JS Online: Harambee gets an infusion of money
Thank you to everyone who made yesterday's announcement of Thrivent's $1MM investment in our plan possible. It was a great day. A blessed Christmas to everyone, and a happy new year. We have a lot of really great things to work on together in 2008.
Over the past week, the Harambee Great Neighborhood Initiative staff mailed out over 225 letters directly to residents, organizations, and businesses encouraging people to apply for open seats on the Harambee Great Neighborhood Steering Committee. There are 15 seats open for residents and business owners, meaning in order to be eligible, an individual must either live in the Harambee Great Neighborhood target area or own and operate a business in the the target area. The target area is Holton to I-43 east to west and Capitol Drive to Center Street North to South. For more information about the Steering Committee, please see the notes below:
Purpose of the Harambee Great Neighborhoods Steering Committee ( HGNSC )
The HGNSC will include Residents, Business Owners and Community Based Organizations serving the Harambee Great Neighborhoods in a voluntary governing body that will implement the Neighborhood Action Plan ( NAP ). The Steering Committee will make decisions regarding its implementation and takes joint responsibility for carrying it out. The NAP moves the Harambee Great Neighborhoods towards the Neighborhood Vision by working through a structure of Nine Priorities:
(1) Neighborhood Image
(2) Housing Market
(3) Physical Conditions
(4) Health and Environment
(5) Neighborhood Leadership
(6) Community Connections
(7) Employment and Workforce
(8) Public Safety
(9) Arts and Culture
Neighborhood Vision
The Harambee Great Neighborhoods is a community of neighborhoods of choice for a range of stakeholders – residents, potential homebuyers, businesses, institutions, and government. The residential neighborhood clusters of Harambee Great Neighborhoods are places people know of and want to move and remain, where businesses find an attractive market for their goods and services, and where government makes investments similar in size and impact to those in other Milwaukee neighborhoods. Harambee Great Neighborhoods is also a place with a high degree of social connectivity – where neighbors are engaged with each other and with neighborhood development and where institutions are connected to each other and residents.
Who Composes the HGN Steering Committee ( HGNSC )
The HGNSC will consist of a minimum of twenty-five and up to twenty-nine (29) members , which will consist of up to fourteen (14) members representing Organization Partners and up to fifteen (15) residents and business owners ( so long as the majority of members are residents and business owners ) .
The HGNSC will operate under bylaws it will establish for itself. It is expected that the HGNSC will have an Executive Committee and a Nominating Committee and may establish Ad Hoc Committees as it sees fit in order to carry out the work required to focus on the Nine Priorities to move the Harambee Great Neighborhoods towards the Neighborhood Vision.
If you are interested:
If you are interested in applying yourself or know somebody who might have interest and need an application, please contact Steve Adams or Chris Grandt ASAP. They can be reached at Riverworks Development Corporation at 414.906.9650. It is strongly encouraged to complete your application by Friday December 21 or early the following week.
Please join the Harambee Great Neighborhood Initiative partners for an important open public meeting at the Clinton Rose Center where a Final Draft of the Harambee Great Neighborhood Plan will be presented to the community. This meeting is a follow-up to the Community-Wide Visioning Session that was held at HeartLove Place on February 10, 2007.
Date: Saturday Nov 10, 2007
Location: Clinton Rose Center (3045 N MLK Dr.)
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
Meeting Highlights to Include:
Please RSVP to Steve Adams or Chris Grandt at 906-9650 if you are able. This is an open public meeting, so please pass this invitiation on to residents and stakeholders of the target area.
The folks of Cluster Two Neighborhood Association have a couple upcoming events that they want the community to be aware of. Please pass this information along to others in the neighborhood to help promote a great neighborhood organization and the positive activities they have planned.
CHILI SUPPER: Cluster Two invites Harambee residents and stakeholders to fellowship with them at a Chili Supper on Saturday November 3, 2007 at Solomon Methodist Church (3295 N.Martin Luther King Dr.) between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm. This is a great opportunity to hang out with friends and get to know your neighbors. Make it a family affair.
Annual Thanksgiving Dinner: On November 17, 2007 Cluster two will have their annual Thanksgiving dinner for the neighborhood at Solomon Methodist Church (3295 N.Martin Luther King Dr.) between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm. This dinner has a great track record for being a successful neighborhood event that brings people together. Last year, through their hard work and desire to serve, the Cluster Two Neighborhood Association served over 160 people!
