text:
Housing discrimination personal issue for Open Housing marcher’s family | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brian Morrissey
July 3, 2017
Editor’s note: This one in a series of 15 pieces about the Milwaukee Open Housing marches, which took place 50 years ago beginning on Aug. 28, 1967. Watch for the stories every Monday and Thursday.
In the 1960s, African-Americans were limited to purchasing homes on Milwaukee’s North Side simply because of the color of their skin. As a young black girl, Lyneria Childs McGhee always questioned this.
“That was a big issue for me coming up,” she added. “Well, how come we can’t do this? How come we can’t buy here? Why can’t we move there?”
This was of great importance to her because the size of McGhee’s family made it difficult for them to find adequate places to live. Additionally, some property owners would refuse to sell to them.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“The white landlords wouldn’t rent to my dad,” McGhee said. “He needed at least three bedrooms with the eight of us.”
McGhee’s family finally tracked down a house on the corner of 5th and Chambers streets that suited their needs. However, it was a struggle at times to pay for rent, food and unexpected hospital bills. The Rev. James Groppi, a pastor at St. Boniface Catholic Church, did as much as he could to support the McGhee family in their time of need.
“My mom got real sick. We almost lost her. And my dad had to take off work a lot,” McGhee said. “So Father Groppi pitched in and gave him money to help him with rent and food. He would even come and get us for lunch and then take us back to school.”
With Groppi’s encouragement, all of the McGhee children got involved in the open housing marches. In 1967, Lyneria McGhee, then 14, joined the NAACP Youth Council. In August, Youth Council members began a 200-night demonstration for open housing policies in Milwaukee.
All 200 nights were filled with anticipation for McGhee and her siblings, but before they could go on the marches they had to finish their homework. McGhee recalled a situation in which her sister Mary Ann was unable to attend a march.
“Mary Ann couldn’t go once because she had a math problem she couldn’t solve. She was pretty upset,” McGhee said with laughter. “It was about 10 p.m. and my dad goes to bed early because he has to get up for work. So he got out of bed and he stayed up to help her solve her problem.”
On each of the 200 nights counter-protestors demonstrated against open housing. Although some of these protestors were violent and shouted hateful words, McGhee did her best not to look down on them.
“They had never interacted with blacks. All they knew was ‘black had to get back,’” McGhee said. “I don’t know if it was instilled in them, if they knew any black people or if they were just taught that without getting to know a black person.”
On April 30, 1968, Milwaukee finally passed open housing legislation. Congress later passed a law that made it illegal to refuse to sell or rent houses to someone based on their race, color, religion, sex, familial status or national origin.
McGhee resides today at Northlawn, 5145 N. 20th St., a predominantly black affordable housing community run by the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee. It is not how she envisioned her adult life as a child.
“I had this idea of the American dream, traveling and retiring. I just wanted to be comfortable,” McGhee said. “But this place is the best I can do in my current financial situation.”

author: Brian Morrissey


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 2, 2017

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


text:
Happy Independence Day! | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
July 4, 2017
Last year’s fireworks at Mitchell Park. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service wishes you a happy and safe Fourth of July.

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 3, 2017


text:
How to volunteer in July | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Martha Cannon, Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
July 5, 2017
Volunteers participate in land restoration activities for the River Rivitalization Foundation’s “Fostering Our Riparian Biodiversity” opportunity. (Photo courtesy of River Revitalization Foundation)
Did the Independence Day holiday inspire you to help out in your community? Volunteer Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee, features a calendar full of events for volunteers, both one-time and ongoing. Here are a few of the opportunities in July.
Mentor2.0
Mentor a Veritas High School student and assist with curriculum that builds skills for college and career success.  is recruiting now for fall school year; deadline to apply is July 31
Contact: Casey Parr at StartSomething@bbbsmilwaukee.org or 414-831-4563.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Make a Difference in the Lives of Young Children!
Help children from infants to 6 years old with outdoor/indoor play, arts and crafts and lunch at
Contact: Ellen Anderson at  or 414-345-6376.
Lead Tours
Provide exhibit tours to school groups and the public at ; training is a nine-month process. Must sign up by July 31.
Contact: Amanda Stopar at stopara@mpm.edu or 414-278-2711.
Shelter Receptionist
Answer phones, check in visitors and assist homeless adults experiencing mental illness and addictions and children weekdays at
Contact: atreptow@cathedral-center.org or 414-831-0394.
Feed the Homeless and Hungry
Small groups are needed to prepare, serve and clean up breakfast weekdays 7-10 a.m. for The Gathering Of Southeast WI at St. Ben’s Meal Site.
Contact: Angela Wright at (414) 272-4122.
Fostering Our Riparian Biodiversity
Remove invasive species, establish native plants and trees and maintain trails as part of
Contact: Ellie Kirkwood at ekirkwood@riverrevitalizationfoundation.org or 414-271-8000.
AIDS Walk Outreach at Brady Street Festival
Staff the AIDS Resource Center booth for a few hours at Brady Street Festival Saturday, July 29 to sign up participants for AIDS Walk Wisconsin & 5K Run to be held October 7.
Contact: Melanie Stagg at melanie.stagg@arcw.org or 414-225-1570.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 4, 2017


text:
‘Men4Men End the Demand’ takes on sex trafficking | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
July 5, 2017
Gaulien “Gee” Smith (front, left), owner of Gee’s Clippers, takes care of a customer in his barbershop. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
For James Nelson, a former pimp who left “the life” 32 years ago, talking to other men about the realities of sex trafficking is not intimidating or embarrassing.
“There’s no special way to do it. Sometimes we complicate things, when the simplistic approach is the best approach. So you just talk about it,” he said.
Nelson is engaging men in these conversations as a volunteer working on an anti-trafficking campaign that launched recently at Gee’s Clippers barbershop, 2200 N. Martin Luther King Drive. The Foundations for Freedom’s summer campaign, “Men4Men End the Demand” aims to raise awareness that buying sex and consuming pornography drive human trafficking, causing the enslavement of women and men.
The male volunteers are focusing on barbershops because that’s where men are found, said Dana World-Patterson, who co-founded (with Martha Love) and now chairs the Human Trafficking Task Force of Greater Milwaukee. They will also talk to men wherever they gather.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
World-Patterson, who also founded the nonprofit Foundations for Freedom, discovered that human trafficking generated an estimated $32 billion in illegal profits annually, worldwide. A more recent study reports that the number has grown to $150 billion, said World-Patterson, the nonprofit’s CEO. Twenty-one percent of trafficking victims are subjected to sexual exploitation and the others to forced labor, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Andre Lee Ellis, campaign chair, speaks at a press conference to launch the campaign at Gee’s Clippers as (from left) owner Gaulien “Gee” Smith, Health Commissioner Bevan Baker, volunteer William Muhammad and CEO Dana World-Patterson look on. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Foundations for Freedom works to strengthen women and girls, reduce their vulnerabilities and eradicate human trafficking. Initially, it concentrated solely on trafficking victims but several years ago, World-Patterson said she began thinking about holistic approaches and speaking to traffickers.
That’s when the seeds of the Men4Men End the Demand campaign were planted. World-Patterson realized that there was power in men talking to other men “about the ills and devastation of human sex trafficking in a way that enhances responsibility, creates accountability and is supportive to end the demand.”
“I can talk to men but it’s going to be more impactful if it’s men talking to men. To end human trafficking, we have to address both the traffickers and the trafficked head on,” World-Patterson added.
Volunteers from faith-based organizations, workplaces and other groups have stepped forward. World-Patterson said she is “thankful for the men who volunteer believing that their voices will make a difference.”
Campaign chair Andre Lee Ellis said learning respect for women, children and families is important for the young men and boys he’s mentoring in his “We Got This” program.
“They must see me standing at the forefront of causes that are important to our community and to our families,” he said.
Sex trafficking is a secret that needs to be brought out into the open, especially in Milwaukee where “it’s more of a concern than in any of the top 40 largest cities,” said Milwaukee Health Commissioner Bevan Baker. “We’ve become a feeding ground for the Las Vegas Strip and many other places that take young girls and put them into prostitution and unspeakable lives,” he added.
The average age of sex trafficking victims is 11 to 13 years old, according to World-Patterson. Although the majority in Milwaukee are African-Americans, trafficking victims come from all races, socio-economic groups and age groups, from childhood through middle age, and it occurs in all 72 Wisconsin counties. Approximately 80 percent of victims worldwide are female and half are children.
“When we first started nine years ago, people thought trafficking victims were inner-city black girls with no fathers, living in poverty,” said World-Patterson. “But we knew that it was far beyond the inner city because the data, at that time, said it was a $32 billion industry.”
“The borders have been erased. It’s black, white, Asian, it doesn’t matter if you’re young or middle-aged. … The thread (that connects them) is vulnerability.”
Nelson, 63, explained that he got into selling women for sex because he was raised in an environment where all the older boys and men were “in the game,” pimping, hustling and dealing drugs. After getting out of prison in his early 30s he was helped by Bishop Sedgwick Daniels, spiritual leader of Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ, and his family, who offered him career alternatives. Nelson has worked in social service since then.
Through his faith and experience working with Career Youth Development (CYD), a now defunct nonprofit that provided a variety of services to underprivileged and formerly incarcerated youth, he has learned the importance of taking action to right wrongs. “What we need,” Nelson said, “is for men to go forth and do something.”
Editor’s note: This story has been revised to reflect the accurate percentage of trafficking victims who are subjected to sexual exploitation according to the International Labour Organization. We apologize for the error.

