< Back Vince Ashford Safety Director Vincent Ashford is the Director of Safety and Security at Walnut Way, responsible for the physical security and safety of all properties where Walnut Way has ownership. This includes buildings, mechanicals, and functional equipment. He has a long career in security and safety management, having held similar roles in both the public and private sector. He works with colleagues to ensure that all properties are secure and safe while also responding to any emergency situations that may arise. Vincent is committed to fostering an environment of safety at Walnut Way by providing training, resources, and best practices for team members across the organization. vincent.ashford1@gmail.com (414) 310-1274

Walnut Way Conservation Corp is excited to host Harvest Day 2026, a community celebration that brings together residents of Lindsay Heights and the greater Milwaukee area. This annual festival showcases community spirit, sustainability, and local abundance. Date: Saturday, August 29, 2026 Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Clarence and Cleopatra Johnson Park 1919 W Fond du Lac Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53205 Harvest Day 2025 - Sponsor Packet Join Us for Harvest Day 2026 Cultivating Wellness, Work, and Wealth—Together. Become a Sponsor Why Attend? Harvest Day is more than a festival—it’s a celebration of the resilience, creativity, and unity that define Lindsay Heights. As Executive Director Antonio Butts shares, “Harvest Day is a celebration of the Lindsay Heights neighborhood and lifts up the remarkable talents, gifts and culture of our community”. What to Expect Live Entertainment: Enjoy performances from local artists, including music, dance, and a Youth Talent Show. Children’s Activities: Dedicated children’s station with games, crafts, and fun for all ages. Local Vendors: Shop for fresh produce, artisan goods, and delicious food from neighborhood businesses. Health & Wellness Resources: Access wellness activities and community resources for all ages. Community Engagement: Connect with neighbors, learn about Walnut Way’s initiatives, and discover ways to get involved. Get Involved Reserve Your Spot: RSVP or register now as a guest, vendor, or sponsor. Volunteer: Help make Harvest Day possible—volunteer opportunities are available for individuals and groups. Support: Your donations and sponsorships help keep this event free and accessible to all. Come celebrate the harvest, support local talent, and be part of the movement for wellness, work, and wealth in Lindsay Heights! Chandra Ellis Grants Manager 📞 (414) 375-4224 ✉️ cellis@walnutway.org Gwendolyn Hodges Program Assistant 📞 (414) 264-2326 ✉️ ghodges@walnutway.org Document HARVEST DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE Tag

Donate Today Select Donation Amount $2 $4 $6 $8 $16 $24 $32 $40 $48 Custom Amount Enter the amount you wish to give: $ Donate Support our 2025 Annual Events Harvest Day Donation Enter the amount you wish to give: $ Donate Trunk or Treat Enter the amount you wish to give: $ Donate Visit Lindsay Heights Lindsay Heights Eco Tour Learn More Thank you! "📢 Calling all champions of change! When you support #WalnutWay, you're not just investing in the future of Lindsay Heights. You're contributing to a larger transformation that affects Milwaukee and all of Wisconsin. 🌱 Your donation keeps our mission alive, broadens our reach, and helps create tangible systemic change. 💪 It fuels us to empower more individuals, support thriving businesses, enhance neighborhood safety, and foster a stronger sense of community across Milwaukee. 🏙️ No contribution is too small to make a big difference. 🎁 Together, we can transform our neighborhoods into vibrant and sustainable communities where everyone thrives. Let's create a better tomorrow, today! Join our mission. Donate today! #SupportWalnutWay #CommunityTransformation #DonateToday" Join Our Efforts Here are some ways you can support us! In Person 2240 N 17th, Milwaukee, WI 53205 Online Make a tax deductible donation today. Donate Now Over the Phone Dawnice Anglin AR/AP Bookkeeper (414) 253-8069 danglin@walnutway.org

