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New storytelling fellowship hopes to get people talking about race | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
December 23, 2015
Tiffany Miller (left) and Megan McGee introduce the storytellers. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Silence blankets the largely white crowd of 350 fixated on the Turner Hall Ballroom stage. Kerri Grote tells about growing up on a cattle ranch in rural Wyoming, where no one talked about the “messy stuff” — when her mom had an outburst in the front yard, or that time her dad backhanded her — and finally finding out her uncles were gay.
She talked about how when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage in late June she wrote a Facebook post celebrating the decision; she just couldn’t stay silent. But Grote, who has a black brother-in-law and mixed-race niece, had sat in that same chair in front of her computer nine days earlier, when nine African-Americans were gunned down by a white supremacist in Charleston, S.C., and said nothing. She said she felt ashamed.
“The shame of it has nothing to do with me being white. I can’t change the color of my skin, nor is anybody asking me to,” said Grote. “The shame that I feel, felt, about white privilege is about being silent. And, that is something I can change.”
Grote is one of 21 people involved in a new storytelling fellowship focused on privilege and oppression that hopes to help create a citywide conversation about race. Ex Fabula, a local storytelling organization that began in 2009, created the fellowship and plans to hold at least 10 more performances involving the fellows.
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Audience members look on as performers tell their stories. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
David Flowers, a white attendee, said he identified with Grote’s experience, in terms of being raised not to talk about feelings. He said, “A black person once said to me, ‘You know, we’re not looking for white people to be an ally. We’re asking white people to pick up their hearts, and to notice when other human beings are in pain.’”
An African-American attendee who requested not to be identified said, though he values Grote’s experience, he wasn’t surprised by her story. He added that her realization is only a small step, but it’s a step in the right direction.
“Her story was kind of like a drop in the bucket. And, so, while it was something that wasn’t surprising to me, it may have been surprising to other people, and that may make an impact on them,” he said. “It’s fundamentally a good thing.”
Flowers added, “This was a big deal for her and she moved a lot of people tonight.”
The fellowship
About two years ago, Megan McGee, co-founder and executive director of Ex Fabula, took the YWCA’s ‘Unlearning Racism’ course. She said the storytelling fellowship emerged from that experience and the feedback she received during and after the series of workshops.
“I guess I would have considered myself an activist even before then but, I think, during that course I started to really get, maybe, the vocabulary to talk about things in a more layered way,” she said.
McGee, who is white, had just left a job about four months before to become the full-time head of Ex Fabula. Following the YWCA course, she started asking questions about what stories she was and wasn’t hearing at events. Sensitive topics such as mental illness came up “but race was just not one that was happening organically.”
Through her experience with Ex Fabula, McGee understood the power of stories and their ability to deconstruct complex topics. “[Stories] make us feel connected but they also acknowledge the ways in which our experiences differ,” she said. “You can never really step into someone else’s shoes, but through a story you can kind of glimpse into their world a little bit.”
McGee felt it was also important to address institutional racism, which she called “one of the biggest, nastiest, deadliest problems out there.” She said white privilege, which is invisible to those who have and perpetuate it, tells white people that they are entitled to certain things and that one of those things is to be comfortable.
The goal is to address potentially uncomfortable topics to help people learn, while making sure the structure can still provide them with some familiarity. “We’re racist because we live in a racist society,” McGee said. “The thing that makes you a good person, if there is such a thing, is the fact that you are learning and growing and being human, instead of just trying to deny the whole thing.”
McGee acknowledged that we fear what we don’t understand, but she believes that stories can help people understand each other and move past the fear of the unknown. When that happens, she said, people can start to work together. “When we understand people, we feel connected, and that actually feels good,” she said. “There is some pain involved but there’s also some pleasure.”
Finding a voice
Fellows Rochelle Fritsch and Dianne Pratt, who are both black, also told their stories at the recent event, along with other storytellers. Fritsch detailed a teaching moment with her teenage daughter when, after getting lost in a wealthy subdivision on the way to a friend’s house, they discussed the dangers of “driving while black”; Pratt, who is the wife of former Milwaukee alderman and mayor Marvin Pratt, spoke about her role in a 1993 precedent-setting U.S. Supreme Court case that outlawed insurance redlining.
“My story is about preparing my daughter for things that I don’t want her to go through, but, to an extent, that I think is inevitable,” said Fritsch, who, through the fellowship, has become friends with Grote. “It takes me back to a time when it happened to me.”
Mark von Hodenberg, a white attendee, said Fritsch’s story stood out because it struck him as a difficult situation, and one he’s never had to deal with. “I’m sure there’s a lot of people in the audience who haven’t thought about it,” he said.
Dianne Pratt, one of the Ex Fabula fellows, talks about her role in a U.S. Supreme Court suit. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Amritha Kalyani, an Ex Fabula volunteer who was born in India, said she’s glad topics that are difficult to discuss are being given a platform. “I think it’s great that those types of stories are being brought to stage, and it’s great to see people responding to them.”
McGee isn’t under the illusion that change will happen overnight. “I don’t believe that anyone hears one story and then completely changes who they are, as a person,” she said. “Every time you hear someone’s story, you’re adding layers of detail … It’s incremental.”
But, she does think that the stories people heard, along with the short time for dialogue after, might start to get them thinking. “There’s some number of people in that audience that maybe have never talked about privilege or oppression — they’ve just never talked about it, it’s just never come up. And, tonight, they did,” she said after the event.
It’s just the beginning for Grote, as well. Now, she plans to tell the story to her family, which she says is scary. “This is all very new to me. This is the first time, ever, that I’ve talked about any of this in public,” she said.
But, she adds, “I can’t not say anything anymore.”
Pratt said that, though the fellowship is a great experience because she is able to hear other people’s stories, individual action is also important. “A lot of times, we say that you’re just one person and it doesn’t make a difference; or you think whatever’s happening just happens to you, so it’s not important to anybody else,” she said. “It takes that one person.”
McGee said fellows have performances planned for a Zeidler Center dialogue Jan. 26 and a Translator Lab in March, but she wants to do much more.
“I’d like to have more events; I’d like to have another fellowship; I’d like to get every single person in the Greater Milwaukee Area actually talking about this, because I don’t think it’s happening right now.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 22, 2015

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: December 22, 2015

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

author: Adam Carr


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23916459875_180f7d2121_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 22, 2015


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NNS on Lake Effect: Sex Offender Residency Restrictions in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
December 23, 2015
NNS reporter Jabril Faraj goes on air with Lake Effect to talk about a new law, passed in 2014, to restrict where former sex offenders can live. The law is creating a homeless population of recently released offenders who are harder to track and have nowhere to go.
Read the full story.
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created: December 23, 2015

author: Jabril Faraj


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Community pays tribute to Sharon Adams, Walnut Way co-founder | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
December 24, 2015
Sharon Adams mingles with community members during an event held to pay tribute to her and her work at Walnut Way, the organization that she co-founded. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Deandre Gee had a life-defining choice to make two months ago.
The 30-year-old could have sought revenge for the death of his brother, a shooting victim, or listen to Walnut Way co-founder Sharon Adams, who gave him peaceful, calming guidance over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the kitchen of the organization’s community center, a converted house in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood.
He chose the latter.
“I just want to thank Sharon for being the one that I can speak to, being someone I could trust and being someone I can love,” said Gee, relaying the story to community members and civic leaders who attended an event to celebrate Adams and the positive impact she has had on neighborhood residents as director of the Walnut Way Conservation Corporation.
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Adams recently announced that she is stepping away from the organization that she founded with her husband Larry in 2000. For the past 15 years, Adams and Walnut Way have helped transform the neighborhood through community organizing, property restoration and economic development.
Sharon Adams is stepping away from Walnut Way and looking forward to her next challenge. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
“We have a lot to do in this country. We have a lot to do in Milwaukee. We can either accept the illusion that we are disconnected and isolated and impoverished or we can embrace reality that this is an abundant world, a peaceful world,” she told the crowd.
“I feel so loved by so many of you and I’m so grateful. I want you to continue to love each other and do good,” she added.
Under the guidance of Adams, who grew up in the neighborhood, Walnut Way has spearheaded several residential projects that have created dozens of homes through new construction and the renovation of abandoned houses. One such property is at 2240 N. 17th St. Once a drug house, Walnut Way took it over, renovated it and turned it into the organization’s community center, where the event took place.
“Now it’s serving the community and it is filled by the people of the community,” Adams proudly said as she mingled with attendees, who enjoyed snacks and refreshments as they congratulated her with warm handshakes and hugs.
The organization also has turned vacant lots throughout the neighborhood into thriving gardens and orchards and helped begin a rejuvenation of the neighborhood’s commercial corridor, highlighted by the creation of the Innovations and Wellness Commons, 1617 W. North Ave., a $2.2 million development that focuses on nutrition and health.
In addition to the dozens of civic engagement, environmental and economic initiatives, Walnut Way has created a long-term quality of life plan to strategically improve the educational, health and safety opportunities in the neighborhood under Adams.
“We need you. We need you. Please don’t leave,” Alderman Russell Stamper jokingly said as he presented Adams with a City of Milwaukee proclamation, commending her commitment to the community. “Ms. Adams, I love you. Thank you for loving this community, supporting this community and giving all that you have to this community.”
Rigii Njoroge, president of Walnut Way’s board of directors, said Adams’ departure will leave a void that will be filled by the abundance of support the organization receives from community members and city leaders.
“I’m basing my calm on all of this support that we have,” he said. “It’s a new chapter and a new way of doing things. It’s exciting.”
Adams did not call her departure a retirement, but a transition, saying that she did not know what her next project will be.
“It’s going to be wonderful, whatever it is,” she told the crowd. “I learned in coming here that I was responding to a spiritual calling. …I have been called to increase my territory. I don’t know what exactly that means.”