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, this meal is provided for free through donations that Cluster Two is able to raise. If you would like to donate to help Cluster Two in their efforts to reach out to the Harambee Neighborhood, please contact Donna Handel or Roberta Lyles by email at dhandel@thepark.net. If you already know about Cluster Two and would like to make a donation, please mail them a check made out to Cluster Two Association to the following address:
Cluster Two Association
PO Box 12323
Milwaukee, WI 53212-1431
MILWAUKEE SAFE STREETS INITIATIVE:
Transforming Community and Building Relationships
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Alumni Memorial Union
Marquette University Campus
Reserve your spot by November 5, 2007
The conference will feature a keynote address by New York Judge Alex Calabrese describing the success of the Red Hook Community Justice Center. The conference will then focus on the Milwaukee Safe Streets Initiative.
With a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Milwaukee is implementing a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary initiative involving all sectors of the community. This project focuses on the 2nd (south side) and the 5th (near north side) police districts in Milwaukee. The conference will look at what is really happening in these districts—attendees will hear from neighborhood residents, faith-based community leaders, police officers, prosecutors, community-based organization leaders, public school officials, and judges.
Conference details…http://law.marquette.edu/cgi-bin/site.pl?8&template=restorativeJusticeDetails.html
The Harambee Great Neighborhood plan places a high emphasis on housing as a strategy for turning the neighborhood around. "Why so much emphasis on housing, when education needs help too?" some have asked. In fact, many of the housing strategies will have positive impacts in other areas. For example, the plan contemplates the creation of a "Walk to School" program that assists parents, staff and faculty in purchasing a home within walking distance of the Harambee school where they work or are enrolled. True, this strategy will increase owner-occupancy in the neighborhood, and improve the market for homes here. But, to understand what difference that might make in the area of education, read on:
Homeownership may provide a platform for helping children do better in schools
A number of studies have shown that the children of homeowners do better in school. For example, one study found that, for children living in owned homes rather than rental units, math achievement scores are up to 9 percent higher, reading achievement is up to 7 percent higher and behavioral problems are 1 to 3 percent lower. Other studies have found that children of homeowners stay in school longer or have higher high-school graduation rates than their peers living in rented homes. It is possible that the benefits of homeownership are concentrated among certain types of households. For example, one study found a connection between homeownership and educational achievement among the children of households with incomes below 150 percent of the poverty line, but not for higher-income families. While the precise reason for these findings is not entirely clear, the benefit of homeownership for children may be due largely to the fact that homeowners tend to be more residentially stable than renters. To the extent that enhanced stability largely explains the impact of homeownership on education, it is possible that particularly stable forms of affordable rental housing may provide similar benefits. However, to the extent that a neighborhood has poor quality schools or other adverse conditions, homeownership and other forms of residentially stable housing in that neighborhood may have a negative effect by locking families into a poor-quality neighborhood.
from: The Positive Impacts of Affordable Housing
on Education: A Research Summary (full study at link)
Housing improvements can go a long way in improving the health of children in the neighborhood as well. That's why earlier on in the planning process, Harambee Ombudsman Project and Riverworks partnered with the Milwaukee Health Department and Friends of Housing to submit a $1.2 million application to HUD for a lead hazard elimination program focused on replacing windows in housing in the Harambee neighborhood. The houses will be rehabbed, residents will save money on heating costs, and children are healthier and will do better in school: a housing strategy that produces results in health, education, economic well-being, and environment.
What other ways can we leverage the Harambee Great Neighborhood plan to improve educational achievement, financial wellbeing or health among residents? If you have ideas and would like to share and collaborate to explore them, we want to hear them.
Investment Education Comes to You ! Learn how to start an investment club and get your share of the American Dream...
…on Saturday, October 20, 2007 …
at the Mother Kathryn Daniels Center at 38th and Hampton Avenue in Milwaukee!
DON’T MISS THIS EXCITING, EMPOWERING DAY!
Master Educator, Ron Bryun from Los Angeles, CA
The Entertaining CLIMB Knowledge Warriors
The Profound Steven DeVougas
Door Prizes
Continental Breakfast plus Lunch
CD Music from the Intelligent Arts label of Asset Builders of America Inc.
Workshops for youth and adults
Register today for the CLIMB (Investment Education) Rally!
To register, email your name, email address and telephone number to Katie@climbusa.org . For more information call 608.332.4423 or go to www.assetbuilders.org .
