2022 NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERS’ AMANI REPORT
Neighborhood Safety
WHAT AMANI WILL DO: Increase neighbors’ willingness to support self, other neighbors, and community to achieve community peace. INDICATOR OF SUCCESS: • Residents report willingness to actively support the achievement of community peace. • Residents report engagement in actively supporting the achievement of community peace. • Residents report engagement in addressing public safety efforts.
In October, DYCU partnered with Safe and Sound to share data that Amani residents had identified as priorities through a Collective Impact survey that took place in 2021. Data for gun violence, traffic acci- dents and voter registration was visualized using maps and charts and shared with residents participating in the Train the Trainer series. DYCU hopes to continue working with Amani residents and partners who will use and share the data for planning. TRAIN THE TRAINER Collective Impact Survey Visualized, Shared in Amani
PRIORITY AREA: NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY
TRAIN THE TRAINER Amani Partnership Provides Sustainable Leader Training
From September to November Safe and Sound, Inc partnered with the Dominican Center, Data you Can Use and Wiscon- sin Voices to offer the Mil- waukee Resident Leadership Training courses to Amani res- idents. This training series will provide sustainable leadership training through generations. The purpose of this training was to train Amani residents and provide them with tools and vocabulary to then go out and train others to be leaders in their own communities. Safe & Sound, Inc and the MPD District Five team pre- sented the material and en- gaged the participants in that training. The material focused on addressing community trauma, prevention and the principles of community or- ganizing. Another point that this training illustrates is that healing is the starting point to seeing sustainable change in Amani and beyond.
PRIORITY AREA: NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY
TRAFFIC SAFETY IN AMANI AARP & Partners Work to Curb Reckless Driving in Amani
In an effort to make the roads and sidewalks more safe for the people who walk them, AARP Wisconsin brought Jonathon Stalls, founder of Walk2Con- nect and Pedestrian Dignity and author of “WALK: Slow Down, Wake Up and Connect at 1-3 Miles per Hour,” to Amani Oct. 6. According to Stalls, Pedestrian Dignity events center the lived experience of all who walk, use a wheelchair and take transit as their primary form of transpor-
tation. “We will move with the many gaps and opportunities facing all who walk, roll and use the bus in car-dominated build environments,” Stalls said. The group walked with Ama- ni residents, Wisconsin Bike Federation, Dominican Center and Amani United. This event highlighted the work organiza- tions are doing in Amani to curb reckless driving and make the neighborhood safe for the peo- ple who live and work in Amani.
To continue this work, partners held community meetings about traffic safety in the area. AARP, Wisconsin Bike Feder- ation and Dominican Center also coordinated a speed study of the intersection at 25th & Locust and has committed to providing speed deterrents there.
PRIORITY AREA: NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY
COMING TOGETHER FOR SAFETY DC Focuses on Clean Ups, Resources, Fire & Traffic Safety
The Dominican Center held 11 neighborhood cleanups in partnership with several organi- zations including Amani Unit- ed, Safe & Sound, MPD Dist 5, Milwaukee Fire Department and Welcome Home Milwaukee. In addition, DC created a sum- mer series of Pop Up Outreach Days. The community resource fairs moved throughout the neighborhood to reach residents in the busiest parts of Amani. DC distributed resources and safety items like gun locks. The six Pop Up events were held in June, July, August and September and fea- tured partners offering services and vital resources in the com- munity including Amani United, COA, Safe & Sound, DHHS, MPD, Fatherhood Fire, DHHS Depart- ment on Aging Services, DNS and Wraparound Milwaukee. DC also worked to bring safe- ty inside the homes of Amani residents. DC, Amani United, Milwaukee Fire Department, DNS, Safe & Sound, COA and
Samad’s House all came togeth- er to check and install smoke detectors in resident’s houses at an event in October. After volun- teers and firefighters completed the work, organizations gath- ered for a resource fair. DC also continues to work with residents and partners to curb reckless driving in Amani. DC in partnership with Well- Point Care Network distribut- ed 80 “slow down” yard signs
throughout the neighborhood.
