2016 June - The Dominican Center

Dominican Center for Women, Inc.
2470 West Locust Street
Milwaukee, WI 53206
Nonprofit
Organization
US Postage
PAID
Milwaukee, WI
Retirement
Bucks
Congratulations Basketball
Sr. Dorothy Victor, OP, is pictured with her most special
student, Minnie Dyson. Sr. Dorothy has announced that she is
retiring and will not be returning to the Dominican Center as
a tutor. Thank you, Sr. Dorothy, for your ten years of service to
the Dominican Center. Congratulations on your retirement.
PeppNation, Village Ministries, Hephatha Lutheran Church
and Bethesda Baptist Church took 100 Amani youth to a
Bucks basketball game in March. The Bucks won!
Dominican Center Board Of Directors: Chad Swalheim, Chair; Mary Howard Johnstone, OP, Secretary-Treasurer; Linda Bedford;
Brandon Culpepper; Pastor Willie Davis; Andre Goode; Chuck Klawitter; Arlene Patterson; Reverend Mary Martha Kannass,
Emeritus Director; Patricia Rogers, OP, Ex Officio
Dominican Center | www.dominican-center.org | May 2016
Thank
You
to our
Generous
Donors
The Dominican Center is grateful
for the generous support of our
donors. Your donations make a
difference in the lives of the residents
of the Amani neighborhood.
During the past several months, the
Dominican Center received grants from
the following organizations:
frican American Women’s Fund
A
BMO Harris Bank
• C atholic Campaign for
Human Development
• Catholic Financial Life
• Center for the Study of Social Policy
• Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
• Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
• Divine Mercy Parish
• Dominican Sisters
• G illes Frozen Custard, Inc.
• Good Shepherd Parish
• G reater Milwaukee Foundation
• LISC Milwaukee
• Lumen Christi Parish
• Mary of Magdala Catholic Church
• Nonprofit Management Fund
• Northwestern Mutual Foundation
• Park Bank Foundation
• Patrick and Anna M. Cudahy Fund
• PPC Foundation
• Premonstratensian Fathers Augustine
• P riests of the Sacred Heart
• R A Stevens Family Foundation
• Sinsinawa Dominicans
• Sisters of Charity of the BVM
• St. James Congregation
• St. John Vianney Parish
• St. Jude the Apostle Parish
• St. Killian’s Congregation
• St. Martin of Tours Parish
• St. Mary’s Academy Alumni Assn
• St. Matthew Catholic Church
• St. Monica Parish
• St. Sebastian Congregation
• TCS Construction
• Three Holy Women Christian Women
• Walter R. Gustin Revocable Trust
• We Energies Foundation
• Windhover Foundation
• Zilber Family Foundation
•
•
Taking on Racial Equity
Nearly 200 people gathered on
February 3, 2016 for the Dominican
Center’s Racial Equity Forum. Angela
Russell, from CUNA Mutual Group in
Madison, moderated the event. She
defined racial equity as the “just and
fair inclusion into a society in which
all, including all racial and ethnic
groups, can participate, prosper,
and reach their full potential.”
Russell demonstrated how various
forms of bias inhibit one’s ability
to act equitable. She encouraged
acknowledgment of this bias and a
healthy curiosity for learning about
others as a necessary foundation for
dismantling systems and structures
of inequity in homes, work places,
and the community.
Following Russell’s presentation, a
diverse group of panelists reflected
on the topic. Members of the panel
included Dennis Walton, Amani resident
and Outreach Coordinator for the
Fatherhood Initiative; Dr. Veronica
Gunn, Children’s Hospital; Susan Lloyd,
Zilber Family Foundation; Deanna Singh,
Burke Foundation; and Sr. Patricia
Rogers, Dominican Center. Audience
members also brought important
perspectives to the conversation. The
room bustled with ideas inspiring a
Call to Action in the areas of coalition
building and advocacy, mentoring future
leaders, and rebranding Milwaukee.
Please contact Sr. Patricia to join this
collective impact effort.
For additional information on the
event, related resources, and photos
from the day please visit http://www.
dominican-center.org/foster-socialchange.html.
These women were members of the audience for the February 13 Racial Equality
Forum. Hosted by the Dominican Center, the successful forum inspired a Call to
Action. Contact Sr. Patricia to join this effort.
