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Many factors contributed to Ron Johnson’s November victory. Observers say race was most likely one of them. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
January 5, 2023
In elections, does race matter?
Although the November campaigns are over and done, the 2024 elections are even now underway.
So we asked the question.
One conclusion: Other factors abound, but race, though difficult to quantify as among these, cannot be discounted.
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In November, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson was elected by Wisconsin voters for the third time, and Gov. Tony Evers was elected to a second term – victories that support the conventional wisdom that incumbency and campaign spending play a very real role in the outcome of elections.
But the role of race in the statewide elections, particularly in the different outcomes for Evers and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (running for U.S. Senate) should not be overlooked, according to experts.
One thing prompting the concern: Both are Democrats. Both were characterized by opponents as weak on crime. Evers, who is white, won by a margin of 3.4% percentage points. Barnes, who is Black, did not win, though losing by a narrow margin.
And both GOP gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels and Johnson were closely identified with Former President Donald Trump (Johnson more so), which was a handicap in many races nationally. But Johnson won. Michels did not.
“First thing we have to say is Evers was an incumbent and Barnes was not,” said Kathleen Dolan, distinguished professor of political science at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “Sen. Johnson is the incumbent, so we would have expected him to have a slightly easier time.”
In an email, Paru Shah, professor of political science at UWM, said: “The fact that the two incumbents won is not surprising — political science research finds this advantage to be hard to overcome for almost all challengers.”
The effect of incumbency was on obvious display throughout the country this year.
Every single incumbent senator running for reelection – all 29 of them – ultimately won.
Many observers also noted the historically significant amounts of money spent by the campaigns.
In the 2010 race, Johnson’s campaign spent a little more than $15 million, and his opponent, Russ Feingold, spent roughly $20.3 million. In the 2016 rematch between these two candidates, Johnson spent about $20.4 million, and Feingold spent about $24.4 million.
By contrast, Johnson’s campaign spent over $34.4 this cycle, and Barnes’ spent over $40.7 million.
Additionally, the amount of money spent by outside groups on Wisconsin’s statewide races broke the previous record by 50%, according to an analysis by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a nonprofit, nonpartisan watchdog group that tracks money in politics.
The number of campaign ads was one clear example of how this money was put to use.
According to one analysis, over 14,000 television ads were broadcast for either Johnson or Barnes from Sept. 5 to Sept. 18, the highest number of spots of any Senate race in the country during this timeframe.
This high number of ads coincided with a clear shift in the polls.
“The timing of Barnes’ drop in popularity is consistent with the airing of Johnson’s increased frequency of campaign ads,” said John Johnson, research fellow in the Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education at Marquette University Law School.
After leading in the polls, by as much as 3.8 points at times, Barnes’ popularity eventually evened with Johnson’s by Sept. 20, then dropped below Johnson’s shortly after and stayed below it for the rest of the campaign, according to FiveThirtyEight’s aggregate polling data.
Supporters of Barnes have said, however, it was not merely the number of ads in the months leading up to the election that were influential but rather their implicit racism and reliance on long-standing tropes about Black people.
An ad on Johnson’s official campaign website asserted Barnes wants to reduce the prison population and defund the police, because he is “dangerously liberal on crime.”
Another ad stated that Barnes “coddles criminals and mocks victims.”
Both ads featured the same brief clip of Barnes pacing and scowling while speaking to a crowd.
A more explicit ad said that Barnes’ administration (he is lieutenant governor) “has already paroled 884 convicted criminals – many of them released into our community. Over 200 murderers. 44 child rapists” and concluded that electing Barnes to the Senate would be “just plain dangerous.”
The tactic of race-baiting by white candidates has a long precedent, according to a 2021 literature review by LaFleur Stephens-Dougan, associate professor of politics at Princeton University.
“As far back as Reconstruction and the early Jim Crow era,” Stephens-Dougan said, “white politicians have routinely engaged in race-baiting to generate political support.”
And Barnes’ drop in popularity in the polls, and the outcome of the election, are consistent with concerns about this sort of race-baiting, some observers say.
“There is research that shows dog-whistles for race, like crime and urban ‘problems,’ trigger implicit biases among voters who are going to associate those with Blacks,” Shah said. “Crime in Milwaukee, and in general Wisconsin, is low, so this message that it is scary in Milwaukee, and that a Black man is against law and order, was effective.”
“It’s very clear the ads that were run against Barnes, particularly the ones that were funded by some of these outside groups, were actually focused on race,” Dolan said. Because crime is not in the daily lives of most people, “they were more intended to remind people that he (Barnes) is Black … particularly if you think about the stereotype of the suburban white woman worried about crime – they (Johnson’s campaign) knew they had to peel off some of those people who might have been willing to vote for a Democrat.”
Exit polling does show more Independents voted for Evers than they did Barnes – as did those who hold “moderate” ideological views.
The outcome of the election is also consistent, however, with voters being genuinely concerned about crime, as Johnson’s supporters have said, in response to accusations of racism and race-baiting.
That is, Barnes’ “extreme” positions on crime and police, rather than his race, convinced voters that he is not the right fit for Wisconsin.
Republicans commonly use the tactic of accusing Democrats of being “soft” on crime, regardless of the race of their opponent.
Michels, the Republican candidate for governor, made similar accusations against the Evers administration, particularly its policies regarding the state’s parole system.
Despite the similar focus, though, fewer white Wisconsinites voted for Michels than did for Johnson, according to the exit polling.
Polling by Marquette University Law School also shows voters’ concern about crime actually decreasing between September and November, the opposite of what one would expect if the claims by Johnson’s campaign about crime versus race were true.
Although Dolan said she thinks race ultimately played a role in the outcome of the elections, “we cannot really quantify that role.” It is, however, reasonable to suggest “that part of Barnes’ defeat was the intense racial focus of Johnson’s ads.”

created: January 5, 2023


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50507480333_422d371a59_k-2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 4, 2023

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: January 4, 2023

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

author: Ron Smith


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5 things to know and do the weekend of Jan. 6 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
January 6, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
The Milwaukee County Transit System, or MCTS, is sponsoring a scholarship for high school seniors who live and attend school in Milwaukee County and plan to attend a trade school, college, or university. Applicants will write a short essay inspired by a Rosa Parks quote: “Each person must live their life as a model for others.” Three winners will receive $1,000. Applications must be completed by Friday, Jan. 6.
Street photographer Isaac Harris releases his first self-published book “Bad As Can,” a collection of street photography spanning over a decade from around the world. The book release and reception runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 6 at Var Gallery, located at 706 S. 5th St. More information and RSVP here.
Amani United is celebrating the inauguration of its new president Elizabeth Brown. Be part of the celebration in person at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7 at the Dominican Center, located at 2470 W. Locust St. You can also attend virtually here.
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Listen to jazz and pop covers and original music from Joseph Michael at Sherman Perk Coffee Shop from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7, located at 4924 W. Roosevelt Drive.
The Hmong American Friendship Association will be giving away 150 bags of rice on a first-come-first-served basis from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 3824 W. Vliet St. Must bring ID and proof of address. No one will be turned away because of income or ZIP code, but only one bag of rice will be given per address.
Strong Native Minds has organized a free clothing giveaway from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Lutheran Church of the Great Spirit, located at 3127 S. Howell Ave.

created: January 6, 2023

author: Sam Woods


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14476334551_9c6229a6cf_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 5, 2023