author: Andrea Waxman


text:
Milwaukee YMCA Healthy Families Day | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Shanee' Jenkins
July 5, 2017
The Milwaukee Y will celebrate HEALTHY FAMILIES DAY, sponsored by UNITEDHEALTHcare Community Plan, with support from Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin on Saturday, July 22, 2017.  As the new school year approaches, the Milwaukee Y wants to help families be ready by providing free backpacks, healthy food demos and health screenings.  All community members are welcome to attend this FREE fun-filled event.
Additional Free activities include:
For more information contact Rayven Peterson, Northside Operations Executive at 414.374.9442.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

author: Shanee' Jenkins


text:
On The Block: Lessons from prison | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
July 5, 2017
As a boy, Sterling Daniels lived near 9th and Concordia streets in Borchert Field and then moved to 24th and Hopkins in the Amani neighborhood. Growing up without a father, he relied on the streets for role models and got involved in criminal activities as a young teen.
Recently released from prison after 26 years, Daniels is committed to sharing what he has learned to help central city boys and young men avoid lives of crime and incarceration. Daniels tells his story in “Raised in the Game,” a book he wrote in prison. He recently spoke to the boys of “We Got This” in the garden at 9th and Ring streets.


text:
Zilber Family Foundation announces $2.19 million in grants to benefit Milwaukeeans | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Zilber Family Foundation
July 5, 2017
Artists Working in Education’s Truck Studio in Burnham Park. (Photo by Adam Carr)
At its spring meeting, the board of directors of the Zilber Family Foundation awarded 27 grants totaling $2,196,100 to nonprofit organizations in Milwaukee.  The Foundation provides grants that address the causes and consequences of poverty in Clarke Square, Layton Boulevard West, Lindsay Heights, and other city neighborhoods.  In keeping with the Foundation’s mission, the 27 grants support local efforts to meet basic needs and enhance personal safety, increase access to social and economic opportunity, and improve the quality of community life.  Recently awarded grants include:
For more information and a complete list of Zilber Family Foundation grants, visit: www.zilberfamilyfoundation.org.
Formed in 1961, the Zilber Family Foundation is a private independent grantmaking institution dedicated to enhancing the well-being of individuals, families, and neighborhoods, with an emphasis on the City of Milwaukee.  Since the start of the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative in 2008, the Zilber Family Foundation board of directors has awarded $44,765,176 to support programs that meet basic human needs, enhance access to economic opportunity, and improve the quality of community life.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

author: Zilber Family Foundation


text:
DSC00520 (1) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 8, 2017


text:
Anger motivated marcher to participate in open housing demonstrations | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Cannon
July 6, 2017
Editor’s note: This is one in a series of 15 pieces about the Milwaukee Open Housing marches, which took place 50 years ago beginning on Aug. 28, 1967. Download a free copy of “The Long March to Freedom” ebook, a compilation of all the articles in this series.
Prentice McKinney is the son of parents born in the Deep South. His mother was used to people discriminating against her family because of the color of their skin. But to 16- year-old Prentice, it came as quite a shock.
“I grew up in the city,” McKinney said. “I had never seen discrimination.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
McKinney was born in Chicago and raised in Milwaukee. He says that as a child, he was like a lot of the kids he saw around him.
“I was into devilment like most kids in the ghetto with nothing to do, skipping school and that kind of thing,” McKinney said.
But at the age of 16, McKinney said things started to change. He credits his involvement in the NAACP Youth Council to the fact that Freedom House, where the group met, was one block away from his home. The Rev. James Groppi led the group in fighting for civil rights in Milwaukee during the late 1960s.
“Groppi was one of the smoothest cats I ever met,” McKinney said.
Groppi and the NAACP Youth Council spurred a protest to change the law to prohibit housing discrimination. For 200 nights, they marched across the 16th Street Viaduct, also known as the “Mason-Dixon line” of Milwaukee because it marked the border between the predominantly black North Side and predominantly white South Side.
McKinney was no stranger to housing discrimination. After his family was told they could not purchase a home on the South Side, the young McKinney was motivated by anger to learn about the issues facing his people.
“I started to find out about something called ‘land title covenants,’” McKinney said. The deeds made it legal for owners to sell their property only to whites. “That infuriated me,” he said
McKinney rose through the ranks at Freedom House, becoming a member of the Commandos, a group of 10-15 young black men whose role was to protect Groppi and the marchers from violent counter-protestors.
As a Commando, McKinney’s job was to keep the lines intact as the marchers walked across the bridge each night. The Commandos did not believe in violence, but they also did not believe in letting people take advantage of them.
“We demanded respect,” McKinney said. “We weren’t violent, but we weren’t nonviolent.”
The marchers were met with strong opposition whenever they crossed the bridge onto the South Side. Each night, crowds of angry whites would throw bricks and scream racist, vulgar remarks at the protestors.
“The police, in most cases were aggressive towards us, not aggressive towards the counter-protestors,” McKinney said.
When police had to intervene, they would face the white crowd with tear gas. But when they pulled the pin to release the tear gas, it would slip out of their hands and fall backwards on the marchers, McKinney recalled. This forced the marchers to run from the tear gas and into the white mob.
“It was 200 nights of getting arrested, fighting with the police, trying to protect the marchers, and, on occasion, going to jail,” McKinney said.
Anger kept him going all those nights, and still keeps him going today, he said. Participating in the open housing marches gave him an experience that would guide him for the rest of his life. Today, McKinney remains a political activist in the community and always asks himself what he can do to make a difference.
“It’s kind of been the story of my life,” McKinney said. “To be involved, to fight injustice, and to inspire others.”

author: Margaret Cannon


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 5, 2017


text:
Reader’s Choice book store to close | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
July 6, 2017
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs will be attending the Reader’s Choice bookstore closing celebration and liquidation sale this weekend. The event will take place at Reader’s Choice at 1950 N. Martin Luther King Dr. on Saturday, July 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Reader’s Choice has been imbedded into the fabric of the community for more than a generation, and Ms. Allison’s commitment to literacy and promotion of African- American writers is unparalleled and will be sorely missed,” Alderwoman Coggs said.
The event will feature a conversation with local author Pastor Lovelace Redmond, who will be discussing his book “Demon’s Gone Crazy.” Local artist Fidel Verdin will also be attending and will be interviewing store owner Carla Allison on her journey.
Reader’s Choice bookstore is the last Black-owned bookstore in the state of Wisconsin and has served the Milwaukee community for more than 28 years. It has hosted book fairs, community dialogues, and many acclaimed authors. Owner Carla Allison is retiring and will be closing the store.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Reader’s Choice, located in the Historic King Drive BID, has a host of merchandise which includes contemporary books, classic literature, children’s books, calendars, greeting cards and Greek paraphernalia.
TRUE Skool, Inc. community service volunteers will be helping with the event.

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 6, 2017


text:
Spring into summer in our city, 2017 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 6, 2017
With hot and humid days ahead, this photo gallery collects scenes of springtime in our many neighborhoods. From the blustery days of April to the blooms of May to the greens of June, this gallery takes a look back at the last few months in Milwaukee.


text:
Cardinal Stritch University receives $67,200 in emergency grants | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Kathleen Hohl
July 7, 2017
Cardinal Stritch University has received a $67,200 Dash Emergency Grant from Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates to operate and maintain a student emergency aid program. Emergency grants will be integrated into the university’s overall student success strategy with the goal of improving retention and completion rates.
Stritch serves students from diverse backgrounds, and a situation that might be a headache for one can be a major financial crisis for another. If a student is already struggling to make ends meet, an unexpected car repair or medical bill might cause that student to withdraw from college.
“Thanks to the Dash Emergency Grant, Stritch now has the resources to provide modest emergency grants to our students in times of greatest need,” said Tracy Fischer, assistant vice president of Student Affairs. “These funds will help our students continue their progress toward a degree and, ultimately, fulfill their mission.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Stritch will begin making student emergency grants in fall 2017. Students will complete an application detailing their financial emergency. A Stritch committee will review the application, and expenses up to $1,000 will be paid within two business days of approval. By quickly removing financial distractions, students can refocus on their studies and continue toward graduation.
Stritch is one of the first four-year colleges/universities in the nation to receive a Dash Emergency Grant from Great Lakes. A combined $7.2 million in grants was awarded to 32 institutions in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Dash Emergency Grants for four-year colleges/universities build on the success two-year colleges have achieved since Great Lakes began supporting emergency grant programs in 2012. These colleges report students who receive emergency grants stay in school at better rates and graduate in larger numbers.
“We’re pleased to extend our Dash Emergency Grant to Cardinal Stritch University and other four-year colleges to help more at-risk students overcome financial obstacles to completion,” said Richard D. George, President and Chief Executive Officer of Great Lakes.
About Stritch: Cardinal Stritch University, a fully accredited Catholic institution based in Milwaukee, provides transformative, value-centered education to more than 3,000 men and women of all faiths and ages in four colleges: Arts and Sciences, Education and Leadership, Business and Management, and the Ruth S. Coleman College of Nursing and Health Sciences. The University offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as certificate and other training programs. Founded in 1937 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, Stritch is the largest Franciscan institution of higher education in North America, with classroom sites across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.
About Great Lakes: Dedicated to making college education a reality since 1967.
Knowing that education has the power to change lives for the better, Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates was established as a nonprofit group focused on a single objective: helping students nationwide prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education and student loan repayment. As a leading student loan guarantor and servicer, Great Lakes has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to provide assistance and repayment planning to more than 8 million borrowers—as well as assistance to colleges and lenders nationwide. The group’s earnings support one of the largest and most respected education philanthropy programs in the country. Since 2006, Great Lakes has committed over $200 million in grant funding to promote higher education access and completion for students of color, low-income students, and first-generation students. For additional information, visit home.mygreatlakes.org.

