9982.
17. Lopez Bakery and Restaurant – curbside pickup
Lopez Bakery and Restaurant, 1100 W. Historic Mitchell St., has curbside pickup available for its bakery and lunch items. The bakery is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Call (414) 672-1830 to place an order. Gift certificates are also available to purchase. Read more about neighborhood restaurants, including Lopez Bakery, here.

author: Ana Martinez-Ortiz & Claudia Delgadillo


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 26, 2020


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5 things to do and know this weekend: The COVID-19 edition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
March 27, 2020
Vibez Creative Arts Space’s physical location may be closed, but the business is offering virtual classes on Facebook and Instagram. (Photo provided by Vibez Creative Arts Space)
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday.
1. Vibez Creative Arts Space is now virtual
Vibez Creative Arts Space has gotten creative with its business model. The business, which is housed in the Sherman Phoenix, is going virtual. Instead of in-person classes, Vibez will be streaming its classes live on Facebook and Instagram. At-home canvas kits and beer/wine/spirits kits are available for pre-order. To order a kit, individuals can call or text 414-465-2387. When ordering, individuals will be asked to schedule a curbside pickup.
2. YMCA emergency response camp programs
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The YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee is launching two emergency response camp programs to provide safe and quality care to the children of first responders and health care service workers. The program will be held at the Rite-Hite Family YMCA, 9250 N. Green Bay Rd., and the Advocate Aurora Conference Center, 2920 W. Dakota St. Registration is open to all healthcare workers, firefighters, police officers, EMTs and other essential service providers.
3. Don’t forget the census
Earlier this month, the U.S. Census Bureau sent out a letter inviting households to respond to the census online. The letter contained a personal identification that individuals should use when answering the questionnaire. Individuals can also respond to the census through the mail if preferred. Click here to see why the 2020 census should matter to you.
4. Hmong Chamber of Commerce emergency loan
The Hmong Chamber of Commerce announced an emergency loan fund to help the Wisconsin business community. Loans range from $5,000 to $10,000. Eligible businesses can learn more about the terms and interest rates and apply by contacting Ger Thao, the operations manager, at ger@hmongchamber.org. Currently, the turnover time is five business days.
5. Grocery kits for those in need
The Maruf Center has partnered with the Attari Supermarket, 3042 S. 13th St., and Biryani Palace, 5326 S. 27th St., to provide grocery kits for those in need. Individuals in need of a kit can visit Attari Supermarket or Biryani Palace and mention the “Maruf Grocery Kit.” Each kit contains rice, bread, oil, meat and lentils. The kits are customizable. Maruf is also looking for kit sponsors. Grocers who would like to participate can call or text Shaheen Saiyed at 951-880-4911.
Bonus: The latest coronavirus coverage from NNS
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters are hard at work bringing readers up-to-date information regarding coronavirus. Stay informed on coronavirus by following us on our Facebook page and subscribing to our daily newsletter. All coronavirus related articles can be found on this landing page. If you have a question or concern about coronavirus, send them in our way. We’re here to serve you.

