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Post from Community: Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office is hiring | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office
November 18, 2019
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is encouraging members of the community, including residents from communities of color, to apply for the position of Deputy Sheriff.
Deputy Sheriff’s perform a variety of duties and tasks related to the protection of life, limb and property. Including law enforcement and crime prevention work; inherent in this work is the investigation of crime and forceful apprehension of criminal suspects.
Successful candidates should be at least 21 years of age, possess a high school diploma or Wisconsin GED, an associate degree or higher from an accredited college/university OR must attain a minimum of 60 college level credits from an accredited college/university within 5 years of employment, be physically able to perform the duties of a Deputy Sheriff and successfully complete a background check.
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Qualified applicants will be invited to one of the Deputy Sheriff written examinations that will be held on Friday, December 13 and Tuesday, December 17.
To learn more about the Deputy Sheriff’s position, including additional job qualifications and requirements, as well as a list of benefits offered by Milwaukee County, please visit https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Sheriff.
If interested in booking one of our members to discuss law enforcement career opportunities with MCSO, please contact Director of Public Affairs and Community Engagement Faithe Colas at (414) 639-5506 or Faithe.Colas@milwaukeecountywi.gov.
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For more information about the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, visit our website at MKESheriff.org and our Facebook page at Facebook.com/MilwaukeeCountySheriff. Follow us on Twitter@MCSOSheriff

author: Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office


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Proceeding until apprehended: Inside the NNS newsroom | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
November 18, 2019
NNS Editor Ron Smith speaks to new cohort of Public Allies Milwaukee about the role our newsroom plays in the communities we love. (Photo provided by Alea Cross)
In February, I made a vow: That NNS would “proceed until apprehended.”
And we have.
Our tiny newsroom, which has no full-time staff, has labored to distinguish itself from other media outlets by placing an emphasis on the following words: Milwaukee. Neighborhoods. News. And, most important, service.
What you read daily comes to you free of charge, but our quality journalism takes money. Many of you tell us how much you look forward to our stories, videos and photos.
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While I appreciate your sentiments, I need to issue a call to action: If you love us, don’t just say it, PAY it.
Please consider making a donation to NNS between now and Dec. 31. During that time period, NewsMatch will match your new monthly donation — each month for 12 months — or double your one-time gift, all up to $1,000. If we can get 100 new donors during the campaign, we will be eligible for a bonus.
Up to $20,000 in contributions will be matched, which means Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service can raise $40,000 in total. As an organization with a relatively small budget, these funds are crucial to us.
NNS has been telling the stories of Central City residents working hard to improve the quality of life for themselves and their neighbors for more than eight years. We need your donation so that we can continue to tell the stories of ordinary people who regularly do extraordinary things.
Sermon over (but I reserve the right to come back to the pulpit).
Here are some things happening in our newsroom:
We say goodbye to friends: Staff Writer Allison Dikanovic has moved to New York City to pursue a graduate degree in the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. She is studying social journalism in a special program that looks to reimagine how we can make journalism more of a public service to real people and less of a product for corporations to sell. (Don’t despair, we have one more big project from her coming.) In addition, longtime Senior Staff Writer Andrea Waxman retired last month. Get this. She wants to spend time with her husband (traveling!) and work on other passion projects. We are grateful for this dynamic duo and their tireless work to inform the communities we serve.
We welcome new staffers: I will formally introduce them in another column, but we are happy to bring on three new members to our part-time staff. Sam Woods comes to us from the Bridge the City podcast and will be focusing on education, youth justice, housing and transit. A graduate of Public Allies Milwaukee, Sam worked for Ex Fabula and served as civic engagement director for City Year Milwaukee. Claudia Delgadillo graduated in May from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she majored in journalism. An advanced Spanish speaker, Claudia has interned at WISN (Channel 12) and WUWM 89/7 FM-Milwaukee’s NPR. She will focus on entrepreneurship, culture and health. Longtime resident and entrepreneur Damia Causey will be writing a jobs/career column for NNS that showcases people who are doing great things and gives readers the scoop on job fairs and career-readiness resources.
We are blue and gold: Careful readers of NNS may have noticed we changed our color scheme a few weeks ago. This is to better align with the branding of Marquette University, our publisher. Though MU has no role in our editorial content or decision-making, the university gives NNS a great deal of in-kind support, including paying my salary as an instructor in the Diederich College of Communication. This is just the first step in a web refresh. We will keep you posted.
A huge honor: Founding editor Sharon McGowan was inducted into the Milwaukee Press Club Hall of Fame earlier this month for her tireless work in creating NNS.
A win for Wayno: Deputy Editor Dwayne Burtin was selected for the prestigious 2019 Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media, a partnership between the Poynter Institute and The Washington Post. The academy recognizes pioneers in the field of digital media from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds who have demonstrated an aptitude for leadership.
Still geeked over Google grant: NNS is one of 34 news organizations in North America to win support from the Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge. The $234,000 grant will allow us to collaborate with two other nonprofit newsrooms in a special project to learn what residents want to read and then to send those reports to their phones via text messaging.
We’re going to proceed until apprehended—and dare you to catch us. Have a great week.

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: November 18, 2019

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

author: Ron Smith


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 17, 2019

created: November 17, 2019

author: Adam Carr


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Post from Community: Call for community voices at Sherman Park listening session, Nov. 21 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 19, 2019
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
Legal Action of Wisconsin, a nonprofit law firm, and the Sherman Park Community Association, Inc., a neighborhood-based group dedicated to improving quality of life for residents, are hosting a unique Neighborhood Needs Listening Session aimed at identifying services the community believes would be most impactful for the Sherman Park community. All members of the community are encouraged to attend. The event is taking place Thursday, November 21 from 6pm to 8pm at Lifeskills Academy (next to Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church), 3434 N. 38 Street, Milwaukee.
The goal of this discussion is to work to ensure that any initiatives pursued are reflective of what the community desires. Come and help direct our legal services in your neighborhood! Whether you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Sherman Park, we want YOU to tell US what legal services you think would most benefit the community.
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As a nonprofit law firm, Legal Action provides free civil legal aid to low income people and hopes to empower the Sherman Park community by providing legal services they believe are most impactful to their community. Community lawyering is about contributing to initiatives identified by the community for the community.
Dinner will be served! Please RSVP to ensure we order enough for everyone. To RSVP or ask questions about the event, contact Benjamin Watson, Sherman Park Community Organizer at (414) 444-9803, ext. 107, or Attorneys April Hartman and Elizabeth Pierson, Legal Action of Wisconsin at (414) 278-7722.
About Legal Action
Since 1968, Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc., a non-profit law firm, has been providing free civil legal aid to marginalized and low-income individuals and families throughout Wisconsin. Legal Action aims to deliver top-quality, personalized legal service to every client it serves. The firm also participates in legal work with a broader reach, aimed at systemic changes that will help more people achieve a decent quality of life. With offices in six cities, Legal Action serves 39 southern Wisconsin counties with 78 staff attorneys and about 50 support staff. Legal Action’s work is funded by many different public and private sources, including the federally-funded Legal Services Corporation, and has hundreds of active volunteer attorneys who supplement, enhance, and support our staff attorneys’ case work.
About Sherman Park Community Association, Inc.
The mission of Sherman Park Community Association is to make Sherman Park an attractive, interesting neighborhood where people of all races, religions, and national origins come together to celebrate and respect our differences, as well as our shared values. The association encourages people to make their home in Sherman Park by marketing its positive aspects of housing and diversity. They also service as a resource for residents around home ownership, home repairs, beautification and identification of those issues which impact life in Sherman Park now and in the future.

created: November 19, 2019


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LegalActionLOGO with no 40 years.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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November 19, 2019

