Courage MKE

04/07/2021

Today, we are taking advantage of spring break and starting our vegetable garden beds that Victory Garden Initiative installed before we opened! Has anyone ever started seeds in the window before?

04/06/2021

Beautiful day to explore our beautiful city! Ice cream from Kehr’s at Milwaukee Public Market, toured the sculptures by Sculpture Milwaukee, Koi by Jeremy Novy Stencils and so much excitement riding the The Hop Streetcar!!

04/02/2021

A very special thank you to The Pasta Tree Restaurant & Wine Bar, a recipient of our 2020 We Are In This Together Award and everyone who participated in their Take And Bake Lasagna fundraiser. Today, they presented us with a check for $1000.00!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

04/01/2021

Mary's Bingo Gameshow

Join Ruthie Keester and Sylvia Nyxx for an outrageous Bingo Game Show... with new twists and even more fun as they help raise money for Courage MKE!

Hamburger Mary's MKE has taken every possible step to provide a safe environment for all who attend. Masks are requi has taken every possible step to provide a safe environment for all who attend. Masks are requiHamburger Mary's MKEred!

Make your reservations online at hamburgermarys.com/mke

04/01/2021

Your donations at work...

Because of you, we have the best team in the business working with our residents everyday. If a residents stays with us for one week or over a year, we are proud of the work we are doing with each of them.

Community. Family. Home. That is what your donations allow us to create and we are eternally grateful!

If you'd like to help us continue to grow our programs and spaces, please consider a donation today at www.couragemke/donate or Venmo @couragemke.

03/31/2021

#visibility

03/31/2021

#transgenderdayofvisibility

03/31/2021

We see you! We support you! #transgenderdayofvisibility

03/30/2021

A puzzle outside and the first backyard fire of the year make for lots of fun and memories! What a beautiful day!!

03/30/2021

Donations in action!

Last year with the help of a very generous donation, we were able to help one of our residents obtain their CNA certificate. Though he is no longer at The Courage House, we are so proud of him in his new position as a CNA at a local hospital!

Together, we can continue to provide the necessary tools and resources of our future leaders.

To donate: www.couragemke.org/donate

03/29/2021

Since 2015, this amazing Family has changed the lives of youth across the state through service and generosity. As we all continue to navigate through the struggles of this pandemic, we are asking for your help!

Did you know:

$10.00 – A gift of this amount provides hygiene products for one guest as they enter the Courage House.

$25.00 - A gift at this amount can provide a resident with a month's worth of Art or Dance Therapy

$50.00 - A gift of this amount can provide essential clothing to a resident that comes to us with nothing

$100.00 – A gift of this amount can provide a week of utilities at Courage House.

$250.00 - A gift of this amount can provide a resident with enough food to feed them for an entire month.

$500.00 - A gift of this amount can provide outings and activities for all of our residents for three months.

$1,000.00 - A gift of this amount almost helps cover the cost of our Crisis Stabilizer program for one month. This program allows us to provide added level of support to our residents to remove the need of police or hospitalization.

If you can, support our residents by donating here:
www.couragemke.org/donate

03/23/2021

Happy Tuesday!!

We are getting ready to move our home office and we have a few amazing pieces that were created by our residents and staff! If you’re are interested in making a donation for a one one of a kind chair, please email [email protected]. ❤️❤️❤️

03/19/2021

A very special THANK YOU to The Pasta Tree Restaurant & Wine Bar and everyone who ordered their take and bake fundraiser to us. We are so lucky to have so many loving folx in our family!!!

03/18/2021

16-year-old trans teen Stella Keating bravely testifies against hate in the Senate

We stand with Stella and all Transgender youth! It's time to listen to our future leaders!

"What if I’m offered a dream job in a state where I can be discriminated against? Even if my employer is supportive, I still have to live somewhere. Eat in restaurants. Have a doctor,” she said. “And why am I having to worry about all of this at the age of 16?”

"Why am I having to worry about all of this at the age of 16?" she asked a bunch of grown-ups trying to take away her rights...