author: Ana Martinez-Ortiz


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Post from Community: COVID-19 forces change in UMOS’ service delivery | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
UMOS
March 27, 2020
Lupe Martinez, president and CEO of UMOS, urges UMOS customers to make appointments by phone or email. (File photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz)
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
“Our quality of service will not change, but our method of service delivery will due to COVID-19,” states Lupe Martinez, President and Chief Executive Officer, UMOS.
UMOS staff, on average, will have 300,000 client, customer and program participant contacts per year, with about 20,000 per month entering through the job center doors on Chase Avenue. “Because of these numbers and the potential spread of COVID-19, along with the imposed federal, state and health department mandates, we will need to temporarily change how we serve the community, especially within the UMOS Center,” says Martinez.
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The UMOS Job Center houses many government services programs.  UMOS is following all directives from Governor Evers and department secretaries. The State of Wisconsin Job Service, located within the UMOS Job Center, is closed to the public.  All Job Service activities can be accessed electronically.
All UMOS customers are being encouraged to make appointments by phone or email. For those that must come into the office for emergency services, safety precautions have been put in place in the UMOS Job Center such as spacing chairs in the lobby 6 feet apart, offering hand sanitizers and safety information to everyone who enters and exits, and practicing social distancing when applying for services. Frequently touch areas like doorknobs and counters are more frequently sanitized.
“Although the UMOS administrative offices on Chase Avenue are closed to the public, UMOS program divisions, Workforce Development, Child Development and Social Services are still operational in all 6 states, yet in a different way,” Martinez added. “We continue to consult with health departments, funding sources and government entities for guidance on staff safety, customer safety and service delivery.”
UMOS plans to take advantage of available technology to limit face-to-face contacts, but not limit programs and services regularly provided to the community. Some UMOS employees will work from home. Those employees providing essential services will continue to staff the offices and phones. Some program staff will rotate schedules to continue to provide services. “We will do everything possible to keep staff members and customers safe,” Martinez concluded.
Below is information on the changes made in UMOS programs and services delivery and how to reach specific departments and staff within UMOS.
UMOS Job Center
Wisconsin Works (W-2) program is open and operational.  All clients with an open W-2 case are instructed to contact their case manager electronically via telephone and/or e-mail. Call 414-389-6600
Transform Milwaukee Jobs Program: 414-389-6217
Transitional Jobs-Racine: 414-791-4318
Transitional Jobs-Northeast and Central Wisconsin: 414-588-7871
UMOS Latina Resource Center
Offices are closed.
Appointments will be scheduled based on the crisis and/or services needed.
Non -emergency calls to obtain general information of hours of operation, staff directory and/overall services provided to victims
Food Pantry
Hours: 1:00-4:00pm, Monday-Friday
Call: 414-389-6300
Early Care and Education Programs (Migrant Head Start, Migrant Child Care)
All offices are closed. For information on services and opening dates call:
In Wisconsin: 920-331-0254
In Missouri: 417-461-7500
In Arkansas: 417-461-7500
Adult Education/After School Programs(GED, Community Learning Center)
Offices are closed. Instruction and testing have been suspended.
Call 414-389-6600 for more information
TechHire/Technology Center
Chase Street office is closed.
Call 414-389-6420 for information regarding current available trainings
Farmworker Programs(National Farmworker Jobs Program, Housing, Emergency Assistance
All offices are closed. Applications and appointments can be taken by phone.
In Wisconsin: 414-254-3042
In Missouri: 417-204-2395
Home Energy Assistance
All offices are closed.
call 414-270-4653 for an appointment or questions about services
call 262-657-2170. Emergency Furnace issues: 262-656-1234
Dial 211
Teen Tobacco Prevention and Needles Exchange Program
Office is closed.Appointments and consultations by phone.
Call 414-852-7475
Corporate and Community Events
Call 414-389-6002
Employment Opportunities
Call 414-389-6000
For more information on UMOS and all programs and services provided call 414-389-6000 or go to www.umos.org

author: UMOS


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Post from Community: Gov. Evers suspends evictions and foreclosures during public health emergency | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Gov. Tony Evers
March 27, 2020
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
Gov. Tony Evers today directed Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to temporarily order the suspension of evictions and foreclosures amid the COVID-19 public health emergency. The order can be found here.
The order prohibits landlords from evicting tenants for any reason unless failure to proceed with the eviction will result in an imminent threat of serious physical harm to another person and mortgagees from commencing civil action to foreclose on real estate for 60 days. Wisconsinites who are able to continue to meet their financial obligations are urged to do so. This order does not in any way relieve a person’s obligation to pay their rent or mortgages.
“During this time individuals, families, and small businesses may see disruptions in paychecks due to losing hours, tips, business, or employment. This is another step we can take to prioritize the health and safety of Wisconsinites during this public health emergency,” said Gov. Evers. “Evictions and foreclosures pose a direct and serious threat to the health and well-being of Wisconsinites, ensuring they are able to keep a roof over their heads and those in social services can prioritize assisting those who currently do not have shelter is critically important.”
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People should follow simple steps to prevent illness and avoid exposure to this virus including:
This is a rapidly evolving situation and we encourage you and the public to frequently monitor the DHS website for updates, and to follow @DHSWI on Facebook and Twitter, or dhs.wi on Instagram. Additional information can be found on the CDC website.

