Summer Issue #52 July-Sept. 2021

July 13, 2021/1 Comment/in blog, Newsletter, Stories /by Sharon Selz

A Mentor for Life

When Esther Bryant was raising her daughters, she told them they could do anything they put their minds to. Now a great-grandmother, she’s taking her own advice.

“My mind’s always going, thinking about things I want to do,” said Esther, a client at St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus. “The Bible says, ‘Work the works of Him who sent you, while it is day.’ You’ve got to do all you can, when you can.”

Staying busy has been a way of life for Esther. A cosmetologist, she owned a salon until age 75. After her children were grown, she became a foster parent, raising kids of all ages for 20 years. “They turned out pretty good, too,” she said, smiling. Many still keep in touch, sending her letters and wedding invitations.

Her concern for children motivated Esther to start her own nonprofit, Lighthouse Visions, aimed at empowering foster children with life skills that build respect for themselves and others. “There’s nothing better than helping young people understand they can be whoever they want to be,” she added.

Esther’s daughter Milwaukee Municipal Court Judge Valarie Hill recalls leaving voicemail messages for her on-the-go mom: “It’s ten o’clock…do you know where my mother is?” But then, in March of 2016, Esther suffered a stroke, severely affecting movement and sensation on the left side of her body. Two years ago, Esther moved in with her daughter and, soon after, enrolled in St. Ann Center’s adult day care.

Her many talents aren’t going to waste. Esther recently began directing the Bucyrus Campus adult choir. “I played piano and organ in my church for 60 years, so this is fun for me,” she said. She’s also using her experience teaching in a beauty and modeling school. “I would love to do a fashion show here,” she said, imagining her models. “Older people, little kids, people in wheelchairs. We all need to remember we’re beautiful.”

You give Esther a place to keep doing what she loves.

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St. Ann Center Hosts Hybrid Gala

July 13, 2021/0 Comments/in Stories /by Sharon Selz

Guests to celebrate in person in Deer District and virtually.

St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care will host its 17^th Annual Dream Together Gala on Friday, Aug. 13. A hybrid event, the Gala will be held in a brand-new venue—Gather at Deer District, 333 W. Juneau Ave. Guests also have the option of attending the event virtually online.

“This year’s Gala will be a celebration of our faith and perseverance through the many months of the pandemic—and of a new beginning,” said Sr. Edna Lonergan, OSF, president of St. Ann Center.

With a goal of $230,000, money raised will help fund enriching activities for the children, frail elders and adults with disabilities who are served by the unique all-ages day care. Funds will also support the center’s new gardening program, including dozens of raised bed gardens producing homegrown fruits and vegetables to supplement the center’s menus.

The Gala begins at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour in the 6,000 square feet ultra-modern venue, opening to an outdoor balcony overlooking Fiserv Forum and the plaza. The evening features live and silent auctions and dinner catered by Levy Restaurants. Showcased in the auctions are a week’s stay in an Arizona condo with free golf, Green Bay Packers tickets and an evening on the town, including dinner for four at the Wisconsin Club.

Donations of live and silent auction items for the Gala are also welcomed.

New this year, the Gala will feature a livestreamed program, plus special content for guests who attend the event virtually. The general public will also have a chance to bid on auction items online, beginning Aug. 9. Information on the online auction site can be found at stanncenter.org/gala.

The Gala will honor St. Ann Center supporters, the Care Champions who make its services possible. From whirlpool baths, physical and occupational therapy to art and music therapy, adult day services promote independence and a sense of purpose. Youngsters in St. Ann Center’s early childhood education program learn to respect and appreciate the adult clients as they join them for activities on a regular basis.

The event will also spotlight the growth of St. Ann Center, from the opening of its Stein Campus, 2801 E. Morgan Ave., in 1999, to its replication in 2015, when the Bucyrus Campus opened at 2450 W. North Ave. The second campus has helped to revitalize its neighborhood, while bringing jobs to residents on Milwaukee’s near north side.

St. Ann Center would like to thank Bader Philanthropies, Maggie Cary, the Friends of Florence Nevins and all the generous sponsors who support the Gala and the continued care for all ages and abilities at both campuses.

Visit stanncenter.org/gala to register or for more information. Questions about the Gala and other ways to support St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care can be directed to Chris Fabbri at (414) 369-9024 or cfabbri@stanncenter.org.

Roots of Juneteenth Celebrated at St. Ann Center

June 18, 2021/0 Comments/in Bucyrus Campus, Stories /by Sharon Selz

An historic Juneteenth was celebrated with a parade, cupcakes and the colors of freedom at both St. Ann Center campuses. Festivities were extra special this year, considering President Biden just signed into law a bill establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War was over and slavery in the United States was abolished. To commemorate the date, the children and adults at the Bucyrus Campus organized a parade around the grounds. Marchers carried signs and homemade posters with messages of African-American pride. The children in the Elephant classroom dressed the part, wearing hand-decorated Juneteenth T-shirts.