Communities Learning to Invest and Mobilize for Business (CLIMB) is an investment education initiative of Asset Builders of America Inc. CLIMB’s goal is to establish 100 investment clubs in the central city of Milwaukee.
Now is the Time … to Start your CLIMB!
Robert Wynn
President
Akamai LLC
P.O. Box 46202
Madison, WI 53744-6202
wynn_r@sbcglobal.net
608.332.4423
This Saturday, September 15th the second of five ice cream social events is set to take place. All residents from the Harambee Neighborhood and anybody associated with the Harambee Great Neighborhood Plan are encouraged to attend.
Location: New Life Presbyterian Church at 3276 N. Palmer (Concordia and Palmer)
Time: 1:00 PM -3:00 PM
Meet and greet your neighbors, find out what's going on in the area, discuss projects you can do in the neighborhood, and join in activities for the children. Keep in mind that all children must be accompanied by an adult.
And EAT FREE ICE CREAM! Ice Cream and toppings will be served following the session at around 2:00 PM.
If there are any questions regarding this event, please contact Chris Grandt or Steve Adams at Riverworks Development Corporation at 906-9650.
Please RSVP by calling the center at (414) 263-2255.
For 25 years, Clinton and Bernice Rose Senior Center, located in the heart of the Harambee neighborhood at 3045 N. Martin Luther King Dr., has been a key part of many people’s lives in Milwaukee by providing recreational and social opportunities. The center welcomes adults age 50 or better. There is no membership fee to participate at the center.
Clinton and Bernice Rose Senior Center is managed by Interfaith Older Adult Programs, Inc. and funded by Milwaukee County Department on Aging. For more information, please contact the center at (414) 263-2255 or online at www.interfaithmilw.org.
The McBeath Foundation and Safe & Sound are sponsoring a Kaboom! Workshop Entirely on Play (WE Play!) in Milwaukee that teaches people how to leverage volunteers to build playgrounds on September 19-20.
Members of the Youth and Recreation Working Group are particularly encouraged to attend and bring their newfound knowledge back to the committee to plan and build a playground in Harambee using volunteers and funds raised during the next few years. Every child needs a great playground in walking distance of home! The youth and recreation work group noted Harambee's shortage of public recreational spaces in their discussions. Please let Chris Grandt know by email if you plan to attend and let him know afterward if you want to get the Youth and Recreation group together to begin planning.
The agenda is posted here. Click on Kaboom's website here for more information and to learn more and/or register. The workshop is free.
New leaders stepped up and agreed to meet again to plan a community pride project in two weeks. Then they enjoyed some ice cream together, complete with hot fudge, whipped cream and cherries.
The following message is from Janet Grau from the Department of City Development that she asked us to forward to everyone from the Harambee Connections group.
To everyone:
We said we'd meet at the end of the summer and the end of the summer is here--well almost here, it's not over yet. The Northeast Side Plan Advisory Group will meet:
Wednesday, August 29th
UWM School of Architecture and Urban Planning Commons--refreshments and light fare, children are welcome but there is no child care
3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Browsing/networking/policy review and comment (open house style)/results available from the Image Preference Survey
4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Plan update from consultant with opportunity for feedback--to start promptly at 4:00 p.m. in Rm 110 off the Commons
It's okay to park in the lot behind Engelmann Hall (Hartford and Maryland). We're working on free of charge. Bring a friend(s) if you want to. If you have questions about anything please call.
Standing offer for all Plan Advisory Group members--if you have a particular plan-related issue you want to discuss, please call to set up a meeting. Thanks and I look forward to seeing you.
Janet
P.S. Mark Prudom who has been helping out with the plan over the summer will be leaving shortly to fulfill his military commitment. Sarah Horn who is studying abroad, will be coming back.
Janet F. Grau AIA AICP Dept. of City Development, Planning Division 809 N. Broadway Milwaukee WI 53202-3617 phone: 414-286-5724 FAX: 414-286-0730 E-mail: jgrau@milwaukee.gov Note e-mail change to milwaukee.gov
This Saturday, August 25th, Cluster Two Neighborhood Association is having a cookout at Solomon Community Temple (3295 N MLK Drive) to raise money to purchase school supplies for children in the neighborhood. The event starts at 10:00 AM. Brats, burgers and hot dogs will be served along with chips and soda.
Please stop by and buy some food for a great cause. Cluster Two is a great neighborhood group that is very active in the community, and they deserve our support.
