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.