After reading Wisconsin Governor Tony Ever’s Juneteenth Day proclamation, Monica Yarn, director of adult day services, asked children and adults what June 19^th means to them. “Freedom and togetherness,” client Doris affirmed. The summer camp kids summed it up with, “Black lives matter” and “everybody is somebody.”

At the Stein Campus, the children and adults came together in the atrium to learn about the history of slavery in the U.S. They also heard about how the Juneteenth Day celebration has evolved over the past 156 years.

For example, red foods are a mainstay at Juneteenth gatherings. The color is symbolic of the blood shed during slavery and of the collective resiliency of Black people in America. Following this tradition, St. Ann Center staff distributed red face masks and red velvet cupcakes to clients, caregivers and parents—connecting to generations of people who have come together to celebrate their freedom and affirm their humanity.

Home Is Where Steinhafels’ Heart Is

June 10, 2021/0 Comments/in Stories /by Sharon Selz

This longtime St. Ann Center supporter is invested in community’s comfort.

They say there’s no place like home. One local company is making sure clients at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care feel as at home as possible.

“In 1983, when we opened St. Ann Adult Day Care, all we had was overstuffed, second-hand furniture that wasn’t practical for older people to use,” said Sr. Edna Lonergan, St. Ann Center founder and president. “Steinhafels donated our first piece of new furniture—a comfortable and sturdy recliner. Everyone wanted to sit in it!”

Over the years, as St. Ann Center built two new all-ages day cares, the connection to Steinhafels grew. The fourth-generation Midwestern furniture company provided deeply discounted sofas, chairs and tables for the living room in the Bucyrus Campus overnight respite. Most recently, they delivered nine at-cost mattresses to the Stein Campus respite unit. They’ve also regularly donated mattresses to the St. Ann Center Gala’s silent auction.

“I am blown away by the scope of everything St. Ann Center does—from bathing services for the adults to swimming lessons for the kids to therapies for clients with special needs,” said Dave Lappe, general manager of MidAmerica Bedding, which manufactures Steinhafels’ own factory-direct “Dreams” mattress line. “It makes us feel good knowing our mattresses are going to places that need them so much.”

The Dreams mattress factory, located in New Berlin, is filled wall-to-wall with wood for mattress foundations, layers of cushiony foam, springs of all sizes and giant quilting machines to sew everything together. A close-knit team of 25 employees can turn out up to 400 mattresses and foundations in a single day.

Steinhafels bedding can be found in homes, hotels, dorm rooms and more across Wisconsin and into Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. The factory also strives to find regionally sourced materials to produce its mattresses that come in a wide range of styles and price options.

In April of this year, the Steinhafels family announced the transition of their 87-year-old business to a 100% employee-owned company. “It’s a very exciting time for us,” Lappe said. With just under 600 employees, “it’s nice to know the people who worked so hard to make this company a success will directly benefit from it into the future,” he added.

Band Shell Kicks Off Free Entertainment Series

June 3, 2021/0 Comments/in blog, Bucyrus Campus, Stories /by Sharon Selz

The beat of African drums welcomed guests to the premiere of Indaba Nights, a free 13-week concert series held at the Indaba Band Shell at St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Ave. The opening performance on June 2nd was sponsored by Parklawn Assembly of God Church, a key supporter of the construction of the 250-capacity band shell which opened in 2019.

Master storyteller and historian Tejumola (Teju) Ologboni kicked off the evening, accompanied by drummer/percussionist Dumah Saafir. Teju began his performance with an infectious drumbeat and chant, “Talkin’ That Drum Talk,” captivating the teens, tots and adults in the audience. His stories come out of an African-American tradition that runs down the backbone of the Mississippi all the way across to West Africa. He absorbed storytelling from his parents in Kansas and his grandparents in Arkansas.

Next, the Nefertari African Dance Company brought the audience to their feet, teaching the fundamentals of traditional dances. The troupe, made up of students from elementary through high school, has performed for 53 years throughout Milwaukee, and has traveled to New York, the White House, Disneyland and on to Ghana, West Africa.

The band shell audience stretched from the covered seating area to the grassy hillside, dotted with lawn chairs and blankets. Food trucks turned the family-friendly event into a picnic for many.

Performances are scheduled for every Wednesday evening, 6:30-8:30 p.m. through August 25^th. For the complete summer lineup, visit StAnnCenter.org/Indaba or contact Gloria Miller at 414-210-2428 or gmiller@stanncenter.org.