author: Kathleen Hohl


text:
New non-denominational Christian school in Lincoln Village to open Aug. 16 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lydia Slattery / Wisconsin Watch
July 7, 2017
St. Augustine is holding summer programs to help students become familiar with the school. (Photo by Lydia Slattery)
St. Augustine Preparatory Academy, a new private school boasting an in-house health clinic and an Olympic-size swimming pool, will open for classes on Aug. 16 in Lincoln Village. St. Augustine is a non-denominational Christian school serving more than 500 students in its first year.
Eighty percent of the students live within a two-mile radius of the school building. Alfonso Carmona, superintendent of St. Augustine, said that school representatives went door to door to recruit students. They also made phone calls, used social media and held events to make sure community members knew the new $50 million building is a school, not a hospital or another large facility.
Carmona said he wants the school to be an asset to students, as well as the community. “If I want my students to do well, I need their families to do well,” Carmona said.
St. Augustine will offer English as a Second Language (ESL) and GED classes to community members. The school’s health clinic is available to students and staff as well as their families.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The school also has a new turf field for soccer and an Olympic-size swimming pool and training pool.
Christian Alvarado, who will be a freshman at St. Augustine, was accepted to several other schools, including Carmen Schools of Science and Technology, but chose St. Augustine for its academics. “I want to be an orthopedic surgeon. St. Augustine had good college prep classes.”
Said Aixa Barrios, who also will be a freshman, “I came to St. Augustine for everything it has to offer. They push you in academics and they have sports.”
Incoming students at St. Augustine attending the summer program listen attentively as their teacher reads to them. (Photo by Lydia Slattery)
“I’m a big believer that students can achieve anything they want. I’m also a big believer that students can’t do it alone,” said Carmona. “They need people to guide them and show them the way.” The average class size is 20 students with two adults per classroom.
Eighty percent of the students at St. Augustine are Latino. Carmona said he expected the students to be predominantly Latino due to the school’s location on the South Side, home to a large Latino population. Twenty teachers speak Spanish and 10 are fully bilingual.
Carmona said that the school is accredited temporarily, but is in the three-year process of seeking permanent accreditation by the Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Accreditation. St. Augustine can accept school vouchers now.
All students at St. Augustine are receiving school vouchers, which are usually $7,500, Carmona said. Tuition for kindergarten through eighth grade is $9,500 and $10,000 for high school. St. Augustine will not charge families the difference between the voucher and the cost to educate a student, Carmona said.
A student is eligible for a school voucher if the family’s income is equal to or less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $72,900 for a family of four. Opponents of school vouchers argue that they take necessary funds away from public schools.
“If funding is taken away from public schools that could lead to a school not being able to have an art teacher or a librarian,” said Amy Mizialko, vice president of the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association.
Mizialko said that legislators, philanthropists and community members should be investing in public education. There is no strong evidence that shows private schools educate students better than public schools, she added. “The voucher system is a 25-year failed experiment.”
She added that the schools closest to St. Augustine, which include Riley Elementary, Forest Home Avenue School, Lincoln Avenue School and Allen-Field Elementary School, could lose enrollment.
According to Isral DeBruin, director of communication for Schools That Can, “It’s hard to say how [St. Augustine] will affect the enrollment of charter or public schools since the Milwaukee educational landscape is so complex.”
“If a school is doing a good job of educating their students, they shouldn’t have to worry about competition,” said DeBruin. “Some people may wonder why we need another school in Milwaukee, but I think every child deserves a quality education.”
St. Augustine is a partner school with Schools That Can, which provides resources to help improve public, charter and private schools.
Mizialko noted that private schools can exclude students, a practice known as gatekeeping. Public schools are the only entities legally required to educate all students.
Carmona said he has hired four special education teachers, a speech pathologist and several social workers to meet the needs of all students at St. Augustine.
“Our school is an inclusive school. We accept all students that qualify for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program or the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program. This includes students with disabilities,” Carmona said.
Classes at St. Augustine begin Aug. 16 with grades K4, K5, first, second, third, sixth and ninth. The school plans to enroll 2,500 students when all grade levels open by fall 2020. DeBruin said it would be one of the largest private schools in Milwaukee when it reaches its full capacity.
Schools on the South Side such as St. Anthony and Bruce Guadalupe have been welcoming to St. Augustine, DeBruin said, adding that Bruce Guadalupe, a charter school, gave its student waiting list to St. Augustine to help recruit students.
School-choice advocate Gus Ramirez, executive chairman of manufacturing company HUSCO International, donated $40 million of $53 million to build St. Augustine. The remainder was funded through donations and fundraising events, Carmona said.
Editor’s note: This story has been revised to clarify eligibility requirements for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program.

author: Lydia Slattery / Wisconsin Watch


text:
$1 million invested in Milwaukee South Side homes | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Cinthia Hernandez
July 10, 2017
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"			xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"			xmlns:trackback="http://madskills.com/public/xml/rss/module/trackback/">		<rdf:Description rdf:about="https://milwaukeenns.org/2017/07/10/1-million-invested-in-milwaukee-south-side-homes/"    dc:identifier="https://milwaukeenns.org/2017/07/10/1-million-invested-in-milwaukee-south-side-homes/"    dc:title="$1 million invested in Milwaukee South Side homes"    trackback:ping="https://milwaukeenns.org/2017/07/10/1-million-invested-in-milwaukee-south-side-homes/trackback/" /></rdf:RDF>
Carol and Ezell McQuay’s home has a fresh coat of paint and new landscaping after the couple received an LBWN matching grant. (Photo by Alexandria Bursiek)
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors (LBWN) is celebrating $1 million invested in homes in the Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park Neighborhoods through the LBWN Home Improvement Matching Grants. For many homeowners their commitment to and pride in their community is evident through the investment they have made in their homes. With the belief that sustainable homeownership is key to neighborhood revitalization, LBWN has taken an incentivized and assisted homeowners through the use of Home Improvement Matching Grants since 2012. The concept is simple: homeowners apply for a grant and can be matched dollar for dollar for all eligible project costs up to either $1,000 or $3,000, depending on the scope of the project.
Like many homes across Milwaukee, most houses in these neighborhoods are 80 to 100 years old, which of course means they require lots of care to keep them looking beautiful. In order to improve the quality of housing for residents in the neighborhoods, LBWN launched the a pilot Home Improvement Matching Grant program in 2012 in Silver City as part of a project outlined in the neighborhood Quality of Life Plan (2011). That year, 22 homeowners leveraged $10,000 in grants with $54,567 of their own investment to improve their homes. Because of this success, LBWN secured support from the Zilber Family Foundation, Wells Fargo, and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council to expand the grants across the entire neighborhoods of Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park.
In June of this year LBWN and homeowners reached the $1 million investment mark through the Home Improvement Matching Grants Program. A total of 303 homeowners leveraged $276,296 in grants with $723,704 of their own, 2.6 times more than the grant investment! Completed projects have enhanced curb appeal in the neighborhood, prolonged the life of homes, improved quality of life and demonstrate the pride and confidence of many families in the neighborhoods.
The success of these grants has been seen all over the City of Milwaukee. From 2013 to 2016, LBWN partnered with the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative to connect homeowners to invest over $500,000 in 85 home improvement projects in Clarke Square. Furthermore, in 2016, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and City of Milwaukee Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation (NIDC) implemented similar matching grant programs in several other Milwaukee neighborhoods.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Congratulations to all the Silver City, Burnham Park, Layton Park homeowners and community partners on this incredible milestone that demonstrates immense pride in the place we call home.
# # #
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors stabilizes and revitalizes the Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park neighborhoods of Milwaukee through a variety of strategies including promoting small business development, job creation, and strengthening commercial corridors. For more information, visit www.lbwn.org.