District 5 Police, Milwaukee Fire Department and the Sheriff's Department are hosting a National Night Out Safety Event on Thursday, August 9 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Gordon Park.
The aim of the event is to:
*Generate support and participation in local anti-crime programs.
*Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness.
*Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.
*Send a message to criminals that we want our safety back.
Refreshments will be served, and there will be booths for fun and education.
If you'd like to volunteer or donate, please contact Larry Roffers (414-588-9352) or Officer Robakowski (414-935-7258).
Milwaukee Renaissance : DailyAgoraAnnouncements/Home Page
See photos of a new garden in Harambee under "Reclamation Society Launches Its First City Farm in Harambee".
This is a project inspired by the Harambee North Neighborhood Planning initiative by the Green Working Group! I am so gratified to see so many new people involved.
MMC 2007 Scholarships
Making Media Connections 2007 will be held in Chicago on June 13-14. This conference connects non-profit communicators and journalists. Features include:
Training: the conference increases non-profit communicators’ skills and
understanding of the news process, allowing them to better access the media in
ways that are effective;
Sourcing: the conference provides journalists with leads and sources among
a group that tends to receive ‘spot’ coverage rather than more focused and
influential treatment, and
Relationship-building: the conference builds relationships between
non-profit and news outlet personnel.
Scholarships are available for minority entrepreneurs to attend the 2007 Entrepreneurs Conference in Milwaukee on June 12-13 from Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation. The cost of the entire conference is $250. MEDC is asking the interested entrepreneurs to contribute only $30 of this cost with MEDC covering the balance.
Please complete this registration form and forward along with $30 to Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation, Attention Marcia Theusch, 809 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
Please make check payable to: Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation.
*************************************************************************************
2007 Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ ConferenceScholarship Registration Form
June 12-13, 2007 ---- Hyatt Regency Hotel, 333 W Kilbourn, Milwaukee
Attendee Name:
Business:
Address and Phone:
To help prepare the food order, please let me know each item below that you would like to attend:
□ June 12 lunch
□ June 12 reception (sponsored by Michael Best & Friedrich)
□ June 12 Business Plan Contest Awards Dinner
□ June 13 breakfast
□ June 13 lunch
□ I WILL NOT BE ATTENDING ANY OF THE ITEMS ABOVE.
Gloria Williams (left) is on the fast track to move into her new home in the Harambee Neighborhood. This week, she and her husband are helping a crew from local home contractor Carmel Builders and 35 additional companies donating labor and materials during a "Blitz Build."
Gloria, her husband Bashamba, and their three children are set to have their finished house blessed late Friday afternoon, with move-in scheduled for the following Thursday.
Gloria got help on her path to homeownership from State Senator Lena Taylor, who had represented Gloria in some legal matters before being elected, and who was thrilled to pound a few nails in the house on Monday.
Gloria first learned about Habitat's building efforts in Harambee from her cousin, Carmelita Reed (right). They both put in applications, and both were selected to buy a Habitat home this year. They'll live only three doors apart. Already they are meeting many neighbors on their block, and hope to become actively involved in the Harambee Neighborhood, where things are definitely looking up.
Beginning Monday, May 14, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans are hosting “Thrivent Builds with Habitat Week” in Milwaukee, Wis. Hundreds of volunteers are lending a hand to accelerate the construction of 10 Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity homes being built in the Harambee neighborhood in 2007. The build is going on in two blocks just north of Burleigh Street on 6th and 7th. Drive through the neighborhood, see homeowners and volunteers working side-by-side, and hear the hammers pounding.
To see live video of the build...Click Here
One of the Harambee neighborhood's greatest assets is its rich history throughout the years from settlement until today. Did you know these Harambee historical facts?
On Saturday, May 5, Riverworks is hosting an event where you can share your memories and historical knowledge about the Harambee Neighborhood, as well as participate in planning for the neighborhood's continued forward progress. Join the Harambee North Neighborhood Planning effort...contact Steve Adams at 414.906.9650 for more information.
Get Strong & Compete: Taking Your Business to the Next Level
This seminar for minority-owned businesses is being held on Tuesday, May
8th from 3-6pm at the Woodland Dreams Conference Center in the
Potawatomi Bingo & Casino (1721 W. Canal Street). It is sponsored by
von Briesen & Roper and Potawatomi Bingo & Casino.
