Melody McCurtis at the Metcalfe Park Community Bridges building.
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges (MPCB), a neighborhood organization that services Metcalfe Park residents, truly embodies the meaning of community. Melody McCurtis, the deputy director of priorities and lead organizer of the organization, explains that everything they do is based off of the input and direction of their residents. Whether that be surveys they conduct going door to door or following the advice given by board members that live in the neighborhood, the community speaks for their needs and the organization listens.
A leader in her community and in the organization, Melody McCurtis grew up in Metcalfe Park. She started as an organizer and canvasser with MPCB and eventually grew into the role she holds now. Her mother, Danell Cross, was one of the five founding residents that started the organization back in 2012. Now, McCurtis talks with a smile as she describes working alongside people that watched her grow up. “They love me, they hold me accountable, they show me grace. They teach me how I need to be and how I need to interact with people. They really keep me grounded,” she says.
Then the Pandemic Hit
Few organizations can claim such a close bond with the people they service. So, when public health crises like COVID-19 disproportionally hurt their community, they take it personally. In March, when the pandemic started spreading more rapidly in Milwaukee, MPCB reached out to their residents with a survey to see what they needed. What they found was that many people didn’t understand how bad the disease was because most safety information was circulating online. However, a large amount of the community doesn’t have computers or internet to access that information.
McCurtis and the organization responded quickly by creating printed safety information and handing out care packages that included masks and hand sanitizers. In December, the organization officially launched the Metcalfe Park Freedom Shop, which allows residents to receive a mutual aid package via contactless pickup. There is a list of items on their website that people can donate for these packages.
Next Came Removing Lead from Drinking Water
In July, MPCB followed up with another community survey to see if they were fulfilling people’s needs. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with most people saying they don’t know what they would have done without the help of the organization. The survey also told MPCB that residents need lead filters to protect them against the high amounts of lead and harmful chemicals in their drinking water. After hearing that call, they found funding to buy lead filters and kits, and they added them to the mutual aid packages they continue to hand out, along with printed information on lead and voting in the April 6th election.
The community continues to drive the initiatives and long-term programs that Metcalfe Park Community Bridges works on. “2020 was eye-opening,” says McCurtis, “and when you sit back and look at the infrastructure that we have—not only in the city, but in the state—nine times out of 10, it really excludes our folks.” Look out for their 2021 programs including their civic engagement work and their new housing initiative that is focused on creating safe, livable homes in the neighborhood.
To help Metcalfe Park Community Bridges’ COVID-19 efforts, visit metcalfeparkbridges.org.
Read this story on the Shepherd Express, part of the column Hero of the Week.