author: Name *


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South Side neighborhood where acid attack occurred finds itself in uncomfortable spotlight | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
November 19, 2019
“Knowing someone would do that to someone just because of where he thinks you’re from is scary,” says Miguel Leon, owner of Taqueria La Sierrita. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
It was the mid-’70s, when John Gurda sidled up to the bar at Big John’s Tap on South 12 Street in the Polonia neighborhood of Milwaukee.
Gurda couldn’t help but overhear some uneasy conversations taking place.
“There was a little head-scratching; people wondering, who are they?” he said. A Hispanic family had just moved onto the block, and they were the talk of town.
A few years later, Gurda married and moved from Polonia to Bay View. But by then, a long, slow transition had begun. Hispanics, mainly Mexicans, were moving into the neighborhood as Poles and other Europeans were moving out.
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With them went A’Dees Gifts, a Polish shop on the corner of South 13th and West Dakota Streets, currently Mi Tierra Food Mart; Tadych Furniture and Hardware Store, now a One Stop Outlet that sits next to El Rancho Western Wear; and other European-owned stores. They were replaced in large part by Hispanic-owned businesses, which now fill the commercial strip along South 13th Street.
(Left) The Tadych Furniture and Hardware Store, 2974 S 13th Street, in 1923. (Photo from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries Archives)
(Right) The One Stop Outlet is currently located at 2974 S. 13th St. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
For the most part, the transition from Poles to Hispanics has been quiet. But the Nov. 1 acid attack on Mahud Villalaz, 42, has led to a new unease about race in the neighborhood, with some fearful they could become the next victim.
“I just don’t want something like what happened to [Villalaz] to happen to me just because of the color of my skin,” said Miguel Leon, owner of Taqueria La Sierrita.
It was outside of his restaurant, which opened three months ago, where Villalaz, a Peruvian-born U.S. citizen, was attacked. Clifton Blackwell, a 61-year-old white man, has been charged with first-degree reckless injury in a hate crime using a dangerous weapon. He will be back in court Nov. 25.
According to the complaint, Blackwell called Villalaz an “illegal” after asking “Why did you invade my country?” and “Why don’t you respect my laws?” Blackwell is accused of throwing battery acid that left Villalaz with second-degree burns on his face.
Safety also is on the mind of Rosa Barragan, owner of Dulcemania, a piñata and candy shop located at 1915 S. 13th St. Barragan, who learned of the acid attack on Facebook, said she is fearful that hate might show its face at her door.
“I’m worried that someone might come in here and ask me what I’m doing here,” said Barragan, who is from Durango, a state in north-central Mexico.
Like Leon, she said, she opened her store in Polonia because she likes the neighborhood and because it has a large and growing Hispanic population. In fact, U.S. Census data from 2010 shows that 63 percent of the population in the 53215 ZIP code, where Polonia is located, identified as Hispanic or Latino, compared with 38 percent in 2000.
Hate crimes rise in Wisconsin as rates decrease in rest of U.S.
The FBI on Nov. 12 released annual statistics that showed there were 7,120 hate crimes reported in 2018, 55 incidents fewer than the year before. Hate crimes are classified by the FBI as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.”
Although the total number of hate crimes decreased slightly, violent hate crimes, and the number of victims of racially motivated crimes rose last year. In addition, crimes directed against members of Hispanic communities increased, from 552 in 2017 to 671 in 2018.
In Wisconsin, the number of reported hate crimes increased from 48 in 2017 to 59 in 2018. Ten of those crimes were classified as aggravated assaults, 17 as simple assaults and seven as intimidation, according to the FBI data set. The Wisconsin data did now show how many of those crimes were directed against Hispanics.
A neighborhood in transition
For generations, the Polonia neighborhood served as a landing place for mainly Polish, but other Eastern European immigrants as well, said Gurda, a historian who has written extensively on the neighborhood. At one time it was among the largest Polish-American communities in the U.S., he said.
Many of Polonia’s residents worked along the rail yards or among the bounty of factories along West Cleveland Avenue, building furnaces, radiators and other goods. They spent their hard-earned cash at Cunningham’s restaurant, drank eight-ounce taps at one of the many walkable taverns, and they went to church at Saint Josaphat, he said.
Two men prepare to enter Mi Tierra Food Mart, formerly A’Dees Gifts. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
And when Hispanics moved in, things remained relatively quiet.
“The larger pattern in the neighborhood was if not active cooperation, at least peaceful coexistence,” Gurda said.
One reason for that, he said, is the commonalities the groups shared, including blue-collar work and Catholicism.
As for the racial attack on Villalaz, Gurda believes it was a one-off.
The attack is “a symptom of a national malady that’s gotten worse,” he said.
Despite her fears, Barragan acknowledges she doesn’t believe that hate against immigrants is widespread in Polonia.
“I’ve had many more good experiences with European people who live in this neighborhood than bad ones,” she said.
Rajvinder Singh, who owns South Star Foods, a convenience store located across the street from where the attack occurred, agrees.
“I’ve never had a problem or felt like someone had a problem with me because of my race,” said Singh, who moved his store to Polonia from Lincoln Village 12 years ago.
Meanwhile, Leon, who was at his restaurant the night of the attack and saw the burns to Villalaz’s face, said he is now much more cautious about his surroundings.
“Knowing someone would do that to someone just because of where he thinks you’re from is scary,” he said.

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 18, 2019


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49080617083_e10949d214_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 18, 2019


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Help for the holidays: Resources for those who experience homelessness in Milwaukee (and how you can help) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bridget Fogarty
November 20, 2019
Volunteers serve a meal to guests at St. Benedict the Moor, 924 W. State St., which provides walk-in and 2-1-1 referrals for shelter in extreme cold weather. (File photo by Sue Vliet)
Editor’s Note: Are we missing an organization, church or place that helps those in need? Comment below or send an email to info@milwaukeenns.org.
This is National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week. In Milwaukee, about 885 people live in homelessness on a given night, according to the 2019 Milwaukee Continuum of Care report.
Many community organizations mobilize to combat the issue and provide help. Whether you want to take action in this season of giving or need certain resources for yourself, here are groups that lend a helping hand.
Sister MacCannon Brown’s Homeless Sanctuary
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Services offered: Winter clothing, activities, hot meals, nursing consultations, advocacy services and more.
What it does: Rooted in Milwaukee’s 53206 ZIP code, this group offers services and resources to homeless individuals and those at-risk of homelessness at two locations: Its new location (still under construction) at 2461 W. Center St. and Hephatha Lutheran Church, 1720 W Locust Ave.
Though still in the first stages of construction and lacking heating, the Center Street location acts as the site for the “doorway ministry,” where volunteers distribute winter weather clothing and other physical resources through the back door to passersby on the street.
“We are open because we know there are people who need us to be open,” Sister MacCannon Brown, the group’s founder said. Most guests who seek assistance from the organization come from vulnerable situations and visit to escape the “life-threatening extreme cold,” she said.
On Fridays at the church, the group offers a sanctuary space for guests to enjoy activities like chess, dominoes or crafts, eat a hot meal and check out the agency fair, which includes help with housing, justice system guidance and more. Guests can also meet with volunteer nurses who are available for free consultations and assessments.
Volunteer nurse Sharon Garrett said this resource is especially helpful during the winter cold when the homeless population is more susceptible to the dangers of frostbite.
Email maccanon.brown@att.net for volunteering inquiries or more information regarding the schedule of services offered at both locations or visit the website for a schedule of services.
Mr. Bob’s Under the Bridge
Services offered: Immediate basic needs (showers, hygiene and care packs, meals) and more.
What it does: This group, led by Bob Burmeister (known as Mr. Bob) and his truck, has been bringing basic-need resources to individuals experiencing homelessness since its beginnings in 2007. Since July, the group has provided a mobile shower trailer as a clean, private space for individuals.
Though he formerly stationed the trailer at the Marquette Interchange for residents in the adjacent “Tent City” to utilize, Burmeister said he will bring the trailer to “overflow sites,” the shelters and warming sites to accommodate residents who previously lived in Tent City on North Sixth and West Clybourn streets.
In addition, opportunities to volunteer range from sorting donated items to distributing care packages, coffee and snacks to about 125 people Saturday mornings at Kosciuszko Park. Sign up here or email mrboboutreach@gmail.com with questions.
Street Angels Milwaukee Outreach
Services offered: Immediate basic needs (hygiene and care packs, hot meals) and more.
What it does: With a bus, this volunteer-based nonprofit organization transports basic resources directly to people experiencing homelessness around the city.
If you are in immediate need of a meal or survival supplies, contact info@streetangels.com or visit its website.
You can sign up here to volunteer, make meals served at Unity Lutheran Church (1025 E. Oklahoma Ave.) or donate clothing. Volunteers must complete a volunteer training before attending a shift. Donations can be dropped off Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. at 445 W. Oklahoma Ave.
HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Volunteer at a local shelter or warming house
As mentioned in its recent Post from the Community, the Milwaukee Continuum of Care partners with local shelters to provide warming rooms and overnight spaces for anyone seeking to escape the cold.
If you or someone you know is seeking shelter or is at risk of being homeless, contact 2-1-1 for assistance. You can:
In case you missed it: Places where you can get free meals

created: November 20, 2019

author: Bridget Fogarty


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 19, 2019


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‘Refugee Thanksgiving’ continues holiday tradition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sue Vliet
November 20, 2019
The tables at Neighborhood House of Milwaukee overflowed with festive foods and families from around the world this past weekend.
In what’s becoming a local tradition, the Milwaukee Area Refugee Consortium organized this year’s “Refugee Thanksgiving Lunch,” with member group International Institute of Wisconsin as lead sponsor.
With the holiday season upon us, check out our list of organizations that offer free meals and services to those in need.
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author: Sue Vliet


