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Post from Community: Cinco de Mayo family festival to honor the people Of Ukraine | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
El Conquistador Latino Newspaper
April 29, 2022
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.
El Conquistador Latino Newspaper and UMOS proudly present the 5th Annual Cinco de Mayo Family Festival. This year will mark the 160th Anniversary of Cinco do Mayo, and we have a lot planned for the event.
After a two-year hiatus, the festival returns with several new contests: a Vicente Fernandez singing, and a look-a-like contest in honor of the late great Vicente Fernandez. We also added a Tamale Eating Contest. These new contests are guaranteed crowd-pleasers.
Cinco de Mayo is an annual popular celebration commemorating the famed Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when the outnumbered and poorly equipped Mexican Army defeated the more powerful and better-armed French Army. The victory for the Mexican force against the French Army was a morale boost for Mexico. A battle cry that rallied the country to fight against unprovoked invaders.
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This year we dedicate Cinco de Mayo Festival to the people of Ukraine. Just like the Battle fought in Puebla, the people of Ukraine are united in a fight against a well-equipped and bigger opponent.
St Michael’s Ukrainian Church members will hold a prayer service to call for an end to the Russian-Ukraine war and call for peace as part of the opening ceremony. At the festival, the St Michael’s Ukrainian Church will have a booth collecting funds for the victims of the war and other items for the recent refugees who have come to Milwaukee. The opening ceremony will be held at 1 PM on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at UMOS Corporate Plaza, 2701 S. Chase Ave. Milwaukee, WI.
El Conquistador Latino Newspaper and the United Migrant Opportunity Service (UMOS) will present St Michael’s Ukrainian Church and the people of Ukraine with a plaque dedicated to the “Triumph of the Human Spirit.”
“Triumph of the Human Spirit.” is an award that we will present to five people from our community who fought to improve the quality of life for the Latino Community. This year, we will honor our community’s original “Soldados” (soldiers) Ernesto Chacon, Jesus Salas, Marla Anderson, Roberto Hernandez, and Dante Navarro.
Members of the Mexican Consulate of Milwaukee will be at the festival representing Mexico as we honor the people of Ukraine during the opening ceremony.
The Cinco de Mayo Festival features music, Mexican folkloric dancings, a car show, a chihuahua beauty contest, carnival rides, a pepper eating contest, a piñata party for kids, a community resource fair, and more.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates the triumph of the human spirit and what people united can do! Cinco de Mayo teaches us that despite overwhelming odds, together, we can overcome.
Cinco de Mayo is sponsored by UMOS, Supermercado El Rey, Caliente Radio 97.3 FM, Make A Wish Wisconsin, Total Request Entertainment, La Z Radio 93.7 FM, and El Conquistador Latino Newspaper.
For more information on the Cinco de mayo festival, volunteer opportunities, or participation, call 414-383-1000.

author: El Conquistador Latino Newspaper


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Post from Community: Fondy Food Center announces interim executive director | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Heather Deaton
April 29, 2022
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 Board of Directors of the Fondy Food Center announced that Venice R. Williams, widely-known for her visionary leadership of Alice’s Garden Urban Farm on the Northside of Milwaukee, will become the Interim Executive Director of the Fondy Food Center, beginning Monday, May 2.
“This time of transition is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with the community and realign our mission. Venice brings abundant passion and purpose to lead this effort,” says Heather Deaton, president of the Fondy Board of Directors. “Her amazing gift of visioning, and her ability to build and strengthen connections is humbling. I am thrilled and honored to learn from and work with Venice. The board is excited for what’s ahead for Fondy, the greater Milwaukee area, our community partners, and the households we serve. We are blessed and grateful to have Venice join us.”
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The Fondy Farmers Market, run by Fondy Food Center, celebrated its centennial year in 2017. Its historic presence on Milwaukee’s Northside has been a focal point of fresh food access for multiple generations of Wisconsin residents. Fondy Food Center also runs the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market.
In 2010, Fondy started the Fondy Farm Project, which assists low-resource farmers in gaining access to the land, resources, and support they need to operate a successful business. The farm is currently located on the Mequon Nature Preserve. Stephen Petro, Fondy Farm Director, is excited about, and welcoming of Ms. Williams’ leadership. “Fondy and the communities we serve, have been my home for over 11 years now,” says Petro. “I’ve been fortunate to learn from many talented folks and Venice Williams has been among the most influential and grounded. Our team at Fondy is looking forward to the work ahead; the opportunities, the challenges, and especially the call to listen. How fitting for us to start the growing season in such a fashion.”
“Accepting this interim position is a continuation of the service I have given to the greater Milwaukee community for almost thirty-three years,” shares Venice Williams. “This is an incredible opportunity for me to help guide Fondy in a re-exploration of their mission, a broadened utilization of the Fondy Farmers Market site and Fondy Park, and to strengthen the links of food, economic development, and food equity work in Milwaukee. I am also looking forward to acknowledging and celebrating the complicated, yet incredible, food and land narratives of Black and Brown peoples who are a part of the communities served through the Fondy Food Center. By the time my interim tenure comes to a close, the Fondy Board and Staff will have a renewed plan of action and service that will be comprehensive, energizing, and beneficial for our communities.”

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Heather Deaton


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venicelake.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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April 28, 2022

author: Name *


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Post from Community: New DCF prevention resource for Milwaukee families launched at Community Advocates | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Community Advocates
April 29, 2022
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.
Last week, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Secretary Emilie Amundson visited Community Advocates to help launch the Stronger Families Milwaukee program, a new five-year prevention initiative developed by DCF to reduce child maltreatment and keep more families together in safe, stable, and nurturing homes.
Community Advocates Public Policy Institute is serving as the lead agency for the Stronger Families Milwaukee Consortium, in partnership with Neu-Life Community Development and The Parenting Network.
This pilot project also aligns with the statewide observance of April as Strengthening Families Month to emphasize the potential within every family to build stronger, more nurturing bonds. April had formerly been known as Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month.
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This family-centered, strengths-based program utilizes a combination of case management services and peer advocates to assist families in finding community supports that fit their needs and help them thrive in-home.
It also signals a new vision of what DCF and local partners can do to support families struggling with parenting and household challenges. Instead of reacting after a child is harmed or is found to be living in a potentially dangerous situation, the Stronger Families Milwaukee program aims to prevent those crises from occurring in the first place.
“Extensive research has shown us the most effective way to prevent child abuse and neglect is to provide upstream support to families so children can grow up in environments that support their wellbeing,” Secretary Amundson said. “Simply put – we need to help families find and build their strengths and devote more resources to support families before abuse or neglect occurs. To do this, we have been working to transform our child welfare system into one that uplifts and empowers families.”
Sarah Henery, administrator for the Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services (DMCPS), said the agency has just celebrated an important milestone with the release from a consent decree that had overseen its work, as well as the dismissal of a lawsuit over the quality of its care of children. DMCPS is now pivoting to help families outside of the system to connect them to resources—in other words, to provide support to families through independent organizations in Milwaukee, such as the Stronger Families Milwaukee Consortium partners.
“We are looking for new opportunities and paths to connect families to needed services earlier and transform our system from a reactive response to a proactive space,” Henery said.
A Two-Generation Prevention Initiative
The Stronger Families Milwaukee project employs a two-generation, culturally informed, client-centered strengths-based case management model that provides wraparound services to caregivers and kids. When the Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services has contact with families who need help with their basic needs or more support for their family, they will refer them to Community Advocates.
Kari Southern, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute deputy director, gave an overview of the project. Community Advocates’ Engagement Specialists will work with a family through case management and home visitation to set personal and family goals. Community Advocates’ team can connect participants to a number of services internally, including housing resources, energy assistance, domestic violence services, mental health services, outpatient treatment, client financial assistance, and more.
In addition, caregivers and children can be referred to consortium partners The Parenting Network and Neu-Life Community Development for parenting classes, the Parent Helpline, peer support services, youth programming and various youth engagement activities. Families will also receive referrals to other sources for additional needs such as healthcare, school supports, employment, and more.
“They say that every ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” Southern said. “That’s what we’re trying to do with this project, is focus on building healthy and stable families and preventing any involvement with the child welfare system.”
Tina Burke, a mother who is connected to The Parenting Network, stressed the importance of peer support and basic needs services for caregivers and kids.
“You can find a gem in a rare place,” Burke said. “I found that there were people going through what I was going through. They came to The Parenting Network to learn how to be patient with their kids, and how to talk to them, and to respect that child. You have to show respect to get it.
“With all of this experience with my own family and other families, I can assure you that resources and support make a huge difference in the stability of a family. Living in a too-small home, or not being able to make rent, or being stretched too thin when you’re trying to work and give your kids the attention they deserve all put stress on parents and caregivers.”
DCF Secretary Amundson also highlighted the role of the community in helping to lift up families who are struggling to do the best they can to raise healthy, happy children.
“It truly takes a village to raise a child and when we lean in together as communities and neighbors, we can get to a place where all Wisconsin children and youth are safe and loved members of thriving families and communities,” Secretary Amundson said.

