United Community Center (UCC) Achieves Record Growth, Expands Programming Marking 52 Years of Service to the Community

MILWAUKEE — The United Community Center (UCC) is hosting its upcoming anniversary celebration to commemorate 52 years in service to the community. The event, which takes place on Friday, April 29, 2022, aims to highlight and recognize UCC supporters, as well as acknowledge the successes from the past year.

The anniversary celebration will feature a performance by the Latino Arts Strings Program, and include the unveiling of this year’s Badger Mutual Wall of Fame honorees. Additionally, UCC will announce the recipients of its inaugural Estrella Brillante award, which recognizes community partners who have truly been a bright star to UCC, bringing light, positive change and support to the community.

Over the last few years, UCC has nearly doubled in size, both in the amount of full-time staff as well as the agency budget. This past year alone, the agency opened a new early childhood education campus, expanded its memory clinic services to serve all of southeastern Wisconsin, partnered with the Medical College of Wisconsin to host vaccine clinics, provided nearly 30,000 meals to elderly throughout the community and helped more than 190 community members close on their first home, to name just a handful of the agency’s accomplishments. Looking ahead, the agency is embarking on a new three-year strategic plan aimed at ensuring operational excellence and quality programming throughout the entire organization. The agency will continue to listen to the community and create programs that address the needs of the Hispanic community.

This year’s celebration honors and acknowledges the many supporters who ensure UCC can continue to make an impact in the lives of thousands annually. The evening will provide an opportunity to focus on gratitude to the donors, corporations, volunteers and all who are part of the UCC family.

52^nd Anniversary Celebration Awards

Estrella Brillante Award

UCC proudly announces the inaugural recipients of the Estrella Brillante Award, which recognize individuals that have made immeasurable contributions to the community and are a bright, positive light to the community.

Gene and Ruth Posner Foundation
Josh Gimbel

Gene and Ruth Posner established their family foundation in 1963. Their impact can be felt across Milwaukee: from Marquette University, to the Boys and Girls Club, to United Community Center. Today, a board consisting of Gene and Ruth’s family continues this important work – including grandson Josh Gimbel, who serves as Board President. The Gene and Ruth Posner Foundation has impacted the lives of thousands of UCC students, dating from to their first gift in the 1980s up to now. For the last decade, their support of Project Lead The Way in UCC schools has sparked interest in Science/Engineering for our middle schoolers. Project Lead The Way is a hands-on STEM program that boosts student engagement and inspires “aha! moments” in the classroom. As students engage in activities in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, they see a range of paths and possibilities they can look forward to in high school and beyond. Thanks to the Gene and Ruth Posner Foundation, UCC middle schoolers are exploring and striving for jobs they may have never heard of before. Their education and hard work will catapult them into the careers of tomorrow!

Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers
Dr. Julie Schuller and Dr. Emilia Arana

Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers (SSCHS) are a crucial partner with United Community Center to uplift the Hispanic community in Milwaukee. Their impact on the students, elderly, and families at UCC cannot be overstated. Dr. Julie Schuller, President and CEO of SSCHS, is passionate about providing quality health care for people living in poverty and underserved populations in Milwaukee. With her support, during the COVID-19 pandemic, UCC and SSCHS collaborated on an integrated grassroots and traditional media public health campaign to disseminate accurate, culturally appropriate, and literacy-appropriate COVID-19 educational materials and resources for the Spanish-speaking community. As Director of Pediatrics, Dr. Emilia Arana works on behalf of the youngest and most vulnerable in our city. At UCC, SSCHS provides children and their families with an on-site, on-call physician within the new Ricardo Diaz Early Learning Academy. This partnership ensures children are up-to-date with Well-Child Exams and vaccines, as well as supporting parents in not having to leave work to take their child to a doctor. SSCHS also operates a health clinic located within the UCC Senior Center. The clinic serves UCC clients with a focus on episodic care such as patients with diabetes, obesity, hypertension, arthritis, heart disease, depression, and dementia.

