COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Lobby - Greater Life Community Center
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GREATER LIFE COMMUNITY CENTER
History and Background
Greater Galilee Baptist Church has a history of being a strong partner responding to the needs of the wider community. The church provided solutions to the critical needs of our community for over 100 years, by being active in the community, helping at-risk Milwaukee families within a framework of Christian ministries.
The GGCDC embraced the history of the church, with the Greater Life Community Center. Built in 2018, the center supports and strengthens the surrounding community by serving as a central gathering spot for adults, children, families, and especially seniors. The center provides a place of safety and spirituality where the value of respect can be demonstrated for each other.
ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
The GGCDC Greater Life Community Center is located in Lindsay Heights, one of the most poverty-stricken area of residents (53206 Zip Code) in Wisconsin. 50% of residents live below the poverty level and 98% are minorities. The vision of the center is to serve as a hub of innovative programming and activities, taking into consideration individual differences in age, health, functional ability, lifestyle, ethnicity, religious beliefs, values, needs, social interests and skills.
Our partnerships with the Hunger Task Force and Feeding America allows provisions for hot meals and fresh produce to approximately 2,000 seniors a month. Since 1980 GGCDC has provided weekly hot meals to families.
In January 2019, we partnered with the Milwaukee County Department on Aging to provide the Senior Center and Nutrition Program. We created programming that aligns with the “six dimensions of wellness”; Intellectual, Spiritual, Social, Emotional, Physical and Financial Stimulation for all individuals of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Thru our partnership with these organizations, GGCDC has provided:
637 Meals/Month - Seniors ( Milwaukee County Dept. of Aging)
925 Meals/Produce - Seniors (Feeding America)
1,575 Individual Meals - Families (Hunger Task Force)
Individuals in these programs are:
76% - Female
33% - Male
93% - Age 60 or Over
94% - African-American
60% - Low Income
During the Wisconsin “Stay At Home” order, the Senior Nutrition Program will deliver meals to your car. The drive-by hours are:
Monday - Friday
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
MISSION AND VISION
The mission of the Greater Galilee Community Development Corporation (GGCDC) is to promote individual empowerment in a community setting through multigenerational learning, social engagement and purposeful, positive interaction. Our programs
and activities fosters active aging and independence, while taking into consideration individual differences in health and functional ability and differences in lifestyle, ethnicity, religious beliefs, values, needs, social interests and skills.
The specific continued goal is: The Greater Life Community Center is designed to reflect the theme of “crossroads”:
Where generations connect and communities are strengthened. The programs include a senior center, a primary care wellness center that focuses on physical and mental health issues, a senior nutrition program, a dance studio, technology lab and other multigenerational programming initiatives.
The goals also include building connections across age, race, socio-economic classes and other traditional divides. We will continue to promotes healthy living through access to an integrated system of health and social services.
DESCRIPTION OF PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS/PROJECTS
Froedtert Hospital Care-A-Van performs weekly health screenings by RN's and associated physicians in collaboration with Froedtert Hospital, the Milwaukee Bucks and GGCDC. They also provide dietary for healthy and low-cost menu planning with healthy food choices and preparation methods.
Advances ‘Behavioral Health’ thru chronic pain management, health screenings, (anxiety, depression screenings) stress management tools, education and referrals to providers for
severe abnormal results.
Supports ‘Heart Health’ with hypertension screening, education on blood pressure monitoring; and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screenings with a Heart & Vascular Team.
Chronic Disease Management via Living Well Educational series; and Heart Heathy Nutrition education is also provided.
Helen Keller International worked with GGCDC in 2019, providing quarterly services for free eye exams and eye glasses for over 120 seniors.
Feeding America in collaboration with GGCDC has provided groceries and lunches for seniors. The last two years, 1700 boxes of groceries were distributed monthly to over 180 senior families.
Above The Clouds and Moving Forward Milwaukee’s teamed with GGCDC for children and youth arts programming and senior wellness programming at the Greater Life Community Center. Over the last 18+ years, Above The Clouds, Inc. (ATC) has offered Milwaukee’s youth an opportunity to experience the world of art in a whole new way.
In 2017 ATC started a new program component called "Moving Forward Milwaukee, LLC" (MFM). MFM Moving Forward Milwaukee, LLC in partnership with Above The Clouds, Inc. is geared to provide movement/fitness program at work sites. Our instructors are trained at getting clients motivated as well as making sure that all movements are safe as well as interesting.
Through community partnership with Froedtert & MCW, MFM will coordinate programs including “Up and Moving” to increase physical activity and brain stimulation of seniors and simultaneously provide an opportunity for socialization to
counteract feelings of loneliness and isolation, and support independence.
Physical performance of participants are evaluated every 8 weeks using the Person-Centered Care in Practice Quality of Interaction Schedule (QUIS) to monitor engagement levels during art sessions.
Arts programming will be offered to 10 seniors once a week with a
teaching artist. This schedule allows for small classes so teachers can learn the interests, experiences, abilities and limitations of
each senior, and provide coaching to ensure proper form and movement, making recommendations for exercises that can be safely done at home and gauge interest in movement and arts programming.
Medical College of Wisconsin occupies office space at Greater Life Community Center and works with staff of researchers and physicians on addressing health disparities in the African American community. This location is an anchor site for the Medical College of Wisconsin who has researched over the past 20 months in the areas of cancer research, mental health issues, diabetes, high blood pressure, and identifying social determinants of health in African Americans. The research also addresses mental and physical wellness, providing health literacy presentations to improve understanding of cancer, smoking cessation, diabetes, obesity and dementia.
UW-Milwaukee School of Nursing partnerships with Greater Life Community Center to engage students in active participation in community programming. The program address topics such as available community resources; mental health, addiction awareness; memory cafés, social justice, crime prevention strategies, healthy living, health screenings and education.
Projected Program Outcomes
Outcome 1: 85% of responding participants surveyed will state they are healthier because they take part in the center’s exercise classes and / or health programming and screening.
Outcome 2: 85% of responding participants surveyed will state the center has an
atmosphere of sociability, allowing them to combat isolation and make new friends.
Outcome 3: 85% of responding participants surveyed will state they are happier and more
satisfied with their life because they come to the Senior/Community Center.
Outcome 4: 85% of responding participants will I indicate a high level of customer satisfaction with the senior center and would recommend the senior center to a friend or family member.
Funding for 2018-2020
FOUNDATION
Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation $35,000 received 12/2019
Bader Philanthropies $15,000 received 6/2019 And $5,000 received 1/2020
Greater Milwaukee Foundation $28,000 received 4/2019
Forest County Potawatomi Foundation $3,000 received 5/2019
American Baptist Church $150,000 received 5/2018 And 5/2019
Greater Galilee Missionary Baptist Church $75,000 received 2018 And $24,000 received 2019
Wells Fargo $10,000 received 2018
Milwaukee County Department On Aging $150,000 received 2019 And $109,00 for 2020
Evaluation
Throughout the year, GGCDC conducts meetings with our in-house collaborators, program
participants and other community partners to make sure that the program offerings are addressing needs in the community.