author: Community Advocates


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Post from Community: Tips to combat distracted driving | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
West Bend Mutual Insurance Company
April 29, 2022
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.
National Distracted Driving Awareness Month may be coming to a close, but road safety should be a priority year round. Here are some tips, tricks and reminders from West Bend Mutual Insurance Company to combat distracted driving and make the streets safer for fellow drivers, pedestrians, and yourself.
From changing traffic patterns for new construction projects to stormy weather that limits road visibility, the road ahead might be unpredictable or unfamiliar. Driving more slowly when unsure of what is ahead is an important way to avoid accidents. Speeding will not help a driver get to a destination quicker, but it will increase the risk of collisions.
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Talking on a cell phone while driving is the most common form of distracted driving, followed by texting and internet use. Resist the urge to take calls or respond to messages while behind the wheel by silencing your device while driving or setting up a text auto-reply to be sent to those trying to reach out. If driving with a passenger, ask them to answer or make calls and messages on your behalf.
Phones aren’t the only thing taking our attention off the road and our hands off the wheel. Avoid multitasking while driving and be sure to eat, apply makeup, or deal with any fussy backseat passengers while the car is parked in a safe place.
Before hitting the road, adjust your seat and mirrors, get the radio tuned or the GPS running, and make sure all passengers are buckled up and ready to go. Young or new drivers should limit the car to one passenger at a time to mitigate distractions.
The best way to build safe driving habits is to drive safely every day. For young drivers, West Bend Mutual Insurance has partnered with Road America’s Teen Driving Program to build defensive driving skills and hone safe driving techniques.
West Bend Mutual Insurance policyholders can receive a discount for Road America’s Teen Driving Program and can learn more about the program and upcoming dates on the West Bend Mutual Insurance website.
Learn more about preventing distracted driving and find other resources at thesilverlining.com/focus.
Safe driving tips provided by West Bend Mutual Insurance Company

author: West Bend Mutual Insurance Company


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Post from Community: Upcoming group exhibit at Urban Ecology Center | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Miriam Sushman
April 29, 2022
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 Wednesday May 18, Four the First Time, a small group show will open at the Urban Ecology Center, 5 pm – 7 pm. Location: 1500 E. Park Place, Milwaukee, WI 53211. The exhibit will be on display until July 31.
For the first time, Jonathan Ellis, Beverly Richey, Miriam Sushman and Adria Willenson (“Four Sights”) will be showing their individual works together. Spearheaded by Miriam Sushman, this new group is joining forces to create a community supporting each other as we grow as artists.
Studio art can be an isolating experience and while a certain amount of solitary, focused, and concentrated time is required, artists need to connect and work with others.  We have found this to have been an enriching experience and plan to continue working together towards another exhibition in the Spring of 2023.
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Four The First Time has come together in just under two months. New and past work will be shown. The artists have their own distinct style and will be showing both abstract and figurative paintings, mosaics, and mixed media pieces. The unifying theme is nature.
Guest artist, poet and spoken word performer Suzanne Rosenblatt will be performing one of her original works related to nature, humanity and the importance of working together.
You are invited to find your own meaning and relationships in the art and with the artists as we move forward in our art together.

author: Miriam Sushman


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UEC-Exhibit-SaveTheDate-final.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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April 27, 2022


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Post from Community: Versiti to host ‘A Seat at the Table’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Versiti
April 29, 2022
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.
Chat online with us! Have a seat at the table for a can’t-miss community conversation about food insecurity, healthy eating and active living.
Community is at the heart of what we do at Versiti. That’s why we’re inviting you to have “A Seat at the Table” and ask us anything in our series of virtual community chats. Join our spring 2022 educational webinar series to listen and learn from local healthy-living experts and share your own views on food, fitness and other health topics.
In this three-part online discussion series (May 4, May 11 and May 18), a virtual stage will be set to offer education, resources and opportunities to live a healthy lifestyle as a blood donor and registered organ and tissue donor.
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All events are free an open to the public.
Webinar #1
A Seat at the Table: Food Insecurity and Literacy in Underserved Communities
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
6-7 pm (CT)
Community Host: Rayna Andrews
Community Activators: Angela Kingsawan and Sacha Simmons
Have a seat at the table for the community conversation on food insecurity, the challenges faced in many urban cities, and how everyday people like you can join the mission to improve circumstances. Join Versiti as we amplify the need for healthy donors and enjoy a lively demonstration on planting specific herbs that provide healing benefits.
Webinar #2
A Seat at the Table: Causing a Healthy Food Movement Within Your Home
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
6-7 pm (CT)
Community Host: Rayna Andrews
Community Activator: Kierston Ghaznavi
Anyone can cause their own healthy food movement. Have a seat at the table to find out how. Versiti will offer a live reading of the children’s book “Alex McGreen and the Tale of the Mysterious Kale” by author, Rayna Andrews, complemented by a kale smoothie demonstration. Join Versiti as we amplify the need for healthy donors and the importance of eating and living healthy at all ages.
Webinar #3
A Seat at the Table: Cross-training the Mind and Body for Healthy Living
Wednesday, May 18, 2022

author: Versiti


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April 27, 2022


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Post from Community: Washington Park Community Fishing Club | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Urban Ecology Center
April 29, 2022
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.
Event Description(For everyone) Come catch the big one in the Washington Park lagoon with guided fishing lessons for kids, adults, and families with our DNR Angler Educator. All equipment provided.
Free
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For any additional questions about this program, reach out to Terry Evans at tevans@urbanecologycenter.org.
Registration is NOT required for this event.
Website: https://calendar.urbanecologycenter.org/event/washington-park-community-fishing-club-35/

author: Urban Ecology Center


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277175220_10160154140083698_5928581384430161168_n.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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April 20, 2022


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Survey seeks input from residents near Ascension St. Joseph Hospital about their health care needs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
April 29, 2022
Community organizers are seeking input from residents who live near Ascension St. Joseph Hospital. (NNS file photo by Andrea Waxman)
A new survey asks Milwaukee residents who live near Ascension St. Joseph Hospital about their health needs and experiences at the hospital, with hopes of informing new investments in the community.
The community health survey is being conducted by Voices For Health Justice MKE, a project of the St. Joe’s Accountability Coalition, an alliance of community groups that started in 2018 to advocate for residents with the health system. Participants can take the survey online.
The survey asks participants to rate their experience at St. Joseph hospital, located at 5000 W. Chambers St. in Sherman Park, asks which Milwaukee area hospital they’d most like to go to and if they were unable to receive any services they needed.
It also asks about their biggest health concerns in the community, and compares those priorities with those identified by Ascension, asking participants if they agree with the assessments.
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Lisa Jones, executive director and lead organizer of the Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope, or MICAH, said the goal of the survey was to speak with those most affected by access to health care—or lack of it—in the central city.
“What would it look like if community had a say in what’s needed, really going from a bottom-up perspective instead of a top-down perspective?” Jones said.
Jones noted the importance of St. Joe’s because of its status as the only general hospital on the city’s North Side. Controversy ensued in 2018 when it was announced that the hospital would be cutting back on inpatient beds and surgical services. Some community members thought the hospital would soon close, which Ascension administrators denied.
The ultimate goal is to bring the survey results to Ascension St. Joseph Hospital administrators and ask for a community benefits agreement. The agreement between Ascension St. Joe’s as a private institution and community groups would outline specific community benefits for the hospital to provide.
Rafael Smith, climate and equity director with Citizen Action of Wisconsin and a member of Voices for Health Justice MKE, said the project will allow nearby residents to stop “suffering in silence” and give them a chance to voice their concerns.
Devin Anderson, membership and coalition manager for the African-American Roundtable and a member of the St. Joe’s Accountability Coalition, said the survey aims to meet people where they are and “lift up their experiences” to inform change.
For him, the importance of the survey was summed up in a picture of the Combahee River Collective, an activist group that marched against police brutality in Boston in the 1980s.
“We cannot live without our lives,” Anderson said, quoting one banner from the march.
The group does not have a timeline for when the survey will be finished or when an attempt at a community benefits agreement will be made. The survey itself is an early stage in the process, Jones said.
The Milwaukee Health Care Partnership’s Community Needs Assessment is expected to be released in late April or early May. The study, which partners with local health organizations like Ascension, Advocate Aurora Health, Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin and Children’s Wisconsin, identifies major health concerns through phone and online surveys, community stakeholder interviews and focus groups.
When reached for comment, an Ascension spokesperson said the organization would wait to see the results of the survey.