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Critics of decision to close Ascension St. Francis Birthing Center continue protests | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
January 6, 2023
After Ascension Wisconsin provided a fuller explanation this week about its decision to close the Ascension St. Francis Hospital Birthing Center, critics continue to voice their displeasure.
In a statement to local media on Wednesday, an Ascension Wisconsin spokesperson called the closure of the birthing center  “a clinical decision.”
“Ascension St. Francis Hospital is no longer able to provide birthing services due to a combination of the loss of our obstetrical providers and low birthing volumes,” the spokesperson said.
“While we have had two providers delivering babies at Ascension St. Francis, one physician recently departed our system and the other announced retirement effective at the end of December 2022,” the spokesperson said.
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But critics continue to stress the ways in which the closure creates serious barriers to adequate medical care for South Side residents, many of whom are immigrant Spanish-speakers, Latino and other people of color.
Jamie Lucas, executive director of Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals, or WFNHP, the union that represents staff at St. Francis, takes issue with the spokesperson’s statements about the number of providers and the rate of births.
“For years, we’ve had conversations with them about meaningfully pursuing other providers to work out of the hospital, to keep services afloat. This goes years back,” he said. “They just let it go through attrition and didn’t fill positions …. .”
He added that he was informed of some providers who were interested in working there in the past but who were not offered competitive salaries.
And the rate of birth at St. Francis goes “hand in hand” with the issue of number of providers, he said.
According to data provided by Ascension Wisconsin, birthrates declined far more rapidly at St. Francis than at the two other Ascension locations now closest to the South Side: Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital and Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital, St. Joseph Campus.
The difference in decline shows that the dwindling numbers of births at St. Francis is “not organic,” said Lucas. “If there aren’t multiple providers there, you’re not going to have high numbers of births. They suppressed the number of providers … so the numbers obviously dropped.”
According to Ascension, since 2017, the rate of births at St. Mary’s declined roughly 14%; at St. Joseph’s, the rate declined roughly 33%; and at St. Francis, the rate declined roughly 48%.
According to state data, birthrates generally have been falling. In 2010, there were 12 births per 1,000 in population. In 2020, that had dropped to 10.4 per 1,000.
A few days after the initial announcement of the closure, WHFNP held a demonstration at Milwaukee City Hall. Demonstrators held another rally Wednesday – this time outside the home of Bernie Sherry, ministry market executive of Ascension Wisconsin.
According to Ascension’s website, Sherry has “led the integration of Ascension Wisconsin’s four legacy health systems to provide one integrated faith-based healthcare system.”
Organizers stated the reason for the location of the rally was to highlight the financial reasons they believe are the actual reason for the closure. They contend these reasons prioritize the pockets of a few executives over the clinical needs of patients.
“Since 2016, Ascension has slowly dismantled St. Francis Hospital. But we will not let them place profit over patients,” Connie Smith, president of WHFNP, said during the rally. “Bernie Sherry, you had your hands in this.”
According to the statement from Ascension Wisconsin, it intends to direct those in need of birthing and labor services to other Ascension locations, especially the St. Mary’s campus.
This plan, however, ignores similar staffing problems at St. Mary’s, said Tracey Schwerdtfeger, steward of WFNHP Local 5000, the chapter representing St. Francis employees. “We’re not seeing that upper management truly cares about the staffing crisis – that is not only happening at St. Francis but all their other facilities. … St. Mary’s is a great example. … That unit is understaffed, too, so for them (Ascension Wisconsin) to say they are concerned about understaffing … it just doesn’t make any sense.”
Both St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s are roughly 15 to 20 minutes by car from the South Side. This distance does not take into account the barriers to care, like transportation, on the South Side, said Lucas. These locations would be a lengthy bus ride for those who depend on public transportation.
Ascension Wisconsin has created an environment in which patients must now “travel outside of their community” to get services– a largely “Latino, immigrant and brown-skinned community,”  Smith said.
After the rally, Lucas and Schwerdtfeger expressed their belief that this is a problem that can be fixed.  “We believe that Ascension has the resources to be able to reopen,” Schwerdtfeger said.
But Alderwoman JoCasta Zamarripa, of the 8 District, expressed skepticism after the rally.
“I had hoped that maybe we could try to advocate, but I did speak with Ascension’s leadership once – I didn’t find them willing to move. Even to hold off on the decision. That was very disheartening,” she said.
Ascension Wisconsin declined to go on the record and for attribution responding to specific allegations by WFNHP or its other critics about its closure explanation.
For those who need to contact potential providers, St. Mary’s unit is located at 2323 N. Lake Drive. The number is 414-585-1000
The unit at the St. Joseph campus is located at 5000 W. Chambers St. The number is 414-447-2000.
The Aurora Women’s Pavilion at Aurora West Allis Medical Center is located at 8905 W Lincoln Ave. The number is 414-328-6000.
The CARE Network of Wisconsin, an organization that provides childbearing education and resources relating to doulas, labor assistants and midwives, can be contacted via its website or Facebook page.

author: Devin Blake


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52609583154_308e492861_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 6, 2023


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5 things to know and do this week in Milwaukee: Jan. 9 to Jan. 13 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
January 9, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
The Urban Ecology Center is renovating and expanding its Washington Park location. At this information session you can learn more about the renovation plans, the schedule and give your thoughts about what the Urban Ecology Center should consider when expanding. The session runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10 at the Washington Park location, located at 1859 N. 40th St.
Milwaukee County and partners will be holding a panel discussion on expungement protocol and pardons for people who are incarcerated or have recently exited the incarceration system. The discussion will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11 at Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, located at 5460 N. 64th St.
Dulce Duran of Chelotzin Plant Care Services is leading a workshop on caring for your indoor plants during the winter. You will receive general advice, and you can bring pictures of your houseplants for specific advice as well. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12 at the Mitchell Park Domes, located at 524 S. Layton Blvd. Tickets are $9 for Friends of the Domes members, $11 for non-members.
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Stretch and relax with yoga you can do while sitting in a chair at this free session led by Carol Transon, but donations are accepted. The session lasts from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. this Thursday, Jan. 12 at Tricklebee Cafe, located at 4424 W. North Ave.  Email tricklebeecafe@gmail.com if you plan to attend.
IMPACT Connect  is hosting a discussion on evictions and eviction prevention, part of a quarterly series that aims to identify interdisciplinary solutions to problems in southeastern Wisconsin. This week’s online discussion runs from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12. More information and RSVP here.
Sign up for this four-week class on Afro-Latin dance, showcasing a fusion of afrobeat, hip-hop and Latin dance styles. The first class at Epic Moves Dance Studio, 3815 W. Fond Du Lac Ave., is Tuesday, Jan. 10, with class continuing every Tuesday through Jan. 31. The entire course is $40.
We are compiling a list of Martin Luther King Jr. events. If you or your organization are sponsoring an event, please email Sam Woods or submit your information here.

created: January 9, 2023


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45938156645_40a9114102_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 8, 2023

created: January 8, 2023


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NNS Spotlight: How UEDA builds collaborations to move the dial on change in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
January 10, 2023
In Milwaukee, there are often many nonprofit organizations that have the same goal but do not necessarily work together.
That’s when UEDA, which stands for the Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin, steps in.
It brings organizations together to move the dial on change in Milwaukee and provides them with the help to get funding and sustain their projects.
An example: the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center.
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UEDA was instrumental in getting this collaboration of agencies together to provide people housing assistance.
“UEDA was the original convening agency for the Rental Housing Resource Center,” said Deborah Heffner, the former housing strategy director for Community Advocates. “It still acts as the convening agency.”
Heffner said UEDA also handles fundraising and administration for the organization and acts as a fiscal agent for several of its grants.
“It’s helpful to have a group that’s not a direct service provider facilitating meetings because they are able to see the big picture and understand the systematic issues and dynamic,” she said.
UEDA has been doing such work since 1997.
Bill Johnson, the former executive director of UEDA, said helping people come together can be challenging, but it’s the best way for UEDA’s small team to make an impact.
“When you’re responsible for creating a collaborative, you have to assure everyone involved that they’ll be able to get their interest met,” he said. “But getting people to give up their self-interest and focus on the task of the group as a whole is hard.”
The group works with corporations, nonprofits, foundations, governmental departments, small businesses, students and individuals who are interested in making meaningful change in Wisconsin.
UEDA focuses on three major points: collaboration, capacity building and facilitating connections.
Kristi Luzar, the executive director of UEDA, said the group helps put collaboratives together, acting as a mediator between groups then it steps back.
But in some cases, such as the Rental Housing Resource Center, it stays involved if needed.
“Sometimes it takes it a little longer for groups to see one another’s perspective and work toward a common goal,” Luzar said.
In the case of the Rental Housing Resource Center, UEDA was tasked with getting people who would usually work against one another, like attorneys that defend property owners and attorneys that defend tenants, to reach a common goal.
UEDA also provides technical assistance to nonprofits in the community and economic development sector to help strengthen their ability to have the resources to do a project and increase impact.
This work, according to Luzar, started in the early 2000s when UEDA developed its expertise as a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development technical assistance provider before becoming active in financial literacy and lending issues.
“So sometimes we just act as a fiscal provider for partners or initiatives,” Luzar said. “But sometimes its helping people wade through long and different processes or just basic administrative stuff that they may not understand. It’s just a lot of filling out forms.”
Another milestone: In 2017, UEDA formed Bank On Greater Milwaukee, which is a coalition of programs and services that ensure residents have the opportunity to be financially healthy.
In addition, UEDA hosts networking events and provides opportunities for shared learning.
Though it has grown since Johnson left, it’s still small, with only three full-time staffers and one part-time employee.
“When you do the work we do, you want to address everything you see,” said Bethany Sanchez, the senior administrator for Metro Milwaukee Fair Housing Council and former UEDA board member and current active partner. “So, it’s difficult to manage pots and know when to say no.”
Aside from its current work on the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center, it works as a financial partner to the Kin Project, which spurs conversations to build cross-racial relationships, and the Milwaukee County Dine Out Program, which seeks to increase the number of minority-owned businesses under contract and diversify the menus and meals available to seniors.
Another of UEDA’s successes, said both Luzar and Johnson, is Take Root Milwaukee, a consortium of over 50 community organizations and stakeholders working to promote sustainable homeownership in the City of Milwaukee. Its members offer free or low-cost services to help residents buy, keep or fix a home.
“When you can get individual organizations to give up self-interest and speak and work for the whole collaborative, you’ve done a lot,” said Johnson. “That’s what UEDA does. They do a lot with a little to be able to create great change.”
To connect with UEDA, you can check out its website here.