author: Cinthia Hernandez


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 10, 2017


text:
Greater Milwaukee Foundation opening MPM to all for free Saturday, Aug. 12 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
July 10, 2017
Helping ensure everyone in our community has access to opportunities that enrich their lives, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation is continuing Gifts to the Community in 2017 with a summer Saturday of free admission at the Milwaukee Public Museum.
On Saturday, Aug. 12, not only will entry be free for all visitors, but hours will be extended from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., allowing extra time to explore generational favorites like the Streets of Old Milwaukee, new additions like Crossroads of Civilization, and special activities for all ages. MPM is located at 800 W. Wells St., Milwaukee.
(Photo courtesy of Greater Milwaukee Foundation)
“The Foundation is able to offer Gifts to the Community because of generous people who recognize that when we share positive experiences together, it strengthens our sense of community,” said Ellen Gilligan, Foundation president and CEO. “We are delighted to return to the Milwaukee Public Museum, which was the site of our very first, and incredibly popular, Gift to the Community in January 2015.”
In addition to the full array of MPM exhibits, the day’s bonus features will include:
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“We’re so grateful to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation for their generosity in making this day possible,” said Dennis Kois, MPM President and CEO. “When we partnered with GMF in 2015, we had over 26,000 visitors − the busiest weekend in Museum history. We’re incredibly excited to be able to open our doors again and give the community another opportunity to enjoy a Saturday at the Museum… for free!”
Launched in celebration of the Foundation’s centennial in 2015, Gifts to the Community provides special opportunities connecting the people of greater Milwaukee while showcasing the metro area’s most positive characteristics. Over the last two years, Gifts to the Community has brought together 287,000 people for free access to signature destinations, experiences and services throughout the region.
Visit greatermilwaukeefoundation.org/gifts to learn more.
About the Greater Milwaukee Foundation
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is the region’s largest community foundation and was among the first established in the world. For more than a century, the Foundation has inspired philanthropy by connecting generous people to community needs that align with their interests. The Foundation was founded on the premise that generosity can unlock an individual’s potential and strengthen the community as a whole for everyone who lives here. We work in partnership with those who are committed to ensuring greater Milwaukee is a vibrant, economically thriving region that comprises welcoming and inclusive communities providing opportunity, prosperity and a high quality of life for all.
greatermilwaukeefoundation.org  | @GrMKEFdn  |  facebook.com/GreaterMilwaukeeFoundation

author: Greater Milwaukee Foundation


text:
MPM-bones | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
July 10, 2017

author: Name *


text:
Reading ‘Evicted’ 50 years after open housing marches | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Rozga
July 10, 2017
Margaret Rozga, poet, civil rights activist and professor emerita of English at UW-Waukesha, laments that greed stands in the way of fair housing for too many Milwaukee families.
It was the 32nd apartment she looked at in her search for a place to live. The owner arrived, parked his Saab, and showed her to the two-bedroom unit.
“The place was small, dumpy, and without a bathtub. After a walk-through, Vanetta asked the landlord if he had any other units with tubs,” wrote Matthew Desmond about one of the people whose housing struggles he documents in his book, “Evicted.” Vanetta wants to be able to give her son a bath. At first the owner says he has a larger unit with a tub at the same rent as this place. Vanetta’s hopes rise. But after what she sees as a pretense of a conversation on his cell phone, he tells her that unit has just been rented. Vanetta once again feels frustrated.
Weeks after reading Desmond’s book, this scene stays with me. “Evicted” presents a compelling view of the ongoing housing crisis in Milwaukee, where Father James Groppi and the Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council led the fight for a law that would prohibit racial discrimination in the rental and sale of housing. Milwaukee — where I was a member of the council marching for that fair housing law, which finally passed on April 30, 1968. Milwaukee — the “Selma of the North” in the title of Patrick Jones’ book about the open housing movement.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Between 2009 and 2011, according to Desmond, one in eight Milwaukee renters experienced a forced move. Landlords have found ways to circumvent the law for which we marched for 200 consecutive nights from August 1967 through March 1968. The demand for affordable housing exceeds the supply, so landlords can evict tenants who complain about building code violations because they know there are others desperate enough for housing to rent the unit even in poor condition.
Reading Desmond’s book about the housing crunch for low-income renters in Milwaukee makes me feel as if time has stood still. I might as well be living once again in the early1960s, a time when the African-American population was rapidly growing and their need for housing outstripped the supply available to them. In 1967, African-Americans were 12 percent of the city’s population living in 5 percent of the city’s total land, with four times the population density of other areas. In 1967 there were only 66 black families in 25 Milwaukee suburbs.
The Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council first began its work on housing issues by advocating for stricter enforcement of the building code. At that time, courts presided over by judges who belonged to the whites-only Eagles Club were lenient with landlords brought to court for building code violations. One landlord who had multiple building code violations in each of 100 properties was found guilty. But the penalty? One dollar. One dollar for all of the several hundred building code violations. Such enforcement aided and abetted landlords who sought maximum profit at minimum expense.
We felt then that a law prohibiting racial discrimination in housing would increase the available supply and thus ease the housing crunch. We did not necessarily seek an open housing law so that everyone could move to the suburbs; though, of course, that option needed to be available for those who wanted it.
Desmond’s book does not make me feel that our work for fair housing was in vain. If we made a mistake, it was to believe that once the open housing law was passed, everyone would honor it. We underestimated the power of greed.
Ten years after the passage of the open housing law, alert and concerned citizens, especially those living in the Sherman Park area, realized the need to advocate for fair and affordable housing is ongoing. They founded the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council to work for enforcement of and education about fair housing issues and laws. Since many people assume fair housing issues have been resolved, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council needs our support.
In this year, the 50th anniversary of that struggle for open housing legislation, we need to examine current housing policies such as low-income housing vouchers and low-income housing tax credits to see how they need to be amended or supplemented, so that everyone’s need for the stability of fair and affordable housing is met.

author: Margaret Rozga


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 9, 2017


text:
‘We fought just as hard’: Women in the March on Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Naomi Waxman
July 10, 2017
Councilwoman Vel Phillips speaks at a Milwaukee Common Council meeting in 1970. (Archival image from the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee March on Milwaukee Civil Rights History Project)
Editor’s note: This is one in a series of 15 pieces about the Milwaukee Open Housing marches, which took place 50 years ago beginning on Aug. 28, 1967. Watch for the stories every Monday and Thursday.
Deborah Campbell Tatum was just a young girl when the civil rights movement began to sweep the nation, but her involvement in the fight for open housing in Milwaukee changed her life forever.
“When the open housing march[es] started, it was the first time I saw [African-Americans] come together as a race of people, and just people…coming together. It was all colors,” said Tatum. “Being a child, to see that was lovely. I never missed a day. That was the beginning of my political life.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
In Milwaukee, Velvalea “Vel” Phillips was setting an example for African-American women and girls with political aspirations. The first woman to graduate from University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, the first woman and African-American member of Milwaukee’s Common Council, the first woman and African-American elected secretary of state in Wisconsin: Phillips demonstrated to all what African-American women could accomplish in politics, and set the stage for black women to leverage political power.
Phillips first proposed an open housing ordinance in 1962. Despite several attempts, the council failed to pass the ordinance for the next six years. It took the 1968 Fair Housing Act, passed by Congress a week after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for the Common Council to approve a fair housing law in Milwaukee.
As Phillips was fighting for civil rights as a member of the council, the Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council, founded in 1947, provided leadership opportunities for young women that were absent in other aspects of their lives, according to Dr. Erica Metcalfe, a Milwaukee native and assistant professor at Texas Southern University, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. It was under the leadership of the Youth Council’s first president, Susan Warren, that the chapter was nationally recognized for activism in the 1950s. Other young women also served as Youth Council presidents.
“Girls were empowered by the leadership skills that membership within the Youth Council afforded them,” Metcalfe wrote.
Alberta Harris Moore, a high school student at the time, played a fundamental role in the open housing movement and facilitated the collaboration between the Rev. James Groppi and the Youth Council, which she served as president. Moore first met Groppi as a student at St. Boniface Church School.
“Father Groppi was so in tune to how I envisioned the Youth Council to be — an organization involved in direct action,” said Moore, now 71. In 1965, the group’s advisor was thinking of leaving. “I asked if he [Groppi] would consider being our advisor. At first he said no, but I persisted. He decided he’d come on temporarily until we found another advisor. He never left.”
Father James Groppi and Vel Phillips stand atop the hood of a bus, surrounded by members of the Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council. (Archival image from the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee March on Milwaukee Civil Rights History Project)
Groppi encouraged Moore’s cousin, Vada Harris, to become involved in the movement. One of the first African-American students to attend the predominately white Riverside University High School, Harris, now deceased, led a “textbook turn-in” protest in which she and other students returned their history books and walked out of class to challenge the exclusion of African and African-American history.
In 1966, however, the dynamic shifted. The Commandos, formed partially in response to threats and bombings, emerged as a new male security unit intent on protecting protesters from violence and representing African-American men in a distinguished light.
“When the marches reached the highest numbers, a lot of new [men] joined. [Many] were veterans who had finished their enlistment period,” said Margaret Rozga, a former member of the Youth Council who later married Groppi. She added that at that point the direct action committee, which was responsible for developing strategy and taking part in protests, took a more central role. “Within that group was the Commandos, [which] was all male,” Rozga said.
Still, Rozga said, the environment was friendly and comfortable for female members.
“Other voices were still respected,” she added. “There were lots of opportunities for discussion so it wasn’t an antagonistic atmosphere at all.”
“In Milwaukee, we were hand-in-hand with men involved,” agreed Moore. “I feel females were a big driving force in the movement. I never felt that we weren’t equal partners in what was going on in the movement, even on the national level.
Some young women in the Youth Council, however, were unhappy with the Commandos’ all-male leadership and proposed a vote to include women. Nearly every male in the council voted against the proposal.
“What that said to the female members was that the role of protector was reserved for men,” said Metcalfe. “People had a kind of egalitarian philosophy when it came to race but didn’t have that same philosophy when it came to gender, that males and females should have the same opportunities.”
The Commandos’ dignified, defiant image of African-American manhood was designed to combat a sense of dehumanization caused by segregation and demeaning terms such as “boy” that had long operated as a means of socially emasculating black men.
“Being treated as a man, having this image of strong black manhood, was very important to [the Commandos],” Metcalfe said. “It was also important to them because of Father Groppi. He was a white male and some people looked at that [and said], ‘You’re not even leading your own movement.’ They needed to create a unit that embodied black male leadership.”
In the wake of the failed vote to include women in the Commandos, Youth Council member Mary Arms, who had come up with the name Commandos, suggested creating the “Commando-ettes,” an informal female counterpart unit.
“We fought just as hard. We were right there by their side,” said Arms in an interview for the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s March on Milwaukee Civil Rights History Project. “We felt like we needed a name but it didn’t really stick with us.”
She said the Commando-ettes were responsible for leading songs and chants to keep up momentum during the marches, as well as monitoring for agitators or police plants seeking to cause a disturbance. “We didn’t really do too much of anything but parade back and forth,” Arms said.
For many, Metcalfe said, civil rights became “a family thing,” that built camaraderie among relatives and friends. Mothers and grandmothers fed protesters and made sure that the young women were being treated well.
“At that time, the race issue kind of overshadowed the gender issue. The young women…let the situation with the Commando-ettes go,” said Metcalfe. “They felt that their issues had to be put to the side because of the [focus on] race.”
The familial nature of activism, however, still remains strong today. Tatum’s daughter, Chantia Lewis, is now an alderwoman in the 9th District.
Lewis credits her mother with instilling in her a passion for justice. “I would not have my activism spirit without [her] and the work that [she] put in,” she said.
Glad to hand her torch to the next generation of leaders, Tatum is proud of the legacy she and the NAACP Youth Council established. “I started, but now my daughter is moving forward,” she said.
Editor’s note: Jenny Fischer contributed to this article.