author: Matt Martinez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
April 28, 2022

author: Dwayne Burtin


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5 things to know and do this week in Milwaukee: May 2 to May 6 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
May 2, 2022
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.
1. Muslim CommUNITY Eid Festival: Monday, May 2
Celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the last day of Ramadan, with rides, a petting zoo, henna and performances. The festival runs from noon to 6 p.m. on Monday, May 2 at Wisconsin State Fair Park, located at 640 S. 84th St. in West Allis. The event is free to attend, but parking may be up to $10. More information here.
2. Bronzeville Overlay Public Meeting: Monday, May 2
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Ald. Milele Coggs invites Bronzeville residents to a meeting to discuss a zoning plan that “will add rules for land use and building design decisions” in the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District. The meeting takes place virtually starting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, May 2. Register to attend here.
3. MATC Diversity Job Fair: Wednesday, May 4
Milwaukee Area Technical College, or MATC, is hosting a job fair featuring about 31 employers focused on creating a diverse workforce The fair is open to the public but is geared toward students and recent graduates. The fair runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4 in Room M605 at the downtown MATC campus, located at 700 W. State St. More information here.
4. Clase de Zumba / Zumba Class: Wednesday, May 4
Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers hosts this weekly Zumba class for those looking for low-impact exercise and fun. The class starts at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 4 and every Wednesday thereafter at Hispanic Disciple of Christ, located at 2906 W. Scott St.
5. Opening Reception for Reflections: A Self-Portrait Exhibition: Friday, May 6
The Milwaukee Art Therapy Collective, an art studio and gallery geared toward community wellness, presents the opening reception for “Reflections: A Self-Portrait Exhibition.” The exhibition is a collection of “traditional/representational, expressive, and abstract self-portraiture,” on display from Monday, May 2 to Friday, July 1. The opening reception takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 6 at Milwaukee Art Therapy Collective, located at 9224 W. Burleigh St.

author: Sam Woods


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51382637084_6a55b79ea6_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 1, 2022


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High school students work on solutions to environmental issues | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
May 2, 2022
High school students from across the city spent the last year learning about and completing projects on environmental issues through an internship with Reflo Sustainable Water Solutions.
They came together last week at Arts @ Large, 1100 S. 5 St., to share what they learned with their friends and family. Reflo is located in the same building.
Students worked about 10 to 15 paid hours a month. Reflo staff guided them through the process.
The Audubon team studied sensory gardens; the Golda Meir team focused on community clean-ups; the team made up of Milwaukee School of Languages, Rufus King and North Division students examined native plants and pollinators awareness; and students from Bradley Tech studied overconsumption in fashion.
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Each project produces either literature that students can share with their peers or an event planned by the interns.
Reflo, a nonprofit, focuses on improving green spaces and sustainable water practices through education, research and the implementation of water projects.
“We want to introduce students to careers they know little or nothing about,” said Wilniesha Smith, the intern and outreach coordinator for Reflo. “Green infrastructure is a rising career in the Midwest.”
Lily Wohlt, a Rufus King student, said she sought out the program because she cares for the environment.
“I enjoyed being able to learn about a broad range of things and still being able to focus on what was important to our team,” she said. “And being paid just made it that much better.”
Other students said they got more than expected from the internship.
“I had to learn to be open-minded,” said Azaria Kelly, an intern from Golda Meir. “Even when I thought people would agree with what I thought, they didn’t, and I had to learn to be comfortable with that.”
“I never realized how much work it takes for us to have clean water,” added Oliver Rodriguez, an intern from Audubon High School. “We learned all about it when they took us to Jones Island,” the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s primary wastewater treatment plant.
Students earned certificates for their work, and many said they plan to continue environmental work after the internship is over.
“I want to be a nurse,” said Kelly. “But this has become important to me, too, so I’m going to figure out how I can do both.”
Smith said the organization is always looking for volunteers and community involvement.
“The best part of this work is the satisfaction students have once they finally understand what’s going on and how to work toward it,” she said.
For more information
Reflo will offer this program for Milwaukee Public Schools students in the upcoming school year and students can participate in the environmental internship throughout the summer as well. You can learn more here.

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


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Dwayne Burtin
May 1, 2022


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Are COVID-19 vaccines still free? The short answer is yes. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
May 3, 2022
Leer en español: una versión traducida de este artículo está disponible debajo de la versión en inglés.
As the pandemic stretches on and federal programs tied to it end, some have voiced concerns about whether the COVID-19 vaccine will remain free.
Shary Pérez, health research program coordinator with the United Community Center, said clients at vaccine clinics run by the center have consistently had questions about the price of the vaccine. They have also had concerns about whether they will need to show insurance or a form of identification to receive the vaccine.
Here’s what you need to know about vaccines — and their availability — in Wisconsin.
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So, are vaccines still free?
Yes. The federal government requires that vaccinators provide the shot free of charge to patients regardless of their ability to pay or insurance. The state Department of Health Services has also committed to providing vaccines for free.
Recent guidance from the Department of Health Services said:
“Anyone in Wisconsin can get vaccinated for free – even if they do not have insurance or their insurance does not cover COVID-19 vaccination,” the guidance said. “Vaccine providers cannot bill patients for charges not covered by insurance and cannot require people to provide an ID or charge a co-payment. Organizations must administer the COVID-19 vaccine regardless of ability to pay COVID-19 vaccine administration fees or insurance coverage status.”
Why are some people worried?
Pérez said some patients were worried that the vaccine had been “available long enough” and that soon providers would start charging. Others had questions about their insurance coverage and changes to protective guidelines.
Changes at the federal level have also caused questions. The Health Resources and Services Administration recently announced that it was no longer accepting claims for its COVID-19 Uninsured Program, which reimbursed health care providers for giving COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured individuals, due to a lack of funding.
While the program will end, those providing vaccines will still need to follow CDC guidelines and provide the vaccines free of charge regardless of vaccination
Will they continue to be free?
They will for now, but that could change eventually.
Emily Tau, a spokesperson for the Milwaukee Health Department, said vaccines would be free for the foreseeable future. The city’s health department follows the same guidance as the state Department of Health Services, so it will continue providing vaccines for free as long as the state does.
However, the department encourages community members to get vaccinated now in case the price of vaccines change, she said.
Continuing changes at the federal level could impact how vaccines are distributed, including the potential end of the federal public health emergency. The state will continue to follow CDC guidelines regardless, Department of Health Services spokesperson Elizabeth Goodsitt said.
“We can’t say yet what guidelines the CDC will update as it continues to respond in real time to the pandemic, but we will continue to follow guidance from the CDC regarding the COVID-19 vaccination program,” Goodsitt said.
What should I do if someone tries to charge me for the vaccine?
Contact the Wisconsin Department of Health Services at 844-684-1064 or email DHSCovidVaccinePublic@wi.gov This number and email address allows consumers to file complaints and ask questions regarding vaccine pricing.
Where can I find the vaccine?
To find vaccines around the city, visit HealthyMKE.org. The site has an interactive map that allows you to browse pop-up clinics, federally qualified health centers and events that provide vaccines.
The Milwaukee Health Department provides vaccines at the following locations:
On Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 6 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Vaccines can also be located on the federal government’s website, Vaccines.gov. You can also text your ZIP code to 438829 or call 800-232-0233 for assistance.
A medida que la pandemia se extiende y los programas federales vinculados a ella terminan, algunos han expresado su preocupación sobre si la vacuna COVID-19 seguirá siendo gratuita.
Shary Pérez, coordinadora del programa de investigación de salud del United Community Center, dijo que los clientes de las clínicas de vacunas administradas por el centro siempre han tenido preguntas sobre el precio de la vacuna. También les preocupa si necesitarán mostrar un seguro o una forma de identificación para recibir la vacuna.
Esto es lo que necesita saber sobre las vacunas y su disponibilidad en Wisconsin.
Entonces, ¿las vacunas siguen siendo gratuitas?
Sí. El gobierno federal exige que los vacunadores proporcionen la vacuna sin cargo a los pacientes, independientemente de su capacidad de pago o seguro. El Departamento de Servicios de Salud del estado también se ha comprometido a proporcionar vacunas de forma gratuita.
Una guía reciente del Departamento de Servicios de Salud dijo:
“Cualquier persona en Wisconsin puede vacunarse de forma gratuita, incluso si no tiene seguro o su seguro no cubre la vacunación contra el COVID-19”, dice la guía. “Los proveedores de vacunas no pueden facturar a los pacientes por cargos no cubiertos por el seguro y no pueden exigir a las personas que proporcionen una identificación o cobrar un copago. Las organizaciones deben administrar la vacuna contra el COVID-19 independientemente de su capacidad para pagar las tarifas de administración de la vacuna contra el COVID-19 o el estado de cobertura del seguro”.
¿Por qué algunas personas están preocupadas?
Pérez dijo que a algunos pacientes les preocupaba que la vacuna hubiera estado “disponible el tiempo suficiente” y que pronto los proveedores empezarían a cobrar. Otros tenían preguntas sobre su cobertura de seguro y cambios en las pautas de protección.
Los cambios a nivel federal también han causado preguntas. La Administración de Recursos y Servicios de Salud anunció recientemente que ya no aceptaría reclamos para su COVID-19 Programa sin Seguro, que reembolsaba a los proveedores de atención médica por administrar vacunas COVID-19 a personas sin seguro, debido a la falta de fondos.
Si bien el programa finalizará, quienes proporcionen vacunas aún deberán seguir las pautas de los CDC y proporcionar las vacunas de forma gratuita, independientemente de la vacunación.
¿Seguirán siendo libres?
Lo harán por ahora, pero eso podría cambiar eventualmente.
Emily Tau, portavoz del Departamento de Salud de Milwaukee, dijo que las vacunas serían gratuitas en el futuro previsible. El departamento de salud de la ciudad sigue la misma guía que el Departamento de Servicios de Salud del estado, por lo que continuará brindando vacunas de forma gratuita mientras el estado lo haga.
Sin embargo, el departamento alienta a los miembros de la comunidad a vacunarse ahora en caso de que cambie el precio de las vacunas, dijo.
Los cambios continuos a nivel federal podrían afectar la forma en que se distribuyen las vacunas, incluido el posible final de la emergencia de salud pública federal. El estado continuará siguiendo las pautas de los CDC independientemente, dijo la portavoz del Departamento de Servicios de Salud, Elizabeth Goodsitt.
“Todavía no podemos decir qué pautas actualizarán los CDC a medida que continúan respondiendo en tiempo real a la pandemia, pero continuaremos siguiendo las pautas de los CDC con respecto al programa de vacunación contra el COVID-19”, dijo Goodsitt.
¿Qué debo hacer si alguien intenta cobrarme la vacuna?
Comuníquese con el Departamento de Servicios de Salud de Wisconsin al 844-684-1064 o envíe un correo electrónico a DHSCovidVaccinePublic@wi.gov. Este número y dirección de correo electrónico permite a los consumidores presentar quejas y hacer preguntas sobre el precio de las vacunas.
¿Dónde puedo encontrar la vacuna?
Para encontrar vacunas en la ciudad, visite HealthyMKE.org . El sitio tiene un mapa interactivo que le permite buscar clínicas emergentes, centros de salud calificados a nivel federal y eventos que brindan vacunas.
El Departamento de Salud de Milwaukee proporciona vacunas en los siguientes lugares:
Los lunes y viernes de 9 a 15 h; martes y jueves de 12 a 18 h; y sábado de 9 am a 1 pm
Los lunes, miércoles y viernes de 12 a 18 h y los martes y jueves de 9 a 15 h
Las vacunas también se pueden encontrar en el sitio web del gobierno federal,  Vaccines.gov . También puede enviar un mensaje de texto con su código postal al 438829 o llamar al 800-232-0233 para obtener ayuda.