created: December 24, 2015

author: Brendan O’Brien


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23824367672_e81c5f1722_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 23, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 23, 2015


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23906580356_ec61df0a18_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 23, 2015


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Merry Christmas! | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
December 25, 2015
Christmas lights adorn a house in Thurston Woods. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
The team at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service wishes you and yours a meaningful Christmas!

created: December 25, 2015

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 24, 2015


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ACTS Housing helps family get new home for Christmas | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
ACTS Housing
December 28, 2015
The Burkes family with ACTS Housing team members posing in front of her new home. (Photo courtesy of ACTS Housing)
Over thirty friends, family members, community leaders, and reporters gathered in front of a seemingly unassuming vacant property on North 14 St. It was Christmas Day, 2015 and the energy in the crowd was palpable. Everyone was waiting to share the good news with Dakeela Burkes and her family – the news of a new home.
Ms. Burkes was in ACTS Housing’s rent-to-own program, and was set to close on the home she had been renting for nearly a decade when it caught fire six days before Christmas. The house was unrecoverable – with an estimated $100,000 worth of damage. Immediately after the fire, Coretta Herring, ACTS Housing counselor, contacted Alderman Hamilton and began making plans — they wanted the Burkes family to be home for the holidays. They worked out a deal to get Ms. Burkes a new home, closer to her daughter’s school, for $1 in addition to the cost of minor renovations. The family is scheduled to move in in February after work is completed.
On Christmas Day, friends, family and community leaders including: ACTS Housing team members, Alderman Hamilton, Mayor Barrett, Dr. Smith with Rufus King, the SDC, and Riverworks came together to shower the Burkes family in gifts and surprise them with the new home. Everyone in the crowd was overcome with joy, and Burkes was speechless, “To see everybody coming together to help, I can’t express how I feel.” Herring, who originally planned the surprise thanked everyone who came out, saying, “It takes all of us working together.”
The Burkes family is thankful, but knows this is the beginning of a journey, “[There is] more hard work to come raising my babies, making things work out for them” said Ms. Burkes.
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Dakeela with the crowd in front of her home on Christmas Day. (Photo courtesy of ACTS Housing)

created: December 28, 2015

author: ACTS Housing


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 28, 2015


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All Milwaukee Public Library locations will close at 6:00 pm tonight | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Library
December 28, 2015
The Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) will close early tonight due to winter storm conditions. All 13 library locations will close two hours early at 6:00 pm tonight. All Milwaukee libraries will open at regularly scheduled times tomorrow. Find MPL’s Schedule of Hours at http://www.mpl.org/#.
Have a hold to pick up tomorrow? MPL is offering a two-day extension on library hold items.
MPL locations, hours and closings during winter weather can be found on MPL’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Milwaukee.Public.Library) or Twitter  (https://twitter.com/MilwaukeePubLib.)
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author: Milwaukee Public Library


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Favorite of 2015: ‘Dr. Carter’ still ministers to community at 83 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
December 28, 2015
Carter listens intently to a customer’s account of her symptoms. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Amani pharmacist Lester Carter embodies qualities that I see over and over again while reporting on the people who live and work in our city neighborhoods. Serious, dignified, dedicated and generous, Carter has put his intelligence and his heart into caring for his customers since he moved here from Nebraska in the late 1960s. Yet, he does so on his own terms, with a unique style and using medicinal compounds he created himself.
In addition to the pleasure of interviewing Carter, I loved this story because of the response it received. Many who have known Carter since they were children commented on the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service Web site and on social media. Some did not know what had become of him since he sold his store. It was wonderful to hear how grateful and happy they were to learn that Carter was back behind the store’s counter, now as an employee, dispensing his wisdom with warmth and concern.
Read the story.
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author: Andrea Waxman


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 27, 2015

created: December 27, 2015


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Homeless men get a taste of Milwaukee’s best restaurants | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
admin
December 28, 2015
Associated Press

author: admin


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Local Journalist Reflects on Milwaukee’s Catholic Sex Abuse Scandal | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
admin
December 28, 2015
WUWM Radio


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Favorite of 2015: Residents of poor neighborhoods see more than their share of costly municipal citations | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
December 29, 2015
Judge Derek Mosley hears cases inside his courtroom at the Milwaukee Municipal Court. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
My favorite work of the 2015 was a series of stories about the Milwaukee Municipal Court that showed how a disproportionate number of citations are written in the city’s poorest areas and the poor are less likely to have adequate representation. The piece also documented the difficulty of retrieving public police and court documents.
The series of stories allowed me to connect the dots for the reader, an essential element of journalism. Through painstaking number crunching, poring over numerous documents and interviewing dozens of sources, I was able to show the reader how policies made by elected and appointed officials affect the everyday lives of Milwaukeeans.
The series also exposed the stark reality that being poor in Milwaukee puts one at a great disadvantage when seeking justice and ultimately we have a lot of work to do in terms of creating a court system that provides blind justice for all.
Read the story.
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created: December 29, 2015


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Favorite of 2015: Owner seeks nonprofit to purchase Sherman Boulevard auction house | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
December 30, 2015
In September 2013, Wolfgang Rosenau made a wish to a dying friend and fellow auctioneer, Al Schrager. He promised to help find a suitable new owner for his beloved auction gallery, located across the street from Sherman Park. I admired the fact that years later, Rosenau was still working to fulfill his pledge, speaking to anyone who’d listen about the possibility of housing a nonprofit at the old auction house on Sherman Boulevard.
Though I’d never met an auctioneer before I imagine they’re all a bit like Rosenau: a history buff, well read, well spoken and just a tad eccentric. Rosenau helped me take the story from the 1920s, when the building was constructed as a church, through the 80s, when Schrager bought and turned the structure into an auction gallery known for its fine wares. The building still sits vacant today.
Read the story.
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created: December 30, 2015

author: Edgar Mendez


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Favorites of 2015: ‘Do Black Lives Matter?’ lectures and Safe Zones initiative | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
December 31, 2015
Reggie Jackson (left photo). Members of Milwaukee street organizations at a press conference in Garden Homes (right photo). (Photos by Jabril Faraj)
In 2015, I reported two stories I felt lucky to be able to write, and which I also feel illustrate, together, a strong contrast to the narrative that is so often told relating to our black communities.
The first was a story about Reggie Jackson’s series “Do Black Lives Matter?” Jackson, who works with the Black Holocaust Museum, is a board member of the Zeidler Center for Public Discussion and recently was chosen for the YWCA’s “Eliminating Racism Award,” is extremely knowledgeable; it was a pleasure to speak with him. Reporting this story also helped to educate me on the historic devaluing of black lives — from bogus science to lynchings to COINTELPRO — and the rationale for doing so.
Read the story.
The second story was on the beginning of a Safe Zones initiative, which I covered throughout the year. For this story, I was able to speak with former gang members, who have since dedicated themselves to nonviolence, and other black activists who are working to better their communities. I cherish the conversation I had with Martha “Momma” Freeman, who, as someone put it, is the kind of neighbor anyone would want.
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We all know the statistics pertaining to black communities in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. But there are those fighting for a better future, and doing so against all odds.
Read the story.

created: December 31, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 29, 2015


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Harvard Researchers: Police-Related Deaths Are A Public Health Issue | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
December 31, 2015
Wisconsin Public Radio


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Millennials Help Surge Obamacare Enrollment Numbers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
December 31, 2015
Latin Post


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Wisconsin Lags Behind on Minimum Wage | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
December 31, 2015
UrbanMilwaukee.com


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 29, 2019

created: October 29, 2019


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 15, 2016

created: February 15, 2016


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2016 Denmark Auction Flyer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 15, 2016
2016 Denmark Auction Flyer


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2016 Mid-Year.FINAL | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 17, 2016
2016 Mid-Year.FINAL


