Art in the Neighborhood (Harambee's 1st Gallery Night)

Mark your calendars for a January Gallery Night Event!

In collaboration with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC-Milwaukee), and Milwaukee's Harambee neighborhood, ArtWorks is excited to announce a brand new addition to the Milwaukee Gallery Night experience! Come & join us in supporting the very first Gallery Night in the Harambee Neighborhood, where current ArtWorks Apprentices will be present to unveil the art work they created during our "Milwaukee Posters & Printmaking" program.

When: Friday, January 16, 2009 from 5:00 - 8:00 pm

Where: 2769 N. Martin Luther King Drive (Just North of Center Street)

Cost: FREE, but bring your checkbooks to bid on and/or purchase pieces of art created by ArtWorks Apprentices and Harambee artists.

RSVP by January 9, 2008 to this exciting event and automatically become an ArtWorks Event VIP!

Call (414) 277-8506 or email coordinator@artworksformilwaukee.org to RSVP.

Our Event VIPs will receive:

· Free and/or discounted admissions to future ArtWorks events

· A complimentary raffle ticket for fabulous prizes at the Harambee Gallery Night event



Thanks!

Milwaukee Health Department/Lead-Safe Properties

Today it was announced that the City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) received $6.9 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to eliminate lead hazards in homes within the city. These grants will enable the abatement of more than 1,100 housing units over the next three years. Because of this news, I thought it made sense to make everyone aware of the City of Milwaukee's Primary Prevention program.

The MHD operates a Primary Prevention program which provides money to abate lead-based paint hazards in windows for eligible property owners. If a property is eligible, a property owner may qualify for assistance to make the property lead-safe. An application can be obtained by calling 414-286-5025. The program guidelines and application form are also available online at http://www.city.milwaukee.gov/router.asp?docid=2828. Considering Milwaukee's north side has substantially higher lead poisoning rates than the national average, this is a program that Harambee property owners should explore.

Volunteer Day - Beerline Recreational Trail Project

Please note that there is a volunteer community event being organized to assist in implementing Phase One of the Beerline Recreational Trail Project. This project aims to take a section of abandoned and deteriorated railway and transform it into a valued stretch of public space for the Harambee and Riverwest neighborhoods. We encourage all of you to get involved, learn more about the project, and take ownership of the trail through this volunteer event. The event is scheduled as follows:

Date: Saturday November 8, 2008
Time: 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
Location: Buffum Street & Keefe Ave (At the northern tip of the trail)

Basic refreshments will be served. The day will focus on litter and garbage cleanup, planting trees, mulching, etc. For more information on the project, please visit the Riverworks website at the following link: http://www.riverworksmke.org/rdc/in-the-works.php.

If you are interested and able to volunteer, please RSVP to Chris Grandt at 414.906.9650 or chrisg@riverworksmke.org.

Cluster Two Play and Grow Shows Community Pride

Donna Handel is celebrating her 92nd birthday today and to mark the occasion posed for a picture in front of the new sign on the future Play and Grow Lot at 3347 N. 3rd Street. The sign doubles as a bulletin board for updates on Cluster Two and Harambee Great Neighborhood happenings to help the garden become a neighborhood gathering place. Stop by to see it grow!

A Play and Grow Lot is a community garden and natural playground, where children can play while older neighbors watch and tend their gardens. In spring, a new garden was planted on this vacant lot. Roberta Lyles and Donna Handel are the Cluster Two residents who live across the street, dreamed up this concept and are working to make it a reality by raising funds for the playground. The Great Neighborhoods program has engaged a landscape architect to begin working with them to design the play area.

More projects like this can be developed throughout the Harambee Community as Community Pride projects. For information on how to plan and apply, resident groups should contact Nannette Smith at 414.264.7822 or smithng@harambeeombudsman.org.

Linear Park/Beerline Recreational Trail Community Stakeholder Meeting

This is another reminder that this Friday, September 12, Marek Landscaping has scheduled a walking tour of the recreational trail that runs from Buffum and Keefe to Burleigh and Bremen. This tour is open to the public and geared towards residents, business owners, and other stakeholders of the Harambee and Riverwest neighborhoods. Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 10 to Marek Landscaping at mike@mareklandscaping.com or at 414-272-0242.