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50960510547_3451ca6535_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 2, 2022


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OPINION: Why I want to be ‘Mixx Wisconsin’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Annia Leonard
May 3, 2022
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
My name is Annia Leonard and I will soon represent Milwaukee County in the Miss Wisconsin USA pageant.
So who am I?
I am a queer, Black, nonbinary Milwaukee native.
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I am currently organizing for better resources to support the basic needs of the Milwaukee community through organizations. This includes work with MKE Good Food Bus and Priceless Incite, which works to bring fresh produce to neighbors from local farmers while offering youth tools to heal from past sexual/domestic violence. While still grounding myself in my purpose, I have rekindled a childhood passion for creating art from trash and discarded clothes with my current business, Enchanted Werk.
It’s fitting that I represent all of Milwaukee County, as I’ve lived in many of the ZIP codes around the city.
A person with my background might not be who you associate with pageants, so why am I entering for a second time?
First, what is a beauty pageant?
For folx who don’t know, pageants are elaborate and competitive, but you can’t lump them all into one category. There are beauty pageants for style, beauty pageants with talent shows and some that include live interviews with an audience.
The Miss (insert state name) pageant is the first step a contestant takes to be considered for the Miss USA pageant and then the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Wisconsin USA pageant is hosted by Future Productions every year.
In 2021, I ran for Miss Wisconsin USA at a pageant hosted in the Wisconsin Dells. In this pageant, we have three categories: interview, evening gown and swimwear. We are judged based on our style and community support. The only portion you don’t see on TV is the interview portion with the judges, which is held in the morning on Saturday. Typically, each pageant offers a combination of a cash prize, scholarships to colleges and beauty endorsement deals.
Being a nonbinary contestant
This year, I have been intentional about creating the “Mixx Wisconsin” image for myself. As the first nonbinary contestant (that I know of) running in this Wisconsin state pageant, I want to put some respect on my identity and my journey. In pageants like these, where femmes and women are asked to identify as female, I wanted to emphasize that my gender won’t be a token.
Fortunately for me, Future Productions, which also hosts pageants around the country, is very supportive of nonbinary contestants who are assigned-as at-birth females. Other trans contestants might have another story, since in some states you can legally change your birth certificate to list your chosen gender. In Wisconsin, that’s not the case, so I am privileged in that sense.
In my research, I did not find much about nonbinary contestants in cisgendered pageants, but I did find Stecina. O. Stecina, of Colorado, was the first nonbinary contestant to run in the Miss Colorado pageant in 2019. They were featured in a Huffington Post article, highlighting their journey and they didn’t leave empty-handed — they won the Director’s Award, which is awarded by pageant staff to a contestant for their positivity.
For trans contestants, Ms. Kataluna Enriquez was the first openly trans-woman to win the Miss Nevada state pageant. She went on to compete in the Miss USA pageant in November of 2021. Sadly, she did not win but she stayed grateful for even having the opportunity to represent herself and her community.
What I learned last year
In 2021, I chose to compete in the Miss Wisconsin USA state pageant because I wanted to gain visibility. It seems that in Milwaukee, you have to move in extremes to get attention for business and educational opportunities.
I have learned that pageants, competitions and hosting events consistently can bring me recognition, but that doesn’t always guarantee support.
When I competed last year, I was in the middle of organizing Brave Green Wave Trybe, a grassroots organization that focused on highlighting and housing Black queer, trans and nonbinary people, or QTNB, in Milwaukee through a company we created, 21st Street Cooperative. My team and I organized for over a year to buy a house and the lack of support was frustrating at times.
Like Stecina, I observed that most of the contestants adhered to traditional standards of beauty and that left me feeling a bit discouraged. After I ran for the pageant, I saw the increase in donations to our fundraisers and more folx from other cities and states called or messaged us to support our efforts.
In August of 2021, we successfully purchased a home on North 21st Street and West Juneau Avenue, then started on repairing it to house five Black QTNB individuals by the early winter season.
In four years, I’ve grown through the challenges of extreme poverty, homelessness, heartbreak, homophobia, transphobia and depression. While I am growing, the community around me is experiencing its own growing pains. I watched, supported solutions and disrupted the poverty and lack of infrastructure as it affected different parts of my community in Milwaukee.
As I enter a second pageant, I am more connected than ever to my community.
While I gained my footing, four people I knew were losing their housing. Two others were facing discrimination in the medical system for their QTNB identity, and three others were losing jobs because underdeveloped Milwaukee caused their cars to give out faster than they could make money.
I will continue to advocate for politicians to acknowledge that heavily funding a police budget can have long-term effects on the crumbling infrastructure of the community.
We need better medical support for QTNB people in Wisconsin. We need a reallocation of funds from police budget to our public schools, our small businesses, our food and housing resources. I am focused on uplifting the existing Milwaukee resources that need funding to sustain themselves, like MKE Good Food Bus, ComForce, 414Life, Ayuda Mutua, Butterfly Collective, Black Rose Initiative and more.
My approach to the Miss Wisconsin USA pageant this year
I want to leave this article off by saying a couple of things.
One, I would like to acknowledge the life and tragic passing of former Miss USA of 2019, Cheslie Kryst. Cheslie was a phenomenal person who made history with two other Black women as they held the spots for Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss America in 2019. She is remembered for her beauty, her social justice work and kindness. Many couldn’t believe her passing, for she died by suicide at the age of 30. Her family confirmed her history of depression and I imagine that she was under constant pressure to be the role model she was.
Two, I battle with depression and PTSD. One of the many things I am learning on my journey of healing and growth is that the pressure of society can be subtle but persistent. As a Black femme, I want to help everyone and be everywhere at once. As a society, we teach each other to rely heavily on the value others place on you in your relations with them. Keep people happy and they love you. Challenge them and they might fight you to the death (of that relationship) to stay the same. At least, that’s what I’ve experienced. Often over the years, I have felt the pressure to perform, organize, create for the ability to gain opportunities.
In 2021, through Brave Green Wave Trybe, I spent a lot of time focusing on others and how I could organize a collective of individuals toward a purpose. My approach this year is to focus on bettering myself and expanding my resources so that I can bring that back to my community.
Miss Wisconsin USA takes place from May 6 to May 9.
Annia Leonard is an event coordinator, model, community connector, teacher and youth organizer.

author: Annia Leonard


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ANNIA2022 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 2, 2022