03/16/2021

Today is the day to get your orders in for all of this deliciousness from The Pasta Tree Restaurant & Wine Bar!! ❤️❤️

03/14/2021

A very special thank you to #teddysgiantheartproject for providing dinner for our residents and staff today! Please check out this organization founded by a very caring young person!!

03/14/2021

We cannot wait for Thursday!

Gosh, we love our family at The Pasta Tree Restaurant & Wine Bar! Tasty food for the soul, supporting a local business and Courage MKE, it doesn't get any better! Place your orders by March 16th!!

03/12/2021

Gosh, we love our family at The Pasta Tree Restaurant & Wine Bar! Tasty food for the soul, supporting a local business and Courage MKE, it doesn't get any better! Place your orders by March 16th!!

03/08/2021

Such a beautiful day outside today! We got out and cleaned up trash in our neighborhood! #communityhelpingcommunity

03/08/2021

Happy International Women's Day to all of you. Your strength inspires us always!

03/02/2021

Governor Tony Evers

Governor Tony Evers

My message to Wisconsin’s transgender kids and students today is simple: I see you. You are welcome, you are wanted, and you belong.

03/02/2021

We are so excited to welcome our newest Courage MKE Board Members! Join us in welcoming Jamila, Hugo and Leigh to the Courage MKE Family!

Jamila Dawn Mitchell - She/Her/They/Them, is a Blaqueer trans woman raised in Chicago, but has made Milwaukee her home since 2004. She is a writer, a justice advocate, and healthcare professional.

Her career began dismantling heteros*xism as the first out LGBTQ news editor of her suburban high school’s high school newspaper. Her role as a youth activist spawned into a career of helping create a better life for everyone where everyone’s dignity is honored. She was a co-founder of a non-profit group home, a political organizer, entrepreneur, and has worked in healthcare for nine years working to ensure healthcare is effective for everyone.

Jamila excitedly joins Courage MKE with the goal of ensuring all LGBTQ+ youth have a home that loves them with resources they need to live their best life

Hugo Beam - He/Him, Born and raised in Brazil and has been in the U.S. for the last five years. He's a business graduate from UFU (Universidade Federal de Uberlandia) and thinks everybody has the potential to change the world if we all begin with ourselves. Social justice and equality are two of his biggest passions (besides video games and cooking)

Hugo decided to join the Courage MKE Board because of his love for kids and youth. As a proud gay man, he believes the world should offer equal opportunities so everyone has a chance to make it.

Leigh Hayden - She/Her, A director at a local health plan with a background in social work and child welfare. Leigh’s experience working with LGBTQ+ youth in the Kansas City child welfare system sparked her interest in Courage MKE.

Leigh is motivated by her passion for advocacy, inclusion, and expanding the reach of quality care in the community. Leigh is honored to be welcomed to the Courage MKE family as a Board member, and she is excited to make a positive impact on the LGBTQ+ community.

In her spare time, Leigh enjoys traveling with her husband, Chris, trying new restaurants with friends, horseback riding, and hanging out with her dog, Stoli and cat, Basil.

03/01/2021

Today, our residents and staff marked COVID Victims and Survivors Memorial Day, by placing floral hearts made by our residents around town. We'd like to honor the lives lost and say thank you to healthcare and essential workers who faced this pandemic head on to protect all of us.

A special Thank You to Jaimer's Floral for your generosity and support of this project for our residents!

pictured: The Courage House, Bay View Fire Station, Ascension St. Francis Hospital, Milwaukee Art Museum

03/01/2021

We cut the ribbon to The Courage House two years ago today!

Thank you to our dedicated staff, volunteers and supporters for everything you have done to better the lives of LGBTQ+ youth from across our state! We have learned so much and at the same time faced this pandemic head on every day with zero spread amongst our residents and staff.

FUN FACTS!
- Our residents are staying with us over 4 times longer than other group homes across the state. We have an incredible team working at the house that shows compassion and works with each of our residents individually to meet their specific needs.

- In August 2020, we launched our Courage Crisis Stabilizers program. Our Stabilizers are on call evenings Monday through Friday and almost all day on the weekends. Since the launch of this program our Crisis Stabilizers have prevented at least 12 police calls or hospitalizations.