The details of the meeting date, time, and location are as follows:

Date: Friday September 12, 2008
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: 325 E Keefe Avenue (By Buffum and Keefe where the recreational is)

Thanks,
Chris

"Harambee's Got Talent" and we want everyone to know.

HGNI, Northcott Neighborhood House, Riverworks CDC, and ABEA, Present:

"HARMBEE'S GOT TALENT"

A talent showcase featuring artists and performers from the great
neighborhood of Harambee.

AUDITION

Singers, Dancers,Musicians, Spoken Word Performers and other artists are
invited to audition Wednesday, September 10, 2008:
Northcott Neighborhood House, 2460 North 6th Street
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Harambee Community residents are encouraged to audition but all
ARE WELCOME. All interested participants must respond no later
than Tuesday, September 9, 2008 by calling (414) 372-3770
for Adriane Griffin and (414) 875-6949 for Andre' Lee Ellis.

Get your talent together and give us a call.

SHOWCASE

"Harambee's Got Talent" Wednesday, September 17, 2008:
Clinton Rose Senior Center, 3045 North Dr. M.L.K. Jr. Drive
5:00 PM until 8:00 PM.

Mark your calendars now and bring all your family and friends!

Community Rummage Sale

Please note that Solomon Community Temple and Cluster Two Neighborhood Association have a community rummage sale planned for this month. The details are as follows:

Date: Saturday September 27, 2008
Location: Solomon Community Temple

Spaces are open to the public for $5. If you have any questions, please call Ms. Donna Handel at 414-372-4429. These are two great organizations that do a lot of positive work for the Harambee community, so please help spread the word and show them your support.

Thanks!

AUGUST GOSPEL FESTIVAL... Harambee Great Neighborhoods Deserve Great Art

Harambee's rich and diverse cultural life is widely recognized as one of the community's primary assetts. As such, The Harambee Ombudsman Project Inc, in association with Northcott Neighborhood House, LISC, and other supporters is organizing a series of family freindly festivals and cultural events that will showcase Harambee's talented residents. These festivals are not only about providing the community with safe, fun, local entertainment, but also provide an exciting opportunity for community members and supporters to engage one another and continue fostering Harambbee's cultural heritage.

I hope that you will join us for our next event, which is the Family Gospel Festival on Wednesday, August 20th. Below you will find audition requirements and other details.

Please be on the look out for more information regarding upcoming cultural events in the Harambee community.

I look forward to meeting and working with you all in the near future.

Regards,
Isaiah Rembert

HGNI is seeking talented gospel performers:

Singers, Praise Dancers, Musicians, Quartets, Spoken Word
Artists and other interested artists are invited to audition
Thursday, August 14, 2008 at Northcott Neighborhood House, 2460 N. 6th Street—starting at 6:00pm until 8:00pm

Harambee Community residents are encouraged to audition as well as other gospel performers. All interested participants must respond no later than Tuesday, August 12, 2008 by calling (414)372-3770 and ask for Andre’ Lee Ellis.

Northcott Neighborhood House, RiverWorks CDC, ABEA, and Harambee Ombudsman Project, Inc. will present the Summer Sounds Family Gospel Night Out on Wednesday,
August 20, 2008 from 5:00pm until 8:00pm at the Clinton Rose Senior Center located 2900 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

Harambee - A Great Milwaukee Neighborhood: Marketplace 2008 Minority Business Awards

Harambee - A Great Milwaukee Neighborhood: Marketplace 2008 Minority Business Awards

Marketplace 2008 Minority Business Awards

I was at a conference this week and Seyoum Mengesha from the State of Wisconsin Department of Commerce was promoting this year's Marketplace Minority Business Awards. He says they are still taking applications for the awards which will be given in October. Applications must be completed and submitted by Monday, August 11, 2008 in order to be eligible.

As stated on the link, please contact Carol Dunn or Kema Williams with any questions. Their contact information is listed on the website.

Are you an entrepreneur?

If you know of someone who has always considered starting their own business, but is unsure where to start, send them to a free lecture called Are you an Entrepreneur?

This will be held on Thursday, July 31 from Noon to 1:30 pm at the MLK Public Library in Milwaukee, located at 310 W. Locust Street. The discussion will help people decide if entrepreneurship is right for them, as participants evaluate their skills and readiness for business ownership, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of starting a business. The lecture is sponsored by WWBIC.

