By Evan Casey

A mentor is defined by Merriam-Webster as “an experienced and trusted adviser.” At Under My Wing Inc., that term is taken very seriously as this Milwaukee non-profit has been positively impacting young women’s lives across Milwaukee for years.

Under My Wing is an all-girls mentoring organization whose mission is to foster a safe environment for young ladies where they can cultivate leadership through life coaching. They offer numerous amounts of mentoring workshops that are designed for character and relationship building and life-skills management, according to the CEO and founder, Lea Hortman.

Hortman started this organization after she was helped by various individuals throughout her own life, including her own Aunt, Erin Breen.

“Spending time together through community events, family outings, and educational conversations, Erin became the guardian angel I always needed,” says Hortman. “Erin was a safe place, a place where I could gain wisdom from, and develop as a young lady.”

Hortman looks to mirror the ways that her Aunt helped her through her own life. Under My Wing focuses on mentoring middle and high school girls. They provide life coaching through the form of educational settings, such as group or one-on-one mentoring sessions.

The target population for this non-profit is girls ranging from the ages of 11-18.

Makayla Jefferson, a senior in High School, has been involved with Under My Wing since the summer of 2017. Being a victim of bullying, Under My Wing helped overcome that.

Under My Wing, Inc. CEO and founder, Lea Hortman

“Ms. Hortman inspires me to become a stronger leader, and to strengthen my relationship with not only myself, but with God,” said Jefferson. “Under my Wing always creates a safe space to share my story and not once are you judged.”

Under My Wing mentored more than 200 girls, completed more than 50 workshops and 12 conferences.

They hope to mentor more young women across the city.

Brianna Nimox used to be a volunteer but has since become a full-time partner with Hortman. She echoes Hortman’s goals for the organization.

“Lea and I have done a lot of volunteer work in the community doing what we love to do: mentor,” said Nimox. “I think it’s time that we start promoting and making ourselves accessible to the government, the community, and other agencies who could use our services.”

Hortman has been helping the community since 2012 and she hopes to continue her work well into the future. She will be graduating from UW-Milwaukee in the spring with a degree in social work.

“I believe in doing the grassroots work here and ultimately leading by example,” says Hortman. “This organization has become my way.”

This article originally appeared in The Milwaukee Courier.

By The Milwaukee Courier

Mayor Tom Barrett appointed Julia Means, Registered Nurse, to the City of Milwaukee’s newly created Board of Health last month on June 27. The nine-member commission will advise the Health Department on policy and advocate for public health practices that improve health outcomes for all Milwaukeeans. The citizen oversight board was created by legislation adopted by the Milwaukee Common Council and signed by the Mayor in February of 2019.

Means, a Community Health Ministry Nurse with Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital, part of Ascension Wisconsin, touches countless lives everyday through her faith-based work promoting education around chronic disease management, food security, infant mortality in our community and health navigation. Through Mean’s tireless work and dedication, she has made an incredible impact on many in the community.

“I don’t know Julia Means personally, but when I hear her name, the first word that comes to my mind is mentor,” said Kymm Robinson, Sherman Park neighborhood.

The importance of maternal and infant health cannot be overemphasized because it determines the health of the next generation and can help predict future public health challenges for families and our community.

“My cousin was a participant in the Blanket of Love Program and my auntie isn’t around to help her, so the program was important,” said neighbor Justin Patterson. “Julia Means is a teacher, a protector, a rescuer and a second mother. She’s a guardian angel. Without her, I don’t know where my baby cousin would be right now.”

Means is an instrumental mentor to young women and men because she had powerful mentors in her own life.

“I would never be where I am today without someone pushing me,” Means said. “I can help others because I had help.

By combining her nursing skills and her faith, Means has made an impact on Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s and across Ascension Wisconsin. She created an innovative collaboration with church congregations, city officials, homeless shelters, neighborhood centers, community partners and programs to create the “Blanket of Love” program in 2004. The program connects participants to resources that can help lower stress, support wellness and eliminate the two most preventable causes of infant death in Milwaukee: premature births and unsafe sleeping environments.

In 1996, Means became the first Parish Nurse at Ebenezer Church of God Christ. As a Parish Nurse, Means connected the church with the community.

“I’m blessed to work for an organization that fosters and encourages people to have faith in God. Ascension Wisconsin not only allows but encourages me to do my work and not hide my faith,” said Means. “If you take care of God’s business, He’ll take care of your business.” Means truly believes this is due to the countless examples of how God continues to work in her life and the lives of her participants.

