Volunteers, 15 Community Groups Collaborate for Inaugural, Large-Scale Cleanup of Harambee Neighborhood

MILWAUKEE – May 14, 2018 – Volunteers and community leaders are coming together Saturday, May 19 for an inaugural cleanup of 160 city blocks within the Harambee neighborhood in Milwaukee. This is the first community cleanup of this magnitude in Harambee, and organizers hope to have 1,500 volunteers in place for the event.

The Inaugural Harambee Community Cleanup will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 19 to clean up the neighborhood from North Holton Street west to Interstate 43 and West North Avenue north to West Capitol Drive. Free food, family-friendly games, networking and fellowship opportunities will be available to volunteers. In addition, volunteers will receive free t-shirts, cleanup tools, and coupons for area businesses.

Safe & Sound, WestCare Wisconsin, neighborhood block clubs, a coalition of Harambee churches and pastors, area schools, and community organizations and businesses collaborated in the planning and preparation of the inaugural cleanup.

Safe & Sound, which works to unite residents, youth, law enforcement and community resources to build safe and empowered neighborhoods, helped recruit volunteers to help clean the blocks from West Burleigh Street south to East Center Street, and North Holton Street west to Interstate 43.

“The cleanup of the Harambee neighborhood is one of many positive steps being taken to revitalize this vibrant and critical Milwaukee community,” said Adrian Spencer, Drug-Free Communities Manager of Safe & Sound. “This event also touches the heart of our mission by creating an opportunity for neighbors to come out of their homes and connect with one another while they beautify the physical surroundings of this neighborhood they call home.”

WestCare Wisconsin, located in the Harambee Community Center at 335 W. Wright St., helped notify Harambee residents of the event, recruited volunteers, and organized key event-day logistics. WestCare Wisconsin provides services and programming for men and women facing drug and alcohol addictions.

“We are in the community and committed to its vitality,” said Elizabeth M. Coggs, Regional Vice President of WestCare Wisconsin. “The neighborhood cleanup will be a powerful demonstration of the word Harambee, which means ‘pull together.’”

Alderwoman Milele Coggs and leaders from 5Points Neighborhood Association, Aurora Health Care, Bell Ambulance, the City of Milwaukee (including police and fire departments), Historic King Drive Business Improvement District, Johnson Bank, Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful, Pete’s Fruit Market, Riverworks Development Corporation, Running Rebels, Waste Management, and Wisconsin Community Services have also been instrumental in the preparation and execution of the May 19 cleanup.

“This is an initiative led by the individuals of all ages who live in this neighborhood,” said Frank Cumberbatch, vice president of engagement for Bader Philanthropies, which provided funding for the nonprofit organizations that organized the cleanup. “Our community partners are the connective tissue of the Harambee neighborhood, which is evident in the little and big things they are doing to mobilize people and resources.”

An after party will take place at Clinton Rose Park, 3045 N. Doctor M.L.K. Dr., from noon to 4 p.m. following the cleanup. For more information, interested volunteers can call 414-224-6470 ext. 131 or email HarambeeCleanup@gmail.com.

About Safe & Sound

Safe & Sound unites residents, youth, law enforcement and community resources to build safe and empowered neighborhoods. The organization engages Milwaukee residents and youth in proactive neighborhood safety and revitalization efforts utilizing an award-winning, three-part approach that combines community organizing, youth development and partnerships with law enforcement. These activities aim to improve collective efficacy (social cohesion and informal social controls), which heavily influences the level of safety in communities. Safe & Sound is unique in the nation as a civilian organization that utilizes research and evaluation to inform street level community engagement strategies. For more information, visit www.safesound.org.

About WestCare Wisconsin

Founded in 1973 in Las Vegas with the goal of “uplifting the human spirit,” WestCare provides a broad spectrum of behavioral health and human services programs for substance use and mental health disorders, homelessness, domestic violence, prisoner re-entry, and HIV/AIDS, that includes: outpatient and residential programs; services for women with children; services for veterans; education/prevention programs; emergency shelters and transitional living; and community triage centers. The nonprofit’s trauma-informed, person-centered continuum of care spans 18 states, three U.S. territories, and the Republic of Palau and is recognized for clinical excellence, coordinated access, and collaborative innovation. For more information, visit westcare.com.

About Bader Philanthropies, Inc.

Milwaukee-based Bader Philanthropies, Inc. is a philanthropic leader in improving the quality of life of the diverse communities in which it works. Through the Helen Daniels Bader Fund and the Isabel and Alfred Bader Fund, the organization funds innovative projects and programs, convenes partners, and shares knowledge to affect emerging issues in key areas. Since its founding in 1992 as the Helen Bader Foundation, the organization has committed more than $250 million in grants and program-related investments, such as PRIs and equity investments that advance its charitable mission. For more information on Bader Philanthropies, visit www.bader.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.