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Fight COVID MKE antibody study seeks Black and Latinx volunteers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
May 4, 2022
Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin are seeking participants for a study of COVID-19 antibodies with the hopes of finding out how the coronavirus has affected Milwaukee County residents.
In particular, the study aims to engage with Black and brown communities because of their higher rates of chronic disease, such as diabetes, and other health concerns.
Fight COVID MKE, a project from the medical college, is providing Milwaukee residents with free antibody testing in an effort to understand what percentage of adults in Milwaukee County have had COVID, how long do antibodies provide protection from reinfection, what risk factors lead to worse outcomes with COVID-19 and how vaccines affect someone’s risk of getting sick.
“What are the patterns of (social determinants), antibody levels and survey results that are associated with some people doing really well, while other people end up in the hospital?” said Dr. John Meurer, a professor at MCW and co-principal investigator of the Fight COVID MKE Project. “Why is it that some are so resilient and others so relatively frail?
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Participants must be a Milwaukee County resident aged 18 years or older. Those enrolled in BadgerCare Plus or Medicaid programs are encouraged to join. The study has enrolled 3,500 participants so far and hopes to reach 5,000 by the end of June, Meurer said. Participants can also receive a gift card.
In Wisconsin, COVID-19 has particularly affected communities of color: According to the Department of Health Services, the Latinx community has the highest case rate among all demographics; the Black community has the highest hospitalization rate; and the Native American community has the highest death rate.
Priscilla Wallace, program director with Fight COVID MKE, said the project could prove useful to communities, helping participants assess their risk for infection or reinfection and allowing them to make safer choices and protect themselves.
The study is part of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, a partnership between local academic institutions, hospitals and laboratories that gathers research to use in health settings around Milwaukee.
Results from the study also will go to public health organizations, such as the National Institutes for Health, that plan to analyze the effects of COVID-19 on communities. Data shared with the National Institutes of Health will not include names or addresses of participants.
Wallace said many participants are referred into the program by other medical centers. Federally qualified health centers, such as Progressive Community Health Centers and Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, and locations with major health systems direct participants and can even schedule the antibody test with them.
The effort has also enlisted the aid of local churches. When COVID-19 hampered the ability of community-based organizations to gather residents, faith leaders were still able to connect with people in their neighborhoods.
“The community-based organizations were hit hard when it came to COVID,” Wallace said. “But the connection remained with our faith-based partners where the ministers and pastors still had the ear of their congregation. They’re also a trusted pillar within the community.”
Dr. Dessie Levy, assistant professor and assistant director of community engagement initiatives for the MCW -Clinical and Translational Science Institute, said there has been a concerted effort to bring the project into high-risk ZIP codes and meet people where they are.
Levy, who also serves as a member of the General Baptist State Convention of Wisconsin, works with clergy on the North Side and South Side to spread the word. For example, by partnering recently with La Hayes Seventh-Day Adventist Church on the city’s South Side, researchers were able to meet 37 participants for the study.
The messaging centers around belief, Levy said. She tries to reach the faithful by discussing her view on scripture and how the study can benefit the community.
“If God himself, Jesus Christ and the holy spirit can embrace research, finding those that are lost, finding answers to problems that can’t be solved—who are we as believers to not do the same?” Levy said.
Levy said the study was an opportunity for people of color to find out how to better protect themselves and their community.
“If everyone around the globe is saying: ‘What is COVID doing to Black and brown people that it hasn’t done to others,’ that is a wake-up call,” Levy said. “This is our time. It’s a call for action, and we’ll be remiss if we don’t get involved.”
To get involved
Go to fightcovidmilwaukee.org, call 414-955-2684 or email fcm@mcw.edu for more information.


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51989156051_e20026eeff_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 3, 2022


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OPINION: ‘The goodness continues’: How the new Table Vocational Center answers a call to serve our community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Venice R. Williams
May 4, 2022
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
It was 1994 when I found myself completely mesmerized by the insightful and humbling thesis of Matthew Fox in his book, “The Reinvention of Work: A New Vision of Livelihood for Our Time.” The entire text was an invitation, a roadmap, an urgent plea to reform and reclaim the goodness of our day-to-day work, and our relationship to it.
Mr. Fox wrote: “We dare not miss the truly radical and creative moment in which we live—one in which we are being asked to redefine work itself.”
That “creative moment” was named 28 years ago. Not many days have passed where I do not think about what I have attempted to embody and model from what the pages of “The Reinvention of Work” and my deep compassion for humanity have taught me.
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In my 32.5 years of serving Milwaukee as a Lutheran minister, I have been consecrated with countless opportunities to imagine a better Milwaukee — healthier, safer, more joyful. I have also been entrusted with the blessed burden of birthing (and rebirthing) spaces to cultivate the overflowing aspirations, and tender ambitions, of children, families, businesses and neighborhoods in this city.
Such another opportunity has evolved for me and The Table, the ministry where I serve through the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or ELCA. As the members of Capitol Drive Lutheran Church decided their time as a congregation is coming to an end, they are gifting the property at 5305 W. Capitol Drive to expand on the sacred, transformative and visionary work The Table has already been bringing to life in Milwaukee.
You may know that work as Alice’s Garden Urban Farm, where the nurturing of food and families, health and hope takes on many forms. Maybe you are familiar with the Kujichagulia Producers Cooperative, located inside of the Sherman Phoenix, at 3536 W. Fond du Lac Avenue? The Table launched the store in November of 2020 to broaden our support of the local businesses that are vendors at the Alice’s Garden Artisan & Farmers Markets. Thirty entrepreneurs now have merchandise on our store shelves. I believe both the farm and the retail space have contributed to upholding, and regenerating, meaningful and creative work in Milwaukee.
Yet, our answering the call to serve this city is still in its infancy phase.
At 5305 W. Capitol Drive, we are launching The Table Vocational Center. It will focus on both the inner work, and the outer work, humanity needs to be restored to wholeness. My personal understanding of vocation is that space of living and working where what you are passionate about, and good at doing, merges with what the world needs, and you are compensated for such work. Vocation is where your calling intersects with a way for you to make a dignified living.
Offering a space centered on vocation is solid, life-supporting ministry for The Table.
Indeed, The Table will gather for worship, in our special way, around a meal, sharing songs, scripture, our life journeys and the communion meal. All are invited to join us. There will be baptisms, bible studies, weddings. It will be a space for familiar and innovative community gatherings for celebrating and grieving. The building will be sanctuary, where we hold all of living in hallowed balance. It will also house the year-round offices of Alice’s Garden Urban Farm, as well as the Milwaukee hub for Rural Urban FLOW.
There is more.
Artistic exploration and expression is a pathway to engaging so much of the inner work Milwaukee cries out for, in so much of its brokenness. Mystic Phoenix Art, owned by CaBeatrice Hart, will offer an array of art classes and experiences for the community.  The Table is also carving out a fiber arts classroom at the center. We are restless as we anticipate honoring and teaching some of the arts that were treasured by our communities, historically, and supported the homes and livelihoods of so many of our ancestors.
Full Circle Healing Farm, a family-run farm, healing center and apothecary guided by Martice and Amy Scales, also is eager to help facilitate wellness at the vocational center. They are “passionate about creating a culture of healing in our broken world,” as their website proclaims. They will offer counseling, Reike, yoga, food justice programming and more. They farm at the Fondy Farm, located at the Mequon Nature Preserve. Yoga FloWellness has begun operating in the space, led by Cheryl Robertson. She has been leading Thursday evening yoga classes at Alice’s Garden Urban Farm throughout the past two growing seasons.
Blake and Anomalous Campbell, partners in life and in the kitchen, have relocated Anomaly Catering to The Table Vocational Center. In addition to continuing to make our taste buds happy with their delicious meals, they will be the directors of culinary operations, managing the new commercial kitchen. The kitchen will house four businesses of the Kujichagulia Producers Cooperative. The Campbells are also excited about their new gastronomy arts studio, gastronomy education program for children and youth they are bringing to life in the community. Anomaly Catering will also serve as our “in-house” caterer for many of The Table’s special events and programs.
The goodness continues.
A Miracle Happened Wellness and Birth Services, operated by registered nurse and birth doula Vanessa D. Johnson, has found a home right in the heart of the city.  Along with offering expecting families prenatal, continuous birth and postpartum care, doula training courses will also be offered for those interested in becoming birth workers, especially with the intent to serve women who are at risk for high infant and maternal mortality outcomes.
Over the past 24 years, I have called myself a cultural and spiritual midwife, placed in the world to help people birth all of the goodness already inside them. The vocational center will provide a space for me to once again offer a variety of rites of passage courses and to strengthen our Seed, Soil and Soul project. Parenting circles will return to our ministry. In my new office, I will welcome those who continue to seek my spiritual direction services. At The Table Vocational Center, we will create a diverse, community council of elders. There will be conferences, summits, retreats, coursework to not just mend to the wounds of this city, but to help our children and families thrive.
In August of 1997, the ELCA adopted a detailed initiative called “In The City For Good.” The intent of the action was for the whole church to take responsibility for strengthening our relationships with, and service to, people in urban areas. The goals were “transformed lives, transformed congregations and transformed communities.”  This work in Milwaukee is far from complete. Other cities, countries, ministries continue to seek my work. I have not left this city.  I have chosen to be in Milwaukee for good. For now. For as long as my vocation insists I remain.
For more information
The Table Vocational Center, 5305 W. Capitol Drive, is hosting an open house from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Friday, May 13.
Venice Williams is director of Alice’s Garden and The Table. She is also a lay minister, teacher, healer and facilitator.

author: Venice R. Williams


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VENICECV2022 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 3, 2022