DC, along with AARP, Amani United, the Wisconsin Bike Fed and Amani residents turned an idea into action to slow traffic at 25th & Locust. After witness- ing a pedestrian accident at a community walk, the group met with residents to gain input on traffic safety. DC participat- ed in a speed study and helped determine safety measures for the intersection.
Education & Family Well-Being
WHAT AMANI WILL DO: Increase family well-being and life-long learning. INDICATOR OF SUCCESS: • Amani Residents serve on decision making teams in neighborhood organizations. • Organizations serving Amani connect with residents that need the services provided. • Amani Residents have access to all services needed to have positive family well-being.
PRIORITY AREA: EDUCATION & FAMILY WELL-BEING
COMMUNITY STARTS WITH YOUTH Safe & Sound, Inc. Prioritizes Amani’s Youth Residents Amani Youth Councils Fun Fridays
voice even higher. Fun Fridays gave youth in Amani something safe and fun to do in the sum- mer. Cierra worked closely with Solei, the President of Amani Youth Council and the youth informed her that they would appreciate more snacks and more games to play. Cierra pro- vided that for them and provid- ed resources for other events to do throughout the summer. Safe Summer Kick off COA hosted a block party to
Cierra Woods, Youth Organizer from Safe & Sound participat- ed in Amani Youth Council’s Fun Fridays every other Friday throughout the summer. The youth are a big priority in Amani, they have something to say, and the Amani Youth Council gives them that plat- form but it is the job of the partners in Amani to lift their
promote a Safe summer. The goal was to bring residents, youth and organizations to- gether to highlight positive things for youth to do through- out the summer. Safe and Sound provided free youth pro- gramming and ice cream that occurred throughout the year.
PRIORITY AREA: EDUCATION & FAMILY WELL-BEING
The Dominican Center has offered GED and HSED read- iness classes since its found- ing. DC works with Communi- ty Supported Organizations to prepare students to earn their degrees. In 2022, our Adult Education program began bringing students back to in-person learning. This allows us to help students and their families with resources and individual supportive services. ADULT EDUCATION Students Learn & Connect at DC
ART CONNECTS ALL AGES The Rep Engages, Educates & Entertains Amani Families
We were able to connect fam- ilies to community resources, including hosting a dinner and tickets to a professional theater production at Milwaukee Rep on April 12. We also provided entertainment as a part of the Safe Summer Kickoff in Moody Park. The goals for both of these was to engage residents, focusing on family and wellbe-
ing while increasing commu- nications and connectedness amongst residents. As a part of our Next Narrative Monologue Competition, we offered workshops for teens focused on literacy, social emotional learning, and build- ing confidence through theater. Workshops were done at COA.
PRIORITY AREA: EDUCATION & FAMILY WELL-BEING
FOCUSING ON FAMILIES Annual Safe Summer Kickoff a Blast for Amani Families
Every year, COA Youth & Fam- ily Centers brings the Amani community together for Safe Summer Kick-off, a block party extravaganza first created to celebrate healing, recreation, and safety in the Amani Neigh- borhood. Safe Summer Kick- off brings people together to enjoy great food, music, and
and Beyond the Book, Bag served 308 children from 109 families. In partnership with Advocate Health we opened up the clinic space in the Goldin Center. Since September there have been 39 visits. The clinic is currently open 3 days a week.
company, while participating in a wide variety of family-friendly activities.