author: Gov. Tony Evers


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Post from Community: MCTS suspends fare collection beginning Saturday | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee County Transit System
March 27, 2020
(File photo by Matt Wisla)
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) is announcing additional steps it is taking to help protect employees and the general public during the ongoing Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Bus drivers are committed to keeping the system running, and the community needs to commit to keeping bus drivers safe and healthy so that they can do this important job.
Starting at 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, 2020, MCTS is suspending fare collection and informing riders that they must enter and exit the bus through the rear door only, unless they need assistance with a mobility device or other ADA accommodation. Suspending fare collection limits the interaction between passengers and bus drivers.
“While Congress works to create a new Federal Transit Administration grant program to help transit systems sustain operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, MCTS is doing its part to help ensure continuation of mass transit in Milwaukee County in this time of need,” said MCTS Managing Director, Dan Boehm.
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Public transportation is considered ‘essential infrastructure’ by federal, state and local officials. To prevent community spread of COVID-19, health officials and MCTS are asking anyone who uses public transportation during the current health emergency to limit non-essential travel, leave at least six feet of space between themselves and others (including bus drivers), and follow proper hygiene recommendations like washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes.
MCTS is committed to keeping employees and passengers safe. Here are some of the steps we’ve taken since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic earlier this month:
MCTS implemented an extra daily disinfection process on all buses using EPA-approved and CDC-recommended cleaning products. That’s in addition to the standard cleaning that vehicles receive on a regular basis.
MCTS encouraged riders to limit non-essential travel on MCTS buses, use an electronic fare payment (M-CARD or app) rather than paying cash, and exit through the back door to limit the time that passengers are near the driver’s compartment.
MCTS reminded passengers that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises anyone with fever, cough or shortness of breath to not go out in public, and to not take public transportation.
MCTS reduced the level of weekday bus service.  This means fewer bus drivers need to be on the road at any given time.
MCTS provided disinfectant solutions and cleaning cloths to bus drivers to ensure that they can clean their workspace throughout the day. There is a global shortage for common supplies, like gloves, sanitizing wipes and sanitizing gels. As these items become available, they are distributed to workers.
MCTS uses all available communication channels to inform employees and the general public of steps they can take to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, including social distancing
Additional updates about MCTS can be found at RideMCTS.com/Coronavirus. Important information is also available on Milwaukee County’s website and from the CDC at Coronavirus.gov.

author: Milwaukee County Transit System


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What’s cooking? Show off your culinary masterpieces | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
March 27, 2020
While the quarantine has disrupted many facets of daily life, many in our community have found more time to whip up home-cooked masterpieces.
Whether you’re an amateur or a pro, we want to see what’s been coming out of your kitchen, and, of course, who’s eating. Also, we know nobody looks good while they’re eating, so please take photos right before sinking in your teeth.
This gallery will be updated with submissions as we receive them. The collection is small right now because we’re depending on you to help us grow it into a feast.
Please send your photos to info@milwaukeenns.org or share on social media.
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author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


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‘Not the same’: How Milwaukee’s faith communities are adapting to COVID-19 stay at home order | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
March 29, 2020
With Ramadan coming next month, there is concern that mosques will be closed during the time when they are most heavily used, says Ahmed Quereshi, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. (File photo by Sue Vliet)
First, they were told to stay home if they weren’t feeling well.
Then they were told to come to service but be mindful of social distancing.
And, finally, they were told to just stay at home.
The COVID-19 pandemic has sent members of faith communities in Milwaukee and perhaps the world scrambling to adapt to fast-moving changes.
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“Fear has gripped people more than faith,” said Bishop Troy Hughes, senior pastor at Deliverance Temple Ministry, 7984 W Appleton Ave., which is now airing its Sunday service on Facebook Live.
“They hate not being able to come to church because it is so important to people.”
Holding service via Facebook Live, posting sermons on YouTube and sending out tons of emails are some of the ways faith leaders across Milwaukee are responding to COVID-19 and the order to stay home.
Ahmed Quereshi, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, said the three largest mosques in Milwaukee have canceled in-person services indefinitely and have moved prayer online.
With Ramadan, a Muslim holiday, coming next month, there is concern that mosques will be closed during the time when they are most heavily used, he said.
Ken Elbert, president, Milwaukee North Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said the church has moved online.
Although visual conferencing has helped keep members connected, it’s “not quite the same,” Elbert said.
Quereshi said his members are disappointed but understand they can’t meet in person.
Many mosques have reach out to members via email and have provided the phone numbers of local imams.
Members are still supporting their communities with resources such as weekly food pantries.
Although most institutions have moved online and are readily accessible to most of their members, the needs of older members and those without internet access remain a concern.
“Before the safer at home order, some of the ministers would go see about those that didn’t have access,” Elbert said. “But now there is concern for them – especially the ones that live alone – and we are conscious of them.”

