April-June 2019 Newsletter Cover Story

April 9, 2019/0 Comments/in Stories /by St. Ann Center

Heroes with Heart

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No. It’s St. Ann Center’s Righteous League!

An enthusiastic group of Stein Campus clients have found their inner superheroes as participants in TimeSlips, a program that uses creative storytelling to enhance people’s lives. Meeting weekly with facilitator Elaine Maly, “They’ve come up with names for their characters, unique super powers, costumes, archenemies…and the most amazing adventures,” Elaine explained.

There’s Super Jake (Jacob Lukowski), a brilliant billionaire with lightning speed who can predict the future, Energy Man (Marcus Semenske), who uses his supercharged personality to help others get work done and Party Animal (Christine Biersack), who instantly turns a boring day into a fun one. Super Jesus (John Krall) uses his power of prayer to lead people to make good choices, Super Reader (Diane Gundlach) reads from large-print books to keep people calm and G-Man (Gabriel Rodriguez) protects the city from evil using his powers of invisibility and healing.

“From the start, they decided they needed to be a team,” Elaine said. “They figured they would be stronger as the Righteous League.” In the past few months, they’ve saved the world from Lazy Man (Energy Man’s nemesis), who saps people’s strength and opened a training school that teaches children how to become superheroes.

Milwaukee artist Emma Daisy Gertel has joined Elaine and the League in several TimeSlips sessions and hopes to create an art installation or comic book based on St. Ann Center’s superhero stories. According to Elaine, “We’re thinking about all the possible ways we can share this awesome project with the public.” Now, that’s super exciting!

Donors make this creative fun possible!

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St. Ann Center Inducts Three into Honorary Hall of Friends

April 9, 2019/0 Comments/in Stories /by St. Ann Center

St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care will add three new members to its Hall of Friends on Friday, May 17. John McCarthy, Stephanie Sue Stein and Milwaukee Alderman Russell W. Stamper II will be recognized at a special reception at 10 a.m. at the center’s Stein Campus, 2801 E. Morgan Ave.

Established in 2014, the Hall of Friends Award recognizes people who have dedicated their time, talent and passion to furthering St. Ann Center’s mission of providing health and educational services for children, the elderly and adults with disabilities. “These talented people have made valuable contributions to St. Ann Center and the Milwaukee community,” said Sr. Edna Lonergan, president and founder of the unique day services center for both children and adults. “They have made service to others, including our most vulnerable, their priority.”

John McCarthy, founder of McCarthy Grittinger Financial Group, lent his expertise to St. Ann Center as a member of the Capital Campaign Committee that spearheaded fundraising for construction of St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus. He also helped develop a successful planned giving program. His daughter is an occasional guest at the center’s overnight respite and the subject of “Maggie’s Angels,” a book McCarthy authored about life with a child with special needs. “John has done great work building St. Ann Center’s endowment,” Lonergan said. “And his love, caring and respect for people living with disabilities is an inspiration.”

Stephanie Sue Stein, retired director of the Milwaukee County Department on Aging, has served on St. Ann Center’s Board of Directors and Finance Committee. She and Lonergan also worked together to create an Intergenerational Council as part of the county’s Commission on Aging. “Stephanie is a faithful friend and a very smart and strong advocate for older adults,” Lonergan said. “She’s never afraid to speak out for justice.”

Russell W. Stamper II, is Alderman of Milwaukee’s 15^th District, where St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus was built in 2015. “Ald. Stamper works hard, he cares about his constituents, and he’s an enthusiastic supporter of our mission,” Lonergan said. Stamper played an important part in developing the North Side Business Incubator in collaboration with the Bucyrus Campus—designed to help jumpstart locally owned businesses that can generate income for the 15th District. He’s also active with Lonergan in the Marketplace Business Improvement District #32 and the North Avenue Streetscape Committee.

Lonergan will join St. Ann Center staff, day care children and adult clients in presenting the awardees with special gifts made by the youngsters and adults. Plaques with the names of the new Hall of Friends members will be added to a wall above the center’s grand staircase.

Local Restaurants Spice Up St. Ann Center Chili & Jewelry Sale

March 8, 2019/0 Comments/in Stories /by St. Ann Center

Add flavor and flash to your weekend at the Warm Your Heart Chili and Jewelry Sale, Saturday, March 16, at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care-Stein Campus, 2801 E. Morgan Ave. Open 9 a.m.-1 p.m., this special sale will feature chili from popular Milwaukee restaurants, fun and affordable jewelry, a gift market, live music and more.