“I see myself as the bridge between the community and the hospital. I’m an advocate for people in the community that feel they have no voice,” she added.

While Means is out and about, people always approach her and tell her how she’s impacted their lives. Children even run to her and call her grandma. “I have a new grandchild every day,” Means said.

Means is honored and thankful to wake up every day and do this work. Although people give Means recognition for the work she does daily, Means credits God.

“It’s not my work, It’s God’s work. I am grateful He chose me,” said Means.

Ascension St. Joseph Hospital is holding their 22nd Annual Concerts in the Park Series, Celebrating 140 years of service to the community. All concerts run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Ballpark food will be on sale at all concerts, with proceeds benefiting a different neighborhood school each concert. There will also be free blood pressure and diabetes screening, fresh farmer’s market, courtesy of Mount Cavalry, and fun activities for children.

July 24 Eddie Butts Band August 7 Christopher’s Project
August 21 Joe Richter Band

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Courier. 

By Nyesha Stone

According to the RealtyHop Housing Affordability Index, when it comes to being able to afford a house, Milwaukee ranks 72 out of 100 cities in the U.S.—last month’s report ranked Milwaukee at 76. Every month, RealtyHop analyze their data alongside comprehensive U.S. Census data to find out if homeownership is affordable or accessible for the average family, according to their site.

Los Angeles is at the top of the list of least affordable homes with a 1.44 percent increase in homeownership burden, according to the index. L.A.’s median price range for a home is $899,000, which means the average L.A. household would have to spend 91.4 percent of their yearly income to own a home.

Only about six hours away, Detroit is the most affordable city to own a home, according to the index. The index reported that a household in the city would only need to spend $302 a month to own a home, or 13 percent of their annual income.

Along with that data is the medium income of the 100 cities. Milwaukee’s median income is $38, 289.

And, Detroit’s medium income is significantly lower than that at $27,838.

According to the “American Dream” every American should have the opportunity to own their home.

With these statistics, do you think that’s a possibility.

Before you make that decision, look over the full report at https://www.realtyhop.com/blog/realtyhop-housing-affordability-index-july-2019/.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Courier. 

By Ana Martinez-Ortiz

Takeya Swope will be entering her sophomore year of high school come this fall. Before school starts back up, she’s working 20 hours a week through the City of Milwaukee’s Earn & Learn Program.

The Earn & Learn Program is an employment initiative for Milwaukee’s youth. Mayor Tom Barrett was one of the leaders behind the program, which was designed to provide employment opportunities for the youth over the summer.

According to the Earn & Learn website, when Barrett took office in 2004, there were several violent incidents involving Milwaukee teens. By 2005, Barrett had established the Earn & Learn program, which connected teens to local businesses, nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations.

Currently, there are three programs under Earn & Learn: Community Work Experience for youth ages 14-24, Private Sector Job Connection for ages 18+ and the Summer Youth Internship Program for ages 16-19.

Earlier this week, the 2019 Earn & Learn program officially started. To kick off the day, Barrett addressed the teen workers at the United Community Center, 1028 S. 9th St. and the WestCare Harambee Community Center, 335 W. Wright St.

Barrett explained to the teens, that when he was young, teen employment programs didn’t exist. As a result, Barrett said he often got into trouble. These memories are part of the reason Barrett wanted to create the Earn & Learn program.

“I vowed when I was in a position to do something about it, I would make sure young people had access to summer jobs,” Barrett said.

This summer, youth throughout Milwaukee are working at 75 different community-based sites.

Swope, who works at the WestCare center, said that the program is a way to earn easy money and give back to the community. This year, the teens make $7.75, and a typical work day goes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with Fridays off.

Barrett said that the program is designed to help young people transition from adolescence to adulthood.

“It is designed to give you a quality summer work experience, where you’ll learn some new skills, along with a paycheck,” he said.

Each job site consists of a variety of activities where the youth can acquire new skills and interact with the community. Swope said her group will help out with food drives, hand out gun locks, to combat gun violence, give back to the homeless and more.

A first job is a big accomplishment, said Barrett, and it’s an unforgettable experience.

“A summer job is a great way to spend the summer,” he said. “You’ll gain knowledge, learn some essential workplace skills and how to handle challenges.”

To learn more about the Earn & Learn program and for applications go to https://city.milwaukee.gov/EarnandLearn.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Courier. 

By Mark A. Mone, Chancellor University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

As summer gets underway, we are so proud of all the graduates from around our city. Whether someone is graduating from kindergarten, eighth grade, high school or college, these are important and life-changing accomplishments.