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Post from Community: Safe & Sound announces interim executive director | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Safe & Sound
November 21, 2019
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
The Safe & Sound Board of Directors has announced that Bridget M. Robinson, Safe & Sound’s Program Director, will serve as Interim Executive Director for the organization beginning November 27th.
Lafayette Crump, Safe & Sound’s board chair, noted the board’s enthusiasm around the announcement. “Bridget has been an incredible asset to the team, and we are grateful to her for assuming this important responsibility. The board is looking forward to working with her to ensure a smooth transition into Safe & Sound’s next chapter.” Joining the Safe & Sound team in June 2019, Bridget has been responsible for overall coordination and supervision of programming, managing program reporting, building relationships with key partners and stakeholders, and taking on leadership roles in strategic planning, program design and evaluation.
Bridget M. Robinson, Safe & Sound’s Program Director, will serve as Interim Executive Director for the organization.
“I want to thank the board for this opportunity and their confidence in my leadership. As a proud Milwaukee native, I have been privileged to witness the impact of good people giving back to the community. Together, we are stronger, and it is in this spirit that I began my work with Safe & Sound. I am excited to continue serving alongside the exceptional staff in this capacity to fulfill our mission of creating safe and empowered neighborhoods.” – Bridget M. Robinson, Safe & Sound Interim Executive Director
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Previously, Robinson served as the Director of Human Resources for St. Charles Youth and Family Services in Milwaukee and as the CEO; Founder of QB Solutions. Robinson is also the Executive Director of BlankSpace MKE, President of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. Milwaukee Chapter, a Co-Founder of Milwaukee Black Restaurant Week, and a member of Milwaukee Urban League and Milwaukee’ Women’s Coalition. Robinson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Resource Management from Marquette University, a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Phoenix and a Juris Doctorate from Concord Law School.
Safe & Sound’s Board of Directors has assembled a search committee to find a permanent executive director, following the departure of outgoing executive director Katie Sanders. The search committee, chaired by John Kordsmeier (retired, Northwestern Mutual) includes Lafayette Crump (Prism Technical), Sodi Nichols (U.S. Bank), Alison Neuman (Johnson Controls), Barbara Smith (Community Volunteer), Rob Cherry (Employ Milwaukee), and Molly Schweiger (PNC Financial Services Group). The committee has also selected and hired Leading Transitions to spearhead the search and assist in finding the right candidate. For more information on the search process or for the executive director job description, please contact Mindy Lubar Price at mindy@leadingtransitions.com.
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ABOUT SAFE & SOUND
Safe & Sound is a Milwaukee non-profit that works to bridge the gap between law enforcement and local residents to foster a sense of ownership that results in safer neighborhoods. In partnership with law enforcement, Safe & Sound neighborhood teams implement strategic neighborhood engagement and programming that brings neighbors together to create a sense of collective efficacy and improve public safety. Throughout the past 20 years, Safe & Sound has been a nationally recognized, effective model that is successful in improving public safety in targeted Milwaukee neighborhoods. Please visit www.safesound.org for more information.

created: November 21, 2019

author: Safe & Sound


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INT_5942-X2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
November 21, 2019

author: Ana Martinez-Ortiz


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Post from Community: With team in place, The Innovations and Wellness Commons broke ground this fall | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Walnut Way
November 21, 2019
(Photo courtesy of Walnut Way)
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
Walnut Way Conservation Corporation, a neighborhood-based nonprofit known for its innovative work in wellness, environmental conservation, and economic development, is taking the next steps forward in completing the Innovations and Wellness Commons (IWC), Phase II. Phase II is a commercial development project focused on health and wellness services. Walnut Way has secured JCP Construction as the General Contractor and Emem Group as the Real Estate Owner Representative. Walnut Way is ready to break ground on Phase II of the project this fall.
“We have established an amazing team of local development professionals whose values and mission are align with our mission at Walnut Way,” said Antonio Butts, Walnut Way Executive Director. Emem Group has a successful history in construction management and socially responsible renovation projects in Lindsay Heights. Emem Group was founded by Michael Emem in 2014. Emem, a Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award Winner, has 14 years of experience in workforce diversity practices, commercial, residential, and multi-family projects.
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“JCP Construction will be our General Contractor on the project. They historically employ a workforce that demonstrates their commitment to diversity and echoes the make-up of the community in which we serve. In addition, they have a strong track record,” said Butts. JCP Construction’s portfolio includes the Milwaukee Bucks Arena, Milwaukee Mitchell Airport, and Northwestern Mutual.
The Innovations & Wellness Commons is a two-phased project. Phase I was a complete renovation of an existing building and was completed in 2015.  Its tenants include Milwaukee Center for Independence which operates a commercial kitchen, Fondy Food Center offices, and Basia Rose Designs.
Phase II is a new construction 5,470 sq. ft. 1.5 story building built on the parking lot adjacent to Phase I. Phase II will include a 2,000 sq. ft. rooftop terrace and convening space overlooking W. North Avenue that will serve as a community gathering space for up to 130 people. Phase II focuses on health, wellness, and employment pipeline support for wellness professionals to improve individual health and strengthen a culture of wellness in Lindsay Heights.
“The Commons is a direct response to a demand for wellness services and desire for local business owners to grow and scale their services. We know that over 56% of commercial properties in the Lindsay Heights are blighted, making it difficult for small business owners to renovate and move into businesses in the area to serve their clientele without significant financial backing,” said Antonio Butts, Executive Director of Walnut Way.  “Phase II is two-fold. We can support local business owners by offering affordable, ready to use spaces and create a hub for residents to receive services that focus on their well-being.”
Confirmed tenants include: Wisconsin Area Health Education Centers, Living Well by Marrika (counseling), Perseverance Health and Wellness (nutritionist), Universal Minds (counseling) and Perspectives (counseling), and Saving Ourselves (counseling and programs).
Phase II will begin construction in fall 2019 with an intended completion of July 2020. Walnut Way is the owner and developer with Antonio Butts, Executive Director, acting as key agents. The architect is Mayer-Helminiak, LLC, who also designed The Wellness Commons Phase I. Reinhart Boerner & Van Deuren head the legal team.

author: Walnut Way


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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November 21, 2019


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5 things to do this weekend: Nov. 22 to Nov. 24 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
November 22, 2019
We love you, Milwaukee! Help us continue to show your faces and cover your issues by contributing to our NewsMatch campaign. Click here to donate. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some events that can enrich your weekend. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday.
1. Holiday meal baskets for Metcalfe Park and Amani neighborhoods: Friday, Nov. 22
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, the Dominican Center and Feeding America are partnering together to provide holiday food baskets to families in Metcalfe Park and Amani neighborhoods on Friday, Nov. 22. About 200 families will receive a basket, but additional resources such as blankets, hats, gloves and soap will be provided during the resource fair. The giveaway and fair will be held at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2620 W. Center St., from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
2. Local Latinx movie night: Friday, Nov. 22
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LUNA is hosting a movie night on Friday, Nov. 22. Short films made by local Latinx artists will be featured during the event. The screenings will take place at LUNA, 1037 S. Cesar Chavez Drive, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
3. SoilSista plant swap: Saturday, Nov. 23
SoilSista is hosting a plant swap for horticulturists be they beginners or masters of plants on Saturday, Nov. 23. The premise is simple: bring a plant or two to swap with other attendees. In addition to the plant swap, SoilSista and HoneyBee Sage Apothecary are hosting a winter attire drive and will be collecting hats, gloves and scarves as part of the entry fee. The plant swap and coat drive will be held at the Sherman Phoenix, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave., from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
4. Annual housing resource fair: Saturday, Nov. 23
Ald. Milele Coggs and Ald. Russell Stamper are inviting residents to attend the ninth annual Housing Resource Fair on Saturday, Nov. 23. There will be workshops on credit repair and resources for the elderly as well as information on home repairs, home financing, foreclosure assistance and more. The fair will be held at North Division High School, 1011 W. Center St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, click here.
5. Underground Muslim artists exhibition: Saturday, Nov. 23
Fanana Banana is hosting an art exhibition, Underground Muslim Artists, on Saturday, Nov. 23 at the Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, 839 S. 5th St. Art from local and non-local Muslim creatives will be featured. The showcase is free and open to the public and runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until Monday, Nov. 25.
Bonus: Milwaukee NNS fundraising campaign: Now through Tuesday, Dec. 31
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a nonprofit news organization. In order to survive and thrive, we rely on donations. Consider making a donation to our NewsMatch campaign, which ends Tuesday, Dec. 31. When you donate, NewsMatch will match your donation up to $1,000. Click here to donate.
In case you missed it: Where you can find free meals.

created: November 22, 2019


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 21, 2019


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NEIGHBORHOOD LENS: Keeping anglers going for 50 years on Center Street | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ryan Barelli
November 22, 2019
“Neighborhood Lens” is an NNS feature that provides a visual-driven platform for local photographers to tell the stories of people and groups in our neighborhoods Let us know who you would like to see featured next in the comments or by emailing us at info@milwaukeenns.org.
If you’ve ever driven through the Harambee neighborhood on Center Street, you may have wondered about the 24-hour bait shop. While it’s been years since it’s kept those hours, A & C Live Bait is alive and well, celebrating 50 years of business this year.
Greg White currently runs the shop, taking over the business from his parents, Acie and Carrie White, the namesakes of A & C. They moved from Mississippi to Milwaukee and opened a self-caught live bait shop in 1969.
While the business has evolved over the years, A & C is the oldest bait and tackle shop in the state of Wisconsin and remains the only black owned bait and tackle shop in the Midwest.
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author: Ryan Barelli