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< Back Antonio Butts Executive Director Antonio Butts is the Executive Director of Walnut Way Conservation Corp. and a lifelong resident of Milwaukee's Lindsay Heights neighborhood. For more than two decades, he has dedicated his career to community-led development, environmental justice, and building resilient, self-sustaining neighborhoods where residents lead the decisions that shape their lives. Antonio's roots in community service run deep. In 2000, he began his career as a counselor at the Lavarnway Boys & Girls Club, rising to program director. In 2004, he joined the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare, where he launched several small businesses — including a landscaping company that created jobs for teens. He went on to create the Mobile Market for SHARE of Southeastern Wisconsin, bringing fresh, nutritious groceries directly into Milwaukee's food deserts. Throughout this early work, a pattern emerged: Antonio has consistently been the person who starts initiatives from scratch, lifts programs off the ground, and carries them forward. Antonio joined Walnut Way's Board of Directors, serving as Treasurer and helping establish the financial practices that positioned the organization for growth. In 2017, the Board appointed him Executive Director — a homecoming for a leader who grew up in the very neighborhood Walnut Way serves. Under his leadership, Walnut Way has expanded from a neighborhood-focused nonprofit into a recognized force in community development, environmental justice, and climate resilience at the local, state, and national level. His tenure has been defined by catalytic projects and bold partnerships. Antonio led the completion of Phase II of the Innovations and Wellness Commons, a multi-million dollar commercial development on North 16th and West North Avenue that houses wellness services, small business incubation, and community gathering space. He has overseen the transformation of residential foreclosures into affordable homeownership opportunities, including net-zero energy homes on North 15th Street that demonstrate what equitable, sustainable housing looks like in practice. He grew Blue Skies Landscaping into a social enterprise generating nearly $500,000 in annual revenue while employing neighborhood residents. A defining achievement of Antonio's leadership was spearheading the establishment of the Lindsay Heights Neighborhood Improvement District (LHNID), approved by the Milwaukee Common Council in November 2022. Antonio led the multi-year advocacy effort, facilitating engagement across residents, businesses, nonprofits, and government partners to build consensus for the district designation. The LHNID created a formal, resident-driven governance structure for sustained investment in infrastructure, housing, economic development, job creation, and public safety — giving the neighborhood an institutional mechanism to direct its own revitalization and ensuring that the people most connected to Lindsay Heights have a permanent seat at the table in decisions about its future. In 2018, Antonio brought Walnut Way into the Institute for Sustainable Communities' Partnership for Resilient Communities, a national program that supports leaders of color in advancing climate resilience in their communities. Through this partnership, he gained access to national training, peer exchange with organizations from Baltimore to Oakland, and technical expertise in green stormwater infrastructure, energy justice, and resilience hub development. He applied this training to found the Environmental Justice and Infrastructure Initiative (EJII) Wisconsin — a statewide grassroots coalition that has intervened in Public Service Commission proceedings, organized statewide advocacy on energy affordability, and built a coalition of more than 20 community-based organizations fighting for equitable energy, housing, and infrastructure policy. Antonio has assembled and led a 16-partner coalition for a multi-million dollar EPA Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant proposal, coordinating partners including the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Milwaukee Public Schools, Urban Ecology Center, WE Energies, and grassroots organizations across Lindsay Heights. The initiative integrates community-scale solar, home weatherization, green infrastructure, broadband access, and community governance into a comprehensive resilience framework for the neighborhood. His advocacy work extends across sectors. He has led legal interventions in utility rate cases before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, organized press conferences and public hearings on energy burden, championed Percentage of Income Payment Programs for low-income energy customers, and advocated for Healthy Homes policy at the state level. He has engaged with partners ranging from the Energy Foundation and Beyond Carbon Action Fund to Microsoft, building relationships that connect community-level priorities to statewide and national policy. Antonio has been honored as an African American Environmental Pioneer and nominated for Vote Solar's Energy Justice Award. Walnut Way received the IWC / MADI LISC Cornerstone Award presented by BMO under his leadership. He is a 2024 Energy Justice Award nominee recognized for spearheading renewable energy projects that reduce the community's carbon footprint, enhance energy independence, and create educational opportunities and jobs for local residents. Throughout all of this work, Antonio remains grounded in the same values that drew him to community service more than 20 years ago: civic responsibility, honest relationships, and the belief that the people who live in a community are the ones best equipped to lead its transformation. "Not only is the built environment worth investing in — the people who live in this community are worth investing in too." antonio@walnutway.org (414) 260-2243