Mr. Zilber Wants to Know

Joseph Zilber is the 90-year-old Milwaukee philanthropist who announced last month an ambitious plan to improve the lives of people living in neighborhoods like Harambee. He has pledged $50 million to involve neighbors in planning and implementing solutions to the unique characteristics of where they live.

People are beginning to give their ideas through various channels about Zilber's program. Many people, including a Board consisting of major city leaders, are speaking with Lloyd Consulting, the group hired by Zilber to help him structure a successful charitable investment. The Public Policy Forum and former Madison Mayor Paul Soglin recently commented in the blogosphere. Eugene Kane used his column to chime in with his ideas. If this gift or the donor were like most others, advice would go unheard.

But it's all clearly different. After Kane's column appeared, Mr. Zilber called him.

"Zilber told me he liked some of my suggestions but wanted more, particularly
from 'regular people.'

'Why don’t you ask them what they would do with the
money?' he said."

Mr. Kane has volunteered to collect emails sent to this address with “How To Spend Zilber’s Money” in the subject line. He'll make sure they get to the appropriate people, and he may use them in a story.

This is our chance to let Mr. Zilber know about your hopes and dreams for the Harambee Community. Let him know you're a "regular person" and what work from the Harambee Community Action Plan you are taking on. Or, let him know how you became involved, or why you think organizations and people are pulling together today more than ever in Harambee. Tell him what would be possible with just a few more of those fifty million dollars.

We did it with Thrivent when they put a million dollars on the table. Tell Mr. Zilber why he should invest the next million.

Miller Employees REACH Out in Cluster Two

Volunteers from Miller Brewing Co. dug in on Friday, June 6, Miller's annual REACHing Out Day, to lay the groundwork for a Play and Grow Lot in Cluster Two. When completed, the lot will feature a community garden and playground, where children can play while older neighbors watch, and tend their gardens.

Roberta Lyles and Donna Handel are the Cluster Two residents who dreamed this place and are working to make it a reality by raising funds for the playground equipment. The lot was contributed by Inner City Redevelopment Corporation. Groundwork Milwaukee put together the logistics and tools. Now, thanks to the hard work of Miller employees, the garden is being planted this week. Stop by for a visit at 3347 N 3rd Street.

Milwaukee Gets Major Gift From Joseph Zilber

He's giving $50 million to improve life for the people of Milwaukee. This is a lot of money, and it's going to work on making central city neighborhoods better places to live.

A big crowd of people watched the official announcement inside city hall.“This is an unbelievable gift,” Mayor Tom Barrett said.

People on the streets knew about it too, like Sherman Hill. “I was speechless, I mean, because for someone to do that, you know, that's fantastic,” Hill said.Hill runs an agency called Harambee Ombudsman Project. He knows the need and is very glad Joseph Zilber is so generous.

Zilber is a real estate mogul who spends most of his time in Hawaii, but Milwaukee will always be in his heart. Zilber says he hopes his $50 million donation brings new hope for the city.“Every day I get more enthusiastic about the fact that it will work,” Zilber said.

“Don't give up. There’s always hope. I was born in a very poor family and worked hard. It takes hard work, but you shouldn't lose hope,” Zilber said.

Habitat Builds in Harambee

Volunteers and future homeowners started work Monday on eight homes in Harambee. You can see the action in the 2900 block of North Fifth Street and the 2900 and 3000 blocks of North Seventh Street. Two more houses will start in a few weeks. Homeowners will be presented with the keys to their homes at a ceremony before tonight's Milwaukee Brewers game.

This is all part of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' investment in the Harambee Community. In addition to the ten houses to be constructed this year, they built ten in 2007, and have put up an additional $1 million to support implementation of the Harambee Community Action Plan.

Link to Journal Sentinel article

Cops, Children Clean Cluster Two

Saturday, May 3 was a rainy day in Cluster Two, but after nearly 200 people - police recruits, children and other neighbors - picked up bags and bags of trash, by Sunday the area looked much brighter. On another bright note, Fifth District Officer Ray Robakowski shared his knowledge of community policing with the class of recruits that will be graduating from the police academy this month, and which happens to include his son. In the photo at left, a boot camp for boys from Bethany Lutheran Church paused from their work in the parking lot of Solomon Temple on MLK Drive. The ladies from Cluster Two Neighborhood Association served hot dogs, chips, and cookies and HOPI handed out "Harambee Community - I'm In!" hats. Many thanks to all who participated.

