This year, like most other organizations, the United Community Center scaled back its programming in the face of COVID, dialing down from live to virtual. But it’s a special year for UCC, its 50th anniversary, and half a century can’t go by without an event, digital or otherwise.
UCC will mark its 50th birthday with a virtual celebration starting at 5:55 p.m. Thursday, September 17 on UCC’s Facebook or YouTube page. “The event will feature many of our traditional anniversary event components from leadership comments, Latino Arts Strings performance, Wall of Fame Scholarship presentation and much more,” says UCC’s Executive Director Laura Gutierrez. “In recognition of the event, we are also hosting a month-long $50,000 for the 50th Giving Challenge and invite everyone to help support our mission. Donations can be made by texting UCC50 to 50155 or by visiting www.unitedcc.org. We know together we can accomplish great things for the community!”
The founding of UCC came out of the same struggles in 1970 that led to the Chicano Moratorium in Los Angeles and protests by UW-Milwaukee’s Latinx students. UCC began modestly as an after-school program but grew over the years into a large South Side campus with a school, community center, restaurant and gallery-performance space.
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“UCC’s latest effort has focused on our youngest generation of learners in the community,” Gutierrez says. “Several years ago, UCC expanded its educational reach all the way down to our babies with the start of our Early Childhood Education program for children as young as six weeks old. Research and science support the need for all children to have high quality early education with exposure to social, emotional and academic activities as young as possible.” UCC is currently conducting its Bright Futures capital campaign to raise funds to complete a new Early Learning Academy on Milwaukee’s South Side. “This center will provide the best possible education foundation to our future leaders in Milwaukee,” Gutierrez continues. “While times are tough, we are reaching out to the broader community to support this critically important effort.”
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