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OPINION: ‘It has come down to life and death’: Ten strong steps to stop reckless driving and create safer roads | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Tyrone P. Dumas
November 22, 2019
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Editor’s note: Got something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
Tyrone Dumas, a longtime educational consultant and advocate, writes an open letter about the severity of reckless driving in Milwaukee and urging strong policies be enacted to stem the growing problem.
Dear Milwaukee Common Council, Mayor’s Office and the press:
I am fed up, and like many of you, think we need to lower the hammer on those who use their cars as weapons in our community and neighborhoods. With all of the mayhem on our city streets, it has come down to life and death for citizens in Southeast Wisconsin when it comes to driving.
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I worked hard for almost a decade on the issue of driver’s licenses and their impact on job acquisition in Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin. However, this new crisis has taken on a criminal atmosphere of “I don’t care and who’s going to stop me?” We, together, are going stop them!
I submitted these suggestions to the mayor and Common Council over the past three years and resubmit them because of the recent deaths associated with reckless driving. I am pissed that these driving issues have reached a major milestone in regards to public safety and loss of life.
Over the last few months I have seen people run stoplights, stop signs and pass in both turn lanes at high speeds. People driving regularly are threatened by some of those driving recklessly who ignore the police. It’s gotten to the point where my wife had to stop me from getting out of the car recently to confront those stop sign and red light runners.
It is time to send a message to all — young, middle aged, old folk, women, men, regardless of race, creed or age — that this behavior is unacceptable and has to stop. If not, they need to feel the consequences of the system that should protect all of us from these maniacs, before more people are killed or injured.
These are 10 steps I recommend on how to handle the current driving issues in Milwaukee:
1. When people are caught intentionally running a red light and/or a stop sign, they should be given a ticket and have their car towed away and held for a minimum of 30 days.
2. Enforce all the small issues — people driving cars with no rear view mirrors, no license plates, excessive damage, etc.
3. A new fee of $100 per day should be added for tow storage, with a 30-day period to get the car. After, it would be sold, trashed or scraped.
4. Those who are drag racing should also be given a ticket and have their car towed. On a second or third offense offence, the vehicle would be seized by the city and sold or scraped.
5. Driver’s license suspensions should also be on the table — driving with no license means they should go to jail for a minimum of 30 days.
6. If you really want to push the envelope, no car should be sold to anyone without a driver’s license. Additionally, if you purchase a car for someone and they do not have a driver’s license, the purchaser assumes the liability and will be charged appropriately.
7. Require all car dealerships to place all keys in a locked and bolted safe, so that intrusions will not allow for car thefts because keys are inaccessible.
8. Place cameras at stop lights.
9. Fund more comprehensive drivers education programs in Milwaukee Public Schools and community nonprofit agencies like Employ Milwaukee.
10. The word will soon get out about the crackdown and then other cities will take notice and do the same.
In case you missed it: Residents weigh in reckless driving

author: Tyrone P. Dumas


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Post from Community: Business engagement information session: DNC | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Cavalier Johnson
November 24, 2019
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
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created: November 24, 2019

author: Ald. Cavalier Johnson


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DNC Bussiness | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
November 24, 2019


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Post from Community: Pauline Redmond Coggs cotillion: EmpowHER | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Pauline Redmond Coggs Foundation
November 24, 2019
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
What:
The Pauline Redmond Coggs Foundation announces its 46th Annual Debutante Cotillion on Saturday November, 30, 2019 at the Pfister Hotel. Ten young women hailing from Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and surrounding school districts will be awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships and recognized for their scholastic achievement, community service impact projects, congeniality and business/branding acumen.
Who:
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Hosted by the Pauline Redmond Coggs foundation Epsilon Kappa Omega Chapter.
This will certainly be a night to remember as 10 Debutantes from the city of Milwaukee and surrounding area and Escorts grace the stage performing various dance numbers and be presented to society.  PRC Leaders include President Doris Cahn, Chair Stephanie Morgan and Co-Chair Dara Atandare. More than 500 guests are expected to attend.
When:
Saturday, November, 30, 2019
Program begins: 7:00 pm
Debutantes presented: 9:00 pm
Where:
Pfister Hotel, 424 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Grand Ballroom, Milwaukee WI 53202

author: Pauline Redmond Coggs Foundation


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EmpowHER | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
November 24, 2019


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Post from Community: Sherman Phoenix celebrates first anniversary proclaiming “Still Rising!” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sherman Phoenix
November 24, 2019
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
The Sherman Phoenix will celebrate its 1 anniversary all day on November 30th with Small Business Saturday from 10am-3pm and its Still Rising Anniversary Celebration from 5-7pm. The popular community market in the Sherman Park neighborhood is home to 27 businesses offering a wide variety of prepared foods, arts & culture, retail and wellness services.
Rising from the ashes of a fire-damaged bank building after civil unrest in 2016, the Sherman Phoenix is now widely seen as a popular place to eat, shop, come for self-care, or attend an arts event. Food offerings range from spring rolls, pizza, chicken wings and vegan meals on the savory side to bakery, juices, artisan popcorn, and ice cream on the sweeter side. The lunchtime crowd and event catering opportunities have helped boost sales.  Funky Fresh Spring Rolls now serves 10,000 springs rolls a month, and Confectionately Yours bakery has sold 40,000 cookies in its first year with a retail location.
Visitors can also find a wide range of personal care services at the Sherman Phoenix’s barbershop, hair salon, nail and make up studios and clothing boutique. Hidden gems include a beautiful yoga studio tucked away on the third floor, an art gallery and massage spa in the lower level, and a wellness apothecary located in the former bank vault.
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Far more than a gathering spot, the Sherman Phoenix has also proven to be a powerful economic hub that lifts Black leadership and embraces talent and innovation. In the first year, the Sherman Phoenix businesses provided 110 jobs. Ninety-nine percent of the tenant businesses are owned by African American entrepreneurs, who have become inspiring role models and leaders in the community. Hundreds of young people who have visited come away seeing that Milwaukee is a place where they too can succeed.
The inclusive spirit of the Sherman Phoenix has brought folks of all walks of life together. The number of events held in the space has far exceeded expectations. The first year brought Cory Booker’s Presidential Campaign and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to the space. Smaller community gatherings like baby showers and professional networking meet-ups fill the space weekly. Perhaps most powerful have been the informal exchanges between District 7 police officers who stop in for lunch and community residents who dine side by side. Conversations like these at the Sherman Phoenix are slowly helping change the narrative of what’s possible in Milwaukee.
But there is much more work to be done. “We are in the space of being very thankful,” says Co-Developer JoAnne Sabir reflecting on the anniversary, “However, there is so much to be done. We have to go deeper in our commitment to our Central City neighborhoods. For those that are able, we need to continue to connect our communities to greater possibilities. Hopefully, the Sherman Phoenix serves as a road map of how we can use our time and talents to open greater possibilities in community.”
Embracing this spirit, the November 30 Anniversary Celebration will celebrate successes and announce new improvements and initiatives coming in 2020. The event is located at 3536 W. Fond Du Lac Avenue in Milwaukee. For more event details, visit: www.shermanphoenix.com.

author: Sherman Phoenix


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5 things to know this week in Milwaukee: Nov. 25 to Nov. 30 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
November 25, 2019
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some events we think you shouldn’t miss. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday
1. Nonprofit seeks to end human trafficking: Monday, Nov. 25
Convergence Resource Center, a faith-based nonprofit, is launching its second annual HEMAD campaign at UMOS, 2701 S. Chase Ave., on Monday, Nov. 25 at 10:30 a.m. HEMAD stands for Human trafficking Educators working with Men and boys to stand Against the Demand. This year, Convergence Resource Center would like at least 6,000 men to pledge to take a public stand against human trafficking.
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2. Family cooking night: Tuesday, Nov. 26
Chef Sam is hosting a cooking class for kids and families on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Together, families can learn new and exciting recipes. The cooking class will take place at the Mitchell Street Library, 906 W. Historic Mitchell St., from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Registration is required. To register call (414) 286-3011 or click here.
3. Community harvest dinner: Tuesday, Nov. 26
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, 930 W. Historic Mitchell St., is hosting a community harvest dinner on Tuesday, Nov. 26. No registration is required, and all are invited to celebrate and give thanks. Dinner will be served from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
4. Amani United meeting: Tuesday, Nov. 26
Neighbors are invited to hear an update on the Amani neighborhood on Tuesday, Nov. 26. This is an opportunity to learn what’s happening the community and to voice your opinion. The meeting will be held at the Moody Park Pavilion, 2250 W. Burleigh St., from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
5. Sherman Phoenix celebrates one year: Friday, Nov. 29 and Saturday, Nov. 30
The Sherman Phoenix, 3536 W. Fond Du Lac Ave., is celebrating its one-year anniversary. The Phoenix will be hosting a Black Friday marketplace on Friday, Nov. 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vendors can click here. Small Business Saturday will take place on Saturday, Nov. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a celebration to follow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Click here to RSVP.
Bonus: Milwaukee NNS fundraising campaign: Now through Tuesday, Dec. 31
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a nonprofit news organization. In order to survive, we rely on donations. Consider making a donation to our NewsMatch campaign, which ends Tuesday, Dec. 31. When you donate, NewsMatch will match your donation up to $1,000. Click here to donate.
In case you missed it: Where you can find free meals.
In case you missed it: Resources for those who experience homelessness (and how you can help).

created: November 25, 2019


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 24, 2019


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‘Black Built’ celebrates the works of African American architects from around the country | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
November 25, 2019
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

author: Dwayne Burtin


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NNS on WGLB radio: A discussion of reckless driving in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
November 25, 2019
NNS reporter Damia Causey discussed recent NNS coverage of reckless driving with Saryea Murchison and Dennis Walton of WGLB’s Morning Mix.
In case you missed it: ‘They think it’s a game’: Residents weigh in on reckless driving
Community Voices: ‘It has come down to life and death’: 10 strong steps to stop reckless driving and create safer roads
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 24, 2019
“Track 1” from Untitled – 11-22-19. Track 1.