- We are proud that we operate using an increased staff to resident ratio, and supportive programming such as art therapy, dance therapy, and the layer of support that our crisis stabilizers provide.

- 50% of our residents have come from Counties throughout our state and 50% have come from Milwaukee County.

You can help us continue to offer new programming to our residents by donating today!

https://www.couragemke.org/donate

02/25/2021

We've heard of pizza but have you heard of "catzza"? Check out these creative culinary skills from our residents and staff! YUM!

02/22/2021

Art therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change.

Did you know that for the same price of one coffee a week, you can provide Art Therapy for a resident each month?

Starting today, with every new recurring monthly donation of $25.00 or more we will send you a Milwaukee Home - Courage edition t-shirt!

Click here to sign up for a monthly donation to support this program! 👇
www.couragemke.org/donate

02/21/2021

Today The Courage House residents and staff have been busy making over 100 Courage Kits which include hats, hand warmers and gloves to help keep folx warm in this polar weather!

To learn more on our Courage Kit program click here👇🏽

https://www.couragemke.org/what-we-do

02/19/2021

We LOVE our family at Beard MKE! This is how we raise each other up!! Geoff and team, you are amazing! You GO Breyonna!!!

Check out her site! www.essential-bees.weebly.com.

Just got off a Zoom meeting with THIS up & coming business lady, & our new bestie, Breyonna! Breyonna is a 13 year old maker who has recently started her very own apothecary business called “Essential Bees” & reached out to us for advice on all things branding & business! Lemme tell y’all- she has got IT & is destined for greatness! She set up our zoom meeting & even popped in the shop earlier this week with her mom to drop off testers of some of her products for us to try in order to discuss during today’s meeting! She wrote us a handmade thank you card too! 😍 THIS👏🏻IS👏🏻HOW👏🏻ITS👏🏻DONE👏🏻Y’ALL!👏🏻 Breyonna is working on her own social media pages for Essential Bees, but in the meantime you can find out more about her & her products (& even buy some!) by visiting HER VERY OWN WEBSITE right here! ➡️ essential-bees.weebly.com Keep your eyes peeled MKE because we’re sure you’ll see Essential Bees popping up in local shops soon too- maaaaybe even here!!👀 Breyonna, we are in awe of your drive & hustle girl- keep it up!! ❤️🐝 #beardmke #essentialbees #supportlocal #shoplocal #zoom #meeting #bee #shop #shopping #supportsmallbusiness #milwaukee

02/11/2021

Today, at The Courage House we made Monster Cookies! It was a first time trying them for some residents. Can you guess if there are any left? 🤣🍪🤣🍪

What’s your favorite type of cookie?

01/27/2021

In remembrance....

01/21/2021

Virtual Career Week - Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce

From our friends at the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce Virtual Career Week and LGBTQ+ & Allies Career fair is now open for registration.

The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce is proud to sponsor virtual Career Week with educational speakers and topic sessions throughout the week of January 25th-January 29th. This is a free event for all to attend. Some of the topic sessions include: Resume Writing 101, Standing Out as a Candidate and LGBTQ+ Employment Rights.

To view other Career Week webinar topics, speakers, and to register please visit: https://wislgbtchamber.com/careerweek/

Join us for our Virtual Career Week on January 25-29 online. The week includes educational webinars, a Career Fair, and more.

01/20/2021

01/18/2021

01/12/2021

Apply for the 2021 National TRUTH (Trans Youth) Council - TRUTH Program

Please share! We have so many outstanding young leaders in our communities!!

Submit your application here by January 14, 2021, at 11:59 pm. Do you want to join the team of young transgender and nonbinary organizers challenging media narratives of our people? Do you want to deepen…

12/31/2020

The moment is finally here! For months, we have eagerly waited to be able to say good bye to 2020!!

This has been a year we won’t forget. The year we were furthest apart yet at many time closer than ever. No matter where you’re reading this from, we hope you know we felt you holding us up every second that passed and we are forever grateful. From sharing our posts, to sending encouraging messages, to giving time, to making a donation, thank you for everything!

As we take our first steps into the new year, we are filled with hope, comfort and love because of all of you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Happy New Year Courage Family!!