You are here: Home / Blog / Stories

Stories from St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care

Dream of Martin Luther King Jr. Celebrated at St. Ann Center

/0 Comments/in , /by

Martin Luther King Jr. was wished a happy 91st birthday at both St. Ann Center campuses on the holiday celebrating the life and legacy of the esteemed civil rights leader.

At the Bucyrus Campus, saxophonist and singer Bobby Jiles played and sang some of Dr. King’s favorite songs including “Oh Happy Day,” “Precious Lord Take My Hand” and “Just Stand.” The adult clients took turns at the mic, reading poems with themes of human dignity, equality and strength in unity.

The Stein Campus tribute included remarks about non-violence from Rodican Rose, director of Pastoral Care, and observations about Dr. King from some of the adult clients, including facts about the man who helped unite a divided nation. Even the 2-year-old Butterflies got in on the celebration, helping create a special wall display in Dr. King’s honor.

Among the readings, was this poem by Michael Salinger:

Martin Luther King had an American Dream.

Black and white folks on the same team.

Not separate but equal —rather instead

Together—a nation with freedom widespread.

With tolerance for all races and creeds

His speeches and marches planted the seeds

For a movement calling for civil rights

Advocating through nonviolent fights

Against injustice wherever it streamed.

Martin Luther King had an American dream.

Sr. Edna Lonergan Wins AARP Purpose Prize

/0 Comments/in /by

Sr. Edna Lonergan, OSF, 77, is among the winners of the prestigious AARP Purpose Prize for her work as founder and president of St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, a trailblazing day services center for people of all ages and abilities in Milwaukee.

The AARP Purpose Prize is the only national award that celebrates people 50-plus who are using their life experience to create social change. Each of five winners in the class of 2019-2020 received a $60,000 award. Additionally, AARP announced nine AARP Purpose Prize fellows, who were also honored at the Washington, D.C. gala for the mission-focused work of the organizations they each lead. Each fellow will receive a $5,000 award to further the mission of their organization.

The AARP Purpose Prize award gala was held in Washington, D.C. on November 12, 2019, and emceed by journalist and CBS contributor María Elena Salinas and commentator David Brooks, author of the bestselling The Second Mountain.

“AARP Purpose Prize winners and fellows have spent decades accumulating a wealth of knowledge that only life experience can bring. Armed with this wisdom, they tackle some of the greatest societal challenges of our time and are making a difference in their communities and further afield,” said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. “We are proud to highlight their work with the AARP Purpose Prize award and to celebrate a new story of aging – one full of meaningful impact and limitless possibilities.”

This year’s AARP Purpose Prize Winners are:

Sister Edna Lonergan, 77 — Milwaukee, Wis. — St. Ann Center

  • Lonergan’s experience operating an adult day care facility in the 1980s where she was struck by the isolation many older people experience, inspired her to create an innovative approach to care that breaks down barriers of ageism and bonds generations. The result is the St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, a day services center for people of all ages.

Georgette Bennett, 72 — New York, N.Y. — Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees (MFA)

  • A child of Holocaust survivors and a refugee herself, Bennett founded and leads MFA, the largest U.S. multifaith response to the Syrian crisis, comprising more than 100 faith-based and secular organizations committed to aiding Syrian war victims.

Shirley Acevedo Buontempo, 56 — Mahopac, N.Y. — Latino U College Access (LUCA)

  • LUCA helps first-generation-to-college Latino students enroll in and graduate from college. Inspired after working in local nonprofit organizations and helping her own children apply to college, Buontempo saw a need for bilingual support to resource-challenged, Spanish-speaking families and students make their dreams of a college education a reality.

Paul Leon, 64 — Orange, Calif. — Illumination Foundation

  • While working as a critical care nurse, Leon witnessed firsthand the large number of children living on the streets with their families. A desire to help break the cycle of homelessness was the catalyst for him to start Illumination Foundation.

Wintley Phipps, 64 — Vero Beach, Fla. — U.S. Dream Academy

  • As a minister and gospel performer, Phipps spent much of his career doing prison ministry. In the wake of that work, he founded U.S. Dream Academy to serve the children of incarcerated parents, who themselves are often at risk of incarceration, to believe in themselves and to succeed.