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Post from Community: Greater Milwaukee Foundation honors those making a difference | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
November 25, 2019
Four exceptional community leaders were honored by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation at its 2019 Greater Together Awards luncheon on Friday, Nov. 22, held at Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel. Pictured left to right are: Ellen Gilligan, president and CEO of the Foundation; Geneva Johnson, Community Volunteer, inaugural President’s Leadership in Philanthropy Award; Chris Her-Xiong, Hmong American Peace Academy, Doug Jansson Leadership Award recipient; Lynnea Katz-Petted, Revitalize Milwaukee, Frank Kirkpatrick Award recipient; Judge Derek C. Mosley, City of Milwaukee Municipal Court, William C. Frye Award recipient; and Marie O’Brien, Foundation Board member and Awards Committee chair. (Photo courtesy of Greater Milwaukee Foundation)
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation has recognized four leaders whose exceptional contributions in time, talent and treasure are making the community a better place to live. Judge Derek C. Mosley, Lynnea Katz-Petted, Chris Her-Xiong, and Geneva Johnson were each honored at the Foundation’s 2019 Greater Together Awards luncheon on Nov. 22 at Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel, which also included presentations by Marie O’Brien, JoAnn Eiring, Katrina Cravy, Dan Gentges, Rev. John McVicker, remarks by Ellen Gilligan and music by Milwaukee-based sister duo, SistaStrings.
Established this year, the Foundation’s reimagined awards ceremony featured several long-standing awards including the William C. Frye Award (92 past award recipients), Frank Kirkpatrick Award (45 past award recipients), Doug Jansson Leadership Award (9 past award recipients), and the inaugural President’s Leadership in Philanthropy Award.
“There is no single approach to community impact, but consistently at the center are dedicated people drawing on their passion and talent to lead others toward positive change,” said Ellen Gilligan, president and CEO of the Foundation. “Congratulations to our 2019 Greater Together Award recipients whose pioneering and selfless work will inspire others for years to come.”
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ABOUT THE HONOREES
Judge Derek C. Mosley, City of Milwaukee Municipal Court
William C. Frye Award
Honoring exceptional civic contributions to create positive change across our region
“My purpose now is to fulfill not just my dreams, but dreams of those here in the city of Milwaukee,” said Judge Mosley. “Anytime I can expose kids to things that they don’t ordinarily see right in their backyard, it just has a profound effect in opening their minds to what’s out there with this whole city.”
Judge Derek C. Mosley graduated from Marquette University Law School in 1995. After graduation, he represented the state of Wisconsin in over 1,000 criminal prosecutions as an assistant district attorney for Milwaukee County.  In 2002, Judge Mosley was appointed city of Milwaukee municipal court judge.  At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest African-American to become judge in Wisconsin.  In August 2004, he was appointed chief judge of the Milwaukee Municipal Court.  Judge Mosley sits on the board of directors of the YMCA, Urban Ecology Center, Safe & Sound, Milwaukee County Medical Society Foundation Board and Transcenter for Youth.
Lynnea Katz-Petted, Revitalize Milwaukee
Frank Kirkpatrick Award
Honoring commitment to enhancing community spaces and places
“Nothing happens in this community that I think is worthwhile without collaboration. None of us can do this work by ourselves,” said Katz-Petted. “The Greater Milwaukee Foundation for example is a huge collaborator, because if we didn’t have the funding and the donors, we wouldn’t be able to do the work we’re doing.”
As CEO of Revitalize Milwaukee (RM), Lynnea Katz-Petted has advanced organizational funding from $40,000 to over $1.7 million annually, structured an inspiring community network, and increased the diversity of projects that serve to revitalize neighborhoods, employ local contractors and provide critical home repairs throughout Milwaukee. Katz-Petted is chair of the Medical College of Wisconsin Cardiovascular Center board, has served in leadership roles since the age of 16 and has been honored and recognized by many organizations. Since 2005, she has led RM to become a well-recognized, year-round, vigorously active Milwaukee nonprofit, including numerous sponsors, multiple annual events and a venerated, dedicated board.
Chris Her-Xiong, Hmong American Peace Academy
Doug Jansson Leadership Award
Honoring inspirational leadership in the nonprofit sector
“When I started my principal license, I felt that there needed to be a school that would address who our scholars are and where they come from so that they can be productive citizens,” said Her-Xiong. “And so, it came down to the goal of transformation. I wanted a school that would transform our scholars, our families, our community and our city.”
Chris Her-Xiong was just 10 years old when she and her family fled Laos as refugees following the end of the Vietnam War, ultimately coming to the United States and settling in Iowa, where she attended school for the first time and learned to speak English. After high school and college, she was hired as the first Hmong teacher by Milwaukee Public Schools. In 2004, Her-Xiong welcomed 200 students to Wisconsin’s first Hmong charter school, which she founded, the Hmong American Peace Academy. Today, the Academy serves over 1,800 scholars and has a 100 percent college acceptance rate. Her-Xiong was named a Milwaukee Business Journal 2016 Woman of Influence.  She was the recipient of the Outstanding Alumna of the Year by Alverno College. Recently, she was an appointee to Gov. Tony Evers’ Personnel Advisory Board.
Geneva Johnson, Community Volunteer
President’s Leadership in Philanthropy Award
Honoring a lifetime of generosity in the practice of philanthropy
“I’m really grateful that the Greater Milwaukee Foundation is honoring the other awardees for what they’ve contributed to this community,” Johnson said. “Whatever we do, whatever organizations we’re involved in via church, be it the hospital, be it a college, it’s to bring people together for the better good of the community. And no community is great unless the people in it are involved in helping it to become great.”
Geneva Johnson is former president and CEO of Family Service America, Inc. and Families International, Inc. A graduate of Albright College, she earned a master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University and a certificate in executive management from Harvard Business School. She began her career in human services as a program director for the Houston YWCA. She served United Ways in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York before joining the United Way of America in 1978 as a senior vice president. Before her retirement, she served as executive director of the Women’s Leadership Institute at Mount Mary University. In 1985, Savvy magazine named her one of the top 12 nonprofit executive women in America, and in 1990, Business Week magazine named her one of the top five best managers in the United States in the social services field. Johnson has served on many boards, including the Peter F. Drucker Foundation, National Center for Nonprofit Boards, Medical College of Wisconsin, Froedtert Hospital, Mount Mary University, Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center and PAVE.

author: Greater Milwaukee Foundation


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GMF_GreaterTogetherAwardsGroup_COPY.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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November 25, 2019


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Help for the holidays: Places where you can get free meals | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
November 26, 2019
St. Ben’s will serve a hot meal on Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve. (Photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz)
Editor’s note: This list has been updated to include more organizations.
The holidays can be a time of happiness and festivities.
But not for everyone.
For some, it can be hard to feel joyful when they’re strapped for cash and struggling to buy food. Here is a partial list of organizations in Milwaukee that have stepped up to help. We know there has to be more so help us help our neighbors in need. Please email info@milwaukeenns.org if you know of others or comment on Facebook. We will keep this list updated.
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1. Ben’s – Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve meals
St. Ben’s Community Meal, 930 W. State St., will host a Thanksgiving Day meal on Thursday, Nov. 28 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The following month, it will host a Christmas Eve meal on Tuesday, Dec. 24 from 2 p.m. 3:30 p.m.
The Capuchin Community Services also offer additional meal programs throughout the city. Location sites can be found here.
2. Vincent de Paul Society: meal program
St. Vincent de Paul Society offers a free meal program at two of its locations in Milwaukee. The Cross Roads Kitchen, 931 W. Madison St., serves meals Sunday through Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Guests can also shower here starting at 4 p.m. The Harambee Kitchen, 2600 N. 2 St., operates Monday through Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Both sites have winter outerwear and holiday events.
3. Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center: holiday meal and toy event
Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, 930 W. Historic Mitchell St., is doing a holiday toy event on Thursday, Dec. 12. The application deadline is Thursday, Dec. 5. The first 150 families will receive a turkey and a ham. Toy pickup starts at 10:30 a.m. with dinner to follow at 4 p.m. Healthy snacks and more will be provided throughout the day. For more information contact Alicia Terry at (414) 316-5051 or aterry@gliihc.net.
4. All Saints Catholic Church: hot meals
All Saints Catholic Church, 4051 N. 25th St., will continue serving meals to its guests throughout the holiday season on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Registered guests may receive a turkey for Thanksgiving and a food box for Christmas. Hot meals will be served the week of Thanksgiving on Monday, Nov. 25 and Tuesday, Nov. 26.
5. The Gathering: meal program
The Gathering serves meals year-round except for a week around Christmas and New Year’s. It has four locations: Running Rebels, 1300 W. Fond du Lac Ave., Christian Faith Fellowship Church East, 724 S. Layton Blvd., Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church, 8424 W. Center St. and Our Next Generation Neighborhood Center, 3421 W. Lisbon Ave.,
It offers breakfast at Running Rebels Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Lunch is served at all four locations on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dinner is served Monday and Wednesday at Christian Faith Fellowship Church East from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
6. The Salvation Army: hot meal
The Salvation Army will be hosting its 30th annual Christmas Family Feast on Christmas Day, Wednesday, Dec. 25. The meal is a traditional home style dinner and can serve more than 8,000 people. It will be hosted at the Wisconsin Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave. Santa and Mrs. Claus will also be making an appearance to greet guests and hand out gifts, while supplies last. More details to come.
7. Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and the Dominican Center: holiday meal baskets
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and the Dominican Center are distributing holiday meal baskets to 200 families living in the Metcalfe Park and Amani neighborhoods. Volunteers will be handing out the baskets at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2620 W. Center St., on Friday, Nov. 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Other essential resources such as blankets, hats, gloves, soap, toothbrushes and more will be handed out during the event as well.
For a list of food pantries click here. Please note that some pantries require a form of ID and a piece of mail. In case of an emergency or for additional information, call or text 2-1-1.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Are we missing an organization, church or place that helps those in need? Comment below or send an email to info@milwaukeenns.org.