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


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RAMADAN | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 26, 2020

author: Adam Carr


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OPINION: Even during these dark times, we should take time to see the light | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Pardeep S. Kaleka
March 29, 2020
(Photo provided by Pardeep Singh Kaleka)
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.
Pardeep Singh Kaleka is the executive director of Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee and author of “The Gift of Our Wounds.” In this piece, he reflects upon the disparate responses to COVID-19 and the personal commitment he’s made to learning through the crisis.
A few days ago, my 14-year old daughter expressively ranted about her wish to be in school with all of her friends and teachers. She spoke at length about how she misses even her most dreaded classes and that her school bullies would be a welcomed sight for her sore eyes.
It is clear that the outbreak of COVID-19 and the social distancing that we are engaged in to slow the spread of this virus is taking a spiritual toll on us all. Over the past few weeks, as U.S. and global death rates continue to rise, there have been several other consequences besides sickness, death and loneliness. These repercussions include: the loss of livelihood, significant economic losses, risks to our health and well-being and severe cabin fever. We’re experiencing all of this communal pain while physical communal fellowship is inaccessible.
At times our children can teach us much more than we can offer them. After more than a week of being self-quarantined as a family, I admitted to my daughter that it has been a very difficult week indeed and sometimes it takes these types of things to happen for us to really appreciate what we have. I said this out loud to her, but I was really speaking to myself.
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Our lives are lived in such a way that we are constantly coming and going, justifying our existence and qualifying our labels. Right now, it feels like none of that matters. All that matters is how compassionate we can become during these troublesome times to the communities we serve, friends, families and ourselves. Judging from the many news stories surfacing over the past week, there have been countless accounts of human goodwill and kindness that have been a direct outcome of this communal threat.
With that understood, we have also witnessed stories of those who have engaged in extreme selfishness. Examples have included the hoarding of cleaning supplies, disinfectant, guns, ammo, and yes, toilet paper — America’s “individual-first” mentality on full display. Instead of understanding that we are all in this together and working towards a communal betterment, our thin-skinned president put yet another minority community in danger with his blame-goating, racist comments and his appeal to this American individualism.
Reflecting on this, I wonder what causes these two polar responses to fear? Why does danger bring out the best in some and yet the worst in others?
Fear causes anxiety, and while anxiety is a natural human response to stress, we must understand that stress does different things to us all. Fight, flight, freeze are the commonly understood ways that we cope with feeling overwhelmed.
While this may be our natural response to fear and anxiety, there is something that gets lost. How do we grow? How do we get better? As a person? As a community?
The way we can grow is to understand our response to fear as natural, but our ability to get better as an overriding spiritual journey that ultimately invokes love over fear. Abundance over poverty. Vision over the unimaginative. Virtue over depravity. Gain over what we might lose.
With the sage words of my 14-year old daughter, I decided to give myself a gift; the gift of embracing the current vulnerability and invoking love over fear. I decided to spend more time with my children, family and myself, reflecting on COVID-19 symptoms of causing respiratory difficulties to human beings while the earth recovers fresh air with the lowering of its global CO2 levels; engaging in prayer of the interconnected spirit that reaffirms that we are all in this together; working to help in any small way that I can to contribute to the public good because there are those who are much more vulnerable during these times than me; being mindful that our spiritual wholeness may need to mature through this communal suffering.
This is a gift that we can all give ourselves because this is the path to communal growth. The days and weeks going forward will bring challenges and we will witness the constant tug-of-war with hope and hopelessness. During these times, please remember the words of the Hopi Elders:
“You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour.
“There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are torn apart and will suffer greatly.
“Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open and our heads above water. And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.
“The time for the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word ‘struggle’ from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