Please RSVP to kbrunow@vonbriesen.com or (414) 287-1255 by May 4th.
Sessions that will be presented include:
* Getting the Most Dollars Out of Your Business
* Keep More Money In Your Pocket: Better Collection & Lien
Procedures
* Avoiding Problems: Insurance & Risk Management
* Battle of the Forms and Licensing/Contracting Tips
* Minority Business Enterprise Certification Process
The Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Work Group is scheduled to meet Saturday, April 21 from 11:00 AM to 1:oo PM, and the location of the meeting has now been set as well. The meeting will be held at 3353 North Martin Luther King Drive, which is located next to QF&H Diner. Please notify Chris Grandt or Steve Adams at 906-9650 if you plan on attending or if you have any questions or concerns.
Thanks,
Chris
Recreation & Youth Services Work Group:
Date: Wednesday, April 18
Time: 5:30-7:30 PM
Location: Solomon Community Temple
Housing & Neighborhood Marketing Work Group
Date: Wednesday, April 18
Time: 5:30-7:30 PM
Location: Solomon Community Temple
Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Work Group
Date: Saturday, April 21
Time: 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Location: To be Announced
Contact Chris Grant or Steve Adams at Riverworks Development Corporation (414.906.9650)
Unsure where to vote? Find out easily by typing in your address on the Election Commision's website.
In Can Gentrifying Cities Create New Bridges to Wealth? Neal Peirce highlights the promise the Harambee neighborhood holds for low income residents, if they are able to buy their own homes.
Habitat for Humanity, ACTS CDC, Select Milwaukee and and Housing Resources Inc. are here to help low-income people buy in the neighborhood ahead of the boom that is spreading northward from downtown and westward from the lake. On Saturday, they're jointly putting on aworkshop for potential homebuyers. Invite people you know to learn how to get in on the American Dream."[F]or Americans, homeownership is the bedrock of the savings and wealth creation that lets families pass on assets, and a headstart on life, generation to generation."
On March 17th the Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Work Committee met for the first time. Below is a general summary of what was discussed in the meeting:
Vision
* Public Greenspace
* Viable businesses that "buy in" to the neighborhood
* Identify and involve the "creative class"
* Housing Emphasis
* Facade improvements along King Drive to Capital
* Uniquely identify the neighborhood(s) in the HNNP area (i.e. with signage)
* Identify large land sectors in the area for development
* Attract investors that are vested in the neighborhood and eliminate speculative investment that is detrimental to the community.
* Get tenants interested in the neighborhood.
* Manage vacant buildings in ways that are beneficial to the community and its residents - there is much competition from outside interests
* Market the neighborhood to African Americans and other parties that have real interest in helath of the area.
Questions/Opportunities
* Collaborative approaches among faith-based organizations
* Introduction and development of youth-oriented businesses
* Holton Street - What should be the focus?
* Juneteenth Day Festival - How to improve it to best benefit the neighborhood (compare to Garfield St. Blues Festival)
* What is the demand for businesses based on market forces and community benefit?
* How can we develop a "feel" for each neighborhood within the HNNP planning area?
* What is the overall city involvement/commitment to neighborhood development? What can they commit to doing to improve the look of the neighborhood?
* Opportunities to create an artistic and cultural presence in the neighborhood.
Action For Next Meeting (April 21)
* Need a list of vacant buildings and assessments in the planning area - along King Drive initially and then later at other corridors in the area.
* Explore past planning efforts for streetscaping and signage along King Drive.
* Investigate the 10-year Capital Improvement Plan for the HNNP area.
* Invite a commercial broker to one of the next meetings.
* Invite J. Allen Stokes, Welford Sanders, and T. Whaley-Smith to the next meeting.
* Denise Crumble to bring documentation on Brownfields.
Next Meeting - April 21 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM - place to be determined.
On Wed, March 14th the Recreation and Youth Services work committee met for the first time at Solomon Community Temple. The following is a basic summary of the meeting:
General Discussion
* Discussed the need for more recreational areas in the Harambee Neighborhood, positive places where kids can go. Now, the streets substitute for the lack of these areas.
* There needs to be structured options in recreation and youth services for youth of all ages, especially after school and in the summer. There needs to be more variety in programs as well, as it seems like the majority of the programs for youth are in basketball.
* We need more input from youth themselves about the issues that impact them in the neighborhood.
* Group wants more information on the programs offered by YMCA Holton Street and Heartlove Place. They also discussed taking advantage of/enhancing the Mayor’s Youth Summer Employment Initiative.