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NNS Spotlight: How Maroon Calabash is addressing Black maternal deaths by building on a history of midwifery | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
May 5, 2022
In 2016, a group of friends and birth workers sat down to discuss the state of Black maternal health in Milwaukee.
Data produced at that time reported Milwaukee was one of the deadliest places for Black women to give birth.
“As we sat there, we realized that we fall into this data,” said Lyanne Jordan, the executive director and co-founder of Maroon Calabash. “Regardless of our socioeconomic status or our educational backgrounds, there is a likelihood that someone in that room wouldn’t survive childbirth.”
Angered and saddened at that thought they decided to do something and from that conversation, Maroon Calabash formed as a way for this group to support one another and then help the Milwaukee community.
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“We wanted to support one another and begin to support other black birthing people, but we also wanted to engage the systems responsible for those statistics,” Jordan said.
Maroon Calabash is a group of self-described Black radical doulas who supports Black people in decolonizing reproductive experiences at the intersection of cultural traditions and modern medicine, according to Jordan. The group calls itself a reproductive justice nonprofit and its office is located at 3846 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Members seek to make pregnancy a community-based experience so that parents get support through their pregnancy and birthing by providing resources and funding for everything from birthing services to diapers or mental health services for people struggling with postpartum depression.
The group partners with the Milwaukee Diaper Mission, which provides essentials to families in need. The Diaper Mission helps provide Maroon Calabash’s clients with kits it makes to support birthing parents.
‘Providing the urgent needs’
“Maroon Calabash is talking about postpartum health and providing the urgent needs,” said Meagan Johnson, the co-founder of the Milwaukee Diaper Mission. “There is not enough access to that type of support. It’s powerful to have that safety net.’’
Jordan said to understand the value of the work Maroon Calabash does, you must understand the history of such work.
She said Black women have been doing birth work since people started having babies and the work has lineage originating from Africa.
“Enslaved Black women birthed everyone’s children until overseers became uncomfortable with the knowledge they had, that’s when medicine as we knew it, changed,” Jordan said. “They created this negative narrative surrounding these women and their work and the tradition was lost.”
According to Jordan, modern medicine was quite literally built on the experimentation, exploitation and torture of Black women.
“Marion Sims, the father of modern gynecology, conducted his research on enslaved Black women without anesthesia,” she said.
Jordan said knowing that history is important because as the city embraces doulas and birth work, Maroon Calabash wants to ensure that people understand that the state of Black maternal health is not the fault of Black women nor they should not be expected to be the saviors.
“Having a doula is a taste of what true community, prior to white supremacy and colonization, was like for us,” she said. “It shows the depth of care we can receive when we’re in community with one another.”
Maleisha Reedy birthed her second child at home in October with the help of Maroon Calabash.
“Having a baby is a very intimate experience to me,” she said. “I wanted it to be as private as possible, somewhere I’m comfortable and have 100% control of the environment.”
Reedy said giving birth this way was a wonderful experience because of the people around her.
“It was a more family-oriented experience,” she said. “Having a baby is hard, but my family and team were there to remind me that we don’t have to do hard things by ourselves.”
She gave birth to her first child traditionally and said she preferred her home birth because she was able to let the baby lead the situation.
“Hospitals rush birth. At home, I was able to let go of control, breathe through it and let the baby determine its birthdate,” she said. “Some things don’t need intervention.”
While the work the group is doing is thriving, its leaders recognize that they made some mistakes along the way
“We were getting community grants and community support almost immediately,” Jordan said. “We got so excited about being able to support others that we started working backward because the initial goal of Maroon Calabash was self-care then community support.”
Jordan said the group stresses self-care because not taking care of themselves contributes to issues Black women face like heart disease.
“It was helpful for us when we started because the city was already discussing doula programs and trying to solve the issues at hand,” Jordan said. “But in the process, they just equipped Black women to take on more labor for their communities.”
For more information
To keep up with the group, you can follow its social media or check out its website.


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52003723832_28a7d56af3_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 4, 2022


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Post From Community: Northwestern Mutual donates $10,000 to Notre Dame School of Milwaukee teachers in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Marisa Weich
May 5, 2022
The funds will support wellness and social activities for teachers throughout the week.
According to a recent survey by the National Education Association, 90% of its members say that feeling burned out is a serious problem and 91% of its members reported pandemic-related stress as a serious problem for educators. In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, is recognizing the hardworking teachers of Notre Dame School of Milwaukee with a $10,000 grant amid high levels of educator burnout.
The grant will support various activities for teachers throughout the week, including catered meals, yoga sessions, spa treatments, massages and more. Additionally, there will be no school on Friday so teachers can celebrate with group salsa lessons, a reception and care packages.
In addition to its donation to Notre Dame School of Milwaukee, Northwestern Mutual is also awarding five of its partner schools with $5,000 grants and an additional 17 partner schools with $1,000 grants, totaling more than $50,000 in grants.
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The $5,000 partner school recipients include: Cristo Rey, Golda Meir, Kingdom Prep, Prince of Peace and Rocketship Schools.
The 1,000 partner school recipients include: Acosta Middle, Bruce Guadalupe, Carmen Middle, Carmen Northwest, Carmen South, Carmen Southeast, Forest Home Avenue, Hmong American Peace Academy, Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy, Milwaukee Academy of Science, Milwaukee Environmental Science Academy, Milwaukee College Prep – Llloyd St., Milwaukee College Prep – 38, Milwaukee College Prep—36, Milwaukee College Prep -Lola Rowe, Ronald Reagan High School and Stellar Collegiate.

author: Marisa Weich


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image1.jpeg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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May 5, 2022


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5 things to know and do the weekend of May 6 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
May 6, 2022
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.
The fifth annual Cinco de Mayo festival, organized by El Conquistador Newspaper, includes a car show, dancers, mariachis and various contests. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 7 in the UMOS parking lot, located at 2701 S. Chase Ave. Admission is free. More information here.
2. Safer Streets Spring Community Day: Saturday, May 7
Organized by Muskego Way Forward and community partners, this event includes a community clean-up, food, music and time to share your ideas for street redesign in Muskego Way and surrounding neighborhoods. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 7 at 1608 W. Forest Home Ave. More information here.
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3. Baby Goat Yoga Fundraiser for Vincent High School: Saturday, May 7
Stretch, pet baby goats and support Harold S. Vincent High School’s agricultural education program all at once. There are two one-hour sessions each including 30 minutes of yoga and 30 minutes of play with the goats, one starting at 10 a.m. and one starting at 11 a.m., on Saturday, May 7 at Vincent High School, located at 7501 N. Granville Road. Tickets are $40. More information here.
4. BikerFest Block Party: Saturday, May 7
Bikers, motorcycle fans and interested observers are welcome to this block party featuring smells of motor oil and burning rubber and activities including stunt shows and mini-bike races. The party runs from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 7 at the Fondy Farmers Market, located at 2200 W. Fond du Lac Ave. More information here.
5.  Refugee and Immigrant Family Community Resource Fair: Saturday, May 7
This resource fair, organized by Milwaukee Public Schools, is designed to help connect refugee and immigrant families to community resources such as g health care, child care, employment, food access and  housing. The fair runs from 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Milwaukee High School of the Arts, located at 2300 W. Highland Ave.


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52051488797_cf50fa877d_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 5, 2022


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NNS Spotlight: How the Muslim Community and Health Center brought a vision of providing health care to life | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
May 6, 2022
It started off modestly.
In 2004, Fozia Ahmed saw a need for social services in the Muslim community. With a vision but no space, she made use of what she had available: Her basement.
Four years later, a free clinic was born. Borrowing space from the nearby Salam Elementary School, volunteer doctors provided free medical services on Saturdays.
The clinic moved into a new space in 2015. Looking to expand and grow, the Muslim Community and Health Center began providing services six days a week, added a senior center and began providing refugee services.
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Ahmed remains president of the Muslim Community and Health Center to this day. Arman Tahir, director of operations at the clinic, said the clinic’s development came from one mission: to take care of everyone in the community.
“Our door is open, and we’ll do almost anything to make sure people are taken care of,” Tahir said.
The Muslim Community and Health Center, a medical clinic located at 803 W. Layton Ave., provides clinical and behavioral health services. The clinic is open to everyone in the community regardless of faith or culture.
Tahir said the team tries to remove financial barriers as much as possible. Many patients are on Medicaid, and the clinic offers a sliding scale to uninsured patients. Tahir said the clinic sees about 4,500 to 5,000 patients a year across its services.
Salma Akhter, administrative assistant and clinic float for the Muslim Community and Health Center, said the center has four branches: primary care, behavioral health, a senior day center and refugee resource center.
The clinic has seven providers offering primary care services and three who manage behavioral health services. It recently added a cardiologist to its roster for specialized care.
The clinic’s Sakina Senior Center provides space for socializing and activities among elders in the community. This includes kitchen classes and a meal program that provides food to enrolled seniors.
The clinic also provides resources for a growing population of refugees, including Afghan, Somali and Burmese populations. One of the emerging needs is mental health services.
Refugees can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and anger management issues because of experiences in fleeing their home country. Being able to have them feel at home makes a huge difference, Akhter said.
“Refugees can experience culture shock,” Akhter said. “To be in an environment where your language is spoken, and to see people who look somewhat like you and maybe have some similar understanding and similar values as you, it’s really comforting.”
Staff at the clinic can provide services in twelve languages, Akhter said. Six languages are spoken in-house, and another six are provided through interpreters.
Janan Najeeb, president of the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition, said it is critical for staff at the clinic to be well-versed in different languages and recognize the different cultures and countries where people may come from as well as factors like refugee status.
“It’s important for patients to be comfortable and confident,” Najeeb said. “When they realize that their culture is being taken into account, you’ll have a happier patient and better outcomes.”
Without that understanding, people will walk away from the experience without feeling heard. Najeeb said the learning curve for navigating health systems was also something that needed to be addressed.
“Many times, people have felt dismissed, especially if they don’t know English well,” Najeeb said. “Sometimes they feel like doctors see them and get rid of them … We need to make more accommodations for people who have less understanding of the systems.”
Tahir said that the clinic was the first of its kind in Southeast Wisconsin. It is in the process of becoming a federally qualified health center this year and hopes to achieve the status in autumn of 2022.
For Akhter, the importance of visibility and understanding with the community is apparent. Doing routine rounds in the clinic recently, she found herself administering a pediatric vaccine to a little girl. When the visit was over, the little girl said, “I want to be like you when I grow up.”
“Something like that is really heart-touching,” Akhter said. “They see the care we put in and the effort we put in, and they say ‘Oh, I want to do that, that’s something I want to pursue.’ That really makes it more meaningful and increases the purpose of what we’re doing.”
For more information
Call 414-939-4411 or click here.


