Photo by Tom Jenz
Wellness Day - Breathwork Exercises
Breathing Exercise on Wellness Day
A week after storms dumped record rainfall and flooded whole blocks of Milwaukee’s west side, many residents are still hauling ruined furniture to the curb, pumping water out of basements and struggling with what comes next.
Driving those streets in the days after the disaster, I saw couches, beds and waterlogged carpet stacked shoulder high. A weary resident told me, “Seems like I’ll never get all this damage fixed.” His comment spoke not only to the physical loss but also to the toll on people’s state of mind.
The physical destruction was obvious, debris everywhere, streets flooded, cars abandoned. The less visible fallout was the stress, anxiety and depression carried by the residents who live there. But on Saturday, some of those residents were offered a different kind of relief.
On August 16, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley joined nonprofit partners Scaling Wellness in Milwaukee, Near West Side Partners and Fruition MKE to host a free “Wellness Day” at Concordia 27, a once-abandoned property at 801 N. 27th St. The newly renovated four-story space sits in a neighborhood long associated with crime and disinvestment, but on this day it became a hub for calm, connection and recovery.
Breathing Through the Stress
At 10:30 a.m., community organizer Dennis Walton sat before a diverse group of residents, children, parents, seniors, and led them in a guided breathing exercise. Some sat cross-legged on yoga mats. Others simply leaned back in chairs, closing their eyes and raising their arms as Walton urged them to inhale and release tension. The mood in the room shifted from chatter to quiet focus. Walton, a social entrepreneur and longtime activist, urged participants to embrace stillness. “This is about reclaiming peace in a time of chaos,” he said.
The program quickly moved from breathwork to words. Milwaukee author Ebony Haynes and Crowley took turns reading from Haynes’ children’s books, Dear Black Girl and Dear Black Boy (illustrations by Jasmine Haynes). Their messages of affirmation and resilience resonated with families in attendance.
A Building Repurposed for Healing
Throughout the afternoon, Concordia 27’s wide halls and open rooms filled with activity: art making, yoga, cooking demonstrations, chair massages, and small group discussions on topics ranging from gratitude to living with chronic pain. Volunteers offered training in the use of NARCAN, an opioid overdose reversal drug, and led conversations about harm reduction and men’s mental health.
“This used to be a corridor no one wanted to stop in,” said Jill Drzewiecki, director of Scaling Wellness in Milwaukee and one of the event’s organizers. “Concordia 27 was boarded up, surrounded by liquor stores and a porn shop. Now it’s a place where people can come to heal, eat healthy food and feel safe.”
Drzewiecki journey to Milwaukee is as striking as the building’s turnaround. Raised in New London, Wis., she spent more than a decade in Rome, working with international refugee organizations. Much of her work focused on providing education for girls in African refugee camps.
“I came home to Milwaukee to bring back what I learned in the world,” she said, noting that she also wanted to be closer to her aging parents.
Her mission with Scaling Wellness is to address trauma and resilience head-on. “Milwaukee ranks last in the nation in well-being for African Americans,” Drzewiecki said. “We’re trying to loosen stigmas and barriers around mental health. Events like this today give people a chance to try wellness practices in a community setting, free of judgment.”
Finding Gratitude in Loss
Moving from room to room, I saw the small signs of relief that Wellness Day made possible. In the massage area, volunteers worked the knots out of tired shoulders. Nearby, a group gathered to talk about gratitude. The conversation was not sugar coated. One woman described recent hardships but insisted, “Every setback can open up a new way forward if you can find the trail.” Another attendee said her outlook brightened when a neighbor with a chainsaw showed up to clear storm debris from her yard. The simple act of recognizing these gestures seemed to lift spirits, even in the shadow of major loss.
Leadership’s Perspective
For Crowley, Milwaukee’s first Black county executive, the event carried both political and personal weight.
“After the week of flooding and damage, it’s refreshing to focus on wellness in this new space,” Crowley told me. “It’s extremely important for folks to focus on their own mental health, especially when many have lost family members and homes in recent years.”
He acknowledged that the storm’s destruction was devastating for both homeowners and business owners. “It affects property, yes, but also people’s mental health,” he said. “We’re assessing all the damage and pushing for a federal disaster declaration so FEMA can provide financial help.”
Looking Forward
The day ended with more conversations than tears, and with handshakes, hugs and shared food. For residents who came in carrying the heaviness of loss, the chance to slow down, breathe and connect seemed to offer at least a temporary reprieve.
Staff in aqua T-shirts bore the message: “Everyone has a right to be well.” The phrase captured the goal of organizers who believe wellness should not be reserved for those who can afford therapy or spa days but instead extended to all, especially communities disproportionately burdened by trauma.
The storms may have passed, but the cleanup will take weeks, and the emotional recovery will take longer. Wellness Day offered one reminder: healing isn’t only about rebuilding homes but also about restoring hope.