created: January 10, 2023

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


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52385906024_be674d74e6_h | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 9, 2023


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Here’s what you need to know before February’s aldermanic races | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
January 11, 2023
Nearly two dozen candidates have submitted their nomination papers for a special election on Feb. 21, hoping to fill vacant seats for Districts 1, 5, and 9 on the Common Council.
District 1 includes a large area on the city’s North Side, which extends from West Capitol Drive from North 9 Street to North 35th Street then north to West Bradley Road.
District 5 is located on the Northwest Side and runs from West Center Street to West Bradley Road. District 9 extends from the North Side to the far Northwest Side of the city and includes Silver Spring from North 43rd to North 64 streets and extends north to County Line Road.
Council members are responsible for representing the interests of residents of their districts, serving on committees and making policy decisions that affect the quality of life in the neighborhoods they represent and the city as a whole.
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The election in February will narrow the race to two candidates for each district. Those candidates will face off in April to determine who will be elected to complete the remainder of a term on the Common Council that concludes on April 15, 2024.
The aldermanic position for District 1 became vacant after Ashanti Hamilton accepted a position as director of the city’s Office of Violence Prevention, while District 5 had been led by Nikiya Dodd until she stepped down in late November. The council seat for District 9 became vacant after Chantia Lewis pleaded no contest to a charge of misuse of campaign funds. She was sentenced to 30 days of jail and probation in August.
Here are the candidates: (Listed by order in which they appear on city election candidate forms)
Frederick Andre Coleman is the owner of Studio69 Yoga. He previously worked for 14 years as a first responder and emergency medical technician for the Milwaukee Fire Department.
Zandra Bailey was born and raised in the Rufus King neighborhood, where she still resides. An accountant with a master’s degree in business administration, she leads a neighborhood block watch and volunteers with Citizen Action of Wisconsin/Northside Rising, among other activities.
Andrea Pratt is the daughter of former Mayor Marvin Pratt. She has worked for the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Schools and as a legislative assistant and equal rights specialist for the City of Milwaukee.
Marshall Martin, an educator at Bay View High School, has held teaching and administrative positions at MPS and at charter schools for 20 years. He is also a military veteran, serving in the Texas/Wisconsin Army National Guard for eight years.
Vincent G. Toney was born and raised in the 53206 neighborhood of Milwaukee and served in the United States Navy. Toney, who also ran for a seat on the Common Council in 2020, currently works as a case manager.
Rodney Campbell is a pastor at Crossing Jordan Ministries. He worked for decades with youth as a restorative justice advocate and mentor.
David Bowen previously served as a county supervisor for the 10th District (2012-2014) and as the state representative for Assembly District 10 from 2015-2022. Bowen lives in the Sherman Park neighborhood of Milwaukee.
Annette Jackson is a Milwaukee resident and business owner. She has degrees in business and childhood education and is employed by the City of Milwaukee, where she has worked in several departments.
P. Thomas Thaddison III is the president and CEO of Thad Web Designs. Thaddison specializes in digital and social marketing and other information technologies and founded and designed Milwaukee Black Online, which is no longer active.
Lamont Westmoreland is president and CEO of LTW Affordable Painting LLC., a former high school basketball coach and licensed official. The Nash Park neighborhood resident has experience in nonprofits and the business sector.
Jeff Spence is a senior fellow and diversity, equity and inclusion officer for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District. A former school board member, he is again running for a position on the Milwaukee Public School Board in addition to the 5th Aldermanic District seat.
Ray Banks retired in 2020 as Milwaukee assistant police chief after serving the department for 28 years. Before assuming that position, Banks was commander of the department’s Office of Community Outreach and Education.
Bruce Winter, an employee of the Milwaukee County Highway Department, ran to represent District 18 on the Milwaukee County Board in 2022 and also ran to represent District 5 on the Common Council in 2020.
Joe Fisch is also a candidate to represent District 5 but has not yet responded to an inquiry from NNS and details about him are not readily available online.
Donna Ross began her career in service with Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope. She was appointed to serve in U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore’s 4th Congressional District Office from 2008 to 2019 and currently works with a local public school district as the executive assistant to the superintendent and Board of Education.
Amber Danyus currently works with students at the Milwaukee Academy of Science and previously worked at MPS. She graduated from Cardinal Stritch University with a master’s degree in special education.
Odell Ball is a retired educator from MPS, where he worked for 31 years. Most recently, he served as president of the executive board for Fit Club MKE.
Larressa Taylor is a longtime special education teacher at MPS. She ran to represent District 2 on the Common Council in 2016 and received a PhD. in education from Cardinal Stritch University in 2011.
Russell Antonio Goodwin Sr. served as a Milwaukee County supervisor from 2020 until April of 2022. A pastor, he served as chairman of the Transportation, Public Works and Transit Committee and as a member of the Health and Human Needs Committee.
Walt Love is a longtime radio and media personality in Milwaukee. An athlete in the Wisconsin Senior Olympics, Love also ran in a special election for a Common Council seat in 2019.
Jasmine Tyler co-founded “We Locked In,” an overnight youth program, and is the founder and CEO of Keep Your Head Up Society, an arts and sports community-based program. A longtime community activist, Tyler was a member of the city’s 53206 Task Force and served as executive assistant to the Milwaukee Common Council.
Cherie Ray worked as an aldermanic aide for District 9 after Chantia Lewis was removed. She has previously worked in real estate.

created: January 11, 2023

author: Edgar Mendez


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37227994792_29a48724c6_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 10, 2023


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Post From Community: Christine P. Holmes retires after 15 years as president and CEO of Penfield Children’s Center. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Shelby Schnell
January 11, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Christine Holmes, President and CEO, since 2008 has been a key figure in the Milwaukee social services sector, advocating for early intervention for young children and their families. She led Penfield Children’s Center for more than a decade, achieving several key milestones including: securing the first multi-year Kohl’s grant, 2013 Woman of Influence recipient, 2013 Harvard Business School Club of WI scholarship recipient, opening Penfield Montessori Academy and creating the Penfield Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan.
Prior to Penfield, Holmes spent 14 years with Children’s Hospital and Health System as Director of Community Ventures and Advocacy, where she provided oversight for the development of community social service initiatives.  On the national level, she previously worked as Public Relations Director for the Alliance for Families and Children and Prevent Child Abuse America.
Holmes’s community engagements include:
National Birth – 5 Peer Advocate Roundtable
Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership Council
Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health
Wisconsin Early Learning Coalition
The United Way Teen Pregnancy Prevention Oversight
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author: Shelby Schnell