author: Naomi Waxman


text:
Innovative YWCA program helps adult students receive high school credentials | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
July 11, 2017
Schivon Young, 32, (left), Whitney Burks, 28, (center) and Kimberly Collins are weeks away from obtaining their high school equivalency diplomas. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Like thousands of other local students, Schivon Young, 32, had to start from scratch when a new GED test based more on critical thinking than memorization was rolled out nationwide in 2014. Young, who was only one test short of obtaining her GED in 2013, is now only weeks away from obtaining a high school equivalency diploma (HSED).
Young is enrolled in YWCA’s 5.09 HSED program, a 20-week-course focused on classroom attendance and project completion, according to Jake Gorges, learning lab manager at YWCA of Southeastern Wisconsin. The local YWCA branch is part of a national effort to combine racial justice education with economic empowerment programs for women and families.
Gorges and Shana Piaskoski, chief development officer at YWCA, worked with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to develop YWCA’s 5.09 program in response to the struggles YWCA students had with the new GED test. The 5.09 HSED program is a competency-based program that is approved by the state superintendent. The program is also offered at Social Development Commission (SDC), Milwaukee Achiever and other locations, though each program is different.
Similar to what happened at other Milwaukee-area GED testing centers and around the nation, students at YWCA, 1915 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, struggled mightily with the new GED exam. The number of students who passed the test dropped from 481 in 2013 to just two in 2014.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The new GED test was devastating not just to students, but to teachers as well, according to Tim Foran, who teaches adult education at YWCA.
The YWCA places a “brick” on the wall for each HSED graduate. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“It got to the point where I didn’t know what I could do to help them anymore. They needed jobs now,” Foran said.
The YWCA decided to explore other avenues leading to high school-level credentials for its students, Gorges said.
Creating the 5.09 program was an arduous process, said Gorges, who reviewed years of YWCA data to determine how likely it would be for adult learners to obtain the GED. He found that it would take most YWCA students 18 months to prepare for the GED test if they came to class twice a week, with no guarantee that they would pass, Gorges said.
“Life happens. Sometimes people lose their child care or something else happens and very suddenly they can’t come in to class anymore,” Gorges said.
However, he noted that many of his students have a great work ethic. Creating a 20-week-program expedited the process to get them into jobs, he added.
The program has already propelled Whitney Burks, 28, into the workforce. Since beginning it in February, she’s gotten her own cleaning business off the ground. Burks credits the 5.09 program with providing a comfortable setting, and for helping her learn the discipline it takes to run her own small business. She also credits the program with helping her gain will power, a trait she hopes to pass on to her 4-year-old daughter.
“Even if she slips and falls like I did, I want her to get back up and keep trying,” said Burks, who said she failed to obtain her GED before enrolling in the 5.09 program.
One of the main benefits of YWCA’s 5.09 program is that it is a departure from standardized testing, which many low-income minority students struggle with, according to Piaskoski. The curriculum includes soft skills needed to succeed in the workplace, and real-world projects that help students learn how to budget and understand rental agreements and workplace safety manuals, as well as how to complete math and reading assignments.
In addition to obtaining a HSED, participants obtain a National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) after completing the program, which is the approved readiness credential of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
“Having a workforce-focused curriculum makes the learning relevant for adults. Having skills that can benefit the adults in their occupations or at home is extremely beneficial to them,” said Paula Penebaker, president and CEO of YWCA.
The first four weeks of YWCA’s 5.09 program focus on soft skills, health and employability. Students are only allowed one absence during that period. Once they’ve built some confidence, the curriculum turns to math and science for eight weeks, which is the most challenging for students, according to Foran.
Curriculum for the final eight-week session includes reasoning using language arts and social studies skills. Students proofread a policies and procedures manual, email their boss and write a letter to their representative in Congress.
To pass, students must achieve 80 percent on all their competencies, according to Gorges. Those who haven’t reached that level have an additional four weeks to do so, during which they receive more individual support from YWCA instructors. Students who have completed a section but are forced to drop out have a calendar year to come in and complete their remaining sessions.
Since launching the program in August 2015, the graduation rate is about 85 percent, according to Gorges, with 80 percent also earning workforce readiness certificates. For each graduate, a cream-colored “brick” is placed on the wall that students pass on their way to class. Once there are 100 bricks on the wall class members will form it into a structure of their choice.
The 100th brick will be from Young’s cohort. For Young, who first took GED prep classes in 2005, it’s been a long time coming. “I finally found a program that was right for me,” she said.

author: Edgar Mendez


text:
Northwestern Mutual backs Milwaukee neighborhoods with more than $1 million in grants | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
July 11, 2017
Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, today announced more than $1 million in grants to 25 nonprofits through the company’s neighborhood grants program. The grants will support initiatives dedicated to effecting change in the Amani, Metcalfe Park and Muskego Way neighborhoods in Milwaukee.
Since 2013, Northwestern Mutual has invested in these neighborhoods, supporting nonprofits focused on fostering safe neighborhoods, healthy and thriving youth, strong families and quality education. More than 70,000 residents living in these areas benefit from the programming these organizations offer.
“The strength of our community is shown by the residents spearheading efforts in these neighborhoods, which will create a lasting impact,” said Eric Christophersen, president, Northwestern Mutual Foundation. “With the support of local programs and organizations, they’re influencing positive changes that will continue to drive Milwaukee toward a better tomorrow.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Teens Grow Greens Spotlight
One of this year’s grant recipients is Teens Grow Greens, an organization that instills teenagers with valuable life skills through a nine-month paid internship. Over the duration of the internship, these teens plant, tend and harvest fresh produce at gardens in Milwaukee and then mentor elementary students on these skills. The grant will support the expansion of the program to the Amani neighborhood.
“Experiential learning in nature can have an incredible impact on helping children develop a sense of purpose,” said Charlie Uihlein, executive director, Teens Grow Greens. “We’re very thankful to be partnering with Northwestern Mutual to bring our program to the Amani neighborhood and help local youth discover their potential for growth.”
Graduates of Teens Grow Greens complete their internships with resumes of work experience and supportive references. In fact, 93 percent of all graduates were able to obtain employment or attend pre-college programs during the summer of 2017, and all graduates have graduated or are on track to graduate high school.
2017 Neighborhood Grant Recipients:
ACTS Community Development Corporation, Artists Working in Education, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, COA Youth & Family Centers, Data You Can Use, Dominican Center for Women, Feeding America, Frank Zeidler Center for Public Discussion, Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, Journey House, Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Metcalfe Park Neighborhood Association, Milwaukee Christian Center, Milwaukee Community Business Collaborative, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Neighborhood News Service, Pathfinders, PEARLS for Teen Girls, Rogers Memorial Hospital Foundation, Safe & Sound, Sixteenth Street Community Health Center, Sojourner Family Peace Center, Teens Grow Greens and The Parenting Network
All grant recipients are required to show measurable impact and results of their programs.
Locally, Northwestern Mutual also collaborates with partners to improve education and make Milwaukee a great place to live, work and play. Nationally, the company supports research to find a cure for childhood cancer.