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51902347159_b2a886ad64_6k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 5, 2022


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Dwayne Burtin
May 5, 2022


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‘They can bring so much’: Despite barriers, Afghan evacuees enrich Wisconsin’s workforce | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Zhen Wang / Wisconsin Watch
May 8, 2022
Wisconsin is in a labor crunch. Evacuees and other immigrants can help — if they can navigate transportation and other obstacles.
Ali Akbar Gholami arrived in the United States last September with little more than his work ID. He had no time to gather much else as the Taliban took over the Afghanistan capital of Kabul, prompting the U.S. to airlift him and 76,000 Afghan nationals to safety.
But Gholami — who speaks fluent English, studied civil aviation for two years and previously worked at Kabul International Airport — brought skills and a work ethic that American employers desire amid a tight labor market. That’s particularly the case in Gholami’s new home state of Wisconsin, where the unemployment rate has dipped below 3%, pushing employers to boost salaries and benefits to attract talent.
Gholami, 23, arrived in Green Bay in October 2021 after flying to Qatar for security vetting and then to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. His priority upon arriving in Green Bay: find a job before his initial three months of federal resettlement aid ran out.
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“We just start from zero. That’s why we need more money to pay the rent and send some money back to Afghanistan to our parents,” said Gholami.
He initially trimmed meat at a local JBS Foods plant before finding a new job with BelGioioso Cheese. Now he earns $24 per hour packing mozzarella blocks into boxes from 3 p.m. through midnight or later at the company’s plant in Appleton.
But Gholami faced a challenge: Without a car or driver’s license, how would he commute between his Green Bay apartment and the plant? It’s a roughly 19-mile route inaccessible by bus.
He is among at least 838 Afghan evacuees now living in Wisconsin. These newcomers can make communities more vibrant and ease the labor crunch as Wisconsin’s birth rate plunges and its population ages. The same could be said of future refugees from elsewhere, including Ukranians fleeing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war.
Many employers have expressed interest in hiring Afghan evacuees, said Bojana Zorić Martinez, director of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families’ Bureau of Refugee Programs.
“There are a lot of employment opportunities all across the state,” she said.
But businesses won’t benefit, economic development officials say, unless Afghans can find transportation and overcome other workforce barriers that affect non-immigrant workers as well. Some evacuees need training in English, others need access to affordable child care.
Federally contracted resettlement nonprofits have helped Afghans find housing and jobs, but they aren’t equipped to address all employment barriers.
“Having a new population of Afghan immigrants is just another opportunity to help bolster our workforce,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
She added that employers must understand their workers’ traumatic experiences and help them succeed.
“Businesses have to be a part of this resettlement. They can’t just be a recipient of this human being,” Hughes said.
In Gholami’s case, his new employer loaned him money to buy a car. Volunteers are filling other gaps. Mike Ruminski, a Green Bay-area man, has helped Gholami and seven other Afghan evacuees obtain their driver’s licenses, enroll in English classes and connect with job specialists.
Ruminski also bought two computers to allow Gholami and his three Afghan duplex mates use the internet to set up their new lives and connect to families back home.
Ruminski teasingly calls the four Afghans in the duplex “The Beatles” — a nod to their youthfulness and friendship forged beneath the same roof in Green Bay.
“The one thing that keeps me here in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is the people of Green Bay, Wisconsin,” said Muddassir Saboory, Gholami’s duplex mate and former airport coworker. “Because I meet lots of nice, nice people here.”
On a sunny morning last February, Gholami exited the Green Bay DMV service center with excitement: He had passed his driving test.
Ruminski was waiting, having lent Gholami his 2009 blue Toyota Prius for the test after helping him train for two weeks.
The two met months ago at a local YMCA. Ruminski is a longtime Bay Area Workforce Development Board director and a self-employed health insurance advisor who previously trained commercial truck drivers. He offered Gholami and seven other Afghans roughly 12 to 16 hours of training each and access to his car so they could get their licenses.
Gholami practiced driving on weekends and between work shifts. Ruminski guided him on traffic laws that don’t exist in Afghanistan, such as how to navigate roundabouts.
Transportation “is a critical need for people trying to become self-sufficient,” Ruminski said.
That’s true across Wisconsin, where many low-income people and those with disabilities lack transportation. Americans spend on average 19% of their income on cars, which many communities have prioritized over public transportation walking and biking.
Transportation is also one of the biggest hurdles for Afghan evacuees in Milwaukee, said Sheila Badwan, vice president of the Milwaukee chapter of the Hanan Refugee Relief Group. The Milwaukee region hosts the state’s biggest Afghan cohort, with more than 380 resettled as of April 20.
Some use the Milwaukee County Transit System, and English-speaking Afghans assist those still learning the language.
But a lack of public transit between the city of Milwaukee and surrounding communities leaves those working outside of the city struggling to find rides.
“They don’t want to sit at home. They want to work. They’re hard workers,” Badwan said. “How do they get to their jobs?”
In Green Bay, some companies send vans, arrange carpools or find other options to transport Afghan employees between home and work, workforce officials say. Among them: JBS Foods, which has hired 26 resettled Afghans at its Green Bay beef plant  — including Saboory, 25, who works an interpreter.
Still, employer-led options don’t help car-less Afghans get to the grocery store and run other errands, said Matt Valiquette, executive director of the Bay Area Workforce Development Board.
Gholami said BelGioioso helped him carpool until he could obtain a driver’s license and buy a 2006 Honda Accord. He paid $7,000 for the car using a $2,000 loan from Ruminski and another $2,000 loan from BelGioioso.
Green Bay’s 126 resettled Afghans are accelerating northeast Wisconsin’s racial and ethnic diversification, where people of color are driving the bulk of population growth. Ruminski has long volunteered with groups that have helped refugees and other immigrants settle locally. He is humbled by the Afghan evacuees’ courage and initiative.
“None of these guys have ever complained about their situation…They all got on a plane back in Afghanistan — they didn’t know where that plane was going to go,” he said.
Former President Donald Trump limited immigration — including refugee resettlement — during his presidency in the name of protecting American jobs. That sentiment may linger among Trump’s fans in Wisconsin.
But Ruminski and Hughes, of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., counter that Wisconsin needs refugees and immigrants to help fill thousands of open positions statewide.
“We have many more job opportunities than we have people,” Hughes said.
According to a 2021 report by Forward Analytics, the research arm for the Wisconsin Counties Association, “Without natural growth, the only way to grow or even maintain the state’s population and workforce is through migration.”
Refugees are typically eager to secure jobs. Despite the trauma they carry, refugee employment rates closely track with those of other immigrants in the U.S., according to a 2020 Journal of Economic Perspectives study.
Local communities just need to offer “a little guidance” to make sure they thrive, Ruminski said.
Whether the Afghans can stay depends upon securing permanent residency. While each has permission to live and work in the United States, their temporary status leaves them vulnerable to future deportation.
Nearly 37,000 evacuees could qualify for a Special Immigrant Visa, while some of the remaining 36,400 might qualify for asylum, according to a Department of Homeland Security report.
That requires navigating a backlogged immigration system. Putin’s war in Ukraine could add more pressure; thousands of fleeing Ukrainians have arrived to the U.S. border with Mexico, and Biden — who has pledged to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees — has granted them 18-month protected status.
The Biden administration aims to expedite asylum reviews. But a shortage of immigration lawyers leaves many Afghans on their own to slog through the process, said Erin Barbato, director of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Barbato estimated that 400 to 500 Afghans in Wisconsin are seeking asylum. Few nonprofit law firms are equipped to help, and private attorneys can be expensive, she said.
All four of the Green Bay “Beatles” are applying for asylum. That means proving the danger of returning to Afghanistan.
Saboory said the Taliban viewed his work as an airport safety officer with suspicion and has targeted family members in Afghanistan. “The Taliban sees me as an enemy, and they say they see me as an American slave.”
After Saboory left, Taliban officials searched his parents’ apartment and punched his father in the face when he refused to disclose his son’s whereabouts, Saboory said. His asylum application includes a photo of his father’s bruised eyes.
“I feel very bad to use my father’s picture for my case,” he said. “I know my life is in danger and my family is in danger because of me.”
Ruminski hopes to find pro bono attorneys to accept asylum cases from Afghans in the community, which can otherwise cost $4,000 per person.
In February, Ruminski accompanied The Beatles to a Job Center of Wisconsin event, where they set education and career goals.
They followed up with a trip to McDonalds — to celebrate those goals and new driver’s licenses.
Saboory wants to become a dentist. Gholami aims to return to aviation. Ruminski said at least three other evacuees are eyeing commercial trucking — an industry facing a shortage of 80,000 drivers nationwide.
“They can bring so much. We just have to embrace that, foster that and care for that,” Ruminski said of those ambitions. “It’s an investment in the future. And quite frankly, it’s the humanitarian thing to do to — to bring diversity into our citizens’ lives.”
This story was produced as part of the NEW (Northeast Wisconsin) News Lab, a consortium of six news outlets covering northeastern Wisconsin. The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.