author: Pardeep S. Kaleka


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 24, 2020


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5 things to know this week in Milwaukee: The COVID-19 edition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
March 30, 2020
Due to COVID-19, voter online registration has been extended to Monday, March 30. (File photo by Andrea Waxman)
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday.
1. Last day to register to vote online: Monday, March 30
In light of recent events, the Election Commission has extended online voter registration. The deadline to register online is Monday, March 30. To register online for the upcoming spring general election, click here. Registered voters can also request an absentee ballot.
2. Ascension St. Joe’s free mobile testing clinic
In response to COVID-19, Ascension St. Joseph Hospital has opened a free mobile testing clinic. To get tested, patients will first be screened by an Ascension Medical Group provider. If a patient qualifies for testing, then he or she will be asked to go through the drive-through testing site where a nasal swab test will be performed. To learn more, click here.
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3. Free legal assistance and resources
The Milwaukee Justice Center and the Wisconsin Bar Association are here to provide legal assistance and resources to all those in need. Those in search of legal advice can sign up for Free Legal Answers and connect with a volunteer attorney registered in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Justice Center also has a list of online resources including the Wisconsin State Law Library.
4. 88Nine Radio Milwaukee unveils new program
88Nine Radio Milwaukee recently launched a new program that aims to help the community learn, dance and connect. Listeners have the opportunity to tune into School of Rock, Dine N’ Dance, Studio Milwaukee: From the Vault and much more. Click here for the full schedule.
5. Milwaukee Public Library’s online resources
The Milwaukee Public Library is here to help Milwaukee residents get through the quarantine. The library is offering a plethora of resources from LibraryNow to its NewspaperARCHIVE to its Historic Photo Archives and more. For the full list of its offerings, click here.
Bonus: The latest coronavirus coverage from NNS
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters are hard at work bringing readers up-to-date information regarding coronavirus. Stay informed by following us on our Facebook page and subscribing to our daily newsletter. All coronavirus-related articles can be found on this landing page. If you have a question or concern about coronavirus, send them in our way. We’re here to serve you.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 29, 2020


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Community Heroes: MATC gives Hunger Task Force large donation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sue Vliet
March 30, 2020
Editor’s note: At Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, we intentionally celebrate ordinary people who do extraordinary things. We are especially interested in our neighbors who are making a difference as we all deal with the effects of COVID-19. Please let us know by emailing us at info@milwaukeenns.org.
The Milwaukee Area Technical College on Friday donated fresh produce from its culinary arts program and food service to the Hunger Task Force.
The donation included vegetables, fruit, dairy products, bleach and gloves.
More than 212 pounds of potatoes, 37 cartons of eggs, 35 pounds of carrots and 37 pounds of onions were given away, MATC officials say.
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author: Sue Vliet


