October 1 marks the official launch of the 2018-2019 Energy Assistance Heating Season , but we’re kicking off the season a few days early with the Grand Opening of Community Advocates’ newest location in Brown Deer .

On Saturday, September 29, stop by 6900 W. Brown Deer Road, Suite 110 (a few doors down from our former location) between noon and 3 p.m. to learn about energy assistance and weatherization benefits, and have some fun! V100.7's Reggie Brown will broadcast live from our celebration, and we’ll have plenty of fun for the whole family, including free henna tattoos, face painting, light refreshments, and a Milwaukee Fire Department engine.

Then, on Monday, October 1, all six energy assistance sites will offer extended application hours during the month of October to better serve our clients and make sure they stay connected and warm all winter.

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Timothy Charek, Community Advocates’ Board Member, passed on September 17. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tim’s wife, Meg, and his children Joseph, Maggie, and Charlie. Tim was a longtime board member who was committed to the mission of Community Advocates and those we serve. We are grateful for his dedication to our organization and our lives are richer for having known him. Please see Tim’s board member profile to learn more about his life and work and visit Tim’s CaringBridge site to share your message to his family.  

Thanks to the Milwaukee Area Science Advocates (MASA), the Milwaukee Women’s Center facility is becoming part of the environmental solution. In August, MASA volunteers installed a clean and green rainwater harvesting system to collect rainwater for the center’s raised-bed gardens (also provided by MASA), reduce our water use, divert excess rainwater from getting into the city’s overburdened sewer systems, and prevent contaminants from getting into the Milwaukee River watershed. The $5,000 project was provided by the Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust (Sweet Water) and designed by engineers at Reflo . We’re grateful for their support and are excited about reducing our burden on the environment.

The New Pathways for Fathers and Families program helps men become better fathers, partners and providers. New Pathways helps low-income men who are expecting a child, biological fathers, and father figures to a dependent child or young adult up to age 24. Community Advocates and Milwaukee County are partners in this program, which focuses on:

Group meetings are held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday at Community Advocates, 728 N. James Lovell St., Milwaukee. There is no cost to attend. A light lunch is provided. Contact Martha at 414-737-6510 to sign up.

The Milwaukee Women’s Center provides basic needs for families who have no stable home or have survived violence in their home. Last year alone, we were home base for 575 individuals, which includes 337 children, in our Domestic Violence Shelter and Family Support Center Emergency Shelter. If you know anything about kids, you know they go through a lot of supplies. We’re always grateful to receive donated baby bottles, sippy cups, and dishes and utensils for young children. If you have any to spare, please contact Jeri Kavanaugh at jkavanaugh@communityadvocates.net or 414-270-2984. Thank you!

Community Advocates and the Public Policy Institute are community partners in Milwaukee Film’s Black Lens program, which supports African-American filmmakers. Black Lens is the only major film program in the country to exclusively showcase the work of African-American filmmakers. The festival runs October 18 through November 1. Keep checking the websites for Community Advocates and the Public Policy Institute , as well as our Facebook pages (Like us here and here ) for details as we get closer to the festival.

Share your heart! Play the Canal Street Bingo Game at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino to help raise funds for area children’s charities. The Milwaukee Women's Center is excited to be in the running to receive Heart of Canal Street funds!

September 29: Energy Assistance Kickoff at our new location, 6900 W. Brown Deer Road, Suite 110, from noon to 3 p.m.

October 1: Milwaukee County Energy Assistance Benefits Season starts; expanded hours are offered through October

October 1: Beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October 5 through December 28: Milwaukee County Substance Abuse Prevention (MCSAP) Coalition outreach at select Marquette University men’s basketball games

October 18: Project Homeless Connect at Marquette University Alumni Memorial Union

October 19: Empowerment Coalition of Milwaukee workshop on housing services; register here

We're always adding events to our online calendar. Bookmark it here.