Milwaukee Violence-Free Zone

The Milwaukee Violence-Free Zone is implemented by two community-based organizations—the Running Rebels Community Organization on Milwaukee’s north side, the Latino Community Center on the south side. The program has received high praise from educators, law enforcement officials, and evaluators alike (see Results and Evaluations). There are nine schools currently in the VFZ program, accounting for about 20-25% of the city’s high school population. The schools are: Bay View, Bradley Tech, Custer, Hamilton, Madison, Northwest, South Division, Vincent, and Washington high schools.

Approximately 60 Youth Advisors work in the schools as mediators, monitors, and role models, and they provide mentoring and character coaching to more than a thousand students enrolled in the VFZ mentoring program.

Latino Community Center (LCC)

Founded in 1999, the Latino Community Center has programs serving more than 2,000 youth each year in the near south side of Milwaukee, one of the most disadvantaged parts of the city where gang activity, particularly among rival Latino gangs, is rampant. Violence-Free Zone outreach workers go out on the street in the afternoon and evening when youth activity is greatest. LCC also uses hip-hop and other culturally specific references to draw hundreds of youth into its building each day, where they are connected to fun and safe academic, recreational, social, and cultural activites including after school, teens, girls, and summer programming. Website:
www.latinocommunitycenter.org.

Running Rebels Community Organization (RRCO)

Running Rebels was founded in 1980. Located in the central city, it is a nonprofit committed to helping youth develop mentally, physically, and spiritually. RRCO serves more than 1,000 children from the ages of 10-18, who live in the central city. Many are referred through the court system and are overcoming barriers within their family, school, and community. Programs include mentoring, youth services, intensive monitoring, athletics, entrepreneurship, and music. Website: www.runningrebels.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Andre Robinson, Milwaukee Violence-Free Zone Program Director
Jorge Perez, Associate Director, Latino Community Center
807 S. 14th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53204
Phone 414-384-8140 FAX 414-384-8103
Email: Jorge@latinocommunitycenter.org
Website: www.latinocommunitycenter.org

Victor Barnett, Executive Director
Running Rebels Community Organization
1300 West Fond Du Lac Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Phone 414-264-8222 FAX 414-264-8233
Email: victor@runningrebels.org
Website: www.runningrebels.org