Last year, while a lot of Milwaukee was under water from a 1,000-year flood, a group of men hit the streets to help. They unclogged city drains and helped neighbors drain their basements and backyards. They did it all for free.
For the one-year anniversary of the flooding, WUWM’s Jimmy Gutierrez checked in with Aziz Abdullah, one of the men who led the effort, about how their work has continued and evolved.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Jimmy Gutierrez: Before everything went down with the floods last year, what did you know about water restoration and all the work that you and your guys were doing?
Aziz Abdullah: Nothing! But fortunately, we ran into somebody who was [clearing out water] at their house, and I just got out of the car and asked them "what is this called that you have?" And then I started on a mad dash looking for it. We didn't even know how to use it at first. We had somebody come down and show us how to use it.
And then once we learned how to use [the equipment] we were rocking and rolling. But, at that time, it was just a fortunate moment of us being able to show up in a way where we could support individuals.
When you reflect back on the work, what’s been something that’s stuck with you?
I think for me the most impactful piece of the puzzle was getting young people involved in the process of community service at a time where needs were high. I think one of our young people named K.P., he's been working with us now for over a year and a half, and he went from cleaning up houses and cleaning up flood debris and removing water to becoming a youth ambassador.
[Today] he works with us on a lawn maintenance service, which is called Hustle and Mow. So we run an essentially free lawn care service to the community [and] he works on that.
We had more flooding this spring, which disproportionately affected Black Milwaukee and the south side of Milwaukee. When it comes to investing, when it comes to seeing our communities heal, what is it that you want to see? Not just for the city of Milwaukee, but for the people of Milwaukee?
So this summer, it became the catalyst from working on that project…I employ 120 young people on three or four different projects. I got a crew called Hustle and Mow. I got a crew called the Handyman Academy. I got a crew working at Alice's Garden called Grow Rich, and I got a crew called the Paper Team. And the Paper Team are my kiddos who have a hard time with those other programs that I kind of create a more isolated environment for.
And, I'm working with kids who every time they show up, they got on the same outfit. They don't take their hat off because they're ashamed of the way their hair looks. Some of them, when I used to work with them, wouldn't take their mask off because they don't want anybody to really see their face. So the reason it's a little bit of a triggering question for me today is the physical environment of Milwaukee is no different than the manifestation of the family and the home structure of people right now.
There is no government, no politician, no policy that fills the gap for showing up for each other. My hope for Milwaukee, my hope for people, my hope for our children, especially from those who are coming from the most marginalized environments, is that they recognize that they're worthy, even if [that] only means that you wake up and you go clean up the area around your house. That has a significant impact, not only on your own self, but on the environment around you.