For more on the AARP Purpose Prize Winners:

Sister Edna Lonergan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yayqXcqlsGc
Dr. Georgette Bennett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGLDORR4I44
Paul Leon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVQyAGG1WBg
Wintley A. Phipps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rc-zBIeB3s
Shirley Acevedo Buontempo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB31adGnDMo

This year’s AARP Purpose Prize Fellows are:

Im Ja Choi, 71
Philadelphia, Pa.
Penn Asian Senior Services 

Adele Della Torre, 65
Minneapolis, Minn.
Ready Set Smile

AnnMaria De Mars, 60
Santa Monica, Calif.
7 Generation Games

Linda B Eagan, 65
Fulton, N.Y.
Fulton Block Builders

Beth Ehrhardt, 63
West Valley City, Utah
Senior Charity Care Foundation

Gregg Kander, 58
Braddock, Pa.

Molly MacDonald, 68
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
The Pink Fund

Vicki Sokolik, 58
Tampa, Fla.
Starting Right Now

Kirk Whisler, 67
San Diego, Calif.
Latino Literacy Now

For more on the AARP Purpose Prize, please visit: www.aarp.org/purposeprize

 

 

 

Inaugural African Ball Set for Feb. 1

/0 Comments/in /by

The spotlight will be on African-inspired attire,  hors d’oeuvres, and decor at the first Indaba African Ball on Saturday, February 1, at St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Ave.

Kicking off Black History Month, the event runs from 5:30-9 p.m. Guests will first gather in the atrium, showcasing African-inspired paintings and décor, and are encouraged to wear African or Afrocentric attire. The evening will include an informal fashion show, starring the guests, and a photo booth to capture the memories. A local vendor will sell African clothing, jewelry and more for those interested.

Upstairs, attendees can explore a Hall of History Makers, featuring 12 outstanding community leaders of the past and present.

Among the evening’s entertainers: Chris Pipkins of Christopher’s Project, a three-peat winner at Showtime at the Apollo, a prestigious theater in New York City showcasing the best of up-and-coming talent. The event features African and Caribbean-flavored hors d’oeuvres by Events by Day.

“We are planning an exciting season of family-friendly entertainment at the band shell this summer,” said Gloria Miller, St. Ann Center’s Special Events Director. “Funds raised at the ball will be used to bring an outstanding line-up of local talent to our stage.”

The Indaba Band Shell’s free summer concert series, now in the planning, will begin in June. The Swahili word “Indaba” refers to a gathering space to discuss issues affecting the village; St. Ann Center’s president and founder, Sr. Edna Lonergan, says the band shell could become a mecca for arts and entertainment on Milwaukee’s north side.

Tickets are $60 per person and can be purchased at StAnnCenter.org/IndabaBall. For questions, contact Gloria at 414-210-2428 or email gmiller@stanncenter.org.

St. Ann Center’s world-renowned day care program has served Milwaukee-area children, older adults and people with disabilities since 1999, all in the same home-like setting, and its Bucyrus Campus opened in 2015.

Special Issue 2020 Newsletter Cover Story

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Kayla Beats the Odds

If you want to know where the action is at St. Ann Center’s Young Adult Unit, just look for Kayla Prink. The 4-foot-tall, 60-pound bundle of energy has a passion for dancing that has earned her the nickname Twinkle Toes around the Bucyrus Campus, where she’s a client.

Kayla, 26, was the focus of life-or-death attention on the day she was born, three months early, in the middle of respiratory andcongestive heart failure. “The doctors didn’tknow if she would make it through the night,” her mom, Renee, recalled, describing how she and husband Jim kept a vigil in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. A week later, a geneticist determined Kayla was among the one in 10,000 infants born with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), a rare genetic disorder that can lead to a variety of physical, cognitive and medical abnormalities.
Read more

Claus Encounter at Bucyrus Campus Holiday Event

/0 Comments/in /by

There’s no place like the Bucyrus Campus for the holidays. A recent intergenerational celebration featured song, dance and a special guest who came to North Avenue all the way from the North Pole.

The festivities kicked off with the Adult Choir, made up of our talented clients, singing a lively rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock.” Staff and volunteers contributed, too, singing holiday favorites. Joyce Davis, Vice President of Adult Day Services, was a crowd-pleaser with her flirty version of “Santa Baby.” The 2-year-old Meerkats melted hearts with their cute grocery bag snowman costumes and sweet voices.

The heritage of the holidays was in the spotlight, as well. A trio of African drummers brought kids and adults to their feet, dancing to the infectious beat. Then the little ones gathered around to learn about Kwanzaa, the week-long annual celebration that honors African heritage in African-American culture.

Making a special guest appearance was Mrs. Claus (AKA Raejean Kanter, a St. Ann Center volunteer and supporter when she’s off duty). “We’re very busy at the North Pole,” she advised. “But there’s one day I would never miss. That’s coming here to the Bucyrus Campus. To me, that’s what Christmas is all about!”