author: Zhen Wang / Wisconsin Watch


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5 things to know and do this week in Milwaukee: May 9 to May 13 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
May 9, 2022
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.
This Monday, and every Monday, bring your garden gloves, reusable water bottles and love for nature as you volunteer at Alice’s Garden Urban Farm. This week’s volunteer session is from 9 a.m. to noon on Monday, May 9 at 2136 N. 21st. St.  Read: OPINION: ‘The goodness continues’: How the new Table Vocational Center answers a call to serve our community
Meet staff from MPS schools in the 53206 ZIP code. The event takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10 at the Andrew S. Douglas Middle School, located at 3620 N. 18th St. You can learn about employment options with Milwaukee Public Schools, discover programming offered by MPS and neighborhood partners and connect to services in 53206.
Voces de la Frontera is teaching a beginner citizenship course for the English citizenship exam in partnership with the Milwaukee Public Library. Participants must have five years residency or three years as a permanent resident married to a U.S. citizen. This week’s class runs from 4 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11 at the Mitchell Street Library, located at 906 W. Historic Mitchell St. The classes are presented in English and Spanish. More information, including future dates and times, is here.
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The Community Collaborative Commission, which is in charge of drafting a community-oriented policing policy for the Milwaukee Police Department, is scheduled to share its progress and take suggestions from the public during this hybrid in-person and virtual event. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 12 in Room 301A at City Hall, located at 200 E. Wells St. Register to attend virtually here.
The Milwaukee Fire Department, American Red Cross and other community partners are offering free smoke alarm installation during the month of May. Anyone can sign up to receive a smoke alarm here (In Spanish here) or by calling 888-376-4056. Read: How to avoid fires and stay safe this winter.


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Dwayne Burtin
May 8, 2022


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OPINION: MPS board rewards Itself – but for what? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dan Adams
May 9, 2022
Members of the MPS school board recently decided they deserved their share of the 4.7% pay raise they recently awarded all other district employees at the behest of the teacher’s union.
Even before last week’s pay raise, Milwaukee school board members earned $10,000 more per year than any other school district in the state – and more than three times the average of the state’s five largest districts. In comparison, last year Kenosha voters actually cut the pay of their school board to a flat $100 per board meeting.
In voting to raise their own pay, one school board member claimed, “… this is a full-time-plus job, because of all the research that has to be done.”
School board service is certainly more than the 3 to 5 official meetings per month. But all that still leaves quite a lot of “research” time before board members reach a 40-hour workweek.
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And while last year’s marathon late-night sessions spent stubbornly refusing to reopen MPS schools for in-person learning were undoubtedly taxing – maybe we should compare it to the experience of MPS working parents who did their jobs and proctored online school. Tell me again, who exactly was working “full-time-plus” for MPS over the past two years?
If the School Board really is doing “full-time-plus” work – well, the results suggest the extra time isn’t paying off as our community’s kids aren’t learning, families are fleeing, and the district’s finances are in a doom loop hurdling toward insolvency:
For the last decade, the standard response to these challenges has been to lament either the (admittedly unfair) impact of state revenue limits, or the (admittedly unfair) funding cuts that accompanied Act 10 during the Scott Walker years.
But here too the story has changed: Last year, for the first time in a decade, MPS per-pupil funding from state and local sources actually exceeded the state average.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee’s average property tax rates increased 18.6 percent last year, thanks almost entirely to the $87 million MPS referendum passed in April 2020. That’s the second-highest spike among large US metros, behind only booming Nashville. Effective property tax rates in Milwaukee are now more than 10 percent higher than Cook County (Chicago), IL – the notorious bastion of tax waste, governmental incompetence and corruption.
Remind me: Just what are city taxpayers – not to mention MPS students and families – actually receiving while the school board and teacher union are working hand-in-glove to raise everyone’s taxes to fund their own pay increases?
Aisha Carr was the only school board member courageous enough to vote against the raise, and she had it exactly right, saying, “I don’t see any justifiable reason to provide a raise for us, because that is an ultimate reflection of our performance evaluation, and we owe it to taxpayers to give them a return on their investment. And we haven’t. … Until we improve the conditions of our district, I don’t think we’re deserving.”
She couldn’t have said it better.
Perhaps the school board should revisit its salary study, and consider tying their pay to the district’s student achievement, enrollment, and financial health. You know – like any succeeding enterprise.
Or they may use some of their “research” time to engage in a good faith discussion about whether the current system of board governance should survive at all given its ineffectiveness.
Regardless, in the interim, many of us City of Milwaukee residents would cheer if the board adopted the very first option on their salary study list: The total elimination of board salaries ($0).
(Dan Adams is a Milwaukee criminal defense attorney. He appears frequently in state media as a legal and political analyst. He can be contacted at Dan@DefenseWisconsin.com)

author: Dan Adams


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Dwayne Burtin
May 9, 2022


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Residents seek more mental health services and want more access to care, survey finds | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
May 9, 2022
The need for more mental health services and access to care in Milwaukee County were among the top concerns of those surveyed in the 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment.
The survey, conducted by the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership, a nonprofit organization that aims to connect Milwaukee residents with services, identified five issues that were important to residents: mental health, violence, drug use and overdose, violence and access to health care. The results were released Thursday.
Health care organizations use the results from the survey to develop community health improvement plans and make investments in the community as well as to respond to common concerns. Partners in the survey include Ascension Wisconsin, Advocate Aurora Health, Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin and Children’s Wisconsin.
The survey found residents also were concerned about  infectious diseases, such as COVID-19; chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension; and infant and maternal health.
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These diseases have all been found to disproportionately affect communities of color in Milwaukee.
This year’s community health needs assessment was the first to poll participants directly about racism and discrimination. Roughly 57% of survey respondents identified systemic or structural racism as a factor in poor health outcomes for people of color, including 86% of Black and 65% of Latinx respondents.
“We’ve seen a lot of these inequities and disparities exacerbated during the pandemic,” said Justin Rivas, director of community health initiatives for the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership.
About 57% of Black respondents also said they did not think people of color would receive the same care from doctors as their white counterparts.
Carrie Killoran, who serves as board chair for the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership and president of the Greater Milwaukee Patient Service Area and Aurora Sinai Medical Center, said all health systems need to have representation from Milwaukee’s underserved communities and to listen to concerns when they arise.
“We need that so we’re not coming at it from a place of assumptions but a place of partnership,” Killoran said.
About 50% of all respondents identified mental health as a top health concern.
Cost was cited as a major reason for not seeking mental health care: About 38% of those surveyed said services were too expensive or they couldn’t afford them. Nearly a quarter of respondents said the wait to get mental health services was too long.
Rivas said that local health leaders hope the opening of the Mental Health Emergency Center will help to address some of these concerns. The center stands to bring 24-7 access to emergency mental health services in its central city location, 1525 N. 12 St. It is expected to open in September.
A lack of access to care was also cited as a major issue. When surveyed, 25% of Black respondents said there weren’t affordable health care options in their neighborhoods. Nearly 30% said they didn’t know if there were options. In the Latinx community, about 30% of respondents said there weren’t affordable services and 30% said they didn’t know about them.
Rivas said the results indicated a need for more education and outreach in these communities.
The survey, which is performed every three years, talked to over 8,600 Milwaukee County residents. Roughly 1,500 of those residents came from 11 “high-need ZIP codes,” including 53204, 53205 53206, 53210, 53212, 53215 and 53233.
Researchers also conducted focus groups and listening sessions for community input.
“For us, we’re looking at how we can embed this in primary care,” Killoran said. “How can doctors screen patients so these issues come up? How can we give patients real-time access when they’re already there instead of a six-week wait?”
Rivas said the data from the survey will also be used by public health agencies, such as area health departments and philanthropic organizations, to guide investments.
“This is a collective effort to think about upstream investment,” Rivas said. “When it comes to addressing these issues, it can’t be done by any one sector.”
The Health Care Partnership will host virtual community briefings from 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on May 12, May 16, May 19 and May 24. More registration information can be found on its website.
The full survey can be read here. A brief that recaps the results can be read here.


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mhec-cropped | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 8, 2022