Mayor Barrett, County Executive Walker and HUD officials pay tribute to Lissy’s Place, a haven for homeless women

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, County Executive Scott Walker and officials of the Milwaukee office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development praised Lissy’s Place, a haven for homeless and abused women located on Milwaukee’s West Side, at a recent fund-raiser at the downtown Hilton.

In proclamations, Barrett and Walker declared May 22 to be Lissy’s Place Day in the city and the county.

WMCS-AM radio personality Cassandra McShepard emceed the fund-raiser for Lissy’s Place.

The mayor personally appeared at the event and spoke in support of My Home, Your Home Inc., which operates Lissy’s Place.

Lissy’s Place also got a boost from the honorees at the event: Delbert F. Reynolds, director of HUD’s Milwaukee Field Office, and Donna-Lou Hertz, who supervises HUD’s local programs for the homeless.

Reynolds and Hertz presented My Home, Your Home Inc. with a Continuum of Care Homeless Award, certifying that Lissy’s Place would receive a $183,547 Supportive Housing Grant from the federal government.

“HUD stands dedicated to working with you in partnership in your efforts and to address the crisis of homelessness,” the award stated.

The emcee for the evening was Cassandra McShepard, host of “That’s What I’m Talkin’ About” on “The Talk of the Town,” WMCS (1290 AM), from noon to 2 p.m. weekdays.

Entertainment included the Christopher’s Project jazz band and Music Makers -- Strolling Strings of Wisconsin, a Wauwatosa-based organization for young musicians.

	The members of Music Makers – Strolling Strings of Wisconsin performed at the fund-raiser.

Volunteers from the Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals and Chase Bank helped with the event.

Major sponsors included Delta Dental of Wisconsin, John and Mary Scheibel, Robertson Ryan & Associates, Badger Mutual Insurance, Holy Cathedral C.O.G.I.C. and Word of Hope Ministries, HRH/Frank F. Haack & Associates, Hupy & Abraham, Metavante Corp., Metro Home Health Services, Reilly, Penner & Benton, Gay & Jake Ruby, Tim & Sherry Scheid, Kerry & Doug Schnier, Scott Coleman, Attorney Debra Slater of Weiss, Berzowski Brady, and US Bank.

Other sponsors included: Wisconsin Energy Corporation Foundation, HGA Architecture , Clinicare Corporation, and Levy Restaurants at the Midwest Airlines Center.

The HUD grant needs to be supplemented with money from local donors, which was the reason for the fund-raiser.

The women who find a haven at Lissy’s (pronounced Lee-sees) Place have little or no income. They find themselves in difficult circumstances that are not their fault.

Constance Palmer-Jones, CEO of My Home, Your Home Inc., noted that many of the women have grown up in the foster-care system and were left adrift without a support system when foster care stopped at age 18.

Other residents of Lissy’s Place are mothers themselves, striving to be reunited to their children.

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