created: November 26, 2019


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 13, 2019

created: November 13, 2019


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NNS Spotlight: ‘God is not through with me’: Willie Brisco and his continued fight for social justice | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
November 26, 2019
The Rev. Willie Brisco talks about his journey to activism in his home in the Bradley Estates neighborhood on the Northwest Side. “Everything that I have lived is God’s divine plan for creating in me the activist that I am,” he says “And along the way, he has shown me what I was supposed to do.” (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Editor’s note: This story is part of an  occasional series  that highlights groups and people worth knowing in Milwaukee. To nominate a person or a group, email  info@milwaukeenns.org  and put “Spotlight” in the subject line.
The Rev. Willie Brisco is all about justice. Especially for his African American community.
For more than 36 years, Brisco has dedicated his life to fighting racism.
He has pursued his passion for justice through the Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope, or MICAH, and WISDOM, the statewide social justice organization. As president of both organizations he has won significant improvements for the community.
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And despite being slowed down by a stroke in July 2017, Brisco is still fighting the good fight.
“I realize that God is not through with me,” said Brisco, who is 66. “He’s using me in different ways.”
Through WISDOM and Ex-Incarcerated People Organizing, also known as EXPO, Brisco is working with Gov. Tony Evers and others to reform the correctional system.
The Rev. Willie Brisco, then-president of WISDOM and MICAH, and Dr. Anne Bonds, UWM professor of geography and urban studies, speak on a panel about race in November 2016. (File photo by Naomi Waxman)
A champion for equity
Among the issues Brisco has taken on are inequalities in transportation, employment and housing. When Westlawn, the federal public housing development, was initially being rebuilt, he was the one who saw the injustices in construction employment that were happening there, said the Rev. Joe Ellwanger, a longtime civil right activist. The $300-million project was bringing in companies from Illinois and all over the state to do the work and not hiring people who lived in Westlawn and Milwaukee, he said.
Under Brisco’s leadership, what started with prayer vigils ended with a Department of Housing and Urban Development investigation in 2013 that found the city Housing Authority had failed to meet federal regulations for hiring low-income workers. Since then, things have turned around to the point where city housing officials meet on a regular basis with MICAH.
“Willie is really good at articulating and speaking truth, but he’s also smart in organizing and recognizing that if we expect change, we’ve got to work for it,” Ellwanger said.
Former Sheriff Lev Baldwin, one of Brisco’s mentors and a predecessor as assistant superintendent at the House of Correction, said Brisco “is a very intelligent guy, knowledgeable about the law and an excellent human being.”
Brisco worked for 25 years at the Milwaukee County House of Correction.
Richard Cox, a former superintendent at the House of Correction, said Brisco was a role model for the inmates.
“You can tell people they can succeed, but if they don’t see anyone like them succeeding, it’s just dead words. It means nothing,” Cox said.
Born in the small town of Sardis, Mississippi, Brisco, along with his younger brother and sister moved with their mother to Detroit in the early 1960s and a year later to Milwaukee, where they had relatives.
They first lived near 16 Street and McKinley Avenue and then near Teutonia Avenue and Wright Street. He attended Wells Junior High School and what is now Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts before graduating from North Division High School in 1972.
Brisco is the father of two sons, two daughters, two stepdaughters and has 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild
“Everything that I have lived is God’s divine plan for creating in me the activist that I am,” he said. “And along the way, he has shown me what I was supposed to do.”

author: Andrea Waxman


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 25, 2019

author: Adam Carr


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Post from Community: New overnight respite care service opens on North Side | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care
November 27, 2019
Photo courtesy of St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
New service will help caregivers of elders and adults with disabilities.
Family caregivers will get a valuable new resource when St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care opens its Overnight Respite Unit at its north side Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Ave. Beginning Friday, Dec. 6, overnight respite will be available on weekends for frail elders, or those with dementia, and adults with cognitive or physical disabilities.
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“We’ll take very good care of your loved one, so you can get a much-needed break from the physical and emotional demands of caregiving,” said Sr. Edna Lonergan, founder and president of St. Ann Center.
Lonergan said reliable respite support is crucial for caregivers planning a business trip, medical procedure or vacation, and noted that St. Ann Center’s south side campus has operated a successful overnight respite program for 12 years.
“Caregivers have been asking us for this help, and we’re thrilled to provide it,” she said, explaining why St. Ann Center is opening the Northside service.
The Bucyrus Campus overnight respite will initially be open on weekends, from Friday night through Monday morning, and expand as demand increases, until it operates seven days a week year-round, as at the Stein. St. Ann Center also offers daycare services for frail elders and adults with disabilities at both locations.
The new unit features nine bed and-breakfast-style rooms with a cozy, homelike feeling. A large gathering room offers a fireplace, large flat-screen TV and nook for reading and playing games; fresh-cooked breakfasts, lunches and dinners will be served in the dining room. Guests can also enjoy a whirlpool bath, with bathing assistance. Hallways showcase “African-Americans in Our Community,” artworks created by Milwaukee High School of the Arts students.
Neaver C. Walters, director of the new respite care unit, is a registered nurse with experience in hospitals, senior communities, the county’s psychiatric crisis unit and a Milwaukee Police Department district station office, and whose Milwaukee roots are on the Northside.
“Many caregivers are unaware that respite care exists, let alone in their own neighborhood,” Walters said. “We want them to know St. Ann Center is here for them, that we understand the demands placed on them, and that we’ll treat their loved ones with empathy and kindness.”
The cost will vary, depending on the level of care needed. St. Ann Center accepts private pay and payment assistance from Family Care, Community Care, Care Wisconsin, IRIS, Department on Aging and more.
Information on how to apply for overnight respite care can be found online at StAnnCenter.com/respite. To set up a personal tour, call 414-977-5079, or email dtaylor@stanncenter.org.

created: November 27, 2019


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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November 26, 2019