That's My Dad Event

In addition to the "Breakfast With Dad" event, the Milwaukee Fatherhood Collaborative, Inc. is scheduling it's 7th annual pre-Father's Day event: "That's My Dad". The objective of this event is to:

* Encourage fathers to be more involved in the lives of their children
* Increase the awareness of the services that are provided to fathers
* Provide an opportunity for fathers to spend quality time with both their custodial and
non-custodial children
* To award fathers that have touched the lives of their children

The details of this event are as follows:

Where: Humboldt Park
(event will take place in the park located on Milwaukee's south side)
When: Saturday June 14, 2008
Time: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

FREE Food, games for youth, essay winners, social service vendors, and more!!!

The Milwaukee Fatherhood Collaborative will be holding raffles, and are asking for donations from organizations that may be interested in sponsoring prizes. Some of these prizes are: iPods, CD players, Boys & Girls Bicycle, Gift Certificates, Board Games, Boom Box, TV, Play Station, Children's Books, Watches.

They will also be hosting a Tug-O-War competition where the proceeds will go towards funding the academic scholarship fund. To enter the competition, teams must have 8 team members and pay a $125 registration fee. Again, all proceeds go toward the academic scholarship fund, and the winners of the competition will receive a trophy and have the scholarship issued in the organization's name. The deadline for signing up for this competition is Thursday, June 5, 2008. Teams must be registered and fee paid by this date.

If you or your organization are willing to help sponsor a raffle prize or join the Tug-O-War competition, please contact Charles Richardson from the Vincent Center (President of the Milwaukee Fatherhood Collaborative) at (414) 374-0109.

Breakfast With Dad

Charles Richardson from the Vincent Center passed along the following information about the upcoming "Breakfast With Dad" event scheduled for this upcoming Saturday, May 10. The event details are as follows:

Where: 5600 W Fond du Lac Ave
When: Saturday, May 10th, 2008
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 noon

Breakfast With Dad is a Shared Project with the Milwaukee Fatherhood Collaborative, the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, and Milwaukee County Child Support Enforcement.

Municipal Judges and Court Commissioners have also been invited.

Staff will be available to assist with issues of:

• Family Preservation
• Health Disparities
• Child Support Enforcement
• Drivers License Recovery
  
  For More information call (414)374-0109

Summer Programs and Activities for Harambee Youth

As part of the Harambee Great Neighborhoods Initiative Neighborhood Action Plan, Riverworks Development Corporation is responsible for compiling a database of youth activities available to Harambee residents. If any of you are working with youth this summer through your organizations, churches, neighborhood associations, etc., please send me some information specific to the programs/activities you are providing. If you do not work with youth yourself but know of some programs available to Harambee youth this summer, please let me know as well. I’m hoping to get this database complied sometime in the next month, so if you could get back to me in the next few weeks I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
Chris Grandt

2008 "That's My Dad" Essay Competition

Charles Richardson from the Vincent Family Resource Center asked us to help promote the annual "That's My Dad" essay competition here on the Harambee Blog. If you have any questions regarding the competition, please contact Charles at the Vincent Center located at 2610 N Martin Luther King Drive.

This essay contest is based on the positive impact fathers have had on the lives of their children.

Contest Rules:

• Deadline: May 16th, 2008.


• Essay should be based on the positive impact your father or father figure has had in your life.


• Each entry form must be filled out completely; attach completed essay to the entry form.
  Please write boldly and clearly in pen (May be typed).


• Essay will be judged by age of contestants (writer).


• Entries must not have been previously published and must be the original work of the contestant.


• Please keep essay at 500 words or less.


• You must include your name, home address and phone number.


• There are four categories, so anyone can enter. Categories Age of Fathers: 16-19, 20-29, 30-42, 43 and up.

Mail all entries to the Vincent Family Resource Center 2610 North Martin Luther King dr. Milwaukee, WI 53212 (Essay, Attention; Charles Richardson).

Entry can be written by the mothers or grandparents of children 5 and under.
ALL essays become property of The Milwaukee Fatherhood Collaborative.

First place Prizes will be awarded to one Father in each category
Awards will be presented at the That’s My Dad event on June 14th, 2008 at
Humbolt Park 3000 S. Howell Ave (Fathers Must attend event).



The entry form that needs to be mailed along with the essay is shown below.