author: Northwestern Mutual Foundation


text:
On The Block: Summer fun | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Camille Paul
July 11, 2017
Jasmine Williams has lived in Milwaukee her entire life and often goes to the lake with family to skip rocks and walk along the beach. Her love for the lakefront started when she was 10, after a visit with her younger brother and father.
Jasmine Williams has lived in Milwaukee her entire life and often goes to the lake with family to skip rocks and walk along the beach. Her love for the lakefront started when she was 10, after a visit with her younger brother and father.

author: Camille Paul


text:
How to help kids beat the heat | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dr. Michelle Graham, UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin
July 12, 2017
Hydration is particularly important for children, as they have higher water requirements than adults. Their cooling system isn’t fully developed. The surface area of a child is smaller and sweat glands aren’t fully developed, which makes it much harder for the body to cool itself.
Common signs of dehydration include:
Hydration Tips
Four Gulps Per 15 Minutes
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
For every 15 minutes of outdoor activity, drink about four ounces of water; this is approximately four large gulps.
Pretzels, Fruit, Gold Fish
Every 30 – 45 minutes, give the child a snack with salt and potassium to help protect against electrolyte loss and promote hydration.  Pretzels, goldfish or a cheese stick with some oranges, banana or strawberries are good options. Avoid sugary sports drinks, which were developed with an adult’s body in mind.
½ Water; ½ Milk, Fruit Juice, or Smoothies
Children should drink half of their fluids from water and the other half from milk, 100 percent fruit juice or smoothies.
Increase Hydration with Popsicles, Gelato, Smoothies, Yogurt
A great way to increase hydration in children is to make homemade popsicles and gelato with real fruit, providing a fresh fruit smoothie made with coconut water, milk or milk substitute. Yogurt after some time outside is great, too!
Skip The Soda: Carbonated water mixed with fruit juice is a great alternative to soda. Use frozen fruit as ice cubes in water or seltzer waters, too.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 11, 2017

author: Adam Carr


text:
Mayor Barrett and Talgo President Perez welcome new activity at Century City | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
July 13, 2017
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Talgo’s CEO and President, Antonio Perez invite the media to view Talgo’s overhaul activity at the Century City facility on the recently awarded project to Talgo by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA).
Talgo will undertake extensive work on 74 rail vehicles. Talgo’s overhaul work at Century City will span a period of 56 months, and Talgo is hoping to expand its work in the future, bringing more jobs to the area.
What: Talgo’s renewed activity at the Century City facility where you can see recently arrived LACMTA vehicles and speak with the Mayor and Talgo’s staff on site.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
When: Friday, July 14, 12:30pm
Where: Century City Facility, 3533 N 27th Street

author: City of Milwaukee


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 13, 2017


text:
Open housing marches a family affair for former Youth Council member | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jennifer Walter
July 13, 2017
Claudette Harris, a former NAACP Youth Council member, stands on the 16th Street Viaduct. (Photo by Jennifer Walter)
Editor’s note: This is one in a series of 15 pieces about the Milwaukee Open Housing marches, which took place 50 years ago beginning on Aug. 28, 1967. Download a free copy of “The Long March to Freedom” ebook, a compilation of all the articles in this series.
Standing in front of a baby blue mural depicting a crowd of young men linking arms with a priest and flooding a Milwaukee street, Claudette Harris is engulfed in memories.
“It brings you back,” Harris said. “Locked arm-in-arm, there we go … marching.”
Across the street from Harris’s former workplace on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, two murals feature artist renditions of photos from the NAACP Youth Council open housing marches in the 1960s.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Harris, who was formerly a day care director for HeartLove Place, was a teenager when she participated in the marches. In 1967, she was present at the 16th Street Viaduct when the Youth Council marchers were met by violent counter protests that resulted in a response from the National Guard. Harris also was arrested at 14 years old alongside many of her peers at a protest in front of the Eagles Club in 1966.
“There were good memories and bad memories,” she said. “But I’m glad I was part of it because it made a difference in the city of Milwaukee.”
When the marches began, Harris said her whole family was involved. She marched alongside relatives — her older sister, Allie, was Youth Council president. To prepare for marches, members would gather at the Freedom House, the Youth Council’s headquarters. They would share meals, make posters and sing. Harris recalls that her mother always supported the children’s participation.
“My mother was always cooking something for everybody,” Harris said. Her family often invited the Rev. James Groppi, organizer of the Youth Council, over for dinner. The marches even involved Florence, Harris’s sister and the youngest member of her family. A while back she picked up a copy of “200 Nights and One Day,” a book by Margaret (Peggy) Rozga, Groppi’s wife. She was surprised to find a photo of Florence while flipping through the book.
“My little baby sister was in the picture, holding Peggy’s hand,” Harris said. “I looked at the picture and thought, ‘Wow, look at this. Florence was even involved and she was just a 10-year-old.’”
The murals at Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Place depicting NAACP Youth Council Commandos and the Rev. James Groppi. (Photo by Adam Carr)
The generations that follow, said Harris, have not been as active in their community as the Youth Council was during the 1960s. Issues such as police violence, black-on-black crime and inner city poverty are sometimes swept under the rug by young people today, she noted.
“There’s still so many things to fight for, but it seems young people have gotten complacent … they just take care of themselves,” Harris said. “Everybody has their groups, they take care of their groups, and that’s it.” Harris even notices complacency in her own grandkids. She doesn’t see them taking action to protest injustice and stand up for those who are unrepresented.
“They’ve got their own little worlds, but you can’t be that selfish. I tell them that all the time,” Harris said. “You’ve got to know what’s going on in your community, and you’ve got to be part of your community to fix things.”
Almost 50 years after the marches, remnants of the Youth Council’s efforts are scattered around Milwaukee. The 16th Street Viaduct, once an infamous site of protest, is now named the Father James Groppi Memorial Bridge. The murals at Peace Place, the park on N. Martin Luther King Drive, keep the memory of the marchers alive.
Una Van Duvall, fund development director for HeartLove Place, said the murals were originally created for another location, but Peace Place was a more visible spot to capture the history of open housing.
“It’s a nod to history and a wink to the future of what justice looks like in Milwaukee,” Van Duvall said.

author: Jennifer Walter


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 12, 2017


text:
A.W.E. Truck Studio gives interns a path to career in art | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Hailey Richards
July 14, 2017
Donning a bright yellow hat in the middle of Burnham Park sits Kelsey Cavin, 19, working with three young boys. Smiling, Cavin readjusts her black-rimmed glasses and gently teaches the boys about stop-motion animation, as they look on intently.
Cavin, a college-level intern at Artists Working in Education (A.W.E.), works with young children in the Summer Truck Studio program.
Running from June 26 to Aug.4, the Truck Studio brings four vans with art supplies to 18 Milwaukee County parks and playgrounds Monday through Friday from noon to 3 p.m.
The Truck Studio program uses books and hands-on learning to engage children and teach art history and visual art. A.W.E. accomplishes this task with a lead artist, and paid high school- and college-level interns.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“Working for A.W.E started out rocky, but I can honestly say that I have grown so much as an artist and as a young adult,” said Cavin. “I didn’t think it was feasible to make a career out of art until A.W.E. shared the many career paths art can take you.”
A.W.E. interns are introduced to careers in monthly meetings with the MPS Arts Internship Program in conjunction with the Truck Studio. The MPS program brings high school interns to multiple sites such as the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, where interns can interact with professional artists. Interns also learn more about potential careers in art when they meet with professional artists who work for A.W.E.
Raised on the far North Side of Milwaukee, Cavin graduated from Milwaukee High School of the Arts, where she studied visual art. Cavin learned about A.W.E. through the school.
“Working with children helped me get out of a space where I thought art had to look a certain way,” said Cavin.
She credits her growth in social skills, development of meaningful relationships and knowledge of art to A.W.E.
Funded by the Zilber Family Foundation, Northwestern Mutual and Milwaukee County Parks, A.W.E. is a nonprofit organization that seeks to bring visual arts to schools, parks and communities. A.W.E. aims to open the creative minds of youth while developing their curiosity and confidence.
The Summer Truck Studio Program is one of three programs A.W.E. operates as part of the organization’s 19th annual summer of free art, along with the Artist in Residence program and Milwaukee Public Library drop-in story time.
Connecting with shy children at the Summer Truck Studio Program helped Cavin decide that she wanted to have an impact on children through art. From there she recognized her passion for animation.
“A.W.E really helped me decide that I wanted to work in animation,” Cavin said. “Working as an intern helped me gain professional skills and the professional language needed in the field,” she added.
Mya Bennett, a college-level intern from Mount Mary University, also found personal and artistic growth through A.W.E.
“Before working as an intern I would take all of the art classes my high school and UWM provided just to learn more and get better at art, but I really didn’t think there were valuable careers or even any careers available in art until A.W.E. exposed me to them,” said Bennett.
Bennett always wanted to study psychology; working with A.W.E. pushed her to pursue a career in art therapy.
“Working with kids at the parks really solidified my choice of careers and it made me realize that art can be more than a hobby,” added Bennett.
Jose Uribej, a 17-year-old high school intern from Carmen Schools of Science and Technology South Campus, said the internship solidified his interest in working to bring the community together through art projects such as murals.
After developing an interest in art at age 5, Uribej participated in the Truck Studio program at Burnham Park when he was 9.
“From then to now I have taken every art class available to me and participated in a community mural project,” he said.
Uribej believes working with art and the community creates lasting bonds.
“I remember being so happy when a girl named Evelyn came up to me at the end of the day and was so thankful and happy that we were at the park and shared art with her.”

