Nonprofit Collaboration of the Year Winner
Dominican Center for Women Inc. and Hunger Task Force
2470 W. Locust St., Milwaukee; 201 S. Hawley Court, Milwaukee
High lead levels can be found in many Milwaukee homes, including in the city’s north side Amani neighborhood. Exposure to lead poses many health risks, in particular to children and pregnant women.
This year, the Dominican Center for Women Inc. partnered with Hunger Task Force Inc. and the Milwaukee Nutrition and Lead Task Force to launch Well Fed Means Less Lead, a campaign to raise awareness in the Amani neighborhood about the dangers of elevated levels of lead in homes and about lead mitigation methods including proper nutrition.
Through this collaboration, Amani residents traveled door-to-door to inform their neighbors about the dangers of household lead and how to determine if it is present in their homes.
To buy water filters and replace lead lines is often cost-prohibitive for Amani residents, more than half of whom are low-income. As part of the campaign, lead filters were installed on residents’ kitchen faucets, and families received information on local organizations that test for exposure to the element.
“Because Sherrie (Tussler, executive director of Hunger Task Force) was wise enough to build a collaborative partnership that used the strengths of two organizations, we have the data to show a lasting impact was made in the Amani community. We also know that when neighbors serve neighbors, they get to know their neighbors and community better.”
– Patricia Rogers, executive director, Dominican Center for Women
