OUR IMPACT IN SEPTEMBER

The work we do makes a difference in the lives of those we serve.

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"I can relate because I’ve been in situations. I lived in low income, it was times where I couldn’t make my rent, or my kids needed stuff and it’s only me, I’m a single parent. Urban Triage helped me get out of where I was living. They made me believe in myself and told me I got this, that I can do this, you don’t need any validation from anyone. I moved out of low income and no I live in a nice place. My kids go to school where they can walk home and feel comfortable. We finally feel comfortable thanks to Urban Triage." -Rental Support Participant

Hey Brandi,

September was an amazing month! We accomplished so much. We hosted our 2nd Annual Harvest Festival on our farm, launched our Security Deposit Program (finally), and received award nominations for our Supporting Healthy Black Agriculture program. I couldn't be more proud of our work and connectiveness of our community. You're all amazing.

Last year more than 500 people attended our Urban Harvest Festival, but this year we had more than 1,000 community members in attendance. Even in the rain (which only lasted about 20 minutes), attendees continued to wait in line for the amazing food options we had and participate in the activities! Cigarette Break and DJ Pain 1 kept the crowd entertained. We also had aerial performers, a performance from the No Boundaries dance team, free food, wine, beer, and a spoken word performance. Check out the details of this event below.

Unfortunately, we had so much going on and the festival was such a success that I had to make a tough decision and give my staff a break before gearing up for another event. Therefore, we are postponing our 1st Urban Triage Black Brilliance Gala, and will no longer be hosting that event in November. However, we will be hosting this in April of 2024. So, be on the lookout for upcoming information about our gala.

Our food supply continues to be in abundance. The new high tunnels at our farm continue to allow us to grow until November. This means that we will have free, fresh produce available for the community at our South Madison Office on Park Street on Mondays from 12:00 pm - 4:30 pm and Thursdays from 2:00 - 5:30 pm. Please stop by and pick some of this free food for yourself or your family!

Our Hemp Specialty Crop Workgroup is going strong! Last week they focused on creating their business idea and how to incorporate hemp. For those who missed the application this year or are interested for next year, please scroll down to join the waitlist for 2024, or visit our website.

We launched our Security Deposit and Rental Support initiative. This initiative helps individuals who have experienced a loss of income due to COVID-19, have an income below 80% of the area median income, are moving, and need assistance with their security deposit. If you or anyone you know are in this situation and are experiencing financial hardships, please have them fill out our intake form and an Urban Triage staff member will reach out to them. For more information about this initiative please read below and visit our website.

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at bgrayson@urbantriage.org. Please click the view message button at the bottom of this email to see the entire email - as we always have a lot going on! 

Thanks again for your continuous love and support!

CELEBRATE HARVEST WITH COMMUNITY

This celebration marked our second year of recognizing summer achievements and community impact. We hosted our 2nd Annual Urban Triage Harvest Festival on Saturday, September 16th at our farm located at the Farley Center for Peace, Justice, and Sustainability. This year's theme was "Wild Wild West". Y'all really showed up and showed out this year. Last year, this event brought out nearly 500 community members, but this year there were nearly 1,000 community members that attended this event. To say the least, we had a ball! Thank you to everyone that came through and celebrated our community with us. The pictures below only represent a glimpse of the happy faces, activities, and fun that was had by all. More pictures of our event can be seen on Facebook.

We had amazing entertainment there with DJ Pain 1 on the one's and two's, and also a live performance by Cigarette Break, a band out of Milwaukee. There was also a spoken word performance. We had a dance performance by No Boundaries dance team, and they killed it! An African Drum Circle and Dance performance by African Drum and Dance Milwaukee led us to our land to start programming.

The Festival also had a vibrant experience with acrobatics, tight rope walking, stilt walkers, a bouncy house, and activities from The Children's Museum! There was also free food, wine, and beer available to everyone.

A special thank you to all of the sponsors and donors that made this event a success! We couldn't do this without you. We all appreciate you. Our community appreciates you!

TRANSFORMING YOUTH LIVES

Changing the trajectory of the future of our youth.

Every other Wednesday two of our staff members visit East High School to provide the students with more information about the resources we have available to them and how we can support them. This is also a time for students to talk to someone and be heard. Last week, we provided the students with contraceptive kits and goodie bags. Our purpose is to make our youth feel safe, heard, and support them in navigating through their young adulthood.