author: Hailey Richards


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 14, 2017


text:
Open housing marcher says ‘state of the city has gotten worse’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alex Groth
July 17, 2017
Editor’s note: This is one in a series of 15 pieces about the Milwaukee Open Housing marches, which took place 50 years ago beginning on Aug. 28, 1967.Download a free copy of “The Long March to Freedom” ebook, a compilation of all the articles in this series.
Earl Bracy didn’t notice his picture being taken, but 47 years later, it would be on a pamphlet about segregation in Milwaukee.
In the iconic photo, Bracy, 68, is gripping the American flag, participating in the 1967 open housing marches alongside the Rev. James Groppi and hundreds of black Milwaukee residents.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The pamphlet, titled “Fulfill The Promise,” was created by Greater Together, a nonprofit organization that promotes racial and economic equity.
According to data compiled by Greater Together, Milwaukee is the number one city for black and white residential segregation among the 102 largest metro areas. Milwaukee is also the worst metropolitan area for residential segregation based on poverty.
In Bracy’s view, “The state of the city has gotten worse, which is alarming because as we progress things should be getting better.”
Bracy decided to participate in the marches as a young man because he felt what he called “the sting of racism”: discrimination because of the color of his skin.
He and fellow marchers demanded open housing and better treatment by the police department. Bracy recalled that the police repeatedly followed him home for no reason from the Freedom House, the meeting place of the NAACP Youth Council.
“[At] 27th and Wisconsin you’d see a police officer pulling a black man over,” Bracy said. “A few blocks further and you’d see the same thing.”
Earl Bracy (right, holding flag) walks with the Rev. James Groppi during an open housing march.
He often felt weighed down by the racism he encountered. Referring to the white counter-demonstrators, Bracy said, “It was kind of an invasion of their territory — that’s the way I saw it.”
For Bracy, understanding the past is key to establishing a platform for change. “They always say ‘if you don’t know where you’ve been, you won’t know where you’re going.’”
A psychologist who works with youth and families, Bracy said he thinks the younger generations are not as invested in social change as people were during the marches. “I don’t see the same zeal in a lot of the young people,” he added. “Sometimes they don’t really buy into what’s happened in the past.”
According to Bracy, the younger generation doesn’t appreciate or strive to learn about the sacrifices made during the marches, contributing to the lack of progress.
“A lot of them are just clueless,” Bracy said. “They can walk through doors and the doors are wide open, but they don’t know why.”

author: Alex Groth


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 16, 2017


text:
Health Department official: childhood lead poisoning a ‘public health crisis’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
July 18, 2017
Every home on this North Side block has a lead lateral. (Photo by Jabril Faraj
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of stories highlighting the health risk — particularly to children — of lead services lines, which deliver water from city water mains to about 70,000 homes in Milwaukee.
The issue of lead exposure for children is a “public health crisis,” according to a top Milwaukee Health Department official, who also acknowledged the city has a “resource problem” when it comes to addressing it.
Dr. Geoffrey Swain, professor of family services at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and medical director at the Health Department, said in an interview with Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service that children are particularly at risk for exposure because of the delicate nature of their brains. High lead exposure for children can cause irritability, restlessness and lower intelligence. It has also been linked with criminal behavior.
“If you are an adult, unless you have an overwhelming exposure to lead … a little bit of lead is not something that we are prioritizing,” said Swain. “We are prioritizing trying to prevent children, whose brains are still developing, from being exposed to lead,” regardless of the source.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The Health Department has been working to address lead poisoning from paint since the early 1980s, when more than half of 2-year-olds tested in Milwaukee had a blood lead level greater than 10 micrograms per deciliter (μg/L), according to Swain. As of 2015, 2.3 percent of children under 6 tested had blood lead levels greater than 10 μg/L. However, 11 percent of children tested still have blood lead levels considered to be dangerous.
The Milwaukee Health Department distributes this flier to inform residents about whether to use a water filter.
The number of children ages 12 to 35 months screened for lead has increased dramatically, from 25 percent in 1997 to 63.7 percent in 2013. Swain said approximately 130,000 homes are at risk for lead paint hazards; between 1997 and 2015 the Health Department remediated 18,000, according to the department.
More recently, the issue of lead in water has been elevated nationally as a result of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, where city officials misled residents about the safety of drinking water coming from a contaminated source for more than a year.
Milwaukee’s water is safe when it leaves the treatment facility but can be contaminated by lead lateral service pipes that deliver water to homes. Lead service lines, and child lead poisoning cases, are primarily concentrated in low-income, communities of color in the city, according to Health Department data.
Swain said there is “no question” the more than 70,000 lead lateral service lines in Milwaukee should be replaced. However, complete replacement, estimated to cost more than $700 million, is simply not possible, he said.
The Health Department currently recommends that Milwaukee households with pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding or children under the age of 6 where lead service lines are present should have lead filters installed on water taps. The department provided more than 1,700 filters to pregnant women and children under 6 receiving services at WIC clinics, the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center and the Social Development Commission in 2016. It plans to distribute 3,000 more this year.
Marc A. Edwards, an environmental and water resources engineering professor at Virginia Tech University, has researched the subject of lead in drinking water for more than 25 years and was one of the individuals who exposed the water crisis in Flint. Swain called Edwards “a fearless advocate for preventing childhood lead poisoning.”
According to Edwards, “the financial resources issue is real,” adding, “We are going to probably have to learn to live with this lead pipe hazard for 10, 20, even 50 years in some cities in this country because the money just isn’t there right now and … these programs take a long time to implement.”
He said there has been a “paradigm shift” after “decades of misinformation about the nature and extent of the health threat from lead and drinking water.” Until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency releases a new Lead and Copper rule — expected in 2019 — and there is funding to remove and replace lead laterals “we have to work together to cost-effectively fill the gap,” said Edwards. He called for a “major effort” to get people the right information so they can protect themselves and their families.
Edwards said educating the public about the risks of lead exposure “is not that costly,” adding, “The danger of not knowing that you have this hazard (a lead lateral) in front of your house is real.”
Despite creating a public awareness website in English and Spanish, mailing information to properties with lead service lines and initiating a partnership with Molina Healthcare to provide free testing for children, city officials have been criticized for a lack of urgency and openness regarding the risks of lead in water.
Sherrie Tussler, executive director of the Milwaukee Hunger Task Force, who, after a recent test learned she had high blood lead levels, went to the city’s website for more information about lead sources in her home but said she couldn’t find any useful information. Hunger Task Force has launched its own education campaign on its website.
Program Manager Lisa Lien said the volume of calls to a number listed on the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program website and Health Department fliers has been increasing, which she attributed to the program’s outreach efforts in the nine ZIP codes in which it operates. Activities include canvassing neighborhoods, attending community meetings and providing fliers to libraries.
Four of six residents interviewed by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who live in homes with lead laterals were not aware that that their units were serviced by lead lines, and also were unaware of the risks related to lead exposure. Nancy Centeno, whose 2-year-old grandson lives in the unit she’s rented for about four years, said she was “shocked” and “a little upset” to find out that city officials are aware of the issue and that she wasn’t.
Some of the residents interviewed suggested Facebook, libraries and news outlets such as the Milwaukee Courier and Milwaukee Community Journal as places the information should be disseminated. Others said a phone call or signs posted where lead service lines exist would get their attention.
District 14 Ald. Tony Zielinski, whose district includes the most homes with lead laterals in the city, recently introduced a resolution that would direct the Health Department to expand its current recommendations to consider any woman of childbearing age (15-45) at risk for lead poisoning; recommend that at-risk groups — regardless of whether they live in a home that has a lead lateral — not drink unfiltered tap water; and test children under 6 for lead. It also would direct the Health Department to issue a media advisory, update other materials and issue written recommendations to health care partners to reflect the change.
In a May 8 letter, Commissioner of Health Bevan Baker opposed the measure, saying it “is in conflict with current evidence-based research.” He added that if the department were directed to make such recommendations “the confidence of Milwaukee clinicians in all advice from the MHD may be eroded.”
Zielinski said the resolution, which will be considered at a Public Safety and Health Committee meeting on July 20, is “the beginning of an educational and awareness campaign to help reach out and connect with as many people as possible.” He added that he is open to amending the resolution, but has not discussed it with the Health Department.
“My driving force here is to make sure that we get the right information and we provide the best health information and … advice to people that are most vulnerable,” Zielinski noted.