We had 331 registered attend- ees at Safe Summer Kick Off
PRIORITY AREA: EDUCATION & FAMILY WELL-BEING
FEEDING AMANI FAMILIES Feeding America Distributes More than 22k Pounds of Food
Through three food distributions in the summer of 2022, Feed- ing America Eastern Wisconsin and Northwestern Mutual col- laborated with the Dominican Center to distribute over 13,000 pounds of food. Through mobile food pantries run at the Domin- ican Center, Amani residents struggling with food insecurity were given access to culturally relevant and nutritious foods like frozen pizzas, chicken, beef, milk, eggs, fresh fruits and veg- etables, diapers, and a variety of pantry items. On average, each resident received over 50 pounds of food per visit, approx- imately enough food to prepare 43 meals. Residents were also given the opportunity to connect with different community resources through community organi- zations who showed up to do outreach for their services. They learned about available services and organizations like Food- Share, Safe & Sound, Milwaukee County Workforce Develop- ment, Amani United, and the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee. Rising food costs have made many items at the grocery store more and more unaffordable for low-income families throughout
was available to both families with children that attend Auer Avenue school and members of the general public from Sep- tember to May. Over the course of 2022, nearly 9,000 pounds of food were distributed. Residents were able to choose which food items to bring home: empow- ering them to make the healthy choices that are right for their families. Fresh fruits and vege- tables like grapes, mini-cucum- bers, and potatoes were popular options for those who attended.
2022. To help connect residents to the healthy and fresh grocer- ies they need, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin partnered with Northwestern Mutual to hold 8 mobile food pantries out of Auer Avenue Elementa- ry School in 2022. The pantry
PRIORITY AREA: EDUCATION & FAMILY WELL-BEING
PRIORITY AREA: EDUCATION & FAMILY WELL-BEING
AMANI YOUTH GO TO WASHINGTON DC Leads Group to Expand Knowledge, Build Relationships
Dominican Center led a group of 21 Amani Youth and three chaperons departed in June for a trip of a lifetime to Washing- ton, D.C. Youth visited muse- ums, landmarks, DC tourist spots and historically Black college Howard University. They learned about past strug- gles and what they can do for a brighter future. “For me, in the future, I want to do more things,” said Dayvida Brown, a trip participant.
The educational aspects of the trip were paramount, but it was also about taking youth out of their comfort zone and building relationship with their peers in the Amani community. The youth said that this experience helped them see different per- spectives and will help them build relationships in the future. “I didn’t know any of these people until we went on this trip. It was scary but I had fun,” said Envyana Scott, another youth participant.
Amani Youth take on Washing- ton each year, but this was the first trip since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trip, funded by the Herb Kohler Foundation, was postponed in 2020 and 2021.
PRIORITY AREA: EDUCATION & FAMILY WELL-BEING
The Dominican Center also increased Education and Fam- ily Well-Being in Amani with community contact and edu- cational and wellness oppor- tunities. DC made 3,000 door- to-door contacts in 2023. DC held 40 community meetings and 30 events, in which more than 830 Amani residents were served. • DC served 470 Amani fam- ilies through food giveaways in 2022. This summer, in part- nership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, DC distrib- uted 14,000 pounds of healthy food at three mobile food pan- tries. DC also held a Thanks- giving giveaway in partnership with Aurora and a Christmas giveaway in partnership with Northwestern Mutual. This events also included partner resources, diapers and hygiene items. • DC continues to be a lead- er with the expansion of the Hydroponics program. In 2022, DC grew, sold and donated flowers to beautify Amani and grew healthy organic greens and a Thanksgiving gift for residents. DC has also trained residents of all ages how to grow hydroponically. • DC supported the Amani Youth Council with their annual March Against Violence, their
Thanksgiving Feast and their winter coat drive. DC also sup- port the Amani United Educa- tion & Family Well-Being Com- mittee and Friends of Moody Park with a blanket drive and 12 community meetings. • DC supported Family Well-Being by providing ed- ucation and access to voting information. In partnership with Amani United, Wisconsin
Voices and AARP, DC regis- tered voters and distributed in- formation about local elections and voting for seniors. DC also participated in a virtual Mayoral Forum and a Senate debate at Washington High School.