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Favorite of 2015: Slam poetry champs gear up for national competition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
January 1, 2016
Mikey Murray (right) reads one of her poems on her phone as fellow Wisconsin slam poetry champions Caide Jackson (left) and Jonnie Dixon look on. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
This is a gritty story. I like it because it’s rooted in truth and optimism.  It tells about a group of teens looking out at the wider world outside of themselves, maybe for the first time, and trying to make sense of things. They rely on poetry to communicate observations, conclusions and feelings about their daily lives and the world around them. I was inspired by the dedication of everyone in the group to be authentic and truthful to themselves and each other. They weren’t settling for the views of teachers or other adults but, instead, worked hard to write about love, loss, joy, racism and misogyny from their own points of view.
To me, it’s an optimistic story. Though most of the young poets are growing up under difficult circumstances, they have the courage to be honest. No one can make the world a better place without first seeing things as they truly are. And what’s more optimistic than seeing the next generation doing just that?
Read the story.
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created: January 1, 2016

author: Matthew Wisla


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Ex Fabula to present the nation’s first English Spanish Bilingual StorySlam | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Megan McGee
January 4, 2016
Ex Fabula invites Spanish speakers to tell their personal stories at a bilingual StorySlam, the first of its kind in the US. The Milwaukee nonprofit, which has been strengthening community bonds through the art of storytelling since 2009, is presenting the event as part of the Puente Project while will allow English and Spanish speaking populations to build community that transcends language barriers.
Ex Fabula’s bilingual storytelling efforts began in 2011 while in residency at the John Michael Kohler Art Center in Sheboygan, where they produced a small Spanish-language StorySlam and featured a Spanish-language story with English interpretation as part of the residency’s culminating event. In 2014, Ex Fabula received funding from UWM Cultures and Communities in order to pilot a Spanish-language Storytelling workshop and feature two interpreted stories in our public December Spectacular event.
“We’ve developed a strong framework for bilingual storytelling, and participants were asking us to do a fully bilingual StorySlam,” says Ex Fabula’s Executive Director Megan McGee. “The result is the Puente Project – a collaboration named after the Spanish word for ‘bridge’.”
“At first I was surprised that I couldn’t find any other organizations in the United States doing bilingual StorySlams – but then again, it is a pretty complex undertaking,” she notes. “While El Proyecto Puente culminates with a StorySlam in March, the public can get involved starting in January, when we’ll be training bilingual event volunteers and offering Spanish language storytelling workshops.”
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Dr. Nelson López, a native Spanish speaker, longtime Ex Fabula participant and lecture in Latin American Studies at UWM, will serve as stage manager for the Slam; Ex Fabula is seeking additional bilingual volunteers to help make the event happen. “Volunteers fill a lot of important roles at our Slams such as working the door, distributing UltraShorts, and signing up people who want to tell a story on stage. In the end though, everyone has the same job: to create a welcoming environment,” says López. Since this event requires special skills, there’s a special treat: bilingual volunteers who attend orientation, shadow at a ‘regular’ StorySlam, and work at the bilingual Slam will receive a gift card. Orientation sessions will be held on Wednesday January 6 and Tuesday February 7 at Forest Home Library; the session is free but Ex Fabula requests that attendees register online at www.exfabula.com/support/volunteer.
For native Spanish speakers who are interested in sharing a story on stage, Ex Fabula will offer four Spanish-language storytelling workshops for adults. Workshops are free or cost just a few dollars, and participants will receive a free or discounted ticket to the March 10 StorySlam. During the workshop, participants will work with native Spanish speaking storytelling coaches to identify, craft, and share personal stories in a small group setting.
The first workshop will take place in the UWM Union on Wednesday February 3 from 4 to 6:30 pm; partners include the Roberto Hernández Center and Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS). The second will be Tuesday February 9 from 9 to noon, and it will take place at partner Centro Hispano. Two additional workshops will be scheduled. Advance registration and full details in Spanish are at www.exfabula.com/en-espanol.
Then on Thursday, March 10, a StorySlam at the Modjeska Theatre will explore the theme of “American Dream.” Any attendee can put his/her name in the hat for a chance to share a true, personal story in Spanish or English; a professional will provide consecutive interpretation into the other language pair. UWM student interpreters coordinated by Dr. Leah Leone, Assistant Professor of Translation and Interpreting Studies, will practice their skills on “entry level” interpretation activities such as sight interpreting UltraShorts, which are 2-5 line written stories submitted by the audience.
After the Slam, Ex Fabula will share some of the stories with an even wider audience by leveraging audio and video gathered at the Slam. “We have a partnership with 89.7 WUWM at present, but we’ll also be reaching out to other media outlets, both locally and nationally,” McGee noted. Post project, Ex Fabula will gather feedback to determine what kind of multilingual programming the Milwaukee community would like to see going forward. “Everyone has stories worth sharing, and if there’s a barrier that prevents people from being heard, we’re ready to innovate.”
The Puente Project is funded in part through a grant from the City of Milwaukee Arts Board and the Wisconsin Arts Board and through a Community University Partnership grant from UW-Milwaukee Cultures and Communities Program.

created: January 4, 2016

author: Megan McGee


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IMG_4014-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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January 4, 2016

author: Name *


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Principal brings energy, promise back to Clarke Street School | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
January 4, 2016
jsonline.com