Sharing the Journey | May 2016
Tip Your Hat to the Dominican Center
Annual Spring Event
Notes
from the
Executive
Director
Sr. Patricia Rogers
Dear Friends and Partners,
These are very peculiar
times we are experiencing:
ongoing racial equity
conversations, growing
expressions of fear of
immigrants, mounting
negative accusations of
government policies’
impact on the poor, new
descriptions for urban
communities, generational
poverty and deep poverty,
debated signs of economic
growth and climate change,
ongoing political election
debates...etc. What impact
does this unending list
have on our daily lives, our
psyche, our relationships?
The peculiarity of
these times amplifies the
importance of the mission
of the Dominican Center.
Building partnerships
with the residents and
supporting their efforts to
build relationships with
service providers, elected
officials, and the police
to gain mutual trust and
information to create a
better future in Amani and
Milwaukee is the mission of
the Dominican Center. You
are apart of this Mission.
Thank you for your
faithful support of the
Dominican Center mission
and our successful 2016
Fundraiser.
Sincerely,
Sr. Patricia
Mike Anderson of WISN 12 News
emceed this year’s Dominican Center
spring fundraiser at the Wisconsin
Club on April 10, 2016. More than 120
friends gathered together for brunch
and to bid on auction items in support
of the Amani neighborhood. Guest
were entertained by the talented
All Saints Gospel Choir and lively
auctioneer Dan McKee.
Thank you to all who made this event
successful. A special thank you to our
generous sponsors: Northwestern
Mutual Foundation, Children’s Hospital
of Wisconsin, BMO Harris Bank,
LISC Milwaukee, Greater Milwaukee
Foundation, and Catholic Financial Life.
We also recognize our event
committee who helped to make this
a successful event: Barbara Tyler,
Sister Lourdette Van Driel, OSF, Connie
Poth, Carolyn Boehmer, Elly Pick,
Katie Clark, Kathleen Brady, Monica
Bastardo, and Sister Patricia Rogers.
2016-2018 Dominican Center Strategic Plan
The Dominican Center 2016-2018
Strategic Plan is available on our
website, www.dominican-center.org.
The strategic plan highlights our new
mission statement: “The Dominican
Center works with Amani residents and
partners to build a better future.” Our
vision and values have not changed.
However, our new mission statement
embraces a broader view of our work
in the Amani neighborhood. The
Dominican Center will accomplish this
mission through social change with
the primary strategy being education.
Literacy, leadership, advocacy, and
service to others remain central
components of this strategy.
The Dominican Center works with Amani residents and partners to build a better future.
Building Neighborhood Capacity Program News
Civic Engagement
Bloom and Groom
On February 13, 2016 and again on April 2, 2016, the
Dominican Center hosted non-partisan political forums
for Milwaukee residents at North Division High School.
Candidates for mayoral, county executive, aldermanic,
comptroller, and judicial offices were present. Citizens
appreciated the opportunity to speak directly with
local candidates, and to share their personal concerns
and dreams with them for a better Milwaukee.
The annual spring flower
sale will be Saturday, May
21, at the Dominican Center.
Stop in from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
for the best prices in town
for geraniums, marigolds,
petunias, impatiens,
daisies, and more!
Education Program News
Dominican Center students, tutors, and
staff are nearing the end of the school
year. We congratulate them on their
successes. Students will be showcasing
their achievements at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday,
May 17 at the Moody Park Pavilion. All are
welcome to attend this celebration.
Student ambassador Verna Leatherwood
is preparing to transfer to the HSED
program at SDC. Verna is also thrilled to
report her new job as an administrative
receptionist for SDC. We congratulate her
on these accomplishments.
We would also like to recognize Louis
Thomas and Lori Hayward who are nearly
ready for their GED exam. Both are highly
motivated and have passed several of the
required practice exams. We wish them
well in their final preparations.
Students, including Gwendolyn Coates, Mia Hughes, Jovernita Prince,
Minnie Dyson, and Evelyn Brown (below) will showcase their educational
achievements on May 17 at the Moody Park Pavilion. The celebration
begins at 4:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
Louis Thomas and Lori Hayward (not
pictured), students at the Dominican
Center, are preparing to take the GED exam.
Please consider working with these students and others in Fall of 2017. Volunteer are needed to provide
one-on-one tutoring. We ask tutors to commit to at least two hours each week from 9–11:30 a.m. Call
414-444-9930 for more information.
Sharing the Journey | May 2016