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OPINION: Milwaukee gives thanks: Four shout-outs to those who stand out | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
November 27, 2019
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
First of two parts.
Without a doubt, Milwaukee has its share of problems.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
But we also have so much to be thankful for.
With this in mind, we asked residents who have contributed to our Community Voices feature: “What is a person, project, organization, institution or movement that you are thankful for that’s making an impact in Milwaukee?”
Portia Cobb is a professor at UW-Milwaukee and filmmaker and wrote “How questioning a simple checkout procedure led to complex questions of racial profiling and ‘pent up anger against whites.’”
The question of gratitude is always a humbling one. It silences all the inner chatter about the outside forces in our daily comings and goings, where reflection is often difficult to wrangle.
This year has been one of highs and lows, but by nature I feel fortunate to have had the support of members of an expanding community help me navigate and stay the course of good. It is often easier to be negative and add to the negative than it is to create positive within experiences that have been negative.
Most recently I have been overwhelmed with gratitude for neighbors in a neighborhood where I have at times felt estranged. When I was t-boned by a reckless and willful driver who ignored a stop sign, totaled my vehicle and then took off, those very “strangers” in my own neighborhood came to my aid, as witnesses. I found myself shedding some of the stereotypes I realized I held of them.
Similarly, after suffering a situation of profiling earlier in the year, I have found allies in “strangers” and those who are working for the good in our city by volunteering their time and hearts to create safe spaces for discussions toward resolution and sustainable transformation toward the good in our “good city.”
The Buddhist teachings that I have embraced since my 20s continue to help me reset my own impulses to spin out. These teachings have reminded me to observe my own mind and actions; and to realize deeply that causes and effects in my life are not separate from every person I meet and encounter in my environment and community. It helps me realize with deep reflection that I am to embrace all circumstances as an opportunity to expand my lesser self, which will then serve to change things in my environment that cause harm.
I have become appreciative of those within our city — too many to name — who have selflessly taken action to promote the essence of goodness and equity for all. I am deeply appreciative of students, of faculty, of artists, of the architects of safety and inclusivity that we all desire. I am thankful for life. I am learning with each season in my life that friends, associates, strangers and the community spaces we share on this planet are not coincidental or separate from me.
I have tremendous gratitude for my dog Tico, who teaches me how to be better at being a human being. He connects me to others and to the beautiful natural spaces within Milwaukee that I have often taken for granted.
Renee Lynn Glembin is a lifelong Milwaukee resident, writer, teacher and social justice advocate who recently wrote “The loss of Strauss Brands is a win for Century City residents.”
I am thankful for Jocelyn Mason-Saffold, community outreach and education coordinator of SE-WI Planned Parenthood.
I met Jocelyn in 2016 at the ACLU Youth Social Justice Conference at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Because I work with teenagers, I know that there is a startling amount of misinformation among them about sexual health and identity.
So, I invited Jocelyn to come to my classroom to speak to my junior and senior high school students about creating and maintaining healthy relationships, taking care of themselves and understanding the gender spectrum.
Jocelyn is a natural, dynamic and authentic classroom presenter and she is unabashedly unafraid to talk about subjects that would make most of us blush. The kids instantly feel at ease with her as she answers all their questions and empowers them with knowledge and resources.
Jocelyn has come to my classroom a few times a year since then, even though every year Planned Parenthood, which provides valuable low cost reproductive health care and cancer screenings to thousands of women, has its budget slashed. Thankfully, this essential component to my students’ education has been able to continue and because of it, and skilled presenters like Jocelyn, hundreds of students have the information they need to make healthy choices for themselves.
Currently, there are 21 Planned Parenthood Health Centers across Wisconsin serving 60,000 people annually. No one is turned away for inability to pay.
Katie Avila Loughmiller is an interdisciplinary social practice artist and co-founder of LUNA. She co-wrote “Dear white gallery owner: Here’s how not to erase the narratives of Milwaukee’s black and brown artists” with fellow members of LUNA.
There are a lot of things that I am thankful for in this city but it’s an understatement to say that I am most thankful for Latinas Unidas en las Artes (LUNA) — and not just because I am one of the co-founders. LUNA has become more than I could have ever imagined. Each incredible artist who joined and put their time, energy and passion into this group has made it what it is today.
It’s more than just a collective. It’s community. It’s family.
LUNA started two and a half years ago out of necessity. Being new to Milwaukee, I was looking for community myself and noticed that representation here didn’t quite look the way I intuitively knew it should. That’s when I met Gabriela Riveros, who was born and raised in Milwaukee and had the contact list to make the idea of bringing Latinx artists together become a reality. From there, we ensured that the collective grew into what we all wanted, instead of what one or two individuals wanted.
Our ability to keep our egos in check and truly work together is a huge reason why we went from two gallery exhibitions in 2018 to an even more amazing 2019. This includes mounting five major gallery exhibitions, being featured artists at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Silver City InterNational Festival and other community events, receiving invitations to panels and discussions with students at MIAD and UWM, and most recently, having our own temporary retail store, gallery and studio space through Pop Up MKE.
In my opinion, what makes LUNA so special is that we show up for one another time and time again. I have seen LUNA members help each other with pricing work or how to make prints of paintings. We share useful skills and tools that help us grow as individual artists. I have seen us support each other when people say harmful things that make us question our identities as artists or even as Latinx community members. Over the last two months, with the opportunity to occupy a physical space, we have gotten to know each other better — to laugh, vent and sometimes cry together, all while wearing our favorite earrings or T-shirts made by someone else in the collective.
It’s not just about us though. We have used our platform on Cesar Chavez Drive to open our doors to support other deserving artists and small businesses. And sure, it’s not always seamless and we don’t always see eye to eye on everything, but this group allows for growth. We have all learned so much by being a part of it. I know I have and that’s a gift that is priceless. And while LUNA still has learning and growing to do, we know that our art, our voices and our presence in this city is important. So get ready to see a lot more of LUNA in 2020. This is only just the beginning.
Margaret Rozga is a poet, civil rights activist, professor emerita at UW-Waukesha, as well as Wisconsin Poet Laureate. She has authored 32 Community Voices pieces for NNS since 2015, including this reflection on becoming Wisconsin Poet Laureate.
I’m grateful for all the places in Milwaukee where people of all ages and colors gather and are at peace in one another’s presence. They may not be engaged in the same activity, but they are there in close proximity, sharing the space, overhearing each other’s conversations, maybe even bumping into each other occasionally, saying “sorry” or “excuse me,” no offense meant and none taken.
I’m grateful to Molly Snyder, who in one of her OnMilwaukee.com columns posed the question about what places in Milwaukee draw in such an inclusive array of people.
One of these places that I particularly enjoy is South Shore Park, especially on summer weekends. Children climb, swing, run and jump on the playground. Their grown-ups hover nearby. Other people play in or near Lake Michigan. Still others gather in the beer garden to relax and converse with friends. I like to ride my bike along the Oak Leaf Trail south of the playground and beach where I can catch a glimpse of downtown buildings and then 10 yards farther down the trail feel immersed in a natural environment.
I’m also grateful to Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic, who has been the leading voice advocating for making best use of spaces in the park that no longer served their original purposes.
More reflections from Sergio González, Paul Mozina, Rob Smith and Markasa Tucker.
What is a person, project, organization, institution or movement that you are thankful for that’s making an impact in Milwaukee?
Email us at info@milwaukeenns.org or share your comments on Facebook.


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Glembin IMG_2154 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 27, 2019


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 27, 2019


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Post from Community: Nonprofit seeks 6,000 men to help end modern-day slavery; Five-week HEMAD Campaign launches to raise awareness and seek an end to human trafficking | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
William Patrick McSweeney
November 27, 2019
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
A youth pastor said today that despite being abolished in 1865, slavery continues to occur, and he’s asking men throughout the region to help end it.
“Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery – and it has been documented in all of Wisconsin’s counties.  It’s insidious and many times, men don’t realize they’re a part of it,” said Arnold Cifax, a youth pastor at New Testament Church in Milwaukee. “If they’re watching porn, the women or young girls they’re watching could be part of the sex trafficking industry. If they’re at bachelor parties or at a club and invite women to do lap dances or things of that nature, they may be helping sex traffickers – modern slavery.”
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Cifax is a board member of Convergence Resource Center (CRC), a faith-based nonprofit community service organization that today launched its second annual HEMAD (Human trafficking Educators working with Men and boys to stand Against the Demand) campaign. Cifax showed a short video that dramatizes the issue of human trafficking and how men can play a key role in ending the demand of sex trafficking.
The HEMAD project was designed primarily for men to take a stand against the demand of sex trafficking. Last year, 3,000 men took the HEMAD pledge. Organizers hope at least 6,000 men in Southeastern Wisconsin will take the pledge this year. The five-week campaign lasts until Dec. 28.
The first 50 men who visit CRC’s offices at 7961 N. 76 Street (near Bradley Road) and take the HEMAD pledge will receive a polo shirt with the HEMAD logo and a silicone wrist band stating, “I’m mad and I’m taking a stand against human trafficking.”  Individuals or groups can go online to watch the four-minute video and then register and take the pledge at https://www.convergenceresource.org.
Joining Cifax were State Rep. Jason Fields, UMOS Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator Joshua Beaton, representatives from law enforcement agencies, faith-based groups, community service organizations and other community leaders.
“Statistics show that one in three runaways will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home – about 300,000 children are at risk of being sex trafficked each year in the U.S. – and the average age of entry into prostitution is 14,” said Beaton. “The average pimp has five girls who see an average of 30 “clients a day – seven days a week. Milwaukee is known as the ‘Harvard of Pimp School’ and the region ranks among the top metro areas in the U.S. for the recovery of adolescents. We must put a stop to this!”
“This is a multimillion-dollar industry that exists in urban, suburban and rural areas in Wisconsin that we need to put out of business. The demand will always be there, but we can squash that demand by publicly taking a stand,” said Fields. “It’s an issue that has bipartisan support. I challenge my fellow community leaders in the state assembly, the state senate, county commissions and city councils, school boards, civic organizations, churches and block watch groups to take the HEMAD pledge and share it with their constituents.”
Fields added that more than 49,000 cases of human trafficking have been reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline (888-373-7888 or text 233733) in the past ten years and the number of human trafficking cases in the U.S. has risen every year.
“In 2018, more than half of the criminal human trafficking cases in the U.S. were sex trafficking cases involving only children,” he said. “And traffickers are using online social media platforms to recruit and advertise targets of human trafficking. So we, as citizens, need to act – now!”
Beaton noted that a report last year by the Medical College of Wisconsin found that 340 individuals ages 25 and under were confirmed or believed to be victims of sex trafficking in Milwaukee between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2016. Of those analyzed for the report, all were U.S. citizens or had legal status, 97 percent were female, 65 percent were African American, 55 percent were under age 18 when they were first trafficked for sex while the other 45 percent were between the ages of 18 and 25 when they were first trafficked; 25 percent had been trafficked multiple times.
Cifax sought to put a face on the issue by noting those trapped in sex trafficking could be someone close to many people.
“Have you ever thought about the fact that it could be your daughter, it could be your aunt, could be your mother?,” he said. “I think it’s time for us men to take a stand.”
About Convergence Resource Center
Convergence Resource Center (CRC) is a faith-based nonprofit community service organization providing support for men and women rebuilding their lives after trauma with an emphasis on justice involved women and female survivors of human trafficking. It is a contracted member of the Milwaukee Joint Human Trafficking Task Force (MJHTTF). To learn more, call (414) 979-0591 or visit www.convergenceresource.org.
About HEMAD
Human trafficking Educators working with Men and boys to stand Against the Demand (HEMAD) is a program of Convergence Resource Center directed at men on the importance of ending human trafficking. To learn more, contact HEMAD@convergenceresource.org.

author: William Patrick McSweeney


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HEMAD pledge2a.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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November 25, 2019