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Riverwest Organizes a Credit Union | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
January 4, 2016
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Special Report: Vicious cycle of payday loans poses hazard for low-income borrowers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Marlita Annette Bevenue
January 4, 2016
Latoya S. sits at her desk looking through overdue bills. Since 1998, she’s taken out close to 20 short-term payday loans. (Photo by Marlita A. Bevenue)
One day last May, Latoya S. was walking her 6-year-old pit bull, Gucci, when he began to snarl excitedly at a strange man standing on the front porch of her brick, two-bedroom ranch home. As Latoya approached her home, the man spoke. “You Latoya?” She nodded.
The man came closer as the dog’s bark grew louder. He handed Latoya an envelope and said, “You’ve been served!” Latoya took the envelope and watched the man dash to an old, beat-up Ford Taurus. She pitched the crisp, white envelope into the bushes next to her front door and went in the house. She knew she owed a few thousand dollars to the Cash Store payday lending business in Grafton, and now she was being sued.
Latoya, who asked that her last name not be used, turned to the payday lender when she needed cash to pay her bills. And judging by the number of such operations in Milwaukee, there are many more people who find themselves in the same situation.
There are more payday lenders in Milwaukee as there are McDonald’s restaurants: 30 payday loan agencies inside the city limits and 25 McDonald’s, according to the corporate website. Check Into Cash, USA Payday Loans and Advance America are a few of the convenient cash businesses planted in predominantly African-American and Latino communities, where many consumers in a financial crunch turn when they need money.
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The National Association of Consumer Advocates has deemed these businesses “predatory lenders.” Predatory lending is any lending practice that takes unfair advantage of a consumer by charging high interest rates and unreasonable fees and charges. Predatory lenders prey on minorities, the elderly, uneducated people and those who need quick cash for unexpected emergencies such as medical bills or car repairs.
Jamie Fulmer, senior vice president of public affairs for Advance America, takes issue with the term “predatory lenders,” blaming payday lending activist groups for misusing the label. “We offer consumers a product that is transparent and fully disclosed in the marketplace, and we do it in a simple, safe and reliable manner,” said Fulmer.
“If you peel back the onion and look at the actual facts associated with the products and services that Advance America offers, and you tie that together with the extremely high customer satisfaction and the low instances of complaints, I think it’s impossible to call us a predatory lender,” Fulmer added. Advance America runs 2,400 stores across the country.
No limit
Capitol Heights, Clarke Square, Sherman Park: payday loan agencies are scattered throughout communities occupied mainly by people of color. There are no licensed payday lenders in Whitefish Bay, Mequon, Brookfield, Wauwatosa, Shorewood, River Hills or Glendale.
“The only reason I believe some neighborhoods have these stores and some don’t is that the payday loan business owner wants to locate in poorer areas of the city,” said Patty Doherty, legislative aide to Ald. Bob Donovan. “People just are not very active and won’t bother to speak out against stores like this.”
According to Doherty, all payday loan stores in Milwaukee must get a variance, permission to deviate from zoning requirements, from the Board of Zoning Appeals. No areas in Milwaukee are zoned for payday loan businesses, so to open one the owner must convince the board that the business will not change the residential or commercial nature of the neighborhood.
Here’s how payday loans work: a customer who needs emergency cash takes out a short-term loan against his or her upcoming paycheck. In return, the person agrees to pay a high rate of interest on the loan. When the customer gets a paycheck, the agency automatically deducts the loan amount, plus a finance fee ranging from $15 to $30, directly from the customer’s checking account. The more money a customer borrows, the higher the finance charge.
Research conducted by The Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, D.C., found that there are more payday loan stores per capita in Wisconsin than in most other states because its payday loan finance rates are so high, according to Nick Bourke, who directs Pew’s research on small-dollar loans.
“Wisconsin is one of seven states in the country that does not have a limit on payday loan rates. Right now, the typical payday loan in Wisconsin has an annual percentage rate (APR) of 574 percent, one of the highest rates in the United States — only Idaho and Texas have higher rates,” said Bourke.
“That rate is not just morally offensive, but it’s also far higher than necessary in order to make emergency credit available to people in need.”
‘Financial suicide’
Latoya, who grew up on the North Side of Milwaukee, came from a family where neither parents had a relationship with a bank. They both used local check-cashing stores to cash their bi-weekly paychecks. When a flier from Your Credit, a payday loan store on South 27 Street, came in the mail, Latoya decided to check it out. The flier promised quick cash, no credit check and lending options to build credit.
Latoya, then 19, was a freshman at UW-Milwaukee. She needed money for books and supplies, but didn’t want to ask her parents, who were already paying her tuition. Latoya went to the store and borrowed $75; two weeks later she paid back $150. Eighteen years later at age 37, she’s still paying off a payday lender after being sued for breaching the loan contract.
“Payday loan stores are parasites, period. In 2014, I took out a loan for $1,600, and ultimately had to pay back $5,000,” Latoya said. “They set up in the poorest neighborhoods in Milwaukee, preying on people who run into hard times. When your back is against the wall, trust me, you’ll do whatever it takes to keep your lights on, a roof over your head and food in your stomach.”
“Turning to a payday lender was financial suicide for me.”
It’s tempting to skip the small print on a lengthy payday loan contract, but for borrowers, those pages of legal disclosures are a must-read. The contracts reveal all the information that comes back to haunt borrowers later.
According to Amy Cantu, director of communications for the Community Financial Services Association of America, payday loan contracts guarantee that the lender is in compliance with the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), a federal law designed to protect consumers against unfair credit card and loan practices. TILA does not, however, place restrictions on how much a lender can charge in interest, late fees or other finance charges. The Community Financial Services Association of America represents payday lenders.
For nearly 20 years, Latoya continued to use payday lenders to help her out of ongoing financial difficulties. When she needed to replace the timing belt on her 1999 Chevy Malibu, she took out a $200 payday loan from Advance America, 8066 N. 76 St. When she got behind on her monthly car note and insurance payments, she borrowed $400 from ACE Cash Express, 1935 W. Silver Spring Drive.
“At one point, three cash stores were taking money from my checking account at the same time,” said Latoya. “That’s when I knew it was bad.”
Latoya didn’t limit her borrowing to in-store payday loan businesses; she also used online lenders. Online payday lenders offer the same services as in-store operations, providing an option for customers who prefer to submit a loan request through a website instead of in person.
“Once I discovered the online stores, I started using these exclusively,” she said “I knew online cash stores charged higher interest rates, but the process was quicker. I could fax or email my documents right from work and get the money the next day or in some cases, the same day.”
But according to a study by Pew Charitable Trusts, people who borrow money from online lenders are twice as likely to experience overdrafts on their bank accounts than those who borrow from a store. Plus, online-only lenders typically can avoid state regulations because the business operates entirely over the Internet.
According to Advance America’s Fulmer, “Much of the negative stigma associated with this industry stems from the online lenders that are not regulated at the state level. These businesses operate via the Internet, or some other offshore location, or in some cases they’re flat out scam artists,” said Fulmer. “There’s a difference between those of us who are regulated and audited by the state versus those lenders who aren’t.”
Payday loans are easier to secure than a traditional bank loan. According to PNC Bank’s website, to take out an unsecured loan, a customer would need proof of identification, bank account statements and recent pay stubs. A customer’s credit score can hinder the loan, and banks rarely make loan funds available the same day, or even within the same week.
“I applied for a loan from my bank and they denied me because of my debt-to-income ratio. The banker told me they prefer to loan larger amounts of money, repayable over time,” said Latoya, who has an active checking account with PNC Bank. “My bank couldn’t help me, so how else was I supposed to get groceries and pay my utilities?”
When your back is against the wall, trust me, you’ll do whatever it takes to keep your lights on, a roof over your head and food in your stomach.
Customers can’t go to a bank and borrow $200, which is why Cantu believes payday lenders offer a valued service to people in the communities where the lenders operate.
“Banks aren’t going to fill this space,” said Cantu. “No one else is stepping up to offer short-term credit to this segment of the population that need it most. We have a vested interest in making sure our customers have a positive experience with a payday loan product. If we didn’t we wouldn’t be in business.”
Payday loans are made by private companies licensed by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), with lenders based in states including California, Illinois, Utah, Texas and Tennessee. In 2014, these payday lenders loaned more than $37.4 million to consumers in Wisconsin and made $8.4 million from fees and interest charges. The average loan was $320.
DFI data show that the number of loans made by payday lenders dropped 54 percent from 2011 to 2014, and the total amount of money loaned dropped 51 percent (see graphic, below).
According to Pew’s Bourke, payday lenders overall are making fewer loans with a longer duration. Several years ago a typical payday loan was due in two weeks, and most customers took out a second loan. Now, more payday lenders are giving customers four or six weeks to pay back a loan, reducing the number of loans.
“What we’re seeing is a lot of payday lenders starting to offer different types of high-rate installment loans,” said Bourke. “It can appear that that the loan usage is dropping off, but what’s happening is the average loan duration is going up.”
Cantu noted that demand for short-term loans is going up, but consumers have more credit options than they did five years ago. “If you look at the whole spectrum of short-term credit products, not just payday, you’ll see that consumers are borrowing more.”
Cantu added that efforts to regulate payday loans in Wisconsin have led to some reductions in the number of stores, which also helps explain the lower number of payday loans.
‘They make it so easy’
Latoya’s annual salary is $57,000. She’s worked for the same employer for 13 years, and recently took on an additional part-time job that allows her to work from home. She makes good money, so why has she depended on payday loans through the years? “Desperation,” she explained.
Every two weeks, Latoya would bring home a $1,700 paycheck after taxes. “My rent is $1,000, student loans are $594, my car note is $400 – that’s over $2,000 right there,” she said. “I still haven’t factored in utilities, car insurance, groceries or gas. I have no other option. I have no one to help me and they make it so easy to walk in the cash store, answer a few questions and walk out with cash money.”
AmeriCash Loans billboard on 58th Street and Capitol Drive on the city’s North Side. (Photo by Marlita A. Bevenue)
In 2014, Latoya got behind on her bills. Her rent was due, the refrigerator was empty and her dog desperately needed to see the vet. To pay for the dog’s medical treatment, Latoya could either skip paying her bills that month, or take out another payday loan.
Latoya took out another payday loan.
This time she drove to the Cash Store in Grafton. There were no customers sitting in the lobby when Latoya walked in, she said. It was a small, clean business. The customer service workers greeted her instantly and with friendly smiles. She spoke with one of the workers who asked Latoya a series of questions, entering information into a computer and making phone calls to verify her employment and financial institution status.
After 10 minutes, a loan officer said Latoya could borrow $3,200. She decided to borrow $1,600. The loan officer was pleasant and went over the loan agreement thoroughly, she recalled. Latoya understood that even though she was borrowing $1,600, the contract clearly specified she would be responsible for making 12 payments of $357 every other Friday, totaling $4,284. Latoya agreed to pay the amount over a six-month period, and walked out of the store with cash and peace of mind.
Pay up, or else
Latoya made nine payments on time to the Cash Store before falling behind. As part of the loan agreement, she was required to make each payment in person; an 11-mile drive from her North Side home to the Grafton location. When Latoya couldn’t drive to the store one Friday in February because of a bad snowstorm, the Cash Store took the money directly from her account, and continued to make withdrawals, even when the full amount wasn’t available in Latoya’s checking account.
“They didn’t care if I had the money in my account or not,” said Latoya. “I explained to them I needed two weeks to catch up and I was told to refer to my loan contract. Eventually they kept drawing from my bank account three times a week, which caused me to accrue a $36 overdraft fee every time they attempted to debit the money from my account.”
Latoya spoke with a personal banker at PNC Bank. The banker sympathized with her and helped her close the checking account that the Cash Store kept drawing from, she said. PNC Bank even agreed to forgive the $1,700 in overdraft fees that Latoya racked up.
Once PNC Bank closed Latoya’s checking account, the Cash Store referred her account to a collection agency. Latoya now had to deal with harassing phone calls from debt collectors at home and work.
In May, one year after taking out the initial loan of $1,600, Latoya was sued by the Cash Store for $2,131. Because she didn’t show up for her scheduled court hearing after being notified of a pending lawsuit, the Cash Store won the case and began garnishing her paycheck to the tune of $190 every two weeks.
Four out of five payday loans are rolled over or renewed within 14 days, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The majority of all payday loans are made to borrowers — like Latoya — who renew their loans so many times that they end up paying more in fees than the amount of money they originally borrowed.
Bourke found that the number one problem for borrowers in the payday lending market is unaffordable payments, which drives the cycle of repeat borrowing.
“A typical payday loan, when it comes due on the borrower’s payday, takes more than one-third of their check before taxes are taken out,” Bourke said. “Most people can’t sustain losing one-third of their next paycheck and still make ends meet, and it’s even worse when the typical payday loan borrower is a person that’s living paycheck to paycheck.”
Research conducted by CFPB in 2013 found that nearly half of payday borrowers take out 10 or more loans per year, paying fees on each loan rollover and new loan.
Change is coming
A big change is coming to the payday lending industry.
In 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will begin publishing rules to protect consumers from unfair and harmful loan practices. The rules are expected to prevent lenders from rolling over the same loan multiple times and to discontinue mandatory check holding. Check-holding requires the borrower to write a post-dated check for the money owed, or give written permission for the lender to automatically withdraw money from his or her personal bank account — whether the funds are available or not.
Under the new CFPB rules, payday lenders also would have to verify and evaluate a customer’s debt-to-income ratio, the same process traditional banks use. They would be required to take into consideration a customer’s borrowing history when deciding whether the borrower is able to pay back the loan and still cover basic living expenses.
“The payday lending market will be remade,” said Bourke. “We’ve been asking for stronger government regulations in this market, and the CFPB is listening and will put safeguards in place for borrowers that will ensure affordable loan payments, reasonable durations and reasonable loan fees.”
“These CFPB rules will create a new floor that all of the payday lenders will have to follow,” Bourke added. “But some problems will still be left on the table. The CFPB does not have the power to regulate pricing. It will still be up to the state of Wisconsin to regulate payday loan rates, if they choose to do so — and they should.”
For Latoya, new consumer protections can’t come soon enough. Latoya still owes the Cash Store $716, and is paying off the loan automatically every two weeks as a result of a court-ordered wage garnishment.
Asked whether she’d ever take out another payday loan again given her experience, she hesitated. “I hope to God that I don’t ever have to take out another loan. I’m going to try my best to avoid them, but if I do need the money I know it’s there.”

