Groundwork Milwaukee wins environmental justice grant | And more community briefs

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced the award of four environmental justice grants totaling $115,100 to nonprofits to develop solutions to environmental problems in low-income and minority communities in Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit and Granite City, Illinois.

Groundwork Milwaukee Inc. will receive $30,000 to train teens and young adults from the 30th Street Corridor to build 15 rain gardens and install 15 rain barrels to collect stormwater runoff and prevent flooding.

The program will demonstrate how green infrastructure can lessen the effects of climate change.

In other community news …

• JESSE EISENBERG AT BOSWELL BOOKS: Oscar-nominated actor and prolific writer Jesse Eisenberg will read from his new short story collection, Bream Gives Me Hiccups, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 30, at Milwaukee’s Boswell Book Company, 2559 N. Downer Ave. The event is free and open to the public.

• ON THE COURT: The Milwaukee Gay Volleyball Association’s indoor season begins on Nov. 1 and goes through Feb. 14.
Matches are played at Beulah Brinton Community Center, 2555 S. Bay St. in Bay View.
For more information, go online to
www.milwaukee gayvolleyball.com.

• RECIPE FOR DIVERSITY: Chai Point Senior Living in Milwaukee offers a variety of public programs — Jewish history lessons, cooking demonstrations and arts and culture workshops. For more, go to jewishseniorliving.org.

• FIRST RUN: The inaugural Milwaukee Running Festival is scheduled Oct. 31–Nov. 1. Running events for all ages and abilities include a mile race, 5K race, half marathon and a marathon that counts as a Boston qualifier. There’s also a Health and Fitness Expo with food, vendors and trick-or-treat for the kids. For more, go to Milwaukee Running Festival on Facebook.

• WALKING TO DEFEAT ALS: The ALS Association-Wisconsin reports the Oct. 11 walk-a-thon in Milwaukee raised a record-breaking $485,000 and included more than 7,000 people. Walks throughout Wisconsin in 2015 generated more than $735,000 to support patient services and programs. For more, go to www.vsals.org.

• ECO EXTRAVAGANZA: The League of Conservation Voters of Wisconsin holds the Green Tie Gala at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 at Discovery World in Milwaukee. Former U.S. Reps. David Obey and Tom Petri are the guest speakers. For more, go to conservationvoters.org.

• CONTINUED LEARNING: Now in its 13th year, the Odyssey Project at UW-Madison offers a two-semester college humanities class for adults dealing with single parenthood, homelessness, addiction, incarceration, depression, domestic abuse and other barriers to education. It provides 30 low-income students with free tuition, textbooks, child care and a weekly dinner. For more, go to news.continuingstudies.wisc.edu.

• GOOD FOOD FOR THE SOUL: Feed Your Soul, a charitable art auction, benefits Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. The event is 7:30–11 p.m. on Nov. 7 at Flux Design, 811 E. Vienna Ave. Volunteers who work in the interior design and architecture industry organize the event. Since its inception in 2004, Feed Your Soul has raised over $365,000 to help feed the hungry in Wisconsin. For more, go to fysmke.com.

• SAVE THE DATE: Milwaukee Pride announced the dates for PrideFest Milwaukee 2016: June 10–12 at the Summerfest grounds on the lakefront. The 2015 event drew 32,822 people. For more, go to pridefest.com.

• WEDDING BLISS: The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce holds its second annual Wisconsin LGBT Wedding Expo 11 a.m.–2 p.m. on Nov. 8 at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center. For more, go to wislgbtchamber.com.