Bay View Community Center works to bring people together to build a strong, more inclusive community. With a team of 11 staff and more than 65 volunteers, the organization serves nearly 12,000 families through its family resource center, food pantry, senior center, mobile clinic and modern commercial kitchen.
Under the leadership of Diana Billstrom, who was appointed executive director in March, BVCC has expanded its programming to include STEAM and sensory opportunities and make upgrades to its facility at 1320 E. Oklahoma Ave.
BVCC’s family resource center provides nearly 1,200 families with culturally responsive services, including parenting education, support groups, educational activities and healthy snacks.
In partnership with Milwaukee-based Hunger Task Force, BVCC’s food pantry served 13,648 individuals from the 53207, 53215, 53221 and 53235 zip codes during the 2023-24 fiscal year. The center has a new, modern commercial kitchen that allows it to cater to individualized food needs.
BVCC recently welcomed the Maternal Mobile Clinic – a partnership between the City of Milwaukee Health Department and Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin – on select Tuesdays from June through September. The clinic offers prenatal and postpartum exams, family planning services, vaccinations, STI screening and more.
“We might have different missions, but at the end of the day, we share the same story and the same goals.”
– Diana Billstrom, executive director, Bay View Community Center
Finalists:
City on a Hill
City on a Hill is working to break the cycle of generational poverty in the city of Milwaukee. Based in a former hospital building on Milwaukee’s near west side, the nonprofit serves 1,200 youth and 1,800 adults annually through its health care and social services, youth and family programs, and Christian-based spiritual formation.
The organization is especially focused on serving families in the zip codes of 53233, 53208 and 53205, which have some of the highest rates of poverty in the city.
City on a Hill’s newest initiative is a health and wellness clinic that opened last summer in a renovated portion of its facility on North 23rd Street and Kilbourn Avenue. The clinic is meant to be a one-stop shop, offering free general health, behavioral and mental health and dental hygiene, filling a critical gap in health care access in the city.
The organization, which was founded in 2001 by Diane De La Santos, collaborates with local businesses, schools and other nonprofits to amplify its reach and impact. Its youth employment program, for example, provides high school students the opportunity to gain workplace learning and training experiences through partner organizations.
Eras Senior Network
Waukesha-based Eras Senior Network is dedicated to serving seniors and adults with disabilities through the support of volunteers of all ages. The nonprofit’s mission is rooted in the belief that older adults are vital members of our communities, deserving of dignity, purpose and connection.
Eras help seniors and adults with disabilities maintain their independence through a range of free services, including education, transportation, nutrition, health care and those aimed at reducing social isolation.
In 2024, Eras served 1,984 adults, mostly over the age of 55, in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. A total of 824 volunteers served a collective 32,354 hours, a time investment worth roughly $1.03 million. In addition, more than 18,500 rides were provided to medical appointments, grocery stores and food pantries; 6,526 friendly phone calls were made and 1,694 pen pal letters were written.
The nonprofit was formed in 2007 following a successful merger between the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Waukesha County, started in 1977, and Interfaith Caregiving Network, incorporated in 1991. In 2019, Eras also assumed operations of Milwaukee County’s Neighborhood Outreach Program.
