Children's Wisconsin Hospital - Milwaukee, 2021 Community Benefit

Project Ujima Summer Camp Helps Kids Impacted by Violence Heal and Thrive

Launched in 1996 to care for patients and families who have experienced violence, Project Ujima works to stop the cycle of violent crimes through crisis intervention and case management, social and emotional support, youth development and mentoring, mental health, and medical services. Project Ujima provides crime victim advocates, nurses, mental health coordinators and therapists who help patients and their families process the trauma they’ve experienced, the feelings they’re having and connect them with resources and supports they need. True healing begins when you try to connect with families about options and support in a way that’s respectful and non-judgmental. In 2020, Project Ujima worked with families impacted by more than 200 homicides. 
Project Ujima’s Summer Camp is a six-week experience where kids come together in a safe and stable environment to develop relationships, build unity, self-esteem and heal. Melissa, a mom of three children who recently attended Project Ujima Summer Camp, shares: “For me it was a safe place that my children could go to with other kids who might be going through some of the same things. They met friends that they still talk to and are able to build new relationships. As a parent, I am very thankful for the program as it has been a shining star in some of the hard roads we have come across. I don't know what I would do without the team and what they have been able to help my family accomplish.”