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Community Happenings

Immunization Clinics to Serve Community Children LaTonya Davis Clinic Supervisor—COA Youth & Family Centers and Northside YMCA Community Clinics Immunizations are an important part of promoting health and wellness in our communities—they reduce the risk of infection by working with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop immunity to disease. This helps children miss fewer days of school each year.

Children’s Medical Group Primary Care and Community Care Clinics will be hosting immunization clinics at the COA Goldin Center and Northside YMCA as a service to the community. These clinics require appointments. Medical professionals will have access to the Wisconsin Immunization Registry to view immunization records.

Vaccines available during our immunization clinics at the COA Goldin Center are recommended for children up to 6 years of age. Those vaccines include: diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTap) and Influenza (flu). Vaccines available during our immunization clinics at the Northside YMCA are recommended for pre-teens and teens. Those vaccines include: tetanus, diphtheria & whooping cough (Tdap booster), Human Papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal (Menactra).

COA Goldin Center Immunization Clinic Dates and Times are: September 19, 2014 from 2:30 p.m.—6:00 p.m. and October 23, 2014 from 2:30 p.m.—6:00 p.m. We will also be available on August 29, 2014 from 4:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m. at the Goldin Center Family Fun Night.

Northside YMCA Immunization Clinic Dates and Times are: September 20, 2014 from 9:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. and October 17, 2014 from 2:30 p.m.—6:00 p.m.

If you would like to schedule an appointment for an immunization clinic, please call the Goldin Center Clinic at (414) 431-9563 or the YMCA Clinic at (414) 431-9559.

All events take place at the COA Goldin Center, 2320 W. Burleigh Street unless otherwise noted in italics

Tuesday, August 26: Amani United Meeting, 4:30 p.m.—6:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 26: Northwestern Mutual Workforce Development Project, 6:00 p.m.—8:00 p.m. Come learn more about the various career opportunities available in the construction skilled trades on the Northwestern Mutual Construction project. Wednesday, August 27: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), 2:00 p.m. Friday, August 29: Back to School Bash and Moody Park Groundbreaking, 4:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m. Food, games, music, youth talent show, resources and fun! Tuesday, September 2: School Starts for MPS Traditional Calendar, MPS traditional locations throughout the city Saturday, September 6: Arms Around Us, 2:00 p.m.—6:00 p.m. at the Dominican Center for Women, 2470 W. Locust 2:00 p.m.—2:30 p.m., Call to Action (linking arms); 2:30 p.m.—3:00 p.m., March to B&GC; 3:00 p.m.—6:00 p.m. Resource Fair, Food & Entertainment. Call the Dominican Center for more information, (414) 444-9930. Thursday, September 18: Friends of Moody Park, 5:00 p.m.—6:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 30: Amani United Meeting, 4:30 p.m.—6:30 p.m. Saturday, October 4: Amani United Housing Committee Meeting, 8:30 a.m. at the Dominican Center for Women, 2470 W. Locust Thursday, October 16: Friends of Moody Park, 5:00 p.m.—6:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 28: Amani United Meeting, 4:30 p.m.—6:30 p.m. Friday, October 31: Halloween Community Fun Night, 5:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m. Food, games, trick or treating, costume making, resources and more!

Ongoing Events Mondays & Wednesdays: 8:30 a.m.—10:30 a.m.; Fridays: 8:30 a.m.—11:30 a.m., Job Search Computer access, job leads, resume assistance and free child care while you search for employment. Appointments are needed. Call Lisa Petzak at (414) 449-1757 ext. 103 to schedule an appointment today.

Issue 4: September 2014

Moody Park Groundbreaking

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United CO MM U NIT Y N EW SLET T ER

Amani

Moody Park Groundbreaking By Andre Goode Senior Program Director—COA Youth & Family Centers

The Moody Park Groundbreaking will be held on Friday, August 29 at 4:30 p.m. in Moody Park. Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele will be on hand, along with Milwaukee County Supervisor David Bowen and Milwaukee County Parks Director John Dargle.

“Moody Park will always have a special place in my heart. In 2012, I came to Moody to officially announce this project and my plan to revitalize other urban parks that have long been ignored. In the past two years we’ve spent millions of dollars fixing up parks in the central city and that commitment does not end here, County Executive Abele said. “In the coming years we will continue to build stronger neighborhoods, more activities for families and a better Milwaukee County.”

Construction of Moody Park is scheduled to begin in September of 2014 with an anticipated completion in the spring of the following year. If everything goes as planned, Moody Park will officially open and be ready for use in the summer of 2015.

“I encourage residents to show up in huge numbers and help us usher in a new era for the Amani Community,” said Tom Schneider, Executive Director of COA Youth & Family Centers. “Moody Park can be a catalyst for positive change in the neighborhood and I hope Amani community residents are excited to engage in the process.”