* Malcolm X Academy as an example of the poor recreational areas in the neighborhood with no grass, broken-up asphalt, and no playground.
Vision for Improvement
* To have a “place” for youth activities (possibly use current vacant buildings/lots). Could create resource facilities for youth through the use of creative funding/financing.
* Focus on youth of all ages (elementary, middle school, and high school)
* Have programs that focus on health-related issues – especially on prevention (i.e., teen pregnancy, alcohol and drug prevention, etc.)
* Revitalization of Rose Park – better utilization of space and existing senior citizens center.
Action Steps – work to be done for next meeting on April 18th
* Explore what neighborhood churches are doing in youth services and recreation – how could they work together jointly?
* Investigate recreational opportunities and services provided by MPS and Milwaukee County.
* Figure out what programs and services are offered at Heartlove Place
* Put together some basic demographic data for youth.
* Investigate grant sources for youth activities.
* Look to find the amount of acreage dedicated for recreation in the planning area and compare that to other areas.
* Find out if businesses in the area are involved in recreational activities in the Harambee Neighborhood.
* Get ideas and thoughts from youth to include their viewpoints in the plan.
* Make a list of all the people who signed up for the recreation and youth services work committee.
Next MeetingWednesday, April 18th at Solomon Community Temple – 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
A Touch of Finesse, an article in the Dining section of the Feb. 22 issue of the Shepherd Express, highlights the visionary investment of Tatia Jackson in Finesse Jazz Club, located at 2722 N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. The article points out that Ms. Jackson is ahead of the curve in her investment in the Harambee neighborhood. It's easy, says the article, after the fact, to wish you had been one of those with the foresight to invest in a once-ailing neighborhood.
"But to dream of the possibility beforehand, to actually gamble on it at the time, takes foresight and, most importantly, risk."
On Saturday, February 10, over 90 people spent five hours talking about their vision for the Harambee Neighborhood.
Left, Alderman Michael McGee, Jr. addresses the crowd, and encourages the residents to get involved and work together.
A recent service request to the Department of Neighborhood Services reports that a property at 3433 N. Richards may have some problems: "Roach and mice infested. House is not weather proof. Closet does not have a ceiling. Water coming through the closet ceiling and in the living room."
By visiting DNS's property database, one can learn who owns this property, as well as the prior history of complaints and orders from DNS. Searching the owner's name on google, one would also pull up HUD News Release 05-063 discussing an agreement reached with the same property owner regarding lead hazards in 39 properties citywide, this one not among them.
What to do with this information is another matter. We hope to discuss in our planning process how neighbors can get involved in identifying these problem properties and keeping tabs on their progress. Keeping houses safe and in good repair is one way to strengthen a neighborhood. Your thoughts are welcome and encouraged.
“One of the greatest threats to community revitalization is crime. And the big
generator of crime is community disintegration. Police and grassroots community
builders can and must become greater stakeholders in and defenders of the
investments made by one another. They can do this if they jointly target crime
and blight problems — and then build on those successes to achieve more.”
William Bratton, Chief, Los Angeles Police Department
addresses the LISC National Leadership Conference in
Los Angeles, Calif.
Read full report
On February 14, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and its foundation will announce nearly $1.3 million and hundreds of volunteers to help fund efforts to improve educational opportunities, housing and other community needs in the Harambee North neighborhood in Milwaukee.
Thrivent Builds Neighborhoods and Thrivent Builds Homes are part of the national alliance between Thrivent Financial and Habitat for Humanity International. Thrivent Financial became Habitat for Humanity’s largest ally as a result of a four-year $105 million commitment to help increase the non-profit housing ministry’s home building production. In addition, Thrivent Financial provides volunteers through its national network of nearly 3 million members.
A meeting was held on January 24 for individuals and organizations who want to be early leaders in making Harambee one of Milwaukee's Great Neighborhoods. It was a high-energy meeting, where numerous ideas for collaboration among organizations serving the neighborhood--and connecting with residents during the planning process and beyond--bubbled up.
Is your neighborhood all that you want it to be?
Join us for a planning workshop.
Heartlove Place, 3229 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Milwaukee
For more information or to RSVP, please call Steve Adams at 414.906.9650 or email Steve at stevea@riverworksmke.org.
Sponsored by Riverworks Milwaukee and Harambee Ombudsman Project.
