Ilza Lopez (right) and Alexis Walker provide information at the March 6 Home to Stay event. They work with Maximus, which provides resources and support for employment, among other things, for people returning from incarceration. (Photo by Devin Blake)

President Joe Biden has officially proclaimed April 2024 as Second Chance Month, calling on Congress to invest billions in mental health and substance use services, job training and affordable housing to support people who are leaving incarceration.

While people here and nationwide wait on federal action, Home to Stay makes these same resources far more accessible in Milwaukee every month.

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Home to Stay is a resource event that connects those who have been incarcerated with housing, employment, health insurance and banking.

Home to Stay takes place on the first Wednesday of every month from noon to 2 p.m. at Partners in Hope, 324 W. North Ave. Partners in Hope is a division of The Community Warehouse, a faith-based organization that works with returning citizens.

The next Home to Stay event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 3.

A complete list of providers and agencies can be found at the Home to Stay website, but here are some service providers from the event in March.

Adam Procell is the coordinator of Home to Stay. He takes a quick moment to inspect the lunch given to providers.  “ … Oftentimes, those that are getting out of incarceration don’t have transportation, or have the funds to obtain a bus pass,” said Procell. “So we feel by getting multiple providers under one roof, in one place, makes it easier to overcome multiple re-entry barriers.” Procell can be contacted at hometostay@milwaukeecjc.org. (Photo by Devin Blake)
David Goines is the community relations coordinator for Progressive Community Health Centers, which has two clinics in the city offering primary care, among other medical services. Goines makes sure to reach out to underserved populations like returning citizens.  “When people leave incarceration, they are only given a limited amount of medication for illnesses that they really need to be paying attention to, like high blood pressure, diabetes,” Goines said. “When they get out, they are bogged down with everything else they need to be successful.” Goines can be contacted at david.goines@progressivechc.org or 414-935-8000 ext. 1199. (Photo by Devin Blake)
As community health workers, Shay Dotson (right) and Bryan Winters connect returning citizens with primary care providers, as well as housing and transportation resources. Their services are available at Aurora Health Center, 5818 W. Capitol Drive in Midtown, and Aurora Sinai Medical Center, 945 N. 12th St. Dotson wants people re-entering the community to know that they are not alone. “I am you and you are me, and from my hand to your hand, together we can make it,” Dotson said. Dotson can be contacted at 414-858-7553. (Photo by Devin Blake)
Avery Bobo, retail relationship banker with BMO Bank, highlights the financial services offered to people who are returning home. Bobo can help Home to Stay attendees open a bank account on the spot, for free, and explain the credit-building resources available. Bobo said the personal support from bankers is something that can be particularly helpful to returning citizens. “You do have a physical person that you can actually talk to and have assistance from, a personal banker like myself,” said Bobo. Bobo can be contacted at avery.bobo@bmo.com or 414-336-7083. (Photo by Devin Blake)
As a community relations manager at Familia Dental, Jaquilynn Huff helps returning citizens connect to dental and orthodontic services. People who are uninsured or underinsured can get services, which Huff says is common to people she meets at Home to Stay. “I think too often we wait for a problem to happen,” she said. “So, our intention is to provide education and preventive care … .,” Huff said. Those who are interested in making an appointment can contact Huff at jhuff@familiadental.com or 414-296-1097.  (Photo by Devin Blake)
Susan Eckhart is the program director of JusticePoint’s Municipal Court Alternatives Program, which helps people avoid incarceration by resolving City of Milwaukee municipal fines. “Many people who get out of prison have cases in municipal court that aren’t resolved because it’s two different court systems. They don’t realize it until they call the police for something, get stopped for something minor, are trying to get a job or access housing, and they are told they have a warrant” Eckhart said.  Linda Hitz, the program’s service coordinator, also can be contacted at lhitz@justicepoint.org or 414-286-8733. (Photo by Devin Blake)
Cheryl Isabell is the Milwaukee community engagement lead for Covering Wisconsin, which helps people find and use health insurance.  “It’s important to reach people who are re-entering the community. Navigators assist them with enrolling in Medicaid programs and provide health literacy in maximizing usage of that coverage,” Isabell said. Isabell can be reached for questions at cheryl.isabell@wisc.edu or 608-575-3719. (Photo by Devin Blake)

Devin Blake is the criminal justice reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. His position is funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, which plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

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