Two weekends ago, my husband and I took part in Doors Open Milwaukee. We made a day of it and visited six places throughout the city and suburbs. We began in Wauwatosa, touring the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church—designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1956 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Our last stop was the Holler House in Milwaukee’s Lincoln Village neighborhood, a tavern that houses the oldest sanctioned tenpin bowling alley in the United States, where the two lanes are still tended by human pinsetters.
Each stop reminded us how much there is to discover right in our own community—unique places filled with history, culture, and creativity that reveal the beauty and resilience of the Milwaukee area. Among our visits were two remarkable organizations that embody empowerment and hope.
She Slangs Wood, founded by Tonda Thompson in 2020, empowers young women by hiring female carpentry majors from Bradley Tech High School, where they learn woodworking skills while earning both high school credit and an income. More than a woodworking business, it’s a place of creativity and healing—helping women build confidence, self-sufficiency, and pride in their craft with custom, hand-built pieces like solid wood tables, sheds, privacy fences, pergolas, outdoor furniture, and planter beds all for sale.
https://www.sheslangswood.com/
All Hands Boatworks (AHB), located on 12th Street in Milwaukee’s former warehouse district, builds more than boats—it builds character, confidence, and community. AHB works to strengthen the hopes, resilience, and goals of Milwaukee’s youth through wooden boatbuilding projects, work-based learning experiences, and on-the-water activities. While learning the craft of boatbuilding, students also develop STEM skills, workforce readiness, and a deeper connection to Milwaukee’s freshwater resources—its rivers and Great Lakes. By working together to build and launch a simple yet functional wooden boat, the participants discover teamwork, persistence, and pride in accomplishment. It truly is about “building more than a boat.”
http://www.allhandsboatworks.org
Last weekend, many of you lived out this same spirit through Faith in Action, serving with our Mission Partners across the community. Some worked directly with clients and guests, others offered more indirect assistance and support—but all stepped out in faith.
Our faith calls us to move beyond the walls of the church to engage with and serve our neighbors, near and far. When we listen, learn, and work side by side with those around us, we strengthen the body of Christ and help build a more compassionate community.
Let’s continue to go out, to serve, to learn—and to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world.
Rev. Beth Patton
Transitional Associate Pastor
