Raising Awareness of Community Resources in Milwaukee County
Welcome to the “Raising Awareness of Community Resources in Milwaukee County” project! We invite you to join us in preventing targeted violence in our community!
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Who We Are
The Milwaukee County Uniters from Urban Rural Action are passionate about building relationships and bridging communities across Milwaukee County, WI.
We are dedicated to the overall mission of Uniting to Prevent Targeted Violence in Southeast Wisconsin program, which is to prevent targeted violence by building community cohesion. The Milwaukee County Uniters work together to prevent targeted violence in our community by improving access to resources and bridging urban and rural communities alike.
Project Goals
The goal of the project is to make communities in Milwaukee aware of resources across the county and connect organizations and individuals to build a safer community.
Milwaukee has many agencies within the community that are working to make our neighborhoods better and safer. Milwaukee Uniters would like to facilitate collaboration across communities and organizations to create a more significant reach, especially for those organizations and community members with similar services and needs.
Our work focuses on ensuring that individuals receive the resources they need by creating a database that organizes resources and organizations in a simplified way for individuals to get the help they need and stay connected.
Theory of Change
We believe that if we create multiple avenues to obtain resources in Milwaukee County, then we will decrease a lack of knowledge of available services by increasing access and awareness, thereby breaking down silos that contribute to targeted violence. We also believe that if we can improve broader awareness of available resources, we will reduce perceived competition for services, thereby increasing trust across different groups of people and reducing societal drivers of targeted violence.
Our Vision
We envision safe neighborhoods throughout Milwaukee County where everyone has the resources they need and are met with compassion, no matter where they are in their journey. We seek to ensure that everyone feels safe, empowered, and connected in their communities.
Milwaukee Uniters
Johnnie Austin
Milwaukee County Coordinator
Johnnie is an IT manager and network administrator. He is a military veteran and an active community leader.
johnnie@uraction.org
Arielle Mayer
Arielle Mayer, Community Partner Lead, is a long time Milwaukee community member who believes in amplifying and empowering those around her.
Valerie Langston
Valerie Langston is a retired Mechanical Design Engineer with one son and one grandson. She enjoys volunteering in her community.
Ahmed Quereshi
Ahmed Quereshi is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee.
Yvonne Leitze
A smile can change the world.
Allison Hayden
Allison Hayden is an active member of the Milwaukee Jewish community. She studied archaeology and theology but focused her career on community relations and education.
Jeremy Hansen
Jeremy Hansen is a marketer who loves to use his skills to benefit the community.
Key Activities
01
Create a database of organizations providing essential services to Milwaukee citizens.
During this phase of the project, the Uniters are working hard to map the relevant services in Milwaukee County and engage service providers to make their work more readily available to people in need!
02
Sports and Snacks: Milwaukee Service Providers Mixer and Watch Party
March 28th, 2025, 7-10pm
3rd Street Market Hall, 275 W Wisconsin Ave Suite 100, Milwaukee, WI 53203​​
Join us for a fun community-building event where we’ll have free appetizers and watch the Bucks play the Knicks! This event will bring together local organizations to mix and mingle, learn more about the database, and connect with the community members they serve.
03
Database launch and family fun day
Summer 2025, details forthcoming
In this public event welcome to all, the Uniters will formally launch the database of resource providers to the community! Local service organizations will engage with community members and clients, and community member and their families will come and enjoy food, games, and prizes. We’ll provide information on how to stay up-to-date on what resources are available while building community!
Project Partners
This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, opportunity number DHS-23-TTP-132-00-01.