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Northcott Neighborhood House celebrates Juneteenth, plays vital role in the community

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MILWAUKEE — The annual Juneteenth celebrations are put on by the Northcott Neighborhood House and have been for 51 years! But this community center is a resource for residents year-round.

"The rest of the year Northcott does everything it can to serve the community," said Executive Director Tony Kearney.

Serving the community is Kearney's mission, vowing to keep the Northcott's Community Center open during the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure people who counted on its services could keep on counting on them.

"We serve about 12 to 14 hundred people a month," Kearney said.

And that is just the food pantry program that Northcott runs, providing healthy and fresh food for those in need.

And it doesn't get much fresher than this. A hydropoincs lab in the center is actually growing fresh greens and herbs.

"We really want to be at the top of the food chart with helping people get the more fresh stuff," said Elizabeth Coggs, Northcott's Director of Operations. "We serve people from all zip codes."

She helps run initiatives like Milwaukee Builds, a job training program that helps young people and adults learn on-the-job skills in the construction trades.

"80% of the people who have come through our training programs are former felons and they don't recidivate because they come out and get a job day one," Kearney said.

Kearney says through the programs at Northcott, they are not only building a better person through Milwaukee Builds, but a better community too.

"We can not be isolated and everyone in different silos. We've got to break those silos down and come together to improve everyone's quality of life and solve the problems that confront us on a daily basis," Coggs said.

To learn more about Northcott Neighborhood House, click here.

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