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5 things to do this weekend: Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
November 29, 2019
Yatesha Brown, a local artist, will be displaying her latest artwork at Tricklebee Cafe. (Photo provided by Yatesha Brown)
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some events that can enrich your weekend. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday.
1. Walk-in interview sessions at SourcePoint StaffingSourcePoint Staffing, 569 W. Lincoln Ave., is conducting walk-in interviews on Friday, Nov. 29. The positions offered include assembler, material handler, warehouse worker, CNC machine operator, press operator and many more. The positions are full time with benefits. The interview session will run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
2. Black Friday at the Bronzeville CollectiveThe Bronzeville Collective MKE, 339 W. North Ave., is having a Black Friday sale all weekend long, starting Friday, Nov. 29. There will be daily doorbusters, light refreshments and a special surprise for the first 15 customers. Local vendors include Alice’s Garden, Indigo Body, Fly Blooms, Papyrus & Charms and more. The store opens on Friday from 10 a.m. till 7 p.m., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
3. The story of the Menominee: Saturday, Nov. 30
Richard Plass, a poet, storyteller and educator, will be telling the story of the Menominee on Saturday, Nov. 30. The event is to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. It will take place at the Washington Park Public Library, 2121 N. Sherman Blvd., from 11 a.m. to noon.
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4. First time home buying requirements session: Saturday, Nov. 30
The Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, 5460 N. 64th St., is hosting an informational session for first time homebuyers on Saturday, Nov. 30. The session will cover the minimum requirements needed to purchase a home such as having a good credit score. The session will take place from 10 a.m. to noon.
5. “That Moment” at Tricklebee CafeLocal artist Yatesha Brown will be sharing her latest artwork at Tricklebee Cafe, 4424 W. North Ave., on Sunday, Dec. 1. The series is titled “That Moment.” Each piece captures the moments before a person’s life changes because of one decision or another. Some art will be available for purchase and refreshments will be served. The event will take place from noon to 5 p.m.
The Pauline Redmond Coggs Foundation is hosting its 46th annual debutante cotillion on Saturday, Nov. 30. Ten young women from Milwaukee Public Schools and surrounding districts will be awarded scholarships and recognized for their scholastic achievement, community service impact projects and more. The cotillion will be held at the Pfister Hotel, 424 E. Wisconsin Ave., and begins at 7 p.m.
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a nonprofit news organization. In order to survive, we rely on donations. Consider making a donation to our NewsMatch campaign, which ends Tuesday, Dec. 31. When you donate, NewsMatch will match your donation up to $1,000. Click here to donate.
In case you missed it: Where you can find free meals.
In case you missed it: Resources for those who experience homelessness (and how you can help).

created: November 29, 2019


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Adam Carr
November 27, 2019


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OPINION: Milwaukee gives thanks, part two: Four more shout-outs to those who stand out | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
November 29, 2019
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
Second of two parts.
Without a doubt, Milwaukee has its share of problems.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
But we also have so much to be thankful for.
With this in mind, we asked residents who have contributed to our Community Voices feature: “What is a person, project, organization, institution or movement that you are thankful for that’s making an impact in Milwaukee?
Sergio M. González is an assistant professor of Latinx Studies at Marquette University and historian of 20th-century U.S. immigration, labor and religion who recently wrote “Milwaukee’s Latinos prepare to make history. Again.”
There’s plenty to be grateful for in the many thriving communities of Milwaukee, but as an educator and historian of social movements, I’m especially thankful for the young members of chapters of Youth Empowered in the Struggle, also known as YES! This multicultural, cross-racial and socioeconomically diverse grassroots student organization, operating in conjunction with Voces de la Frontera, has marched and organized with a clear vision in support of student, immigrant and worker rights. They refuse to take for granted the constraints of our social, economic and political systems, offering a vision for a more just and equitable vision for all people who call Wisconsin home.
YES! first got its start in 2004 at Racine Horlick High School, when students enrolled in a Latin American history class decided to organize in support of immigrant rights. Since then, members have advocated for undocumented students at the local, state, and national levels, joining hundreds of thousands of young activists fighting for Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or  DACA, protections. YES! activists secured their most significant victory in 2009 with the passage of in-state tuition legislation for undocumented students.
They’ve continued their work to date with chapters in high schools across southeast Wisconsin, building student power in high schools and college campuses across the region. Earlier this month, members of YES! braved the cold to rally in defense of DACA as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments to decide the future of a program that has allowed more than 8,000 Wisconsinites to live and work in the state without fear of deportation.
These persistent youngsters are building upon the legacies of young Chicano and Puerto Rican students of the late 1960s and 1970s, who organized walkouts and occupations of South Division High School, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and other educational institutions across the state. Those earlier activists spoke out over a number of issues affecting their communities, including worker rights, police harassment, expanded employment opportunities and educational equity. Using their voices and their feet, they demanded that schools provide bilingual programs and multicultural curricula that better represented the experiences of the state’s diverse communities. It’s heartening to see YES! members follow in this long history of youth-led activism, reminding us all that our students are making history every day.
Paul Mozina is a retired IT professional and community activist whose most recent opinion piece is “The Fire and Police Commission needs to scrutinize MPD’s use of confidential informants, coerced confessions and no-knock search warrants.”
I’m thankful for Vaun L. Mayes. He embodies the idealism, passion and self-sacrifice this community needs if we are to overcome the systemic, institutionalized racism, segregation (both physical and economic) and injustice that plague us.
He is eloquent in articulating the feelings and aspirations of the people of color in this community in a street-smart way that most academics and politicians cannot touch. He has started many grassroots efforts to deal with the poverty and trauma in the city and literally put himself in the hands of the community for financial support.
He inspires me and I love and appreciate him. Now, if the Feds would just get off his back …
Robert Smith is a professor in the history department at Marquette University and director of the university’s Center for Urban Research, Teaching and Outreach. His most recent contribution to NNS is “’You are still a slave’: How ‘reforms’ expand our racially unjust ‘criminal justice’ system,” co-authored with Barbara Miner.
It would be impossible to determine one entity to hold up, and it would be myopic for me to do so. Instead, I am thankful for the wide array of people, and the groups they engineer, who engage demands for racial equality on so many levels.
While a cottage industry has emerged that recycles all the woes of our city, the people to whom I refer to shape the counternarratives and stories that also earmark Milwaukee.
The people I am most thankful for demand police accountability and true justice, AND shape strategies that would work far better than the punitive approaches taken to address socioeconomic challenges. The people I am most thankful for demand better educational opportunities for all of our city’s youth AND advance strategies that promote educational equality alongside healthy cultural identity formation. The people I am most thankful for demand more of elected officials AND relentlessly engage the democratic process, while also welcoming masses of citizens into that process. The people I am most thankful for demand economic equality in our city AND create pathways toward more economic inclusion for our neighbors on the margins of those pathways. The people I am most thankful for demand more cultural sophistication from our city AND create opportunities for cultural engagement to flourish in true spite of our rigid residential boundaries.
So, to all my neighbors who have made equality your professional and personal careers, I say, “Thank you, family, for your tireless commitment! I am honored to call so many of you friends and colleagues.”
Markasa Tucker is the director of the African American Roundtable and her last Community Voices piece is an “Open letter to District Attorney’s office.”
As I reflect back on the last six months or so, I’m extremely thankful for the community that joined the LiberateMKE campaign alongside more than 45 community partners. The African American Roundtable, a project of Wisconsin Voices, launched the LiberateMKE Campaign that advocated for divesting $25 million from the police department budget and demanded investment elsewhere based on community needs and priorities.
After we raised awareness through trainings and political education about the police department’s request for almost half of the entire city budget, we moved to surveying more than 1,100 residents. Key partners Black Leaders Organizing Communities, or BLOC, Amani United and Metcalfe Park Community Bridges joined the campaign and had conversations with residents about reimagining what public safety looks like. We asked questions like, “What would your neighborhood need in order for you to live your best life so that you and your neighbors can thrive?” After those conversations and survey results, we learned that residents wanted more summer youth employment opportunities, non-police violence prevention and affordable quality housing.
Throughout the budget cycle, we were able to turn out more than 350 people to the mayor’s budget hearing and the Joint Public Hearing. More than 70 residents used their voice at hearings and shared their stories. And some were able to use the skills they learned in LiberateMKE trainings for effective storytelling. When we lobbied with members of the Common Council after the public hearings, they repeatedly mentioned the voices of the community members who spoke at the hearings, which demonstrates that most council members listened!
After the hard work of LiberateMKE and community members throughout the budget process, we won $72,000 to increase pay for summer interns through the Earn and Learn Program, $300,000 to create a housing program for people displaced by lead and domestic violence, $300,000 for violence interrupters, keeping the reduction of 60 officers, and ensuring that the police got $14.5 million less than they requested. I am MOST thankful for those who responded and said NO more to an unjust budget because the taxpayers deserve a budget that creates pathways for them to thrive in this city. I’m grateful for prayer warriors who bathed this campaign in many prayers, campaign partners, the African American Roundtable’s Lead Organizer Devin Anderson and core members of the African American Roundtable.
In case you missed it: Reflections from Portia Cobb, Renee Glembin, Katie Avila Loughmiller and Margaret Rozga
What is a person, project, organization, institution or movement that you are thankful for that’s making an impact in Milwaukee?
Email us at info@milwaukeenns.org or share your comments on Facebook.