Deanna Tillisch
Community Volunteer

Deanna Tillisch is a determined advocate, a tireless volunteer, and a relationship-builder. Her impact can truly be felt across Milwaukee. In 2020, Tillisch retired as President from the United Performing Arts Fund. In her decade at UPAF, she led efforts to secure more than $100 million in fundraising for the performing arts in southeast Wisconsin – including the Latino Arts Strings Program. The UPAF affiliate program supports 200 young musicians in this program annually, through both financial support and opportunities to perform in front of new audiences. With UPAF’s support, the Strings Program has performed for hundreds of audiences locally, nationally, and even internationally! Tillisch currently serves on the boards of Milwaukee Institute for Art and Design, Independence First, and the Burke Foundation. In these roles, she continues to be a hardworking advocate for the importance of the arts, education, and accessibility to individuals with special needs.

 

Badger Mutual Wall of Fame

UCC extends a sincere congratulations to this year’s Badger Mutual Wall of Fame Honorees, which recognizes outstanding achievements of the community’s youth by selecting five exceptional students in collaboration with Badger Mutual Insurance Company.

Veronica Castro Ramirez

Veronica Castro Ramirez is a freshman at Marquette University, pursuing a double major in public relations and marketing. Veronica attended the University School of Milwaukee where she led the Spanish Honor Society and the Latinos Unidos affinity group while also participating in the UCC Youth Empowered to Succeed Program and the Youth Volunteer Corps. Her service at both USM and UCC helped her feel more connected with both communities. Due to her exceptional commitment to community, strong leadership skills, and academic achievements, Veronica was selected to be one of the ten academically talented freshman Marquette University selected to be a part of the Marquette Burke Program.

Juliana Giselle Hernandez

As an eighth grader at Bruce Guadalupe Middle School, Juliana Giselle Hernandez strives to be a leader in her school and community. She participates in the Latino Arts Strings Program, UCC athletics, student council, serves in her local church, and volunteers at City on a Hill to provide meals and facilitate educational activities for families in need. For Juliana, to be a good role model means to strive to be better than yesterday. In the near future, she will attend the University School of Milwaukee and hopes to graduate high school with high honors to then attend an Ivy League University that will allow her to obtain a degree in biomedical sciences and enter the medical field.

Yesenia Alejandra Mazariegos

Yesenia Alejandra Mazariegos experienced a loss at a very young age, yet, the pain and hardship she endured transformed her into a courageous high school student full of zeal, fortitude and excellence. Yesenia is currently a junior at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School. She participates in various extracurriculars in the community advocating for people of color and the migrant community such as Voces de la Fontera, DSHA’s Furia Latina and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, and Black Lives Are Sacred while also exceling in Advance Placement courses. Her upbringing has propelled her to advocate for other immigrant friends and families and her goal is to obtain a political science and pre-law degree that will allow her to enter Marquette University School of Law and earn a Juris Doctor Degree. Her ultimate goal is to become an immigration lawyer and work with her community.

Angeline Ashley Ortiz Mireles

Angeline Ashley Ortiz Mireles is an eighth grader at UCC Acosta Middle School full of positivity, kindness, hard work, and determination. She is a constant role model to others in the classroom and works tirelessly to support other students in the class, even if that means taking home her own assignments as homework. Angeline understands how crucial it is to take every opportunity offered to build the best future. She demonstrates this daily with her commitment to ballet, participation in debate club, and time spent volunteering at her church.  In the future, Angeline hopes to become an immigration lawyer to help her community while also continuing to pursue her ballet training.

Stephanie Villalobos-Romo

Stephanie Villalobos-Romo has overcome challenges since a young age and doesn’t let obstacles get in the way of achieving her goals. She is currently a junior at the Divine Savior Holy Angels High School taking numerous Advance Placement courses and maintaining a 3.98 GPA. Stephanie is involved in the UCC Youth Volunteer Corps and Life Changers programs, as well as DSHA’s Sisters of Culture and Furia Latina Clubs. She also participates in Carroll University’s PASOS program, which helps students interested in the health science profession gain exposure to the field. In the near future, Stephanie would like to apply to direct entry science programs to become a nurse, physician’s assistant, or physical therapist. She hopes to help patients understand complex medical information and serve as an advocate for the underrepresented.

For more information on UCC or its 52^nd Annual Dinner, please visit unitedcc.org or contact Anna Tietgen at 414-649-2842 or atietgen@unitedcc.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.