author: Marlita Annette Bevenue


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 3, 2016

created: January 3, 2016


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U.S. Government Starts Holding Migrant Families in Detention, Preparing for Mass Deportations | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
January 4, 2016
Latin Post


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New Fire and Police Commission head seeks to bolster confidence in police | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mark Doremus and Karen Slattery
January 5, 2016
Executive Director of Milwaukee’s Fire and Police Commission MaryNell Regan says she welcomes phone calls from citizens who want to talk about keeping neighborhoods safe. (Photo by Karen Slattery)
MaryNell Regan, the recently appointed executive director of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, has set a goal in her new job: to promote “a happy and healthy community” where citizens are knowledgeable about how the commission works, and can discuss public safety issues with commissioners.
“I recognize the important need for police and fire department members to have a voice, and for the community to have a voice, so my goal is to let that happen,” Regan said. “I do want community members to know anyone can call any time,” she added.
The commission has been repeatedly embroiled in controversies about police use of force, treatment of suspects and interactions with the city’s minority population.
Regan, whose appointment was confirmed by the Common Council on Sept. 1, said her preferred approach is collaboration and education. She added that she wants to be “out and about” in the community to educate citizens about the role of the Fire and Police Commission and to establish links with community members.
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Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who appointed her to the position, said Regan is already doing that. “She’s definitely reaching out into the community,” Barrett said. “She’s giving the Fire and Police Commission a presence at community events. She’s going out and offering information,” passing out material about the commission and answering questions, Barrett said.
Rights and responsibilities of police are a high priority for the executive director of Milwaukee’s Fire and Police Commission. (Photo by Mark Doremus)
Jennifer Hazard, a local activist, said she is “encouraged but cautious” about Regan’s potential impact on the commission’s relationship with the community. She added that she would like to see the commission “be more representative of the city’s population, including at least one member who works on a very grassroots level with the population most often targeted by police interaction.” She also suggested that a youth representative serve on the commission. “We need people on the board who know the streets,” Hazard added.
The seven-member Fire and Police Commission is responsible for all aspects of public safety operations in Milwaukee. Members set policy, hire and fire police and firefighters, and take disciplinary action when needed. The body was established in 1885 by state law to combat corruption at a time when, according to the commission website, the fire and police chief appointments were a form of political patronage controlled by the mayor.
David Crowley, a candidate for 7th District alderman and a board member of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said he would eliminate the Fire and Police Commission in favor of a a Citizens Accountability Board. “Right now the people who are sitting on this commission are appointed by the mayor. If they’re appointed by the mayor and the police chief is appointed by the mayor where’s the accountability?”
Mary Watkins, an activist who has spoken before the commission, said she sees some positives in Regan’s performance so far. “She did review the citizens complaints from January to September and she pledged to have a complete report ready to present to the board after the year’s end,” Watkins said. Watkins also noted that the pace of disciplinary hearings for officers has accelerated, but she remains suspicious of Regan’s establishment ties. “She’s a former assistant city attorney. … It just seems like no matter what they do they always manage to pick an insider.”
Regan went to high school in Oregon and received her law degree from Marquette University in 1994. She was in private practice before taking a job in the city attorney’s office, where she worked for 16 years before moving into her new job. She cites her experience working with “four police chiefs and four fire chiefs before this position” as an advantage in her current role.
According to her former boss, Deputy City Attorney Miriam Horowitz, Regan is well equipped to assist the commission in human resource matters. “She’s a very effective communicator,” Horowitz said. “She’s very experienced and knowledgeable in employment law,” which of course is a big part of what the fire and police commission deals with.
“She has always been dedicated to the idea of diversity, equal opportunity and maintaining high standards for civil rights,” Horowitz said. “She’s deeply committed to that.”
Regan took the executive director position at a time when the Milwaukee homicide rate is climbing. The total stood at 152 as of Dec. 28 compared to 84 in 2014, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Homicide Tracker.
“I think people are very frustrated about the growing homicide rate and they are frustrated,” Regan said. “So my goal is to provide avenues for them to let off some steam and let their voices be heard.” For Regan, an effective citizen complaint process is critical to maintaining trust between citizens and law enforcement. Regan pledged “to monitor complaint investigations to completion. “
Shawn Moore, of Project Make a Change and the Safe Zones Initiative, doubts that Regan’s outreach efforts, however sincere, will translate into positive results for the minority community.
“I’d love to see her honor her word about communication, but what will be the outcome? Will police training change? Will police be held responsible for their actions? I doubt it,” Moore said.
Khalil Coleman, of Occupy the Hood and the Safe Zones Initiative, said he’s been trying to get citizens more involved with the commission for several years. He echoed the concerns of Hazard and Crowley, and suggested adding an ad hoc citizens review committee to the mix, with representatives from each area of the city actively monitoring police activity and reporting back to the commission. So far the commission hasn’t taken him up on the suggestion, he said.
Coleman also said there should be a mechanism for citizens to record their complaints immediately after an encounter with authorities, while the incident is still fresh in their minds.
“After someone’s had a bad experience with police, it’s not reasonable to expect them to jump through hoops to make a formal complaint by going right back to the police where the problem started in the first place,” he said.
Still, Coleman said he appreciates Regan’s professed willingness to set up direct lines of communication with city residents. He said he just might give her a call.

created: January 5, 2016

author: Mark Doremus and Karen Slattery


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 4, 2016


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On the Block: “Stop the killing” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
January 5, 2016
The Rev. Timothy Kitzke has witnessed the toll guns have taken on Milwaukee’s youth and know firsthand how complex the problem of gun violence is. Unfortunately an easy answer isn’t at hand, he said, but he hopes politicians, neighborhood residents, the church and others can put people ahead of politics and come together to find a solution. He has been assigned to Catholic parishes in the Milwaukee area for 16 years and is currently vicar general, working with four parishes covering the central city.


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How to volunteer in January | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
January 6, 2016
Need a New Year’s resolution? Volunteer Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee features a calendar full of events for volunteers, both one-time and ongoing. Here are a few of the opportunities in January.
Feed the Homeless and Hungry
Small groups are needed to prepare, serve and clean up after breakfast on weekdays from 7 to10 a.m. at St. James’ Episcopal Church Meal Site run by The Gathering Of Southeast Wisconsin.
Contact: Angela Wright at (414) 271-4122
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Toy Inventory
Help with inventory on donated toys that were received after the holiday toy shop at The Salvation Army of Milwaukee County Distribution Center, Jan. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 3 p.m.
Contact: Nancy Zompolas at (414) 302-4300
MAM: After Dark
Greet attendees or assist at feature exhibition or permanent collection, Jan. 15 at the Milwaukee Art Museum  from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Contact: Gretchen Armitage at (414) 224-3893
“I Have A Dream” Blood/Donor Drive
Donate blood or sign up for the organ, marrow or tissue registries for BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Monday, Jan. 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Milwaukee Public Library-Martin Luther King Branch.
Contact: Todd Coleman at (414) 937-6249
Great American Cleanup — Prepare Supplies
Count, package and mark trash bags, posters, stickers, flyers and thank you coupons used for annual spring neighborhood cleanup for Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful, Jan. 19 – 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with two- to five-hour shifts.
Contact: Joe Wilson at (414) 272-5462 ext. 103
MPS Enrollment Fair: Serve as the Welcome Committee
Welcome and direct attendees and/or help with the coat check at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, Jan. 30 from 8 a.m. to noon.
Contact: Heather Aschoff at (414) 773-9823

created: January 6, 2016

author: the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 5, 2016


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Life’s Voices: Terri Strodthoff Helps Abusive Men Heal | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
January 7, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio

created: January 7, 2016


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On the Block: No more playing outside | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
January 7, 2016
Read more about Shauratina Velez at milwaukeestories.org.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 6, 2016