author: Jabril Faraj


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 17, 2017


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 17, 2017
Do-I-need-a-water-filter-ENG-1.25.17-1


text:
On the Block: They need help | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
July 18, 2017
Leticia Maldonado, 43, has lived on West National Avenue in Clarke Square for six years. Though she said there are things she enjoys about the neighborhood, prostitution has been a major problem. She believes the prostitutes need classes to help them with drug and alcohol addictions.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 18, 2017


text:
Habitat for Humanity plans expansion into Midtown, Harambee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Keith Schubert
July 19, 2017
Habitat homeowner Dottie Onsager sits on the porch of her new home. (Photo by Keith Schubert)
Dottie Onsager’s life changed on Feb. 7, 2016, when her partner, Antoine Lewis, was killed in an accident near 91st and Bradley.
Onsager had been living with Lewis and their 6-year-old son, Austin, in a three-bedroom townhouse at 95th Street and Brown Deer Road. However, due to loss of income after the accident, she and her son were forced to move.
After relocating twice and finding her rent took nearly 70 percent of her budget, Onsager, whose income makes her ineligible for public assistance, began to research programs that help first-time homeowners buy houses.
She learned about Habitat for Humanity from her parents, who acquired a Habitat house on the 4100 block of Garfield Avenue last November.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“(My parents) were my inspiration. They were the ones who kept pushing me to go for it,” said Onsager.
In July, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity announced plans to invest $9 million over the next three years in the Midtown neighborhood between North and Lisbon avenues and between 25th and 30th streets. During the three-year period, it will also be developing a plan to expand its work into the Harambee neighborhood. The plan includes a $16 to $20 million investment beginning in 2021, similar to that made in Washington Park.
Brian Sonderman, executive director of Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, stands in the heart of his Washington Park neighborhood. (Photo by Keith Schubert)
“Our goal is to build on the successes of what we have done in Washington Park,” said Brian Sonderman, executive director of Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat launched its Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI) in the Washington Park neighborhood in 2013 to transform it into a safe neighborhood of choice while dramatically improving the quality of life for residents.
Instead of just focusing on repairing houses, the NRI takes a holistic approach to improving the community. “We knew if we wanted to accomplish our goal, we must become innovative. So, we implemented strategies that Habitats across the country historically haven’t done before,” said Sonderman.
One of those innovative strategies was forming a partnership with the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD). “We have looked very strategically at properties with MPD and asked them where our work would best complement what they are doing,” explained Sonderman.
Recently, while doing construction on another home, Habitat reported criminal activity at a house on the 2100 block of North 37th Street. The home turned out to be a drug house and was shut down by MPD.
“We worked with the city to buy that house back through tax foreclosure and are currently turning it into a Habitat house,” Sonderman said.
In addition to helping bring down crime 48 percent in Washington Park, the NRI has taken on development projects inspired by neighborhood residents. Through those projects, the initiative has brought murals, gardens, improvements to the Washington Park pool and new playgrounds to the neighborhood.
“By the end of 2017, there will be over 215 Washington Park families inside safe and stable Habitat homes,” said Sonderman.
During its three years in the Midtown neighborhood, Habitat will also be developing relationships and finalizing plans to transition its work into the Harambee neighborhood in 2021, according to Sonderman.
“With more than 50 Habitat homeowners living in Harambee already, we are excited to return to the area to replicate the success we have seen here in Washington Park,” he said. Sonderman added, “When we move to Harambee, one of the things I think we may be challenged with is the work that’s happening downtown. As it begins to move north we may encounter the problem of maintaining affordability for the residents of the neighborhood.”
He pointed to several strategies to combat this. One is performing critical repairs for homeowners already living in Harambee so they can stay in their houses. Another, implemented by Habitat in San Francisco, one of the country’s most expensive cities, is to “put provisions into the homeowners’ mortgages that … provide up to 70 years of affordability,” said Sonderman. He added, “Putting income restrictions on who can receive Habitat homes is another strategy.”
“When we look at prospective homeowners, we identify the families with the greatest need, whether it be financial or safety and security.”
Sonderman noted that Habitat generally works with people who earn 25-60 percent of the average county income.
To own a Habitat house, owners must put in 300-500 hours of manual labor building their own and other Habitat houses.
“When you’ve invested that many hours of sweat equity, you’ve made a commitment, which leads to the homeowners staying in their homes long term,” Sonderman said.
Since Habitat started its work 33 years ago, 80 percent of the homeowners it has helped are still living in their homes, according to Sonderman.
Habitat homeowners pay between $475 and $650 a month for property tax, homeowner’s insurance and mortgages. Even paying the maximum of $650, Onsager would still be paying $65 less than she pays now for her two-bedroom apartment.
After attending a Habitat orientation meeting in January, Onsager met a Habitat credit expert to see if she would be eligible for home ownership. With only a small medical collection on her credit report, she was told that she could become a Habitat homeowner in six to eight months.
“My eyes lit up like a little kid on Christmas,” said Onsager. “I just couldn’t believe it.”
Since then, she has acquired a two-bedroom house on North 38 Street and installed the roof on her garage as part of her sweat equity hours
“It’s not like I’m just out there hammering; I’m working for something bigger,” she said.
“It’s nice when you turn the corner, and you know your neighbors because you helped build each other’s home. It feels like one big family,” she added.
Onsager finds herself on the verge of tears most nights but fights them back because she knows she has to be strong for her son.
“I gave up on life (after Lewis’s death); he was such a big part of my life and who I was,” said Onsager. They were high school sweethearts, who started dating when she was 17 and had been together for 17 years.
“I know whatever I do, I have to be the best of a mother and a father … no one else is going to punch the clock or put in the sweat equity hours for me,” Onsager said.
She added, “For my son to be able to come home to the same house every day is the most important thing for me. If you’re constantly moving, it’s hard for a kid to get stability. With this house, I know I’ll be able to give him a stable home to live in.”

author: Keith Schubert


text:
How to keep your family safe around water | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
American Red Cross
July 19, 2017
Children enjoy the splash pad at Moody Park (Photo by Adam Carr)
Swimming is the most popular summer activity. The best thing you can do to help your family stay safe is to enroll in age-appropriate swim lessons. Contact the Training Support Center at 1-800-RED-CROSS or  to find lessons near you.
Follow these safety tips whenever you are in, on or around water.
Prevent Unsupervised Access to the Water
Maintain Constant Supervision
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Know What to Do in an Emergency. If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.

author: American Red Cross


text:
Greater Milwaukee Foundation puts commitment to community “On the Table” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
July 20, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Greater Milwaukee Foundation)
On a single day this fall, people throughout the four-county region will gather in small groups to share a meal and engage in meaningful conversation about the individual and collective measures we can take to improve the quality of life in our community. The Greater Milwaukee Foundation invites everyone in the region to be a civic leader on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, by hosting or joining a discussion as part of On the Table Greater Milwaukee – a unique opportunity to build relationships, generate ideas and ignite action for the benefit of our community and its future.
“On the Table offers a welcoming, accessible way for any and all people in our community to contribute their ideas and energy toward advancing a more vibrant and connected region,” said Ellen Gilligan, president and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. “Strong relationships strengthen community, and this effort will build the types of relationships that lead to collaborative action and positive change.”
The initiative works by individual hosts inviting a small group of people to a mealtime conversation taking place any time on Oct. 17 to discuss community issues that matter most to them. Anyone can register to host, and who they invite to their table of 8-12 is entirely up to them.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
While conversation starters will be available, each table has complete discretion over the topics they choose to discuss. These conversations – over breakfast, lunch, dinner or anything in between – can take place nearly anywhere, including homes, restaurants, coffee shops, libraries, places of worship, places of business, community centers or parks. Hosts will determine the location and nature of the meal so that it works best for their small group. Participants will be encouraged to document their conversation, identify next steps and contribute feedback that may further communitywide goals.
The Foundation will help share knowledge, ideas and outcomes that surface through On the Table. In addition, social media users will be able to engage in the ongoing discussion by interacting with the #onthetableMKE hashtag.
Registration is now open for hosts at onthetableMKE.org, and a variety of host resources are available. Organizations can also learn how they may serve as “super hosts” by committing to convene three or more tables.
Already, the Foundation is collaborating with partner foundations in Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties – the Greater Cedarburg Foundation, the West Bend Community Foundation and the Oconomowoc Area Foundation – to maximize the initiative’s reach.
Questions can be directed to onthetableMKE@greatermilwaukeefoundation.org or (414) 376-8253. For more information, visit onthetableMKE.org.