Chili choices range from mild, spicy and five-alarm to vegetarian, chicken and meaty pork chili verde with all the fixings. Chili will be sold by the bowl and in flights of four sample-size favorites. Also available: delicious, freshly made fry bread.

Jewelry lovers will be charmed by hundreds of pieces of vintage, retro and heirloom jewelry—rings, necklaces and bracelets to pins, earrings and watches. Costume jewelry is regularly donated to St. Ann Center by individuals, local churches and schools. Also featured will be a collection of designer jewelry handcrafted by Sr. Edna Lonergan, St. Ann Center founder and president. Sr. Edna began making jewelry years ago as a pastime and a way to supplement funding for the children, seniors and adults with disabilities served by St. Ann Center.

The center’s spacious atrium will be filled with dozens of vendors offering handmade soaps, candles and lotions, locally raised produce and honey, wild rice, natural laundry detergent, quality handcrafts, reclaimed wood décor, gourmet foods and more. On the Veranda, the Non Prophets band will be in the spotlight, playing bluegrass, rock and Americana.

Shoppers are welcome to take a break with a free 5-minute chair massage from one of St. Ann Center’s certified massage therapists, or a free warm paraffin hand treatment. A new addition this year: free swimming from 9 a.m. to noon in the center’s accessible warm-water pool. All swimmers under 14 years old must be accompanied by an adult, and swimmers under 10 require an adult to be with them in the water. A family-style locker room is available for changing.

Among the restaurants donating chili are: Bartolotta’s, Kindred on KK, Lulu’s, St. Francis Brewery & Restaurant, The Saucy Swine @redbar, Café Corazon, The Landing, The Backyard, Joe’s K Ranch, On the Bayou, Bert’s Bar and Beerline Café.

All proceeds from the chili and jewelry sale go to support the care of children and adults of all ages and abilities at St. Ann Center.

For a full list of available chili, visit our event listing at stanncenter.org/cjsale or Facebook.com/stanncenter. For more information, call 414-977-5009, or visit stanncenter.org.

Bringing Our Intergenerational Model to Taiwan

February 6, 2019/0 Comments/in Photos, Stories /by St. Ann Center

By Sr. Edna Lonergan, OSF

I’ve often said I’d love to see an intergenerational center on every corner. A few months ago, in November of 2018, I had a chance to share that message in Tainan, Taiwan, at the two-day International Conference on Three Generations Under One Roof. The invitation came from Charity Yang, a graduate of Cardinal Stritch University and the director of St. Theresa Opportunity Center for children in Taiwan.

Charity had toured St. Ann Center on a visit last year and knew her country would be interested in our model. The elderly are the fastest-growing demographic in Taiwan–and intergenerational care fits perfectly with their cultural respect for elders.

The conference room was packed with 192 educators, government officials, architects, health professionals, parent groups and people who work with those who have special needs. Charity warned me the audience might be too shy to ask me questions. But did they ever! Real estate is at a premium in urban Taiwan, so combining a child and adult day care in one building was a popular idea.

Although I don’t speak Mandarin, Charity was a wonderful interpreter and made my presentation on our St. Ann Center model of intergenerational care flow smoothly. Much of the event needed no interpretation, however. I could see the joy that went into the skits and songs the Taiwanese elders and children performed together. And I could understand the conference attendees’ hunger for information on ways to positively connect the generations.

Having never visited Taiwan, I didn’t realize how beautiful it is until I saw its breathtaking mountains and countryside for myself. And it was so much fun eating my way through the city’s bustling marketplace. It was filled with families and people of all ages. Just like home!

You can share a bit of my exciting visit here.

Family Fun Night at the Pool

January 29, 2019/0 Comments/in Events, Stein Campus, Stories /by St. Ann Center

St. Ann Center is the perfect place to bring families together. So give the baby-sitter the night off, pack up the kids and dive into a night of fun in our warm water pool. Children under age 10 must have an adult in the water with them.

$5/swimmer or $20 for a family of 5; Children age 2 and under swim free.

Special theme nights include: June 3: Under the Sea and December 16: Christmas Swim

No early arrivals, please. If the main doors are closed, please enter the Aquatic Center through the door on the west side of the building.

April-June 2019 Newsletter Cover Story

Heroes with Heart

Donors make this creative fun possible!

St. Ann Center Inducts Three into Honorary Hall of Friends

Local Restaurants Spice Up St. Ann Center Chili & Jewelry Sale

Bringing Our Intergenerational Model to Taiwan

Family Fun Night at the Pool

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