As of the end of May, UMOS has used about $800,000 of $2.1 million in community action funding set to expire at the end of September.
With the funds, UMOS has provided more than 496 households with rental, mortgage or property tax assistance, according to Marjorie Rivera-Torres, the nonprofit’s vice president of social services.
“We’ve been spending aggressively,” Rivera-Torres said.
UMOS connected more than 210 participants to physical and behavioral health services and distributed approximately 425,000 pounds of food throughout Milwaukee County, according to Rivera-Torres.
When the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families determined last year the Social Development Commission would no longer be eligible to receive the Community Services Block Grant, or CSBG, it contracted UMOS to operate anti-poverty services in Milwaukee County on an interim basis with the remaining funding that had been allocated to SDC.
UMOS, an organization founded to assist migrant farmworkers that transitioned to operate a range of social service programs in multiple states, used the funds to launch the Community Pathways Program with housing, health and food assistance.
More money for housing programs
UMOS received another $700,000 in CSBG funding from the state Department of Children and Families, which will mostly be allocated to the housing assistance part of the program, according to Rivera-Torres.
“UMOS expects to fully utilize the additional funding before the end of the current calendar year, ensuring that more Milwaukee County residents receive the support they need to remain safely housed and connected to other essential services,” Rivera-Torres said.
Residents struggling to pay their rent, mortgage or property taxes can apply for up to $1,800 in assistance to avoid eviction or other housing crises.
The property tax assistance can be helpful for elderly individuals with no income, Rivera-Torres said.
The Department of Children and Families did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls requesting comment about UMOS’ grant funding and the future of community action funding in Milwaukee County.
Partnerships
In addition to serving people at its corporate location at 2701 S. Chase Ave., UMOS is partnering with Wellpoint Care Network, Northcott Neighborhood House and Silver Spring Neighborhood Center to expand accessibility.
“So when the resource navigator is doing the intake with the participants and they notice that the ZIP code belongs to an area closer to any of our partners, they ask the participant what they prefer,” Rivera-Torres said.
Households can qualify for the Community Pathways Program if they live in Milwaukee County and their income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. Residents can apply online, by calling UMOS at 414-389-6207 or visiting any of the partner locations.
Of the 5,541 applications to the program from January to May, 68% of households are from the city’s North Side, according to UMOS.
At the resource fairs held once a month at Wellpoint Care Network, 8901 W. Capitol Drive, in collaboration with UMOS and Milwaukee Diaper Mission, residents can access food boxes, diapers and hygiene supplies and learn about other health, job and energy assistance programs.
By working together, the organizations can help families address interconnected challenges around housing affordability and stability, food insecurity, employment barriers and behavioral health needs, said Reggie Newson, president and CEO of Wellpoint Care Network.
“We can address both the short-term and long-term needs and impacts,” Newson said. “We can do this with dignity for those families.”
Food pantry
Through the Community Pathways Program, households are eligible to receive a food box every 30 days with vegetables, meat, dairy, grains, snacks and other household supplies like diapers and pet food.
Rivera-Torres said UMOS has operated a food pantry for many years with the support of corporate and community donations, but the program expands its scale.
UMOS prepares food boxes based on family size to distribute from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the food pantry located in the back of its Career and Family Service Center on Chase Avenue and deliver to Silver Spring Neighborhood Center and Northcott Neighborhood House.
“We are not making any distinctions from the amount, the weight and the quality of the produce that we are delivering here,” Rivera-Torres said.
Both neighborhood organizations have existing food pantries and programs with Hunger Task Force.
The food pantry at Northcott, 2460 North 6th St., is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and is accessible as needed for emergencies, said Tony Kearney, Northcott executive director.
“Our objective is to ensure anyone who’s in need is served,” Kearney said. “Having the UMOS component allows us to serve more people.”
The food pantry at Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, 5460 N. 64th St., operates from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday and from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.
Health services:
UMOS partners with Outreach Community Health Centers and the Medical College of Wisconsin to provide physical health services, including health screenings through their mobile unit.
With Wellpoint Care Network, the behavioral health services include a free mental health wellness screening.
Then, families or individuals who need a visit with a behavioral health therapist are referred to Wellpoint’s outpatient clinic and are usually seen within 24 to 72 hours, according to Newson.
“We treat people and see people no matter what their ability is to pay,” Newson said.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.
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