By Nyesha Stone
This previous Tuesday, One MKE and Aurora Health care joined in on the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s On the Table MKE annual event that was held on Oct. 9. Over 40 community leaders from across Greater Milwaukee participated in a dinnertime conversation to discuss issues impacting Milwaukee neighborhoods like the Sherman Park area and Downtown. Many topics were discussed such as race, collaboration and community.
The evening was catered by local women and minority-owned businesses: The Juice Kitchen, Antigua, Frankies, Colour Palate, Kilwins, Confectionately Yours and Triciclo Peru.
Each event is broken down into groups and in the Wauwatosa group they discussed positive ways to address trauma and the stigma around mental health, along with other topics.
Manny Lara, HR business partner at Aurora Health Care of Greater Milwaukee Area; Brian Mckee, pastor of City of Light Church; Pete Carlson, VP and chief administration officer at Aurora Behavioral Services in the Greater Milwaukee Area; Lauryn Deck, executive board member of Bridge Builders; and Dion Racks, Curriculum and Instruction Manager with the Milwaukee Child Welfare discussed these topics.
Food lingered throughout the different rooms as discussion took the forefront of everyone’s attention.
Each of the participations stated that there are so many different individuals, organizations and entities that are working towards the same go but, separately. They discussed how it’s time to find a way to bring resources together to make a bigger impact.
“How do we look at health from different perspective and cultures…it takes a lot of resources,” said Racks.
Mckee agreed with Racks, and stated how amazing things come from when people come together for a greater goal.
Deck says health plays a major role in the collaboration of people because health affects everything.
The conversation continued well into the night at around 8 p.m., and the data and results collected will be presented later.
To find out more about On The Table MKE visit http://onthetablemke.org/