Name: _____________________Age______________________

Address: ______________________________Phone #: _________

Father’s Name: _________________Phone#___________Age ______

Address: ____________________________________________

Title of Entry ___________________________________________________________

Rise Up Milwaukee

Jennifer Epps of the Good Jobs and Livable Neighborhoods Coalition asked us to help promote the Rise Up Milwaukee Event, scheduled for Saturday March 29, 2008. Please check out the attached flyers by clicking on them in order to read the details. For more details on this event and how it will help create the momentum needed to help pass the Good Jobs Ordinance this year, please contact Jennifer Epps at (414) 443-0682 or by email at jepps@communitybenefits.org.

Cluster Two Neighborhood Meeting

Donna Handel and Roberta Lyles from Cluster Two Neighborhood Association asked me to post the following information to the blog:

Cluster Two has a meeting scheduled to discuss the neighborhood and the changes that are taking place through the Harambee Great Neighborhood Initiative. The meeting is open to the public and Cluster Two is looking for support from other Harambee stakeholders. The schedule details are as follows:

Place: HeartLove Place, 3229 N Martin Luther King Drive
Date: Saturday March 1, 2008
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Community leaders and organizational representatives will be in attendance to disseminate information to residents about their plans and objectives for 2008. This event provides a great forum for those serving the community to engage and reach out to residents, and the folks at Cluster Two hope you join them at this event.

If you need more details about this event, please contact Donna Handel at dhandel@thepark.net.

Safe Streets Initiative Call-In Session

Good Day to all. Ron Johnson from the Safe Streets Initiative asked me to pass the following along to folks in Harambee:

The long-awaited Safe Streets/Common Ground Call-In sessions for people caught on tape selling drugs to undercover agents will finally take place on Feb 26 at St. Martin de Porres at 6:00 pm. Law enforcement will be there to do their role and we are encouraging "community" to be present to show solidarity with law enforcement and provide resources and alternative lifestyles for them. We want a minimum of 50 residents, stakeholders, and business people from the Harambee neighborhood to be in attendance.

Ron Johnson is hosting a Pre-Call-In meeting at Northcott Neighborhood House on Feb 20 at 4:00 pm to discuss and actually rehearse for the Call-In at St. Martin de Porres on the 26th. People planning on participating on the 26th should attend the rehearsal meeting on the 20th at Northcott.


Thanks

Ron Johnson
313-8945

Employment Opportunitities

Please be aware that UMOS is putting on an employment event which was passed along to Riverworks Developoment Corporation for us to share with the community. The following was communicated to us:

Event Date: Thursday, February 7, 2008
Event Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 noon
Location: UMOS Southeast - Job Net Area
2701 S Chase Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207

"Come learn about excellent employment opportunities in a variety of industries. Positions are available in several areas and on all shifts. These employers are looking for candidates to fill positions such as: Customer Service, Cooks, Bartenders, Delivery Drivers, Banquet Services, Laundry Attendants, Room Attendants, Line Cooks, Pastry Cooks, Parking Attendants.

Note: Dress for Success, Have a polished resume, Bring State ID and SS Card

IN ADDITION:
There is an unrelated employment opportunity with CapTel, Inc., and organization that is hiring for Captioning Assistant positions in downtown Milwaukee. CapTel, Inc. will provide three weeks of paid training at $8.00 per hour, and pay will increase to $9.50 per hour, Monday through Friday after training is completed. In addition, pay increases to $10.00 for weekend shifts.

Minimum qualifications are as follows for the CapTel Assistant Position: an individual must be 18 years of age or older, legally able to work in the United States, have earned a high school diploma or GED, able to type a minimum of 35 words per minute in Microsoft Word with very few errors. In addition, the quailified candidate will have excellent articulation, oral reading and spelling abilities.

There are both full and part time opportunities and scheduling is flexible. In addition, Captel provides benefits for full-time employees.

If this position is of interest to anyone, please contact Chris Grandt at Riverworks Development Corporation for more details. He can be reached at 414.906.9650 or by email at chrisg@riverworksmke.org.

Victory Lady Fitness Center Promotion

Please note that Vicotry Lady, located in the Riverworks Commons Shopping Center at Capitol Drive and Richards Street, is currently offering a membership special.

Bring a printout of the attached flyer with you and receive a FREE Victory Lady gift pack, as well as monthly membership for only $19.

If there are any questions regarding this special offer, please contact Victory Lady at 414-961-2333.