WHAT AMANI WILL DO: Improve housing conditions through the model block strategy in the Amani Neighborhood. INDICATOR OF SUCCESS: • Improve conditions on the Model Block and Beta Block. • Increased reported resident participation in Amani Beautification Efforts by 100%. Housing & Economic Development
REPRESENTING RESIDENTS Legal Aid Provides Service to 347 Amani Households in 2022
Staff Attorney Anthony Garcia, Legal Aid’s neighborhood lawyer in 53206, engaged with residents at regular community out- reach sites throughout 2022, including, Coffee Makes You Black, House of Peace, the MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctu- ary, and the Dominican Center. Attorney Garcia and Legal Aid staff and summer interns also participated in the Dominican Center Mobile Food Pantry event on June 28, 2022. In 2022, Legal Aid lawyers provided direct legal representation to 347 households in 53206 for cases involving landlord-tenant law through expansion of its Eviction Free MKE project, Social Security benefit ap- peals, student loan debt and consumer contracts, and estate planning documents.
PRIORITY AREA: HOUSING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Legal Aid staff also provided guidance in the following matters: • Pardon application completion and submission to Governor Evers’ Pardon Commission, which when granted, re- moves impediments to loans, licensure, subsidized housing, and erases the over- all stigma related to a felony conviction. • Quit Claim Deed execution / submis- sion to clear title and enable residents to apply for financial support for home improvements that ultimately lifts up blocks and entire neighborhoods. • Landlord and Tenant education via Legal Aid’s FB page to help both land- lords and tenants understand respective rights and responsibilities. Legal Aid provided legal clinics close to home on matters critical to the health and vitality of the Amani neighborhood: • Business law seminar at Moody Park Pavilion on November 17, 2022: Gold standard legal advice and representation from Legal Aid’s partnership with the von Briesen Business Practice Group - for Amani residents wishing to launch a new business or ensure the continued success of an existing one. • Estate planning clinic on December 1, 2022: Hosted by the Dominican Center for residents to discuss and complete Wills and related documents with Legal Aid staff attorneys to ensure the preser- vation of intergenerational wealth.
PRIORITY AREA: HOUSING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
RESIDENT LEADERSHIP AU Continues to support the Amani Revitalization Plan
Amani United is a resident-led community group committed to serving residents. Amani United Housing & Economic Development Committee’s 2022 highlights include: • HOUSING REPAIRS - we are in conversations to re-establish our partnership with the hous- ing vouchers, which gave res- idents the opportunity to do small repairs or/and upgrades to their property. • RON (reclaiming our neigh- borhoods) HOUSING CO- ALITION - Amani United & Dominican Center has part- nered with RON to conduct housing surveys of the exte- rior of houses and mixed use buildings in Amani. In this data collection we were be able to identify homeowners, out-of- state property owners, renters and city owned properties. We also identified the number of repairs needed on these prop-
erties. Over 3,000 properties were surveyed by approxi- mately 20 residents (who were compensated for their time). • BLOCK BY BLOCK - the work on the pilot block is nearing an end and Amani United has had an opportunity to utilize the train- ing house for resident meetings. In addition an investor of the city- owned property located on the Beta Block is in the final stages of approval for development. Residents in that area are being engaged and applying home re- pairs. As committee chair, Barba- ra Smith is continuing to engage new and re-engage former residents in educating, informing and introducing non-traditional ways of homeownership.
with three summer pantries and two holiday giveaways.
• AMANI UNITED BOARD - Amani United elections were held in October and Elizabeth Brown was elected president. • GUN SAFETY - In an Amani United Safety/Ambassador meeting, a resident voiced concerns regarding gun vio- lence in the city, as a result we immediately went to work to establish a Responsible Gun Ownership Campaign in Ama- ni. The campaign was chaired by the concerned resident and the former Safety/Ambassa- dor Chair Bro RiceBey. Amani United and Dominican Center collaborated with numerous partners over months to bring in presenters focused on the subject.
