Willy Rozanski, A Brush With Kindness volunteer, paints a porch on the 1000 block of S. 21st Street in Clarke Square last May. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Habitat for Humanity’s “A Brush With Kindness” program (ABWK) soon will be making its way into the Clarke Square neighborhood for the fourth year in a row.
AWBK fixes up homes needing repairs such as paint, new windows, security doors or roofing, among other projects.
Enrollment is open now on a first-come first-served basis, according to Veronica Ortiz, Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative (CSNI) housing coordinator. Applications should be dropped off at Journey House, 1900 W. Washington St.
Clarke Square neighborhood marker on the 1000 block of S. 23rd Street. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Eligible properties are then referred to AWBK, which provides repairs to bring homes up to code free of charge to the homeowner.
The number of homes to be repaired in Clarke Square has yet to be determined, though it’s likely to be about 10, according to Ortiz.
The program is funded by the Zilber Family Foundation and the Margaret S. Chester Revocable Trust, with paint donated by the Valspar Corporation.
To be eligible, residents must be low-income homeowners, and also must certify that they do not intend to move or sell their home within the next three years.
Follow this link for a .pdf of the registration form for A Brush With Kindness.
Edgar is a senior staff reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Mendez is a proud graduate of UW-Milwaukee, where he double majored in Journalism and Sociology, and of Marquette University, where he earned a master’s degree in Communication. As an accomplished journalist, Edgar’s awards include a 2018 Regional Edward R. Murrow award, several press club awards and a Society of Professional Journalists’ regional award for columns dealing with issues such as poverty, homelessness and racism.
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