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Post From Community: First Stage kicks off new year with hopeful production of “Carmela Full of Wishes” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Cindy Moran
January 11, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Milwaukee’s First Stage, one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families, begins the new year with “Carmela Full of Wishes,” adapted by First Stage Resident Playwright Alvaro Saar Rios, (“On the Wings of Mariposa”/ “Luchadora!”), from the popular book by award-winning children’s author Matt de la Peña, with illustrations by Christian Robinson. In this beautiful adaptation, audiences will discover that it is Carmela’s birthday, and her wish has already come true – she’s finally old enough to join her big brother as he does the family errands! As they travel through the neighborhood, Carmela finds a lone dandelion growing in the pavement. Before she can blow its puffy white fluff away, her brother tells her she must make a wish. If only she can think of just the right wish to make! Delight in this moving ode to family, to dreamers and to finding hope in the most unexpected places. Sponsored by PNC.
“Carmela Full of Wishes” runs January 20 – February 12, 2023 at the Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater, located at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee. Tickets are $28 and can be purchased in person at the Marcus Center Box Office at 929 N. Water Street, by phone at (414) 273-7206 or online at firststage.org. Performance runtime is approximately 70 minutes, which includes a brief intermission. Suggested for families with young people ages 3+.
From Director Michelle Lopez-Rios: “In ‘Carmela Full of Wishes,’ we take a big journey with Carmela on her birthday. Like the book, the play delivers a world that stimulates all the senses. The imaginative set, costume, sound and lighting designs of the production will play a vital role in bringing this world to life. There are fields of bright orange marigolds, tastes of paletas (popsicles), smells of fresh laundry and the beauty of life by the sea. As she tags along to run errands with her Big Brother, we travel through the vibrant community that is their home. We watch as Carmela dreams up the perfect wish for her birthday and reveals what life is like for her family.
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Family is at the heart of this journey. Mami starts off the day with chocolate pancakes and a charge for Big Brother to take care of his sister. Carmela and her brother bicker, tease each other as they make their way through the list of things to do and complicated conversations. We learn about their undocumented father and how her Big Brother is filling his shoes. We ache with her as she longs for her dad to be home and her family to be complete. It is a story that is familiar to too many youth in Milwaukee as they carry the weight of tremendous hardships in their daily life.
It is hard to understand a world that would separate a six-year-old from her Papi. It is a world where all the adults she knows work so hard, including her Mami. It is a world that forces her brother to grow up quickly and help her navigate tough questions. The story is necessary because it explores the difficult issue of immigration from the point of view of a child trying to understand why her father cannot be home with his family. It is a story that we all need to know and understand. As Carmela dashes along the streets on her worn green scooter taking in the world around her, we witness the deep and endless love of this family, and we feel the resilience of hope.”
BIOGRAPHIES
Matt de la Peña (Author) is the New York Times bestselling, Newbery Medal-winning author of seven young adult novels (including Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here and Superman: Dawnbreaker) and six picture books (including Milo Imagines the World and Last Stop on Market Street). In 2016 he was awarded the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Award. Matt received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific where he attended school on a full basketball scholarship. In 2019 Matt was given an honorary doctorate from UOP. de la Peña currently lives in Southern California. He teaches creative writing and visits schools and colleges throughout the country.
Christian Robinson (Illustrator) is an illustrator, author, animator and designer based in Oakland, California. He was born in Los Angeles and grew up in a small one-bedroom apartment with his brother, two cousins, aunt and grandmother. Drawing became a way to make space for himself and to create the kind of world he wanted to see. He studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts and would later work with the Sesame Workshop and Pixar Animation Studios before becoming an illustrator of books for children. The Christian Robinson for Target collection, released in August 2021, includes more than 70 items across home and apparel for kids and baby. His books include the #1 New York Times bestseller Last Stop on Market Street, written by Matt de la Peña, which was awarded a Caldecott Honor, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor and the Newbery Medal, and the #1 New York Times bestseller The Bench, written by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. His solo projects include Another, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2019, and the New York Times bestseller You Matter. His latest collaboration with Matt de la Peña, Milo Imagines The World, received six starred reviews and was a #1 Indie Bestseller and a New York TImes bestseller.
Alvaro Saar Rios (Playwright) is a Playwright in Residence at First Stage. Other plays he has written for First Stage are UNMUTED, ON THE WINGS OF A MARIPOSA, MOLE HILL STORIES and the award-winning LUCHADORA! His plays have been performed in New York City, Chicago, Hawaii, St. Louis, California, Arizona and all over Texas. He is a Resident Playwright at Chicago  Dramatists, and in his past life, he drove tanks for the U.S. Army. Mr. Rios and his wife Michelle Lopez-Rios are the founders of The Royal Mexican Players. Alvaro has an MFA from Northwestern University and teaches playwriting at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. alvarosaarrios.com
Michelle Lopez-Rios (Director) is an artist, teacher and community activist. She is an Associate Professor of voice and speech at the Theatre School at DePaul University Theatre School. Prior to that she was head of the BFA Acting Program as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Michelle is an associate teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework. She currently serves on the board of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association and is a featured coach on accenthelp.com. Coaching credits include: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Goodman Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, among others. Michelle has collaborated on many theatrical projects for social change. She is a co-founder of the Royal Mexican Players with Alvaro Saar Rios. For over a decade they have offered workshops, devised community productions and produced original works. Her one-woman show 500 YEARS was developed in Bogotá, London and Milwaukee. Michelle worked with 371 Productions to devise and direct a live multimedia performance of Precious Lives, a popular weekly podcast about gun violence and young people in Milwaukee. Directing credits include: THE MOLE HILL STORIES (First Stage); PRECIOUS LIVES: THE LIVE SHOW (371 Productions); ENFRASCADA (Renaissance Theaterworks); DECAFFEINATED TRAGEDY (2009 Prague Fringe Festival Inspiration Award); ONE HOT TEXICAN SUMMER (OR THE SUMMER I FOUND OUT I WAS MEXICAN), NUESTRA VOZ, NUESTRA HISTORIA and A TRIP THROUGH THE MIND OF A ‘CRAZY’ MEXICAN (Royal Mexican Players). A proud member of Actors’ Equity for over 20 years, she has also performed at Mark Taper Forum, First Stage, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Next Act Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, Court Theatre, Troy Rep and Ojai Shakespeare Festival. michellelopezrios.com
ADULT
Karen Estrada* (Mami/Bodega Owner/Old Woman); Parker Muñoz (Papi/Señor Lopez); Isabelle Hughes(Understudy for Karen Estrada) and Adrian Feliciano (Understudy for Parker Muñoz).
*Appearing through an Agreement between First Stage and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
YOUNG PERFORMER CASTS
Young Performer roles are double cast. Young Performers in the Nieves Cast include: Isabel Scardino (South Milwaukee) as Carmela; Stephanie Santoyo-Bustos (Milwaukee) as Paleta Lady;Helen Paloma Marotta (Milwaukee) as Flower Girl; Thomas Bastardo (St. Francis) as Big Brother and Marko Van Slyke (Milwaukee) as Anatoli.
Young Performers in the Paletas Cast include: Isabella Dixon-Ruiz (Milwaukee) as Carmela; Tiana Dixon-Ruiz (Milwaukee) as Paleta Lady; Marilyn De La O (Milwaukee) as Flower Girl; Steven Cuevas Ruiz (Milwaukee) as Big Brother and Aria Domena (Oak Creek) as Anatoli.
Please note: To find which cast is performing on a specific performance day, please refer to the website on the show page located here: firststage.org/carmelafullofwishes
The Artistic Staff for CARMELA FULL OF WISHES includes: Michelle Lopez-Rios (Director); Regina Garcia, USA (Scenic Designer); Jazmin Aurora Medina (Costume Designer); Danielle Jordan (Puppet Designer); Christine Chiles Twillie (Sound Designer); Noele Stollmack, USA (Lighting Designer); Michelle Begley, Member of Actors’ Equity Association, (Stage Manager) and Carrie Johns (Assistant Stage Manager).
Tickets start at $28 – Tickets may be purchased at firststage.org or through the Marcus Center Box Office, in person at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee or by phone (414) 273-7206 or toll free at (888) 612-3500. The number for TDD (for deaf and hard of hearing patrons) is (414) 273-3080.
COVID Protocols: First Stage is no longer requiring proof of vaccination upon arrival, and masks will be optional in the theater, unless the community level in Milwaukee County is rated in the High category, as determined by the CDC. First Stage COVID safety protocols and updates can be viewed here: firststage.org/covid-19-safety-protocols/ – performances
Security at the Marcus Performing Arts Center: Upon entry to the Todd Wehr Theater, attendees will walk through a security scanner to check for any items not permitted in the building. While purses and small bags are allowed, please leave larger bags, backpacks or other items at home. Review Security Procedures at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. Please allow ample time for parking and security checks before the performance.
Digital Playbill: The digital playbill includes artistic/actor/designer and cast bios. To view the digital playbill when it gets posted closer to the show opening, please go to: firststage.org/about-us/media-center/playbills/
Please note: Please refer to the digital playbill for updates on any cast changes as well as for the appropriate pronouns for actors.
Special events for CARMELA FULL OF WISHES
Pay What You Choose Performance: Friday, January 27, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.
Pay What You Choose tickets are available on a first come, first served basis with a minimum suggested donation of $5 per person. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. on the day of the performance. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early. Tickets may also be reserved in advance by phone at (414) 267-2961, weekdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information, please visit: firststage.org/events-tickets/tickets-offers/pay-what-you-choose/
Sensory Friendly Performance: Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.
A Sensory Friendly Performance with accommodations for families with children on the autism spectrum will take place on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. Sensory accommodations include a quiet area staffed by an experienced educator, lower sound, house lights up and more. Tickets for Sensory Friendly Performances are $10. Order online or by phone at (414) 267-2961, weekdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. to reserve tickets. To learn more visit: firststage.org/plan-your-visit/sensory-friendly-performances/.
ASL Interpreted Performance: Sunday, February 5, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.
This performance will be sign language interpreted for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Assistive listening devices are also available at the Todd Wehr Theater. To learn more, please visit: firststage.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/sign-language-interpreted-performances/
FACT SHEET
About: CARMELA FULL OF WISHES
Adapted by Alvaro Saar Rios
From the book by Matt de la Peña, Illustrated by Christian Robinson
Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Carmela Full of Wishes was Co-Commissioned by and received its World Premiere Productions at Chicago Children’s Theatre, Jacqueline Russell, Artistic Director; and The Rose Theatre of Nebraska, Matt Gutschick, Artistic Director
Carmela Full of Wishes is presented through special arrangement with, and all authorized performance materials are supplied by TRW Plays 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 40, New York, NY 10036. www.trwplays.com
Directed by Michelle Lopez-Rios
Sponsored by PNC
Location: Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater, 929 N. Water Street, Milwaukee
Live Performances: January 20 – February 12, 2023
Description: It’s Carmela’s birthday, and her wish has already come true – she’s finally old enough to join her big brother as he does the family errands! As they travel through the neighborhood, Carmela finds a lone dandelion growing in the pavement. Before she can blow its puffy white fluff away, her brother tells her she has to make a wish. If only she can think of just the right wish to make. Delight in this moving ode to family, to dreamers and to finding hope in the most unexpected places. Performance runtime is approximately 70 minutes, which includes a brief intermission. Suggested for families with young people ages 3+.
Performances:
For more information, please visit firststage.org or call (414) 267-2961.
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About First Stage
Founded in 1987, First Stage is one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families, and a driving force behind the creation of the best and most innovative plays for family audiences, theater training programs for young people and education initiatives for its schools and community. First Stage ensures that all programming is not only accessible to its community but that it is reflective of the community it serves.
First Stage produces plays that honor the young person’s point of view, include diverse and traditionally underrepresented voices and inspire meaningful conversations. First Stage has presented more than 70 world premiere productions that address important subject matters relevant to today’s youth. The Theater Academy is one of the nation’s largest high-impact theater training programs for young people (3-18 years old). Through a challenging curriculum taught by professional teaching artists, the Academy nurtures life skills through stage skills and includes the Next Steps Program that tailors Theater Academy classes to the needs of young people on the autism spectrum and with other developmental disabilities. As Wisconsin’s leader in arts-integrated education in schools, First Stage’s dynamic Theater in Education Programs cleverly blend theater activities with standard curriculum – allowing more than 10,000 students annually to learn traditional academic subjects through creativity and self-expression.
First Stage is a member of TYA/USA, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, Milwaukee Arts Partners and is a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF). firststage.org