• FOOD DRIVES - Amani Unit- ed assisted Dominican Center
PRIORITY AREA: HOUSING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
• TRAIN THE TRAINER - Amani United, along with residents had the opportunity to be apart of a seven week resident leadership training, facilitated by Safe & Sound in partnership with Dominican Center, Data You Can Use and Wisconsin Voices. We took part in Collec- tive Impact training. • PEDESTRIAN DIGNITY - Am- ani United had the great plea- sure of connecting with AARP Wisconsin Walking Movement and the author of “Walk: Slow Down, Wake Up, And Connect at 1-3 Miles per Hour” and founder of Pedestrian Dignity,
Jonathan Stalls, in October. We conducted a neighborhood walk which included approxi- mately 25 people from numer- ous areas of city government, neighborhoods, Amani resi- dents and Dominican Center staff. Mr. Stalls helped us to identify the unsafe walkways and street crossings on our route. The next day the group walked along Locust with the same purpose and intent, and we even made a TikTok! Ending our walk we witnessed our worst thoughts, a pedes- trian involved accident. In this incident, it put our efforts of safe streets into overdrive: We
held meetings with residents, city officials and conducted an unofficial speed study with AARP, Milwaukee Walks, Bike Fed and Amani residents. There are now plans of bump outs, round abouts and traffic calming planters, street scap- ing, speed limit signage, speed bumps and more. Traffic safety meetings are ongoing.
PRIORITY AREA: HOUSING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
REVITALIZING RESIDENTS’ HOMES DC Rocks the Block to Kick Off Work on Amani’s Beta Block
Dominican Center hosted two Rock the Block events to sup- port the efforts of the Block by Block initiative on 22nd & Locust and 23rd & Locust. The events, held in May and June each featured a block cleanup, small home repairs and block beautification ef- forts; as well as fun, fellowship
and food. Partner organiza- tions also brought resources and information to share with residents on the block.
initiative include DC, Amani United, Northwestern Mutual, LISC, Milwaukee Christian Cen- ter, Ezekiel CDC, Legal Aid So- ciety, KG Development Group and JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Partners in the Block by Block
PRIORITY AREA: HOUSING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HEALTHY HOUSING DC Continues Housing, Economic Support for Residents NOV. 7, 2022 | 3PM AMANI TRAINING HOUSE | 2925 N. 26th St. Amani home owners: Be my guest, join us & give your feedback! Amani Model House Opportunity
DC worked with nine other neighborhoods in the Reclaim- ing Our Neighborhoods initia- tive to survey the exterior of all homes in Amani. DC worked with Amani United and Amani residents to collect the data and neighborhood parter Data You Can Use analyzed the data to help us form goals and plans to revitalize housing in Amani.
including Entrepreneurship 101 and Estate Planning seminars, both held in partnership with Legal Aid Society. Let’s Talk! Amani has an opportunity to display a Model House that can eventually be built as family homes in the neighborhood. What are your thoughts about the concept, the model, and the project overall?
Housing & Economic Develop- ment Committee with infor- mational meetings on Home Buying, the Amani Model Home opportunity and fair housing.
In addition, DC was pleased to offer residents seminars to help with their economic well-being
DC also assisted Amani United
MORE ABOUT AMANI UNITED SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT: dominican-center.org/Amani-United
AMANI BY THE NUMBERS Data from Survey to Help Determine Housing Resources HOUSING & ECON DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE For info, contact Housing & Econ. Development Chair Barbara Smith at 1ms.bsmith1@gmail.com
DYCU served as the data partner for the Reclaiming Our Neighborhoods housing survey work. Through this process, results from the 2022 Amani Housing survey were analyzed and visualized. Property lists, maps and data visualizations showing which homes in Amani needed mul-
tiple major repairs and who owns these homes (owner oc- cupant, investor or the City of Milwaukee). The results of this survey will help Amani partners determine what housing re- sources are needed and which homes should be prioritized.
awarded a Data Dream at the DYCU annual Data Day event in October, 2022. This work will begin in 2023.
In addition, the Dominican Center presented and was
THANK YOU 2022 NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERS FOR CELEBRATING ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN AMANI
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