Since it began in 1983, the St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care (2801 E. Morgan Ave.) has redefined daycare by providing activities and a nurturing environment for the elderly and the disabled as well as children. St. Ann has a food and coffee counter, a gift shop, swimming pool, hair salon and supervised group activities. Last month, St. Ann opened a second campus (2450 W. North Ave.) to provide services for a community in need. The nonprofit group’s president, Sister Edna Lonergan, founded St. Ann on the city’s South Side and supervised the construction of the new North Side facility.
Are you originally from Milwaukee?
I grew up in Green Tree, Mass., but came to Milwaukee when I was 14 when I joined the community here—the Sisters of St. Francis. I had been working in Green Tree with disabled boys as a volunteer with the Sisters. One day they asked me if I’d like to become a sister and I said sure. I knew it was something I would do when I was 8 years old.
How did the St. Ann Center begin?
I was inspired by seeing the good care given to elderly members of my order and thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could open this up to the broader community?” I went to County Supervisor Cupertino to see if we could get a grant and there happened to be some reserve money available. I received $21,000 in block grants to get started …
The St. Ann Center began at the Sisters’ health care facility, behind the Marian Center in what is now Canticle Courts. We had specialized units for people with Alzheimer’s. I was hiring mostly single mothers to work at the facility and recommended that they bring their children to work. We had a man there named Frank who suffered grand mal seizures. After a couple of weeks of being around the children, I noticed his quality of life improved—little Cathy jumped onto his lap and his symptoms stopped! I knew then that we’d have to build an intergenerational facility.
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The present South Side facility opened in 1999, near the Marian Center…
We asked the archdiocese for the land. It became the Marty Stein campus because Marty Stein helped us raise $10 million.
Will the new North Side facility be a mirror image of the South Side?
It will be a little more comprehensive, but, yes, essentially a mirror image. The South Side buildings have a European motif and the North Side will be African American to honor the rich tradition in the neighborhood. We located the building on the bus line because many people on the North Side don’t have cars—we’re hiring from the neighborhood, so it will be easy for people to walk or take a bus to work.
Has the North Side site been completed?
The outside is done and it’s half finished inside. We’ve raised $21 million and have $4.8 million to go. We just got a $100 donation this morning. It all adds up! Once everything is finished, there will be a beautiful enclosed park with a gorgeous veranda. There will be a marketplace, a dental clinic, a medical clinic operated by a nurse practitioner, a wellness program providing hygiene service, massage therapy, infant and preschool classrooms, an indoor lap pool and intergenerational playground.
For more information, visit stanncenter.org.
