NNS Managing Editor Edgar Mendez is a proud Milwaukee native who lives in the Clarke Square neighborhood.

Last holiday season, we started a new tradition at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. We reached out to you, our neighbors, to see how you celebrate the season of gratitude and giving, and what you’re thankful for. The responses we received warmed our hearts.

Here’s one.

Advertisement

‘Everything in my life’

Lashawn Robinson is thankful for how far he has come in life. (Photo by PrincessSafiya Byers)

Name: Lashawn Robinson
Age: 16
Occupation: Golda Meir School student
Neighborhood: Parkway Hills

What are you thankful for this season and why?

“I’m thankful to God for giving me a beautiful mom and family to wake up to. I’m really thankful for everything in my life because I used to be bad … like I had bad behavior so I am thankful for how far I’ve come. That I’ve been able to meet people like Milton (his supervisor) and how far God has brought me as an individual.” 

Here’s what others said.

We want to know what you’re thankful for

This Thanksgiving, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, also known as NNS, wants to uplift the people, organizations and spaces that make Milwaukee a better place.

Tell us: Who or what are you thankful for in your neighborhood?

We’re gathering short reflections from community members across the city. Your shout-out may be featured in our annual Thanksgiving article.

Let’s celebrate gratitude and community, together.

You can share what you’re thankful for by filling out this short form. The deadline to submit is Monday, Nov. 24.

Thank you and Happy Holidays.

Creative Commons License

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Raised in a South Side neighborhood where he still lives, Edgar Mendez is the managing editor of 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. He won a 2018 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and 2014, 2017, and 2018 Milwaukee Press Club Awards for his reporting on taverns, marijuana law enforcement, and lead in water service lines. In 2008, he won a Society of Professional Journalists’ regional award for columns dealing with issues such as poverty, homelessness and racism. His writing has been published by the Associated Press, Reuters, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other media. He has also co-authored three articles published in scholarly journals.