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OPINION: Quarantine within a quarantine: The intersectionality of African Americans, historical trauma and coronavirus | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jermaine Reed
March 30, 2020
(The Milwaukee County COVID-19 Dashboard on the morning of March 30, 2020)
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.
Jermaine Reed is the executive director of Fresh Start Family Services and Ujima House in Milwaukee. In this piece, he considers “Safer at Home” and disparate rates of COVID-19 on the North Side in the context of historical trauma in the black community.
Before we go arresting marginalized black and brown folks, let’s look at some of the root causes of anti-social, high-risk behaviors and who’s responsible.
Let’s peel the onion back.
African Americans, in general, have a historic mistrust of the public health system. To name a few: the Tuskegee experiment, the secret harvesting of cells from Henrietta Lacks, forced eugenics and sterilization targeting African American women and segregated, unequal medical treatment during the Jim Crow era. What science tells us is that trauma is coded in our DNA and is subconsciously passed down through generations.
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This can lead us to avoid seeking care, practicing prevention or even not adhering to orders like “Safer at Home,” even though we need it to avoid spreading the virus or becoming seriously ill. This ultimately worsens the impact of the epidemic on our community.
We need to fully understand that local, state and federal government systems have created the current health crisis disparity impacting black and brown people. We know that COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate, but racialized U.S. public policy has for centuries, in ways that now leave black and brown people more vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic. That is why, as of the time I’m writing, in Milwaukee County the majority of the confirmed COVID-19 cases and all fatalities are black.
Medical College of Wisconsin research also shows that blacks suffer from higher rates of conditions like asthma, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, prostate cancer, breast cancer, blood cancer and kidney disease — problems that experts say could make COVID-19 more severe and life-threatening.
Social distancing and quarantining are not a new concept for black folks or the government. The government effectively isolated black people in areas that would suffer lower levels of investment than our white counterparts. Through redlining, the U.S. created ghettos that have black and brown folks living on top of one another. It set up food deserts, deindustrialized and exported jobs and now want us to remain six feet apart. A study published by Medical Care Research and Review in 2014 found that an increase in the concentration of black people in a neighborhood is associated with a corresponding decrease in availability of surgical equipment.
I believe some black folks on the North Side of Milwaukee are not staying at home because we have lived in a place of hopelessness and despair, and we do not trust the government. As the most studied group of people in this country, for some, this feels like another government experiment where we are the subjects, even though we may not be.
Police can ticket or arrest us for not self-quarantining, but in reality, Milwaukee is the worse place for blacks to live in this country. Blacks here have already been quarantined and locked out of mainstream society. Perhaps communities ravaged by mass incarceration have citizens who aren’t trying to be on “lockdown.” Black folks have been living in the “hole” and may suffer psychologically as a result. Maybe “Safer at Home” is a trigger for PTSD for one group of individuals versus another.
Gov. Tony Evers called what is happening with some African Americans on Milwaukee’s North Side a “crisis within a crisis.” He is asking us to self-quarantine while being politically quarantined. He wants “all hands on deck,” while Joe Biden said, “we are all in this together.”
You and I know that has never been or will be the case in Wisconsin, Milwaukee or America. Until the governor, county executive, mayor and every elected official commit to addressing the structural inequalities in this state, county and city, in a real and meaningful way, recovery will be long and inequitable.