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United Way grant enables SDC to restore free tax assistance program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
January 8, 2016
A volunteer tax preparer works with a client at SDC’s Teutonia site. (Photo provided by SDC)
Responding to a budget shortfall that would have resulted in major cuts to the Social Development Commission’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha has awarded a $31,000 grant to ensure the program continues to provide the same level of service as in years past.
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reported in mid-December that unless SDC raised $40,000 by Dec. 31, there would be major cuts to the popular VITA program, including reducing the program from five sites to three in 2016.
George Hinton, CEO at SDC, described the grant as a magnificent holiday gift.
“United Way’s support means we can maximize our VITA operations and help thousands of program participants save hundreds of dollars which they can use for bills or to purchase food for their families,” Hinton said.
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The Sixteenth Street Community Health Center, 1032 S. Cesar E. Chavez Drive, has served as an SDC VITA program site since 2013. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The local United Way grant will serve 8,000 city residents, said Nicole Angresano, vice president of community impact for the organization.
“Part of United Way’s mission is to mobilize people and resources to change lives and improve our community, ” Angresano said. She added that tax programs such as VITA help families maximize their income by getting back every dollar that’s due to them.
Last year, SDC’s team of volunteer tax preparers served 13,800 people in Milwaukee. Since the program began at SDC in 2001 it has served more than 162,000 low- to middle-income households in Milwaukee, according to Patrice Harris, director of community relations and marketing for the organization.
Without the free tax program many residents would likely turn to paid tax preparers, said LaToya Jones, VITA program manager at SDC.
“They’re going to charge them a few hundred dollars and that money is really going to reduce what they could be bringing back home to their families,” said Jones in a prior interview with NNS.
According to a statement from Jones, the United Way grant helps SDC meet Internal Revenue Service requirements to receive matching funds for VITA, but the organization still needs financial support in order to meet its operations budget.
Though the United Way grant will help fill most of the VITA budget gap at SDC this year, Angresano said it’s important for the community to work together to create a long-term sustainable financial model for the program.
“The need for this program and for free tax services for those in poverty will not go away so we need to work together to ensure that the program remains funded next year and beyond,” Angresano said.
The VITA program will begin on Jan. 19 and run through April 18, with hours and locations available on the SDC website in mid-January, according to a statement from the organization.

created: January 8, 2016


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 7, 2016


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Join the American Red Cross MLK Day home fire preparedness campaign | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
American Red Cross
January 10, 2016
Seven times a day, someone in this country dies in a home fire. The American Red Cross is launching a nationwide campaign to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent over the next five years.
We’re joining with fire departments and community groups nationwide to canvass neighborhoods, install smoke alarms and deliver fire prevention information in places we know have high numbers of fires.
The Red Cross also is asking every household in America to join us in taking the two simple steps that can save lives: checking their existing smoke alarms and practicing fire drills at home.
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Join the Home fire Preparedness Team today and start making a difference in your community. choose from any of the exciting positions below:
Upcoming Home fire Preparedness events
January, 18th 8:45am-1:00pm: Canvassing and Smoke Alarm Installation Event
Volunteers will meet at Sherman Park Senior Living Center, 3245 N 37th St, Milwaukee, WI 53216
Register today by CLICKING HERE OR
Contact Leslie Luther @ 414 345-8698 or Leslie.Luther@redcross.org

created: January 10, 2016

author: American Red Cross


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Let’s create a community book club | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Raina J. Johnson
January 11, 2016
“Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates and “Milwaukee: City of Neighborhoods,” John Gurda’s most recent book. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Raina J. Johnson is a freelance writer and an avid reader. She recommends a community-wide book club with a focused reading list to provide a new way to view city problems, engender empathy and create greater bonds between neighbors and businesses.
Every year I challenge myself to read more. In 2015, I got a late start on my goal but with six months left in the year, I read about a dozen books — the most since I was an undergraduate student.
Of the books I read, many were in the category of social justice in terms of race and mass incarceration. Largely dubbed “The Year of the Activist,” 2015 saw a surge of movements from Black Lives Matter to LGBTQ rights to stopping illegal raids and deportations — all of which led me to read books focused in those areas.
The books were both very engaging and terrifying sad. They made me challenge my own biases when it comes to various social justice concerns. I kept thinking, how can I best serve Milwaukee as an individual and work to discover creative solutions to lessen the wide racial and economic disparities?
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Then I wondered what it would look like if the city literally got on the same page to brainstorm ideas, conduct research on best practices in other cities and celebrate the joy of reading; leading to the creation of a guide for city officials, residents and businesses to create profound change.
I was fascinated by the idea of neighbors and businesses coming together to read and discuss. I found an option used nationally and in a few cities in Wisconsin called One City, One Book.
Based solely on what I read in 2015, I am sharing my top five picks for a community-wide book club in Milwaukee. These books personally challenged me to work towards solutions and also helped me empathize with other people.
“The Making of Milwaukee” (Milwaukee County Historical Society), by John Gurda
You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. John Gurda, the Milwaukee historian, delivers a masterfully written, well-researched and aesthetically pleasing display of Milwaukee’s history and an in-depth look at the neighborhoods. A true “can’t miss” book for Milwaukee to rediscover what makes the city so great.
“Between the World and Me” (Spiegel & Grau), by Ta-Nehisi Coates
There isn’t a bad thing I can say about this book. Coates, a journalist, recently won a National Book Award for this nonfiction book that is a letter to his teenage son who is growing up in the era of Trayvon Martin. Coates recounts the killing of his friend, Prince Jones, by the Prince George’s County police department in 2000.
“The Odd Woman and the City: a memoir” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), by Vivian Gornick
I picked up this book because of the unassuming cover. Immediately, I was drawn to the character’s wandering mind and journey to self-discovery, friendship and relationship with the urban environment. With a focus on community relationships, Gornick’s memoir made me appreciate the richness of Milwaukee’s architecture and diversity.
“Almost Crimson” (Curbside Splendor Publishing), by Dasha Kelly
Milwaukee native, national spoken word artist and founder of Still Waters Collective, Dasha Kelly made her novel debut with Almost Crimson. Her novel draws the reader in with sheer power — the words spin a beautiful web of redemption and discovery while tackling intricate issues of identity, severe poverty and depression. Kelly’s Crimson can surely bring about empathy and be a catalyst for difficult conversations.
“Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York” (The Overlook Press), by Gail Parent
When talking about investing in the future of Milwaukee, we cannot forget the value millennials bring to the conversation. Parent delivers a laugh-out-loud funny and smart tale of Sheila Levine, a 30-year-old unsatisfied, slightly overweight woman working to pay off a mountain of student loan debt with hopes of finding Mr. Right. Meeting disappointment at every turn, Sheila decides to commit suicide. I know it sounds awful, but truly, this book is hilarious, and made me consider the plight of other millennials struggling to eat something other than packaged Ramen.

created: January 11, 2016

author: Raina J. Johnson


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_DSC2814 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 11, 2016

author: Adam Carr


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 11, 2016


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MPS is taking steps, big and small, to boost attendance | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
January 11, 2016
jsonline.com


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MPS students, experts invite community to learn about cancer prevention, racial disparities in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
January 11, 2016
Mr. Berg’s students at MPS’ Milwaukee High School of the Arts. (Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
Families and community members are invited to learn more about cancer prevention and cancer-related racial disparities from students and experts as Milwaukee Public Schools’ Milwaukee High School of the Arts (MHSA) hosts a health fair.
The MHSA service learning project is happening thanks to a grant from the American Cancer Society and Kohl’s to the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). Through the grant, MHSA students have been studying cancer and related racial disparities in Milwaukee, and hearing from MCW guest speakers.
Cancer and cancer-related mortality affect a disproportionate amount of African Americans in the region, including higher incidence and mortality rates for lung, liver and colon cancers and a higher breast cancer mortality rate for African-American women. Prostate cancer rates among African-American men are double those in the population as a whole.
Forty groups of students will present the results of their work and 12 local health organizations will join them in offering helpful health information at the fair set for Saturday, January 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, 2300 W. Highland Avenue, Milwaukee 53233. MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver is also scheduled to attend.
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Organizations sharing information with the community include: American Cancer Society, BadgerCare, Froedtert Hospital, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Area Health Education Center (AHEC), City of Milwaukee Summer Employment, Progressive Community Health Centers, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, United Community Center and Walnut Way Conservation Corp.
Among the MHSA students sharing the information she learned is Shenika Jackson, who recently learned a family member was diagnosed with cancer.
“At first, I didn’t know how to feel or what to think or do,” she recalled. Then, she began the service learning project and learned more about treatment options. “I regained hope,” Shenika said.
The project also has personal significance for MHSA health educator Dakota Berg who, at age 10, lost his father to lung cancer.
“I hope my students can learn about cancer prevention and that choices they might make today could impact them later in life,” Berg said.
MHSA student Maiana Russell said she hopes the fair will help the public learn ways “to not only prevent and deal with cancer, but also ways to improve overall health through diet.”
Over the past three decades, the obesity rate among children ages 12-19 has more than tripled – increasing from 5% in 1980 to 18% in 2010. In Milwaukee, 19% of high school students are obese. This puts our youth at risk for many types of cancer and other chronic diseases as they get older.
“Through the Kohl’s Healthy Families program, which provides local families with resources to help prevent cancer and cope with a diagnosis, we’re proud to support this project at Milwaukee High School of the Arts,” said Beth Brunner, health systems manager at the American Cancer Society. “By educating the students about eating healthy, maintaining a healthy weight, and being active, they can help reduce their risk of cancer later in life.”
The partnership is also one part of the Medical College of Wisconsin’s work to expand awareness of cancer and career opportunities in cancer research.
“We know that people who come from underserved communities face issues such as access to care, poverty, segregation – all of which are associated with risk factors such as smoking, obesity and sedentary activity,” said Dr. Melinda Stolley, associate director of prevention and control at the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center. “As one of the largest institutions in Milwaukee, we have a responsibility to the community to enhance the welfare of all.”