author: Cindy Moran


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Monthly FoodShare payments to be cut substantially starting in March | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
January 12, 2023
FoodShare emergency allotments will end after February due to changes in federal law.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, FoodShare recipients have received an additional “emergency allotment” on top of their monthly FoodShare payments. The allotments bring each recipient’s monthly payment up to the maximum allotment for their household size or an extra $95 if they already qualified for an amount within $95 of the maximum benefit.
These emergency allotments were in place to help people with low income during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At a stakeholder call on Wednesday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services confirmed that these emergency allotments will end after February because of the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, the annual federal spending bill signed into law on Dec. 29.
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On the same day, the federal government renewed the public health emergency through at least April 10.
Previously, these emergency allotments were tied to the existence of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency, but the new spending bill decouples this money from the public health emergency and sunsets the spending after February.
January and February FoodShare payments will still include the emergency allotments. Those payments are scheduled to be in FoodShare members’ accounts on Jan, 22 and Feb. 19, respectively.
The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer, or P-EBT, will continue for this school year and this summer. This money is meant to offset the costs of meals for children who did not receive free school breakfast and lunch because of COVID-19.
The new federal law institutes two main changes for P-EBT.
For this school year, parents of students who are eligible for free school meals (this includes all MPS schools) are eligible for $8.18 per day that their child missed school due to COVID-19 reasons or were learning virtually, and thus did not receive free breakfast or lunch. More information here.
Also parents who enrolled their children in fully virtual schools or have begun home-schooling since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible to receive benefits.
For Summer P-EBT, parents should expect substantially less in payments than in previous years. While parents of eligible children received $375 and $391 in 2021 and 2022, respectively, payments are capped at $120 for this summer.
For questions about P-EBT, email PEBTsupport@wisconsin.gov or call 833-431-2224.

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Ron Smith
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5 things to know and do the weekend of Jan. 13 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
January 13, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Visit America’s Black Holocaust Museum for free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 13 at 401 W. North Ave. as part of “Community Day,” sponsored by Network Health.
Hip-hop artist Emmitt James brings his “Too Cold to Tour” show to Milwaukee, with a full band and a guest set by R.A.T.M.A.N. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14 at Var Gallery, located at 706 S. 5th St. Tickets start at $15.
This is a class specifically for Black women where participants will learn foundational breathwork techniques to reduce stress, process emotions and enhance quality of life. This class repeats every other week, starting from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14 at Earth Angel Studio, located at 3536 W. Fond Du Lac Ave. Admission is $25.
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If you still have your Christmas tree, it can still be donated and turned into mulch for planting new wildlife around the city. The Washington Heights Neighborhood Association will be accepting trees from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14 at the North 40th Street parking lot within Washington Park. Trees should be cleared of all decorations before donating.
Brave the cold and discover the beauty of Havenwoods at night during this candlelight hike. The hike takes place from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15 at Havenwoods State Forest, located at 6141 N. Hopkins St.

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5 things to know and do this week in Milwaukee: Jan. 16 to Jan. 20 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
January 16, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
If you have ever had an issue accessing or keeping quality, affordable internet, or if you have ideas on how your internet experience can be better, you can share your story at these two community conversations on affordable internet access. Spanish and English speakers are welcome.
There are two listening sessions this week. The first one is 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16 at United Community Center, located at 1028 S. 9th St. The second is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, located at 1700 W. Fond Du Lac Ave.
Alderwoman Milele Coggs invites residents of the 6th Aldermanic District to January’s town hall meeting to discuss district concerns and announce winners of the 2022 Dr. James G. White 6th District Difference Makers Awards. The meeting runs from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at the Martin Luther King Branch Library, located at 310 W. Locust St.
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Leaders of local nonprofits are invited to learn more about what it means to host a Public Ally. There will be a light breakfast and tea served. The free event runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18 on the second floor conference room at Arts @ Large, located at 1100 S. 5th St.
The Havenwoods Neighborhood Improvement District, or NID, exists to convene neighbors and organize to improve the Havenwoods neighborhood. The annual NID meeting happens this week from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. this Thursday, Jan. 19 at Havenwoods State Forest, located at 6141 N. Hopkins St.
“Art Against the Odds” is an exhibition of art made by people who are incarcerated and runs until March 11. The opening reception is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19 at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, located at 273 E. Erie St.

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Ron Smith
January 15, 2023

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Here’s where you can celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
January 16, 2023
Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and although the day is a federal holiday, it would not be complete without personal reflection or action.
Here are six ways to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The Milwaukee Public Library is hosting a full day of events, reflections, games, talks and activities designed to highlight community and the roots we share in light of King’s vision. Events take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Branch Library, located at 310 W. Locust St.
You can find a full schedule of activities here.
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Learn about King Jr.’s visits to Wisconsin in this special tour of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society Museum. The tour will be followed by a screening of “King: A Filmed Record … Montgomery to Memphis,” a documentary released in 1970 that chronicles the life and work of King throughout the civil rights movement.
The tour is $10 and begins at 11 a.m. The movie screening is free and open to the public and begins at 1 p.m. Both events will be held at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society Museum, located at 2620 W. Center St.
Celebrate the life and work of King with crafts, music and learning about his definition of “justice” at this gathering organized by Ubuntu Research and Evaluation. The event runs from 10 a.m. to noon at Capitol Drive Lutheran Church, located at 5305 W. Capitol Drive.
Student winners of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Speech and Essay Contest will deliver their speeches and read their essays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, located at 929 N. Water St. More information here.
5 Points Neighborhood Association has organized a day of service creating glass jar art to give to older adults, people with disabilities and veterans. The event runs from noon to 3 p.m. at Grace Fellowship Church, located at 3879 N. Port Washington Road.
The Y, also known as the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, is hosting a celebration of King’s birthday featuring messages from state and local politicians and spoken word by Milwaukee-area students. The event takes place from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Potawatomi Hotel and Casino, located 1721 W. Canal St. More details on the event here.
The event kicks off a week of dialogue organized by the Y on issues of equity in mental health, early childhood education and more.
Did we miss anything? Add it to the comments below.


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Ron Smith
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Post From Community: Parks lifeguard hiring kicks off | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Milwaukee Parks Foundation
January 17, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
WHEN: Saturdays, Jan. 21- Feb. 25, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
WHERE: Noyes Pool 8235 Good Hope Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53223
WHAT: Milwaukee County Parks is hosting the beginning of our lifeguard swim classes.
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Help support Milwaukee County pools this summer. The county is looking for its next lifeguard class for 2023. We have multiple classes coming up over the next few months and are in need of candidates. No experience is necessary. Candidates must be at least 16 years old by July 2023, and able to swim 100 meters in less than 1 min. 45 sec., and be in good physical condition.
Lifeguard pay starts at $16.47 an hour. Along with a refer a friend program worth $100, returning employee bonus option worth $200, and an additional bonus potential of up to $800 for a full season of service.
Click here for more information and FAQs on lifeguard information.
Walk-ins are welcome or time-slots can be selected in advance here.
For early photos, media requests, and interviews please reach out to Jodi Wendt at jodi.wendt@milwaukeecountywi.gov or 414-257-8077
Additional Details
Milwaukee County Parks is one of the county’s largest employers for outdoor, seasonal positions. Each summer between 500-900 positions are needed to help manage services on over 14,000 acres of parkland.