author: Jermaine Reed


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 30, 2020


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‘Pay what you can, if you can’: What you need to know about evictions and foreclosures during COVID-19 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
March 30, 2020
(File photo by Adam Carr)
Editors note: An earlier version of this story stated that the hold on evictions does not offer protections for people on month-to-month leases. This was incorrect. Those with month-to-month are also protected from evictions under Gov. Evers emergency order.
You’ve hopefully heard that Gov. Tony Evers has ordered us to stay inside and practice social distancing with his Safer at Home directive.
But, as some housing advocates point out, it’s not possible to stay safer in your home if you’re forced to leave it.
On Friday, Evers issued an emergency order to put evictions and foreclosures on hold throughout Wisconsin for 60 days.
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“During this time individuals, families, and small businesses may see disruptions in paychecks,” Evers said in a statement. “This is another step we can take to prioritize the health and safety of Wisconsinites.”
What does that mean for Milwaukee renters and homeowners who may be struggling to make payments because of the COVID-19 pandemic?
We break it down for you.
The short answer is yes, even if you lost your job because of COVID-19.
Evers’ order stopped evictions, but it didn’t suspend rent.
You are still obligated to pay your rent and could be responsible for back rent after the 60 days, unless you work out a new formal agreement with your landlord.
“Pay what you can, if you can,” recommended Colleen Foley, the executive director of the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, which provides free legal services to people with lower incomes who need representation.
Foley said she knows that some families need to make difficult decisions at the end of the month, such as paying for food or making rent, because of COVID-19.
“This is a global health crisis and a financial crisis,” she said. “But the governor expects people to be responsible as much as they can.”
Probably not, but we’ll keep you updated.
Milwaukee Autonomous Tenant Union, also known as MATU, is a new citywide tenant advocacy organization that’s pushing for a freeze on rent, mortgage and utility bills during the pandemic.
“Most working people are living paycheck to paycheck, and we can’t expect that after however long this lasts that people would be able to pay that back,” said Jay Geils, an organizer for MATU. “It could lead to a really horrible housing crisis.”
Though the organization is advocating for a rent freeze, it is not encouraging a rent strike and is still advising people to pay rent if they can.
“We wouldn’t recommend that people withhold rent because of the ways landlords can retaliate,” Geils said. “The landlord can then just file for an eviction later.”
If you can’t make your rent payment by April 1 because of a COVID-19-related reason, Deb Heffner, the strategic housing director at Community Advocates, said you should talk with your landlord about the changes to your income, and reach out to local organizations to try to get short-term assistance.
“Try not to wait,” she said. “If you know that you will need help, seek resources now.”
She said staying on track with payments will help prevent bigger issues when the hold on evictions is over.
Organizations like Community Advocates offer emergency rent assistance and can make referrals to other services.
No, definitely not for the next 60 days.
The emergency order prevents landlords from evicting tenants until at least May 26.
Not only does that mean that you can’t be forced from your home before May 26, it also means that landlords can’t begin any part of the eviction process before that date.
If your landlord violates the governor’s order and tries to evict you in the next 60 days, you can report them to the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Foley also recommended you contact at lawyer at the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee.
Kind of. Since the eviction ban does not waive rent payments, tenants are still accountable for the payments they miss.
That means that after 60 days, landlords technically could file for an eviction for nonpayment.
“What this will do in the immediate future is keep people safely in their homes and getting the services they need,” Foley said. “The real concern is what happens when thing go back to normal. We’re anticipating a tidal wave of eviction work.”
Since evictions happen in civil court, tenants are not guaranteed legal representation, but organizations like Legal Aid can represent tenants facing eviction for free if their income qualifies.
Legal Action of Wisconsin’s Eviction Defense Project, which also provides legal representation to tenants, is suspended until further notice.
Just like renters, under the governor’s order you are still accountable for your mortgage payments, but your home cannot undergo foreclosure proceedings for the next 60 days.
So if you can, you should still pay.
If you can’t make mortgage payments because of a loss of income from COVID-19, Foley recommended you contact your mortgage company to try to work something out.
Lenders across the country are recognizing the financial strain that this pandemic is putting on borrowers.
You could also look into options for modifying your loan if your income has changed.
Either way, you can’t be foreclosed on right now.
Also, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development put foreclosures on hold for 60 days for single-family homes with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Yes.
Last week, Evers made an order that suspends all utility shut-offs and also restricts utility companies from charging late fees for the duration of the public health emergency.
But just like rent and mortgage payments, if you can make them, you should continue to.
Lastly, if you are in need of energy assistance, you may be eligible. The income guidelines have changed due to COVID-19. You only need to show proof of income loss for one month instead of three.
● Community Advocates is opening up a special rental help line, specifically as a result of COVID-19, to connect people to rent assistance as well as other benefits including energy assistance, unemployment and foodshare.
The organization also provides services for landlords, including mediation and assistance working out agreements between tenants and landlords.
You can call 414-270-4646 or email renthelp@communityadvocates.net.
● Mediate Milwaukee offers mediation for tenants, landlords, homeowners and lenders to help work through conflicts and come to agreements. You can call them at 414-939-8800 or email them at apply@mediatemilwaukee.com.
● Legal Aid Society of Milwaukeecan provide legal assistance to income-eligible tenants in dispute with landlords, as well as to homeowners. You can call them at 414-727-5300.
● Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Councilcan help homeowners protect themselves from mortgage and foreclosure prevention scams, as well as from predatory home loans. You can call them at 414-278-1240.
● Housing Resources Inc. can provide counseling to homeowners and has programs to help people prevent foreclosure. You can call them at 414-461-6330.
● If you think you are at risk of becoming homeless, you can always  or text your ZIP code to TXT-211 (898-211).
● If you want to learn more about evictions in the city or see your landlord’s track record of evictions, you can check out the maps and data on mke-evict.com.
Do you have any other questions about essential services or how your daily life will be impacted by COVID-19? Let us know. You can email info@milwaukeenns.org or you can text our reporter Allison at 262-497-5927. We’re listening, and we’ll look into it.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly labeled the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee as the Legal Aid Society of Wisconsin.