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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Safe & Sound hiring Program Director | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Safe & Sound
January 11, 2016
(Photo courtesy of Safe & Sound)
We are seeking a highly motivated, team-oriented, skilled communicator to lead our programs team. The Program Director manages Safe & Sound’s amazing program staff, including CPU coordinators, community and youth organizers, as well as Drug Free Communities and city-wide teams. This position is responsible for the strategic direction of our programming, oversees and facilitates reporting, builds partnerships, and is an integral part of the operations and leadership team. This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic candidate!
Please see the job description (link) for more information and application instructions.
For Full Job Description and To Apply
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author: Safe & Sound


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Urban spelunking: A former Concordia campus renovation update | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
January 11, 2016
OnMilwaukee.com


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Voter Advocates Mount Photo ID Effort As 2016 Election Days Approach | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
January 11, 2016
Wisconsin Public Radio


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On the Block: Grab a shovel | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
January 12, 2016
James Draves says the City of Milwaukee is either understaffed or incompetent in its snow removal effort after the latest major storm of the winter season. Instead of relying on the city, Draves takes matters into his own hands and shovels snow away from curbs and sidewalks in his Clarke Square neighborhood.

created: January 12, 2016

author: Brendan O’Brien


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 12, 2016


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Blanket drive provides promise of warmth in colder weather | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
January 13, 2016
WHAT: The Blanketing Greater Milwaukee blanket drive is collecting new and gently used blankets and sleeping bags that will be distributed to homeless shelters and community agencies throughout the greater Milwaukee area.
WHEN: The drive runs through January 31, 2016.
DROP OFF LOCATIONS:
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WHO: United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County and the AFL-CIO Community Services of the Milwaukee Area Labor
Council are collecting blankets and sleeping bags for local shelters and non-profit agencies who serve those experiencing homelessness either in a shelter setting or street outreach.
Last year over 250 blankets were collected. The drive this year was expanded to include sleeping bags to ensure those who are unable to access shelters are provided with a sleeping bag to stay safe in dangerous cold weather conditions.

created: January 13, 2016


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City of Milwaukee Health Department launches influenza helpline | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Health Department
January 13, 2016
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and City of Milwaukee Health Department have announced the launch of Flu on CallTM, a toll-free helpline providing information and medical advice related to flu to all Milwaukee County residents.
Those in Milwaukee County who are experiencing flu symptoms, caring for someone who is ill, or who have questions related to flu vaccine or flu-related concerns are encouraged to dial the Flu on CallTM hotline at 1-855-435-8722.
The hotline will be staffed Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for six weeks as part of a pilot project occurring in two cities nationwide. Callers to the hotline will receive support from trained information specialists and medical experts.
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The City of Milwaukee Health Department was selected by the CDC, in collaboration with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), to pilot Flu on CallTM. The project is in partnership with local agencies including IMPACT Inc. and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

author: City of Milwaukee Health Department


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How to use a ‘chip’ credit card | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
UW-Extension
January 13, 2016
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Are you one of the nearly 120 million American consumers using a computer-chip debit or credit card? If you have not received your card yet, odds are you will soon. Smart Card Alliance estimates that nearly 600 million people had the cards by the end of 2015. American companies are adding new processing systems for the cards to comply with new rules that went into place Oct. 15.
Chip cards — also known as smart cards, smart-chip cards and EMV cards — provide better protection against data breaches and fraudulent card use, but they are also generating a lot of questions from consumers.
How are chip cards different?
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The small, metallic computer chip embedded on the front of the new card is what makes it different from magnetic stripe cards. Magnetic stripe cards never change or update the data they contain, which made it much easier for someone to repeatedly reuse a stolen card.
Chip cards create a new transaction code each time they are used, so a stolen transaction number cannot be used again. Plus, it is harder for someone to make a fake chip card than a fake magnetic strip card.
How do I use a chip card to make a purchase?
You will be asked to insert the card into a terminal slot and wait for the system to process it, instead of swiping your card. This is known as “card-dipping.” Data will flow between the financial institution that issued the card and the chip to create a one-of-a-kind transaction code. This process takes slightly longer than using the magnetic swipe card, so consumers are advised to be patient.
At this point in the move to chip technology, the vast majority of consumers will receive a card that requires their signature during the transaction. There may be a small number of cards that ask for a PIN, the same process as you use with a checking account debit card. But overall, most cards will require only a signature. If you do receive a card that asks for a PIN, it will be designed to also accept a signature, so you will always be able to complete your purchase.
Finally, do not forget to remove your card at the end of a transaction. Because of the longer processing time, consumers are more likely leave their cards behind in the terminal.
What is next?
The main goal right now is to make the switch to chip-and-signature cards in the U.S. In the next two or three years, after businesses are fully prepared to process chip cards, consumers will begin to receive cards that need a PIN. Until then, expect that your new chip card will need your signature for a purchase.
The PIN-based cards, when they arrive, will also be able to support “contactless” transactions where you will simply tap the terminal scanner with the card to make your purchase.
If someone does manage to use a counterfeit, stolen or compromised chip card, the cost of the fraud will fall to the merchant if they have not implemented the new card-chip technology.
Click here to learn more about computer-chip credit cards.

author: UW-Extension


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Milwaukee Public Library hosts day‐long event to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Library
January 13, 2016
Milagro Jones (front left), Mayor Barrett (back) and others paint one of two canvases for the King Library’s community mural on MLK Day. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
On Monday, January 18, Milwaukee Public Library’s King Branch will be open and hold a day of special programs to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. The programs are free and open to the public. The programs are presented in partnership with the Teen Advisory Board and funded by the Friends of the Milwaukee Public Library.
When: Monday, January 18 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Martin Luther King library
310 West Locust Street, Milwaukee
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What: Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy through health screenings, crafts, a blood drive live music and dancing and a poetry slam.
Free Blood Pressure and Diabetes Screenings from 9:00 am‐12:00 pm
Provided by nurses from the Columbia College of Nursing
Create a King Day T‐shirt from 9:00 am‐12:00 pm
Join Milwaukee artist Fatima Laster of FKL Visual Arts and members of the library’s Teen Advisory Board to create a mural painting.
The Imani Dancers Hip Hop Presentation from 12:00‐12:30 pm
Performance by Martin Luther King Elementary School’s African American Immersion Program
Mayor Tom Barrett will give welcome at 12:00 pm
African American Children’s Theatre Performance from 12:30‐1:00 pm
See the first act of “Milwaukee Heroes” and monologues about Dr. King by members of the theatre company.
Live Performance of Music of the Civil Rights from 2:00‐3:00 pm
See Larry Moore Trio perform live renditions of the music that kept the Civil Rights Movement alive.
Poetry Slam from 3:30‐4:30 pm
Hear spoken word performances focused on Dr. King’s life and dreams.
Visit www.mpl.org for more information. Find the library on Facebook (Milwaukee Public Library), Twitter @milwaukeepublib and Instagram @milwaukeepublib.