Urban Triage is known for developing and implementing programs that fill the niche and gaps, and serving those most vulnerable. We've successfully and impactfully served 3,082 individuals over the last year with housing services and placed more than 225 individuals and families in permanent housing. We have more than 4 years of providing support and services to tenants and landlords, which positions us to meet the needs of vulnerable youth effectively and efficiently.

Our Hemp Specialty Crop Workgroup for Black Entrepreneurs began August 21st! The program is for those interested in growing, cultivating, harvesting, and processing hemp to start a business in the CBD or hemp industry. Our Hemp Workgroup is a comprehensive program designed to provide education and support for individuals interested in the hemp industry. 

Our workgroup takes place at two of our locations: our farm which is located at the Farley Center for Peace, Justice, and Sustainability in Verona, and our South Madison office located at 2312 S. Park Street. The workgroup covers various aspects of hemp cultivation, harvesting, processing, marketing, and business strategy. Classes are held on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm throughout the hemp harvest season and will continue until the hemp product is completed, which is expected to be by November.

The Hemp Specialty Crop Program for Black Entrepreneurs is a comprehensive program designed to provide education and support for individuals interested in the hemp industry. This program will cover various aspects of hemp cultivation, harvesting, processing, marketing, and business strategy.

The program curriculum will include in-depth training on the following topics:



• Introduction to hemp cultivation
• Sustainable farming practices for hemp
• Hemp harvesting and processing techniques
• Quality control and testing procedures
• Hemp product development and marketing strategies
• Business planning and strategy for hemp enterprises

To be on the waitlist for the 2024 Specialty Crop Hemp Workgroup for Black Entrepreneurs, please provide us with your contact information by clicking the button below.

THE FRESHER, THE BETTER

We still have fresh produce available to community members every Monday from 12:00 pm - 4:30 pm and Thursdays from 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm. Produce available will change weekly based on what is harvested that week. Some of the items will be collard greens, green beans, watermelon, peppers, carrots, cucumbers, etc. Keep an eye out for what is available on our Facebook page.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO ...

Ruthanna Hutton-Okpalaeke, our Agriculture Program Manager and Cooper Talbot our Agriculture Specialist Lead, as well as our very own CEO, Brandi Grayson, were nominated for the Live Forward Awards by Sustain Dane and recognized as change makers in the industry. This is an exceptional honor to be recognized for the hard work we've been doing in agriculture! Join us and Sustain Dane in honoring them on Friday, November 3 at the Sustain Dane Summit. Register and learn about all the nominees at sustaindane.org/summit

We are gearing towards the end of our Supporting Healthy Black Families workgroup. Our workgroup is known for its life-changing impact, and our curriculum is like no other. This group has been committed to the work, and we have already witnessed life changing experiences. These workgroups are designed to bring about positive, permanent shifts in how we define and understand how white supremacy racism impacts systems and us. Shifts that are the direct cause for a new kind of freedom and POWER—the freedom to acknowledge and accept our painful history and the personal power to do something about it. Thus, impacting the confidence with which Black people live their lives and care for their families. 

We utilize the framework of Dr. Joyce DeGruey’s post-traumatic slave syndrome in our transformative education model which looks at the seemingly insurmountable obstacles Black people have faced due to the ongoing and persistent trauma associated with existing within the context of white supremacy racism. 

Meet our Quality Assurance Lead, Katrina Kane. She has faithfully been part of our team for two years. Katrina's work ethic and dedication is evident as she first started here as a Rental Support Specialist, was promoted to Quality Assurance Specialist, and is now our Quality Assurance Lead!

We see and appreciate you, Katrina, for all your hard work and dedication to our organization and the work!

Field Trip to Cam Rock Park

On Saturday, September 9th some of our Urban Triage family and friends went on a beautiful field trip walking through the trails of Cam Rock Park. The field trip was held in partnership with the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC).

Saturday, October 7th | Free Sales for Families

Are you ready to create change in our community? Apply to become one of our community advocates and make a difference today!

We are currently looking for immediate volunteers for the following:

• Agriculture
• Bilingual Support
• Organizing Office Space, Closets, and Storage
• Event Committees
• Events: Black Brilliance Gala
• Grant Writing

If you are interested in volunteering for the above needs or any other future needs of Urban Triage, please sign up to volunteer below!