Plans for Moody Park include a splash pad, basketball courts, sports fields, community gardens, a picnic pavilion, and a 3,000 square foot community building. For more information on the groundbreaking, or if you would like to join Friends of Moody Park, call COA Youth & Family Centers at 414-449-1757

FEATURE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE:

Neighborhood Updates PAGE 2-3

Children’s Hospital Clinic News PAGE 4

Summer Scheduling Information PAGE 4

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Someone You Should Know: Tunisia Sims By Lisa Petzak Ethel Nutis Gill Family Resource Center Coordinator—COA Youth & Family Centers

Tunisia Sims is an Amani Community resident who is promoting positive change in the neighborhood. Tunisia holds a very important role as a Children’s Hospital Community Health Navigator assigned to our area. In this position, she serves the children and families in both Amani and Franklin Heights by providing information and resources on a variety of topics. Tunisia helps families with housing, job leads, medical care, and many other important issues, as well as providing a listening ear with empathy and understanding for all of those she crosses paths with.

Tunisia wants Amani and Franklin Heights residents to know that as Community Health Navigator, her role is to work as a partner with families and help us gain access to much needed resources. Tunisia Sims is someone you should know.

Amani United News Contributing Board

Patricia Anderson Amani Community Navigator COA Goldin Center Fatima Benhaddou Programs Coordinator Dominican Center for Women Quan Caston Amani Community Resident Mara Duckens Associate Executive Director COA Youth & Family Centers Angela Green Operations Manager COA Goldin Center Ba Ba Odina El Amani Community Resident Arlene Patterson President Amani United Lisa Petzak Program Coordinator COA Ethel Nutis Gill Family Resource Center Pepper Ray Secretary Amani United Sister Patricia Rogers Executive Director Dominican Center for Women Susan Thaller FN-BC, APNP Marquette University

Partner Organizations

Amani United Brighter Futures Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin COA Youth & Family Centers Dominican Center for Women Marquette University Medical College of Wisconsin Northwestern Mutual Safe & Sound United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee

Edited & Published by

COA Youth & Family Centers

www.coa-yfc.org

Email: editor@coa-yfc.org

Community Arts Feature Cartoon By Quan Caston Amani Community Resident

Are you interested in having your writing or artwork featured in the Amani United Newsletter? Email: editor@coa-yfc.org with your inquiry or submission for the Community Arts Feature. One submission will be chosen each quarter.

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Someone You Should Know: Tunisia Sims By Lisa Petzak Ethel Nutis Gill Family Resource Center Coordinator—COA Youth & Family Centers

Tunisia Sims is an Amani Community resident who is promoting positive change in the neighborhood. Tunisia holds a very important role as a Children’s Hospital Community Health Navigator assigned to our area. In this position, she serves the children and families in both Amani and Franklin Heights by providing information and resources on a variety of topics. Tunisia helps families with housing, job leads, medical care, and many other important issues, as well as providing a listening ear with empathy and understanding for all of those she crosses paths with.

Tunisia wants Amani and Franklin Heights residents to know that as Community Health Navigator, her role is to work as a partner with families and help us gain access to much needed resources. Tunisia Sims is someone you should know.

Amani United Community Block Party By Pepper Ray Secretary—Amani United Over 50 neighborhood residents and notable community members such as officers from the Milwaukee Police Department, Alderman Willie Wade, and County Supervisor David Bowen were in attendance at the first Amani United Community Block Party held on June 28th on Chambers Avenue between 24th and 23rd Streets. Even though it rained for a brief time, people still continued to take part in the festivities.

A clean-up preceded this event, and afterwards children were invited to dance, eat hot dogs, and play chess with community members including Quan Caston who said, “During the 20 or 30 minutes that it rained during the event, not one child left the chess table and continued to play through it all. In my 20 years of teaching chess, I had never witnessed that before.” Arlene Patterson, President of Amani United commented, “The block party was fantastic. People were very pleasant and had smiles on their faces. Neighbors are engaging more and being more responsive to gatherings without violence. The event was an absolute success. Amani means PEACE!”

Since the block party and clean-ups that have taken place in Amani, a new spirit of keeping the neighborhood clean has been passed on to some of our younger residents. Events like this will continue to bring positive change for neighbors and we hope that all will take pride in living in Amani and work to keep the neighborhood clean and safe.

Community Update from the Dominican Center for Women By Fatima Benhaddou Programs Coordinator—Dominican Center for Women The Dominican Center for Women has been working with the Amani United resident group this summer to bring exciting opportunities to the neighborhood. Our most recent success is the approval of the beautification of a city-owned vacant lot located at the corner of 24th Place and Burleigh Street, down the block from Moody Park. The lot will receive numerous plantings and trees, along with some decorative signage. The landscaping crew will move fast, so be sure to check out their progress through the end of August. Are you interested in promoting the beautification of a city-owned vacant lot on your block? Contact Fatima Benhaddou with the Dominican Center for Women to discuss filling out an application, (414) 444-9930 or Fatima@dominican-center.org.

Speaking of Moody Park, the Amani United Safety Committee is working with the Dominican Center for Women and the District Attorney’s Office to bring a special training to interested residents that will help prevent crime in public spaces. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) training will be provided on August 27th at 2:00 p.m. in the COA Goldin Center Library. At this training, residents will learn how to analyze a public spaces and find potential problem areas that may encourage crime. As part of the training, the Amani United Safety Committee will be forming a Moody Park Safety Task Force that will move forward with safety projects throughout the year. For more information contact Fatima Benhaddou (information above).

A photo of community members at the first Amani United Community Block Party.

Site of vacant lot beautification—3076 N. 24th Place