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Should we provide tents to people living outside? A public debate takes a turn. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
January 17, 2023
Serious disagreements have been reported between two different groups about how to best assist people experiencing homelessness in MacArthur Square.
But agreement over what to do – and why it should be done – has recently emerged.
The debate has broad implications for how homelessness in our midst is effectively addressed – not just in MacArthur Square but throughout the city. Key in this debate is sweeping recognition of the value of a “housing first” approach.
The two groups in question have been the Milwaukee Downtown, Business Improvement District #21 (BID #21) and Street Angels Milwaukee Outreach.
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BIDs are organizations funded by business and property owners to promote their interests and provide services that benefit the group. In Milwaukee, there are 31 BIDs, each within their own boundaries.
In the case of BID #21, the boundaries are within downtown, roughly bordered by East Pleasant Street on the north and West St. Paul Avenue on the south; North 11Street on the west and North Prospect Avenue on the east – an area that includes MacArthur Square, 841 N. James Lovell St.
Street Angels is a nonprofit organization that reaches out to people living on the street throughout the city, including in MacArthur Square, and provides food, hygiene items and outdoor gear.
A tent is one such piece of gear.
After a rise in the number of people living in tents in MacArthur Square, Elizabeth Weirick, CEO of BID #21, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in October that Street Angels is responsible for the rise, as tents make people less willing to accept shelter or housing.
Jan Wilberg, board president of Street Angels, responded to Weirick’s claims by disputing the idea that tents somehow “enable” homelessness. Street Angels hands out tents, she said, because people often have no other option but to be outside.
Several weeks later, in support of Street Angel’s position, Wilberg posted to Facebook the results of an informal survey about the relationship between having a tent and one’s willingness to accept shelter or housing.
Street Angels staff asked 59 unsheltered individuals with tents whether their tent would make them less likely to accept shelter or housing. Ninety-eight percent of respondents said they would accept permanent housing, and 73% said they would accept shelter.
“One thing is sure,” Wilberg wrote, “tents protect people.”
There now appears to be more common ground.
“Clearly, there are organizations, like Street Angels, who are focused on how we make being outside humane for individuals,” Weirick told NNS recently.
“What I have stated,” Weirick said, “is that where we like to see our own (BID #21) resources being used is to fund permanent, sustainable housing solutions, and saying something like that can be misinterpreted as saying ‘don’t buy people tents.’”
Supporting permanent housing solutions “doesn’t mean you don’t need resources in other areas,” she added.
The difference here is simply more a matter of approach, Weirick said. “I can tell you everyone has a different approach of how they care for unsheltered people. Street Angels is authentically committed to ending homelessness – everybody leverages resources in different ways.”
And while the encampments at MacArthur Square became a flashpoint of sorts for the debate about homelessness in the city, giving way to related debates at Common Council committee meetings about the provision of port-a-potties for unsheltered people, the issue is not limited to this part of the city.
As Shelly Sarasin, co-founder and director of Street Angels, said, “There are no borders to homelessness.”
She and her staff have handed out or seen tents throughout the county, as far north as the intersection of North 76 Street and Good Hope Road to as far south as Oak Creek.
Another point of agreement that has emerged between BID #21 and Street Angels is on the question of the availability of shelter and housing.
“We recognize that the minute somebody becomes homeless, there’s not necessarily shelter or an apartment for them,” said Weirick.This is a fact that motivates much of the work of Street Angels.
Sarasin said homelessness is not caused by “providing tents” but is simply “a result of the lack of affordable housing in Milwaukee.”
“There are many people who need housing, and shelter, but there’s just not enough beds for everyone who needs them,” Sarasin said.
In the case of the people at MacArthur Square, the fact that there are still many people in tents, despite public scrutiny and engagement by the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, Housing Division, further supports this claim, according to Sherrie Tussler, executive director of Hunger Task Force, a food bank and food advocacy organization.
The Hunger Task Force paid for and organized the placement of port-a-potties at MacArthur Square.
Data provided by IMPACT, the parent organization of IMPACT 211, which connects people in need to resources, also supports the claim there are not enough places for people to go.
From Jan. 1, 2022, and Dec. 9, 2022, people were housed, on average, within 45 days of receiving a housing voucher. However, the time between a person becoming homeless and receiving a voucher was significantly longer. Seventy-five percent of people received a voucher over the course of their first year of experiencing homelessness, “with the majority of those receiving a voucher within six months of their first date of homelessness,” Emily Kenney, IMPACT’s systems change director, said in an email. Twenty-five percent of people received a voucher after a year or longer.
Statements by Eric Collins-Dyke, assistant administrator of supportive housing and homeless services at the Housing Division, also support the claim there is not enough housing for people who want it.
During a Public Safety and Health Committee meeting on Dec. 1, he said, “We need more housing. People want housing – people are not refusing permanent housing.”
For those who are offered shelter but do, indeed, decline it, there is yet more overlap between BID #21 and Street Angels about why people make this choice.
Shelter options, Weirick said, do not always fully accommodate the wide range of needs people experiencing homelessness can have.
“I think that from what our team learned from citizens on the street who are not sheltered is – we hear a little of everything: ‘I don’t want to stay in this shelter because I have to be sober.’ ‘I don’t want to stay there because my partner cannot come with me.’ ‘I cannot bring my dog,’ ” Weirick said.
Sarasin, during the Dec. 1 committee meeting, also cited having a pet or a partner as reasons why people sometimes decline shelter and added that “previous negative experiences” and “trauma” in shelter settings are other reasons.
As Tussler said, “It’s difficult for anyone to stay in congregant settings. … There are a lot of people who experience a feeling of anxiousness or fear when in crowded spaces with other people.”
Collins-Dyke told Public Safety and Health Committee members much the same: “I think when you talk about spaces that may be temporary in nature, that could be crowded in a certain context, it sometimes can exacerbate mental health issues, other issues related to that, where people are more comfortable in their own private setting on the street.”
Perhaps the deepest point of agreement among groups involved in addressing homelessness, though, is what the ultimate goal is: To help get people into housing using the “housing first” model.
“Housing first” is both a belief and a practice. It holds that housing is an end unto itself as well as a tool that aids in stabilizing a person’s life overall, helping them effectively address mental health difficulties, substance abuse and other challenges that accompany homelessness.
Officials and entities who oversee the budget or offer  services for people experiencing homelessness have, publicly and in writing, endorsed a ‘housing first’ approach as well.
This group includes the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, IMPACT, County Executive David Crowley,  Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, among others.
“We are not looking for division,” Weirick said. “How do we leverage all of these resources and groups to accomplish what we all want, which is to end chronic homelessness.”
Those interested in donating toward tents and other items, can go to the website for Street Angels. Volunteer opportunities are also available.


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Ron Smith
January 16, 2023


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‘I want everyone included’: Amani United’s new president says she will focus on building relationships | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
January 18, 2023
Elizabeth Brown, Amani United’s new president, plans to spend her term building relationships and using them to bring new development into the Amani neighborhood.
Brown, 49, has been an off-and-on Amani resident for the past 15 years and has been active with Amani United and its partner agencies for the past five years. She was inaugurated Jan. 7.
Amani United is a resident-led group. Its members serve, engage and provide resources to their neighbors. Brown has served as chairwoman of the group’s Friends of Moody Park and Education and Family Well-Being committees.
Brown, who will serve a two-year term, said she hopes to spend that time engaging her neighbors in discussions surrounding the growth of their community.
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“If nothing else, by the time my term is done, I hope to have more resident involvement,” Brown said. “From elders to youth, I want everyone included.”
Though her time in the role has just started, Brown has a list of tasks she is preparing to tackle.
“The first thing I hope to do with this role is clarify our neighborhood revitalization plan so that more residents can understand and use it,” Brown said.
The revitalization plan identifies goals and corresponding actions to help create future investment in and development of the Amani neighborhood
In addition, Brown wants to build relationships with property owners and find out what it will take to have a grocery store in Amani.
“She’s been involved and taking on leadership roles in Amani United for the last four years since I’ve known her,” said Amanda Clark, housing organizer with the Dominican Center. “In my opinion, she’s been the president, it’s just official now.”
The Dominican Center works as a partner agency with Amani United. The organizations team up often for different programs and events that happen in Amani’s community.
Amani United impeached its former president, Corey Kirkwood, at the end of 2021 over allegations of negligence in his position. The group has since been led by interim president Jarvis West, who did not run for the presidency.
Brown initially didn’t want to run for office.
“We’ve been telling her to run for president and she’s finally decided to do it,” said Soleil Harvey, Brown’s daughter. “She’s been caring for the community, and she’s been putting in the work.”
Said Brown, “I don’t like the spotlight that comes with this role. I just want to do what I’ve always done and do the work.”
Brown believes she’ll do well in this position because she is a representation of her community.
“I am Amani. I represent parents and the children. The single mother, the gang banger, the grandparents raising their grandchildren, the tenants and the homeowners. I am all of us and I want to see a better community for all of us.”
To keep up with Amani United, check out its website and Facebook page.