Just last month, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee held its 120th Commencement ceremony. More than 3,500 students were eligible to graduate and walk across the stage at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. This is where we hear some of the year’s most inspiring and diverse stories, and like the students who share them, these stories have origins in our community and from around the world.

UWM enrolls students from 92 countries, and more than a third of our students are people of color. Our long history as a diverse and welcoming campus is a unique and valuable benefit to our students – and one of UWM’s greatest strengths. We are proud to play such a crucial role in the personal journeys of our students, and I’ll share just a few of the many stories from our May graduating class.

Tre’quan Martin finished high school a year early with a $100,000 scholarship to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta. After overextending himself with extracurriculars, he narrowly missed the required grade point average to maintain his scholarship. He returned home to Milwaukee, where he discovered a new home at UWM.

Along the way, he connected with Milwaukee Public Schools to advise its students on scholarships and admissions and serve as a role model. After finishing his first degree at UWM, he earned a master’s degree in administrative leadership in adult, continuing and higher education administration. He plans to continue advising students to show them how much they can achieve.

Mercedes Islas learned she was pregnant after getting accepted to UWM’s College of Nursing. UWM set up a virtual classroom to help her stay on top of her studies after her daughter was born. Another professor allowed her to bring her newborn to class.

In 2018, Mercedes and another student traveled to China to represent UWM and claim first place in the Shanghai International Nursing Skills Competition. Mercedes remembers seeing her mother graduate college and hopes to serve as a similar role model for her two daughters, not only by receiving her bachelor’s degree, but also by planning to continue her studies at UWM and earn a doctorate degree.

Alvaro De León González was born in San Jose, California, and moved to Mexico when he was 8 years old. In Mexico, he studied at the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes and decided to transfer his credits to UWM to finish his civil engineering degree. Alvaro chose to study at UWM because of the university’s high level of engagement with state and local organizations.

In 2018, Alvaro landed a full-time position with Milwaukee’s city government as an engineering drafting technician. UWM gave him valuable opportunities to network and connect with the Milwaukee community, and Alvaro made the most of them.

Tre’quan, Mercedes and Alvaro are just a few examples of the diverse and inspiring individuals who graduate from UWM and go on to make a difference in the lives of others. They are the faces of the future, and they show just how powerful earning a college degree can be.

Please visit us and learn about what your paths to success can be. If you take a campus tour from now through Sept. 12, you will receive free tickets to a Milwaukee Brewers game, Summerfest, State Fair or Mexican Fiesta. Visit uwm.edu/summervisit to schedule your tour today.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Courier. 

By Ana Martinez-Ortiz

Wisconsin has been called many things, including the state of one of the most segregated cities in the nation. Earlier this week, Wisconsin was ranked second in the nation for the number of black homicide victims.

The Violence Policy Center (VPC) conducts an annual study: The Black Homicide Victimization in the United States. This year’s study, An Analysis of 2016 Homicide Data examined unpublished data from the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Report.

While the study has been going on for 13 years, this is the sixth year in row that Wisconsin has ranked among the 10 states with the highest black victimization rates, according to the press release.

Wisconsin’s homicide rate is 37.57 per 100,000, which almost twice the national rate. Missouri, which was ranked number one had a homicide rate of 46.21 per 100,000. Following Wisconsin, the remaining states included West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Louisiana and Pennsylvania.

Josh Sugarmann, the VPC executive director, said this study and victim’s families should provoke an outcry for change. He added that the goal of the report is to educate the public and policymakers in the hopes that it’ll make a change and put an end to this ongoing crisis.

In 2016 in Wisconsin, 144 black persons were victims of a homicide, 124 were male and 20 were female. The average age was 31-years-old, but 6 percent of victims were under 18 and two percent were 65 and older.

The report also found that 91 percent of the victims were killed by guns and of that, 75 percent were killed by handguns.

“In all parts of our country, people of color are disproportionately affected by gun violence,” said Jeri Bonavia, executive director of WAVE Educational Fund. “But this study highlights just how much work Wisconsin needs to do and just how essential it is that we do that work immediately.”

In the entirety of the United States, the study reported that 7,765 black people were homicide victims. Black people make up 13 percent of the population but accounted for 51 percent of the deaths.

The homicide victimization rate for black is 20.44 per 100,000 compared to the 2.96 homicide victimization rate for whites. Furthermore, the press release stated “Nationwide, 87 percent of black homicide victims were killed with guns.”

“The devastating and disproportionate impact homicide, almost always involving a gun, has on black men, boys, women, and girls in America is a national shame,” said Sugarmann.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Courier.