author: Milwaukee Public Library


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 13, 2016


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New Moody Park plays key role in Amani transformation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
January 13, 2016
Neighborhood youth play in the splash pad after opening ceremonies for the renovated Moody Park. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 15 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). Moody Park is a finalist for the Brewers Community Foundation Public Space Award, which recognizes a public space that helps build the community.
According to Arlene Patterson, chair of resident-led Amani United, once the group began putting Moody Park on the agenda for its monthly meetings in 2014, attendance shot up.
“Everybody wants to have a say in what the future of Moody Park will be,” Patterson said.
That was the idea three years ago when stakeholders from the neighboring COA Goldin Center and Auer Avenue School, the Dominican Center for Women, Milwaukee County Parks officials and others began meeting to discuss the future of the park. At the time it was a sore spot in the Amani neighborhood. The park featured little in terms of usable playground equipment or other amenities and the long-shuttered building housing Moody Pool had become a haven for drugs and crime. The stakeholders understood that even a shiny new park would meet the same fate unless Amani residents took ownership.
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“In a lot of communities the residents would’ve shrugged their shoulders and given up,” said Tom Schneider, executive director of COA.
But the residents of Amani didn’t give up.
Tiarence Morgan, 38, said the revamped Moody Park is a point of pride for neighborhood residents. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“There’s a real sense of accomplishment among them (residents) that they had a chance to step forward as a community and make this park happen,” Schneider said.
More than 500 residents showed up for a grand opening ceremony for the park in August. Residents were wowed by the improvements, which included a 3,000-square-foot community center, lit basketball courts, a picnic pavilion and splash pad. Cameras and lighting have since been placed strategically around the park to promote safety, said Patterson. A resident group, Friends of Moody Park, was also created to serve as extra sets of eyes and ears for the park.
Ongoing renovations will eventually cost $2 million, with funding coming from $5 million in bonds originally allocated by the Milwaukee County Board to rebuild Moody Pool in 2010. The pool has since been demolished.
During a Moody Park planning meeting in June 2015, Schneider said the key to the park’s future was to feature programming right from the start so that it doesn’t become a hangout for the wrong type of crowd.
That’s what residents said occurred after Moody Pool was shuttered in 2002. To avoid a repeat, Amani organizers and other community leaders are working to plan year-round programming at the park. Already on the agenda for 2016 are plans to host a rugby team, dance and cooking classes, and a day camp for children and teens. The programming will cater to people of all ages, Schneider said.
Though official programming has not yet begun at the park, the pavilion was opened in October for use by residents and the COA Goldin Center. In addition, seniors regularly meet to walk the park’s trails and the basketball courts were busy when the weather was better, said Pepper Ray, Building Neighborhood Capacity Program (BNCP) site coordinator for Amani.
BNCP works to help build the infrastructure and resources needed to strengthen low-income communities and has played a big role in the planning for Moody Park. Though there isn’t data available yet to corroborate it, Ray said that crime seems to have gone down in the area since the park opened.
Patterson said the added security measures and steady use of the park should maintain it as a safe place to visit.
“It will remain that way because people know it will be full of children and families,” Patterson said.
The park is one of many developments in the Amani neighborhood aimed at improving the quality of life for residents there. Increased engagement by resident associations, nonprofits such as the Dominican Center for Women and private sector organizations such as Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, along with an influx of city and federal funding, have resulted in a brighter outlook for Amani in recent years. Another recent development was the opening of the Burke Early Education Center (EEC), which is located in the COA Goldin Center.
“All this new development in the neighborhood is helping people feel really positive about Amani,” said Patterson. She added that the park has the potential for improving the lives and attitudes of residents in the neighborhood.
At the park with his family on opening day in August, Tiarence Morgan, 38, described the new Moody as not just an improvement over the old park, but something more important.
“This park gives the community something to be real proud of,” said Morgan, “so we’ve got to keep it nice to show people what it means to our community.”


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Boys & Girls Clubs president Vincent Lyles to be inducted into 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
January 14, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal

created: January 14, 2016

author: Andrea Waxman


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Immigration Deportation Raids: 146 Congressional Lawmakers Tell Obama to Stop Deportation Raids | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
January 14, 2016
Latin Post


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Local collective gets Milwaukee biking | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Emmy A. Yates
January 14, 2016
Tucked away in the heart of downtown Milwaukee lies Vulture Space: The Milwaukee Community Bicycle Project, a local collective that is one of the city’s fastest growing do-it-yourself bicycle repair shops. The collective, at 651 N. Plankinton Ave., offers affordable parts, free use of tools and assistance for anyone in need of maintaining or learning about bicycles.
A volunteer-based educational collective, Vulture Space can appear to be organized chaos because of its garage-like appearance and all-inclusive environment.
Last summer Evan Pack celebrated what he affectionately calls his “fourth season” as the executive director and founder of the local nonprofit. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee business and marketing major was inspired to open the collective by his love for bicycles, an idea suggested by a friend, $5,000 and a genuine appreciation for community interactions.
Pack said he opened Vulture Space downtown in the hope of serving people from all communities. “Neighborhoods in Milwaukee are segregated and not homogenized,” he said. “You cross through one area and it’s predominantly black, predominantly Mexican or it’s white college kids.”
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Pack’s somewhat oddball behavior, vibrant personality, continual grin and welcoming energy attract many people to his shop, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age or socioeconomic status — or the kind of bicycle they own.
“That’s one thing that’s cool about bicycles, is that bikes don’t care,” volunteer Tabby Llama-Berry said. At age 23, Llama-Berry is an avid cyclist who works as a bicycle courier for a local restaurant delivery service, Flavor Cycle LLC. That means Berry is out riding in the city and adjoining neighborhoods, regardless of the weather.
More than just a bike shop, Vulture Space is a spot where couriers such as Llama-Berry spend time between orders. Delivery cyclists need to maintain a functioning and safe bicycle for their daily commute and workday. Having a free, safe and accessible place to stay rather than being in the cold is a luxury for cyclists.
The collective also acts as a safe place for the homeless, mentally or physically ill and LGBTQ. As someone who doesn’t identify with a single gender, Llama-Berry values volunteering in a place where people can be truly accepted for who they are.
“Who you are or where you’re from doesn’t matter to us,” Llama-Berry said. “If you come here willing to learn, willing to help, we accept that — we thrive off that.”
Not everyone who comes into Vulture Space is as approachable as Llama-Berry. There are others who Pack politely refers to as “having a bad day.” Interactions with homeless people or those with mental illnesses are a consistent challenge for Pack, but he and volunteers such as Llama-Berry find the relationships rewarding.
“Sometimes you have to realize that people aren’t just having a bad day, and that they are in fact mentally ill,” Pack said. “This is when you need to take a step back from the situation so you can understand and act appropriately.”
“I want more people to be a part of society rather than working against it,” he said.
Steve Roche, who often can be found hanging around Vulture Space, is one of the cycling community’s leading event coordinators. It’s easy to recognize him riding around on his Univega bicycle, his long dark hair pulled into a bun and his bushy red beard covering his dimple piercings.
Known for partnering with Vulture Space on local events and fundraisers, Roche leads community rides such as the Milwaukee Underwear Ride, Cranksgiving, Zombie Ride and the monthly group ride.
Roche started getting involved at Vulture Space when it opened.
“I was curious, and it sounded interesting,” he said. “I didn’t know at the time that Vulture Space would be the resource for the community that it has become.”
Roche said he felt good vibes right away when he got involved at the local collective. “By having open arms, you can cut through racism, sexism, cultures and diversity,” he commented. “It’s a very diverse environment where a lot of people feel welcome.” He noted that the cycling lifestyle gives people a different way to interact in the city.
“The bicycle is a powerful tool in the community that I don’t think a lot of people recognize until they’re a part of it.”

author: Emmy A. Yates


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On the Block: ‘Forced to be homeless’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
January 14, 2016
Read more about David Ramage at milwaukeestories.org.

author: Jabril Faraj


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Testing Shows Racial Gap Remains Wide In Wisconsin Public Schools | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
January 14, 2016
Wisconsin Public Radio


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Milwaukee Y to host annual celebration breakfast in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee
January 15, 2016
The YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee will host its 19th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Breakfast on Monday, January 18, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Italian Conference Center, located at 631 East Chicago Street in Milwaukee. The breakfast program will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and recognize local organizations dedicated to serving others, just as Dr. King did.
“The Milwaukee Y is committed to strengthening communities by supporting values of social justice, diversity and service — the same values shared by Dr. King,” said Julie Tolan, president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee. “We believe that by partnering with other mission-driven organizations to bring our life-enriching programming outside our walls and into the communities we’re helping to create a stronger, healthier Milwaukee where families of all incomes and backgrounds truly thrive.”
This year’s Milwaukee YMCA Healthy Citizenship Award will be presented to the Milwaukee Center for Independence, while The Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Diversity and Inclusion Award will be presented to Bread of Healing Clinic. Both awardees provide much-needed health and wellness resources in some of Milwaukee’s most underserved neighborhoods, working to reduce racial and socioeconomic disparities in the central city.
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The breakfast program will also recognize the winners of this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Spoken Word Contest, sponsored by Northwestern Mutual Foundation and Jammin’ 98.3 Radio. Three finalists in each age category (5-9 years, 10-13 years and 14-18 years) were selected after writing an original spoken word piece based on the theme, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?” A panel of judges then voted on the winning pieces. The first place in each category will present their original spoken word piece during the Celebration Breakfast and each will receive a prize.
Again this year, the Milwaukee Y encourages everyone to make the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, a “day on” instead of a “day off,” by participating in volunteer community service at locations across the city on Monday, January 18. To find a volunteer opportunity, visit http://www.volunteermilwaukee.org.
During the past year and a half, the Milwaukee Y has refocused its mission on its greatest areas of strength – health and wellness and youth development. In addition to its center-based programming, the Milwaukee Y is committed to being a vocal advocate for healthy families and partnering with other like-minded organizations to improve the greater good in Milwaukee. As such, the organization plans to increase its community partnerships and bring programming out of its centers and into the neighborhoods that need the Milwaukee Y the most.
Fundamentally, the new Milwaukee Y will be a champion for healthy living and will work to support families in their efforts to lead healthy lives.
Aurora Health Care is the lead sponsor for this event. The cost to attend is $35 per person or $350 for a table of 10.
For more information regarding this event, Jr., please contact Stephanie Allen at 414-274-0735 or by email at sallen@ymcamke.org.

created: January 15, 2016

author: YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee