2014 MANDI Awards coverage
MANDIs celebrate ‘better future’ for Milwaukee neighborhoods
Winners of the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs), awarded to organizations working to improve impoverished neighborhoods, were announced at a sold-out dinner.

Westlawn Gardens ‘building block’ to revitalize northwest side
Westlawn Gardens, which replaced half of the old Westlawn public housing complex, is a MANDI finalist for its unique design and environmental features. Though it’s been open less than a year, the project is changing how people view the city’s northwest side.

United Methodist Children’s Services works to de-stigmatize poverty
MANDI nominee United Methodist Children’s Services finds its calling working with low-income families.

MANDI finalist helps make neighborhood a community
Activist Jan Christensen says building a community is a long-term project. She is the community organizer in the Riverwest neighborhood.

Renters move in to vacant properties through ‘Rent to Own Homes’ project
Nearly a dozen renters have moved into foreclosed homes that are part of the Rent to Own Homes program in the Layton Boulevard West neighborhood. The project is a finalist for a MANDI.

Just One More Ministry rescues food to feed the hungry
Just One More Ministry, which “rescues” food from groceries and caterers, is moving into the city to be able to serve more meals to Milwaukee’s hungry.

Rotary arboretum offers year-round learning for city kids
Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and animal tracking are just a few of the activities for students on winter field trips at the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum, a MANDI finalist.

Mobility store helps customers maintain independence
IndependenceFirst Mobility Store, which provides medical equipment for people with disabilities, is a finalist for a 2014 MANDI.

MANDI award nominees named to ‘Sweet Sixteen’
Finalists for the 2014 Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innnovation, known as the “MANDIs,” were announced Wednesday evening to a crowded room of nominees, community leaders and corporate sponsors.
2014 MANDI Awards finalists
• Three Bridges Park
• Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum
• Journey House Packers Football StadiumThe “BMO Harris Cornerstone Award”
• Havenwoods Economic Development Corporation
• Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation
• Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity
• United Methodist Children’s Services of Wisconsin
The “Northern Trust Navigator Award”
• Charles Brown, Journey House
• Jan Christenson, YMCA of Metro Milwaukee
• Howard Snyder, Northwest Side Community Development Corp.
• 16th Street Community Health Center’s Kinnickinnic River Corridor Initiative
• Independence First Mobility Store
• Just One More MinistryThe “State Farm Building Blocks Award”
• King Drive Commons IV, Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation in partnership with Impact 7
• Rent to Own Homes, Layton Boulevard West Neighbors in partnership with Impact 7
• Westlawn Gardens, Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee