MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary gets federal money for new stair tower

The MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary , a daytime shelter and resource center on Milwaukee's north side, is receiving an important addition.

At a press conference Friday, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore and MBHS president and CEO Sister MacCanon Brown announced that $500,000 earmarked from a community project fund has been approved to go toward the construction of a five-story stair tower at the sanctuary at 2461 W. Center St.

The stair tower will support the ongoing development and use of all five floors of the repurposed warehouse, enabling MBHS to expand its services and programs.

"Harriet Tubman said, ... 'Reach for the stars.' The stair tower that you, Congresswoman, have helped to make possible will be a stairway to the stars," Brown said.

The stair tower will allow for "even more programs than we already offer, all of which are life-giving and life-building," she said.

Octangonal windows at the top of the tower will serve both an aesthetic and functional purpose, MBHS executive associate Karen Dubis said. They'll be equipped with color-changing lights that can serve as holiday decorations or illuminate blue to indicate that the Friday-night warm shelter is open.

The general contractor on the project is Milwaukee-based Dahlman Construction Company, which was thanked and recognized at the press conference, along with other construction partners.

Moore approved and selected the project for member-directed funding from among more than 100 finalists.

"There were very many, very worthy projects ...," Moore said, "but I thought that one of the proposals that really stood out to me was the MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary ― the construction of this project to really provide ... very basic-level needs for people who are homeless or near-homeless, who are families that have more month than money, and people who don't need to be judged. They need to be fed."

Raised in Milwaukee, Moore said she could see from MBHS the 24th Place home she lived in over 50 years ago as a young mother and college student. She recounted how her family struggled to get together enough money to prepare meals and how her daughter was fostered by Moore's sister while Moore pursued an education. MBHS is in the 53206 ZIP code, one of the poorest in Milwaukee.

"I can't think of any better neighborhood ... than 24th Place and Center for this initiative, a place of refuge, a place of sanctuary," Moore said.

She said she hopes the stair tower project will attract more people to make MBHS a "beacon of hope" to the neighborhood.

Brown praised Moore, saying: "We just appreciate you as a gifted leader, a brilliant person with deep faith who is not coming from a billionaire background, but knows the walk and the hardship of the people. We appreciate that you would have taken this courageous stand in your belief that everyone should be at the American table."

MBHS is a daytime resource center for homeless and at-risk individuals. In the winter, it also operates a warming space and temporary overnight accommodations. MBHS offers a food bank, warm meals, gardens, tutoring, wellness checkups, lead awareness events, legal assistance and more for people in need in Milwaukee, easily accessible by bus or walking.

Brown founded MBHS in 2014. The sanctuary moved into the Center Street building in 2016. Today, it has 20 staff members, 700 volunteers and partnerships with 101 various faith communities, Brown said. Since January 2021, the sanctuary has served over 3,700 people, she said.