created: January 18, 2023


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52621133976_e1c18d31ef_k-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 17, 2023


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Post From Community: Alverno College names Jeanie C. Lucy, OD, PhD, MPH, MS, FAAO, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Kelly Cole
January 18, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Jeanie C. Lucy, OD, PhD, MPH, MS, FAAO, has been named dean of Alverno College’s School of Arts and Sciences and will assume the role on January 23.
In this role, she will provide leadership to the School of Arts and Sciences and partner with faculty to foster student achievement. The largest of the college’s four schools, the School of Arts and Sciences is comprised of four divisions – Humanities; Arts; Behavioral Sciences; and Natural Sciences, Mathematics & Technology – and offers courses which provide students with a deeper knowledge of the wider world, promoting intellectual and personal development.
Lucy is a highly credentialed, experienced leader in higher education and clinical optometric practice. She comes to Alverno from Midwestern University, Chicago College of Optometry where she served as an assistant professor. She previously served as an adjunct professor for several colleges and universities, and has also held several leadership and administrative roles throughout her career including chair of National Continuing Education for Faculty and Students, Optometry Clinic Council liaison, and president and CEO of Optometric Eyecare Physicians in Chicago. Lucy’s scholarship focuses on best practices in pedagogy, biomedical science, public health, education technology and inter-professional education and collaboration. She has lectured locally, nationally and globally on the success of organizational teams, public health and women entrepreneurs.
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Lucy earned her PhD in Values-Driven Leadership at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill., and also holds a Doctor of Optometry degree from the Illinois College of Optometry. She earned two master’s degrees – a Master of Science in Values-Driven Leadership from Benedictine and a Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago – and undergraduate degrees in Visual Science from the Illinois College of Optometry and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science Teaching from Chicago State University. She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO).
About Alverno College
Founded in 1887 by the School Sisters of St. Francis, Alverno College promotes the academic, personal and professional development of its students in a collaborative and inclusive environment. Undergraduate programs for women are offered in more than 60 areas of study, and graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology, school psychology, music therapy, music and liturgy, and business are open to women and men.
A leader in higher education innovation, Alverno has earned international accolades for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, which emphasizes hands-on experience and develops in-demand skills. The college, Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, ranks among the top schools in the Midwest for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and innovation by U.S. News & World Report. For two years, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education named Alverno the country’s most inspiring college.
Based in Milwaukee, Wis., Alverno College is a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college.

author: Kelly Cole


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January 11, 2023


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Post From Community: Elizabeth Brown inaugurated as Amani United president | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Christina Chronister
January 18, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
On Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, longtime Amani resident Elizabeth Brown was sworn in by Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Kori Ashley at Dominican Center.
Brown has been active in the Amani community for years, including work as Amani United’s Education & Family Well-Being committee chair and the Friends of Moody Park chair. She recently spearheaded a makeover of the Moody Park basketball courts and has been paramount in the parks revitalization for many years.
According to Brown her “first revitalization plan strategy [as AU president] is to continue to bring culturally appropriate education, events and trainings to our community.”
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Also honored at the inauguration, was longtime Amani United board member and former president Jarvis West and the 2022 Amani United Ambassador Council members.

author: Christina Chronister


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Elizabeth-JudgeAshley.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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January 13, 2023


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Post From Community: New study reveals deadliest roads in Milwaukee & Wisconsin | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon Feldman
January 18, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Milwaukee law firm Mingo & Yankala recently released a data study that revealed Wisconsin’s most dangerous stretches of road. Out of the top nine most deadly roads listed, five of them are here in Milwaukee.
The analysis used crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety to identify which five-mile stretches of road in Wisconsin have had the most fatalities over the last 20 years.
Based on that report, here are the Top 5 Deadliest Roads in Wisconsin:
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You can see the full study here.

author: Sharon Feldman


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deadliest-roads-wisconsin.png | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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January 11, 2023


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Post From Community: Nominations sought for 26th Annual Mayor’s Design Awards | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Department of City Development
January 18, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
The City of Milwaukee’s Department of City Development is accepting nominations for the 26 Annual Mayor’s Design Awards that will recognize design excellence and notable Milwaukee development projects.
“Milwaukee is witnessing tremendous growth and activity. New buildings, outdoor spaces, attractions, and landscaping are adding to the fabric of our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson. “These awards celebrate the innovative efforts that make our city a great place to live, work, and have fun. I am encouraging folks to nominate the deserving projects that build stronger communities and move Milwaukee forward.”
Recipients of the award are honored for adding value to their neighborhoods by restoring, constructing, or enhancing their properties in a way that respects the urban fabric and contributes to the character of their surroundings. Awardees range from large iconic buildings, to small business storefronts and community-led public art installations.
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Nominations are encouraged from the public and from individuals or organizations involved in the nominated project. Worthy projects must be located in the City of Milwaukee and must have been completed (or nearly completed) any time prior to January 1, 2023.
Nominations must be submitted HERE by March 1, 2023.
Additional information and answers to specific questions are available by email at mayorsdesignawards@milwaukee.gov.


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January 17, 2023


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Post From Community: Sherman Phoenix and gener8tor launch new program to serve Milwaukee entrepreneurial and creative community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Maureen Ragalie
January 18, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
The Sherman Phoenix Foundation and gener8tor are excited to announce the launch of gener8tor Art x Sherman Phoenix, a program designed to serve the Milwaukee creative community through professional development workshops, one-on-one mentorship and grant funding for individual artists. With a focus on supporting creative professionals who have been traditionally underfunded, such as BIPOC, LGBTIA+, female or female identifying, nonbinary individuals, persons with disabilities, neurodiverse individuals and veterans, the inaugural program aims to support the business side of these creative practices.
Based out of the Sherman Phoenix Marketplace in Milwaukee, gener8tor Art x Sherman Phoenix will run year-round programming that is free and open to the public. Community programming will include workshops, webinars, artist talks, one-on-one office hours and mentorship opportunities. Public programming will also include a one-month Master Class Series around building a professional art practice. gener8tor Art x Sherman Phoenix will also offer a seven-week accelerator program twice per year, in which participants will receive seven weeks of individualized mentorship on how to strengthen the business side of their art practice. Individual artist grants of up to $10,000 will be available to Milwaukee-based artists who participate in the accelerator program. The deadline to apply for the first application cycle is Feb. 26, with the selective seven-week accelerator program beginning on April 10. Apply here!
“gener8tor is thrilled to partner with Sherman Phoenix to deliver both public and selective programs for artists in the Milwaukee area,” said Darius Smith, director of gener8tor Art x Sherman Phoenix. “We are continuing our mission to provide creative and sustainable resources for artists to thrive both financially and creatively and make the impossible possible – no matter their race, place or gender.”
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The application deadline for the gener8tor Art x Sherman Phoenix Accelerator Program is Feb. 26. The seven-week selective artist program will begin April 10. Artists and mentors who are interested in learning more or getting involved are encouraged to visit gener8tor Art.
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gener8tor is a global venture firm and accelerator network that supports startups, workers, employers, artists and musicians across race, place and gender. gener8tor partners with companies, governments, universities and nonprofits to operate programs and conferences in more than 41 communities across 22 states and two countries. Fast Company named gener8tor one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021 and 2022. The International Trade Council recognized gener8tor as Global Venture Capital Firm of the Year in 2022.
The Sherman Phoenix Foundation is focused on critically needed leadership, training and action by leaders of color on economic equity and empowerment. The Foundation will work to collaborate with leaders working to build inclusive and just economies for communities of color. It will support strategies focused on: Economic equity and empowerment; Entrepreneurship and small business success; Strategic corporate investment and training; and Emotional wellness for leaders of color. Additionally, the nonprofit organization will lead all programming at the Sherman Phoenix that brings cultural and economic vibrancy to the hub, including technical assistance for the 25+ small business tenants, wellness programming, educational offerings and arts and cultural events.

author: Maureen Ragalie


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gener8tor-Art-x-Sherman-Phoenix-image.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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January 12, 2023


