MILWAUKEE — Longtime residents and community leaders are working together to beautify Milwaukee's northwest side as part of the city-wide Clean & Green initiative.
"To thrive, you must take care of the hive," said Jarvis West of the Dominican Center.
For James and Iyanura Lindsey, this block is more than home—it's history. The couple moved to Amani in 1963 and decades later, they're still here and still doing the work.
"I think it reflects the community I grew up in," said Lindsey.
The Lindseys are part of a community-driven effort to maintain the neighborhood's appearance and spirit.
"To me, it's about community health, it's about connecting and building community," said Lindsey.
Their dedication has inspired others to join the cause.
"They see us out there working, and people come out!" said Iyanura Ivory-Lindsey.
WATCH: Amani neighborhood residents lead cleanup efforts to preserve community pride
The Lindseys volunteer with the Dominican Center, which serves as a beacon of light in a neighborhood facing real challenges and a lack of resources.
"We tend to get a stereotype of what our community is and the kids are bad, but if you talk to them, they're good kids and they wanna help," said Ivory-Lindsey.
The Clean & Green effort, backed by the city and driven by residents, is more than a beautification project for Amani residents. It's about reclaiming dignity and showing what pride looks like in a neighborhood.
"It also gives an effort towards preventing illegal dumping, like mattresses, messed up furniture, yard items, and things of that nature," said West.
Elizabeth Perdomo of the Dominican Center emphasized the importance of collective action.
"Making a difference and taking the time, to go out there, it doesn't matter where you live, Suburbs, Oak Creek, Cudahy, it doesn't matter if we all come together, we can make Milwaukee look beautiful," said Perdomo.
With the help of grassroots organizers, the clean-up efforts continue block by block, led by those who know their neighborhood best.
"So start cleaning up and let's make our neighborhood look good!" said Ivory-Lindsey.
Residents can check with neighborhood leaders, like the Dominican Center, for more information about large item pickups.
"We can light our way to better neighborhoods and better communities if we come together," said Perdomo.
To support the cause, visit the Dominican center's website.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
