Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

newsMilwaukee NNSMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!

Advertisement
Advertisement



  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • On the Block
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • Calendar
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University

Monday, April 23, 2018

You are here: Home / Home / Carousel / Summit focuses on removing employment barriers for local men

Summit focuses on removing employment barriers for local men

July 27, 2015 by Edgar Mendez Leave a Comment

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on Google+
Google+
Email this to someone
email

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Alderman Jose G. Perez encouraged men at the My Brother’s Keeper Neighborhood Summit to take advantage of resources available to help them turn their lives around. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)

Alderman Jose G. Perez encouraged men at the My Brother’s Keeper Neighborhood Summit to take advantage of resources available to help them turn their lives around. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)

Wearing black-rimmed glasses and sporting a white t-shirt and shorts, Jerry Evans sat patiently on a brown plastic seat in a classroom at the Kosciuszko Park Recreational Center, 2201 S. 7th St., listening for his name to be called.

He was waiting to discuss his child support case with workers from Milwaukee County Child Support Services. Evans was one of dozens of men who made their way to the center to participate in the My Brother’s Keeper Neighborhood Summit.

The clock had yet to strike noon, but already Evans had learned about the opportunity to expunge misdemeanors from his record and how to get a free health screening. He also met with representatives from the Center for Driver’s License Recovery and Employability (CDLRE), who advised him on how to earn back driving privileges he’d lost three years ago.

“They walked me through all the steps. It was a great help,” said Evans, who added that he worried about what would happen to his kids if he were arrested for driving without a license.

Jerry Evans, of Milwaukee, said the advice he received at the summit left him hopeful that he could finally recover his driver’s license. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)

Jerry Evans, of Milwaukee, said the advice he received at the summit left him hopeful that he could finally recover his driver’s license. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)

The purpose of the summit, said Dennis Walton, outreach coordinator for the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative (MFI), was to “empower men and fathers by removing barriers to success from their lives.”

It was the second such summit held in Milwaukee this summer. The first, also sponsored by MFI, City of Milwaukee, the national My Brother’s Keeper initiative and other organizations, was held on the North Side in June at Holy Redeemer Church, 3500 W. Mother Daniels Way.

After seeing the success of that trial event, said Walton, organizers thought the model was ready to expand to reach men in need on the South Side. Eventually, he added, he’d like summits to be held in locations across the state.

The summits are “welcome and needed,” according to Mayor Tom Barrett. Barrett described the South Side event as a way to help “create hope and opportunity for men in the city,” which he admitted is lacking in family-supporting jobs.

“Many of the better-paying jobs aren’t in the city of Milwaukee or accessible by bus,” said Angela Catania, supervisor at CDLRE. Additionally, she said, many employers consider a driver’s license a sign that an individual is responsible.

Alexander DeLaGarza, like Evans, is looking to get back his license. He said he’s held a few jobs since losing his license after an OWI last year, but believes he hasn’t gotten hired for one of the more desirable positions he’s applied for because of his driving status.

“They ask me if I have a license and then they ask me how I get around,” DeLaGarza said.

At the summit he learned that he’d have to pay all his fines and obtain an assessment at IMPACT, which provides drug and alcohol consultation services, before he could get his license back. DeLaGarza said learning that was a relief because he originally thought he’d also have to pay to install a costly ignition interlock device, which tests drivers for alcohol in their system.

With the help of Catania, DeLaGarza, Evans and other attendees were able to craft a plan to clear their license suspensions.

The CDLRE serves about 300 people a year at events such as My Brother’s Keeper Neighborhood Summit, in addition to enrolling individuals into its more comprehensive program, which offers case management and legal services.

Alderman Jose Perez, who co-hosted the summit held in his 12th district, said that like many others in the neighborhood he knows the struggles of having a license suspended.

After his was revoked he was forced for years to pay for an SR-22, a vehicle liability insurance document required for high-risk drivers in Wisconsin.

“I paid more in insurance than what my car was worth at the time,” Perez said.

But he overcame that and other struggles including the gang violence he said permeated the neighborhood during his youth. He encouraged men who attended the summit to do the same.

“I got myself on track in this rough neighborhood,” said Perez, adding, “Today is your opportunity.”

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on Google+
Google+
Email this to someone
email

Related

Filed Under: Carousel, Community, Home, Lincoln Village, Neighborhoods, News, South

About Edgar Mendez

Edgar Mendez is a beat reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, covering Clarke Square, the neighborhood in which he lives. Prior to joining the team at NNS he was a feature writer for El Conquistador Newspaper in Milwaukee, and a web writer/reporter for Scene262.com in Racine.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

 

“The Long March to Freedom” now available as e-book

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service has created a downloadable version of “The Long March to Freedom,” a compilation of 15 in-depth articles and profiles commemorating the 50th anniversary of the open housing marches in Milwaukee in 1967-68.

Upcoming Events

  1. Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers host Health Equity Summit

    April 26 @ 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
  2. Brain, Brawn & Body present “Pre-Father’s Day” Celebration

    June 16 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

View All Events

Advertisement

How To …

How to talk to your children about sexual assault

How to talk to your children about sexual assault

A local counselor shares tips on how to talk to kids of all ages about staying safe.

More "How To" articles

Connect with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Most Popular

  • Sounding the alarm on inner-city transit
  • Foundations say neighborhoods need more public funding to fight crime
  • Family with lead-poisoned child: city officials are ‘complicit’
  • Community members react to announcement of MPS superintendent’s departure
  • Mi Casa Su Cafe on King Drive serves up healthy food with flavor
Advertisement

Links

  • The MPS Year of the Arts comes to a close
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: milwaukeemag.com FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

  • MPS board meeting about a $38.7 million budget hole ends after 7 hours and 1 ‘go to hell’
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: jsonline.com FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

  • Wisconsin civil rights leader Vel Phillips dies at age 94
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: WPR Wisconsin Public Radio FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

  • As funding wanes, bus routes connecting Milwaukeeans with suburban jobs may disappear
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

  • Walker signs bill sought by landlords
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: urbanmilwaukee.COM FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

Compiled by Andrea Waxman

Milwaukee NNS on Instagram

Follow on Instagram

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • Special Reports
  • Multimedia
    • On The Block
    • NNS Videos
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect Radio

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story
  • Calendar

About NNS

  • Staff
  • Partners
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Internship opportunities
  • Careers
  • Terms of use

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2018 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2018 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in