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Post From Community: Stan’s “Share-A-Pair” Shoe and Sock Drive February 1 – 28, aimed at helping those who are less fortunate in Greater Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Heidi Fendos
January 18, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Are you looking for an easy way to spread kindness with those less fortunate people in Greater Milwaukee? It all begins with clearing out your closet.
Drop off your new or gently used shoes, sneakers and boots for men, women, and kids as well as new socks at Stan’s Fit For Your Feet annual “Share-A-Pair” drive from Tuesday, February 1 through Monday, February 28.
Items can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at any of the “Share-A-Pair” collection bins at Stan’s in Brookfield at The Plaza at 17155 W. Bluemound Road; Stan’s in Glendale across from BayShore Mall at 505 W. Silver Spring Drive; Stan’s in Greenfield in the Layton Plaza at 7405 W. Layton Avenue.
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This year the donated shoes, sneakers, boots and new socks for men, women, and kids will be distributed locally to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, Hope House, Repairers of the Breach homeless day shelter all in Milwaukee and Father Gene’s HELP Center in West Allis. The remainder of the shoes will be given to Soles4Souls, a global not-for-profit organization that distributes shoes to impoverished people in over 125 countries around the world.
According to Megan Sajdak, marketing director for Stan’s, “Customers will also be able to help these deserving Milwaukee nonprofits we are partnering with by rounding up their in-store and online purchases,” said Megan Sajdak, director of marketing for Stan’s Fit For Your Feet.
Anyone donating gently used or new shoes, sneakers or boots or new socks to the “Share-A-Pair” drive will also receive $10 off their next regular price men’s and women’s shoe or $5 off their next regular price kid’s shoe purchase valid through March 8th at any Stan’s Fit For Your Feet location.
Sajdak adds that “Stan’s social media will also be providing video opportunities throughout the month of February for people to get to know these great local nonprofits better. We have outstanding organizations in Milwaukee that do amazing work for our community. This is a great time to give back and learn about the resources here in the Milwaukee area.
Since its inception 17 years ago, Stan’s Fit For Your Feet’s annual “Share-A-Pair” shoe drive has collected more than 325,000 new and gently-used pairs of shoes from Greater Milwaukee residents. For more information on the “Share-A-Pair” shoe drive, visit www.stansfootwear.com or call 262-432-4030.
Stan’s Fit For Your Feet’s three stores are home to Wisconsin’s largest collection of regular and hard-to-find shoe sizes. They have been in business since 1950 and specialize in bringing style and comfort to Milwaukee from around the world.  Stan’s Fit For Your Feet also owns two Good Miles Running Company stores in Greenfield and Brookfield and Vionic in Brookfield.,
In 2022, Stan’s expanded its business into Illinois with the purchase of Waxberg’s Walk Shoppe in Niles, Ill. For more information, please visit www.Stansfootwear.com.

author: Heidi Fendos


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From transient youths to homeless adults: Why some vulnerable residents continue to struggle | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
January 19, 2023
Davonta Sellers was taken out of his family’s care at 2 years old. And now at age 22, he’s still working to find stability.
He, like many other Milwaukee youths, spent his entire adolescence in and out of foster care and group homes before eventually facing homelessness as a teen and into adulthood.
“I was with my first foster mother until I was 5 years old, and then she didn’t want me anymore because of my behavior,” he said. “From then, I was always moving in with family members, into a new foster care or a new group home.”
For Sellers, there was never a stable home to go back to so bouncing around was his only option. That lack of stability is one reason many Milwaukee youths end up homeless adults.
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According to the National Foster Youth Institute, after reaching the age of 18, 20% of the children who were in foster care will become instantly homeless.
Sellers entered adulthood struggling to find stable housing and was homeless for a while but said with the help of Pathfinders in Milwaukee, he’s been able to find a job at a local entertainment venue and is beginning to find stability. Pathfinders serves youth with housing struggles,
“The last time I counted, I’ve been in around 57 group homes,” Sellers said. “When those weren’t working out, I slept on bus stops, in parks, tents, my friends’ basements, even the rescue mission.”
“As I learn and grow, I still struggle to forgive my past because it shouldn’t have gone like that,” Sellers said. “I know I’ve suffered from some of my behavior, but I was just so angry, and people never tried to understand.”
He said he’s still working on his temper as he deals with his past.
“My only memories of my mom are trauma. My dad was in and out of prison, and my grandmother’s home was an abusive environment,” he said. “So, when I wasn’t getting taken away, I was leaving on my own.”
According to Audra O’Connell, the executive director of Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center, this is not an uncommon experience for youths who are in the system. She said around 40% of the youths her group serve are those who are stable for a while and then aren’t because they don’t have a placement, left their placement or were kicked out.
“People often confuse trauma with bad behavior. They confuse the two because they have no understanding of youths,” Deshanda Clark, the senior vice president of programs and services at Pathfinders, said. “People don’t listen to young people, and when they do advocate for themselves, it’s seen as disrespect.”
O’Connell said her organization is seeing an increasing number of youths who have mental health needs.
“Since the pandemic, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation are through the roof,” O’Connell said. “Youth were forced to stay in situations that may not have been good for them as a result of COVID.”
She said because so many services decreased during the pandemic, the center saw more youths who needed a lifeline such as runways and domestic violence survivors.
“We also believe we are just starting to see the fallout from the loss and tragedy of the pandemic in our work. Families who come to us have greater challenges,” the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families said in an email.  “They are dealing with more complex and traumatic situations. That is also true of our youth. We are working hard on focusing on improving our care of older youth in particular.”
Undercounting is a constant issue for those serving people without homes and this isn’t any different for young people.
According to Megan O’Halloran, who sits on the Milwaukee Public Schools board, there were 4,041 students enrolled in MPS’ Homeless Education Program this school year. The program offers services to families and students experiencing homelessness.
Of those, there were 816 unaccompanied youth, which means they lived separately from a parent or guardian. But these numbers are not representative of families and teens who fail to report being homeless.
“MPS can’t count students who aren’t going to school,” said Clark. “There is no clear depiction of the problem.”
And once a young person becomes homeless, Clark said, they are subject to suffering from bigger systemic issues.
“So many of our preconceived notions about young people like the way we see them in a negative light are connected to their instability,” she said. “When they come to us, they already feel hopeless so when we don’t serve them properly, they feel worse, and they can pull back.”
Clark said another barrier for youths is adults struggling to take accountability for what they’ve done.
“As an adult, you may feel like children should just listen and follow directions,” she said. “However, we have a generation of children who are exposed to everything that is adult-like because everyone is doing the same trends and weighing in on the same conversations and struggling with the same issue.”
She said it’s difficult to have any form of hierarchy when no one has provided young people protection from things that shouldn’t be present.
“They are exposed to everything, and many of them are leading what some call ‘adult lives,’ ” she said. “Some are parents already. They are working jobs and paying bills. Some youths were just at an MPS board meeting fighting for a shorter school week so they could work.”
She said it is hard to prioritize the needs of young people when you are struggling yourself, but we need to talk about how adults’ inability to prioritize youth isn’t the youth’s fault.
According to Clark, sometimes struggles are generational.
“Some youths and young people we are case managing today are the children of people we’ve case managed in the past,” she said. “And some of these are coming here for emergency services with young children of their own. Youth homelessness is the gateway.”
“Everyone wants to help the cute little kid, right, but you have to realize that you’re to help the family because that kid that you’re caring for, that’s like the key to the family,” said Christina Chronister Thomas, who has been fostering youths for almost three years. “At that point when they’re staying with you, and their parents are working their plan, you need to offer as much support to the parents as you are to the children.”
Chronister Thomas said the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families does a good job of training foster parents but that same training for youths in the system is lacking.
She fosters infants and has built a close community with other foster parents.
Although there is a lot of information on how children in foster care should be treated, that is not always the case when youths age out of the system.
Sellers said on top of all his other problems, once he was ready to move into a place on his own, he couldn’t find housing.
“Because I’m so young and I didn’t have any support, it was so hard to get someone to rent to me,” he said. “And it was hard to make enough money to afford bills.”
Clark said Pathfinders advocates and builds relationships for the young people the group serves.
“It’s a lot of creating relationships with property owners because no one wants to go into a lease with a minor,” she said. “And there aren’t enough spots to house everyone through existing programs.”
According to Clark, creating space for young people to thrive is the first step toward breaking the link between youth and adult homelessness.
“We need to commit to affordable housing,” she said. “Then we need to allow young people into space where they can help determine what they need.”
Sellers said what helped him most were genuine people who wanted to see him succeed.
“I don’t know if people understand that so many of us were born into this lifestyle. We’re out of our homes because of the mistakes or choices of our parents,” he said. “You’ll never understand what we go through until you’re homeless. It’s a struggle every day.”

created: January 19, 2023


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52593528987_89364964ef_h | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 18, 2023