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Contact Us Get in Touch We would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to reach out to us at the following email address or phone number. You can also visit us at our office located at 123 Main Street, Suite 100, Anytown, USA. Email: info@walnutway.org Phone: 555-555-5555 First Name Last Name Email Subject Type Your Message Here Send Message Thank You for Contacting Us! "Coming soon" Resilient Residents, Resilient City Affordable Wifi Program First name Last name Phone Email* Learn More I want to subscribe and learn more... * Lindsay Heights Critical Home Repair 1 hr Schedule visit/call Resilient Resident / Affordable WIFI 1 hr More Info Invest in Your Community Today! Donate Now

Become a sponsor! 2026 Harvest Day Sponsor Levels Deadline for Logo Recognition is July 28th! Your sponsorship makes Harvest Day possible! Contributions are used to pay for tents, permit fees, art supplies and games for the Children's Area, local entertainers for the main stage, event marketing, and ensure the day runs smoothly. Please select sponsorship level: $15,000 PRESENTING SPONSOR (1 ): This is an opportunity to be a true ANCHOR SPONSOR of our festival. Featured Presenting Sponsor on Event Sandwich Boards Presenting Sponsor titled logo placed on HD promotional material (website, flyers, posters) Promotional Booth at Harvest Day Ability to make brief remarks at HD Event Recognition on all media releases as a Harvest Day Presenting Sponsor $10,000 ENTERTAINMENT SPONSOR Harvest Day is an opportunity to celebrate our community! Featured Entertainment Sponsor Logo on Harvest Day on Event Sandwich Boards Entertainment Sponsor logo on Harvest Day promotional material (website, flyers, posters) Promotional Booth at Harvest Day Ability to make brief remarks from the stage at HD event Recognition on all media releases as the Harvest Day Entertainment Sponsor $7,500 YOUTH SPONSOR Investment in our young people is critical to our future. Featured Children's Station and Youth Talent Show Sponsor Logo for Harvest Day Children’s Activities Logo placed on Harvest Day promotional material (website, flyers, posters) Ability to distribute information at a Promotional Booth at Harvest Day Added recognition from the event stage Recognition on all media releases as the YOUTH Sponsor $5,000 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPONSOR Businesses and organizations small and large, contribute to our success. Sponsor Logo placed on Harvest Day promotional material (website, flyers, posters) Promotional Booth at Harvest Day Logo recognition on event signage $3,000 COMMUNITY SPONSOR Communities are built in fellowship! Name placed on Harvest Day promotional material (website, flyers, posters) Promotional Booth at Harvest Day Name recognition on event signage $2,000 ADVOCATE SPONSOR Communities need advocates to grow and thrive! Name on day-of-event flyer Promotional Booth at Harvest Day $1000 NEIGHBOR SPONSOR Harvest Day promotes neighborhood inclusion and cooperation. Name on day-of-event flyer Promotional Booth at Harvest Day Sponsor's Information Business/Organization* Contact name* Address* Phone* Email Donation* $1,000 $2,000 $3,000 $5,000 $7,000 $10,000 $15,000 Additional Information I understand that my gift will be processed as a credit card transaction and made in support of Walnut Way's mission. As a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (EIN #39-2007850), every donation makes an impact, and we are so thankful for your support. No goods or services were exchanged for your contribution, and your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law. * Date Month Month Day Year Signature* Drawing mode selected. Drawing requires a mouse or touchpad. For keyboard accessibility, select Type or Upload. Submit

Reserve Meeting Space Online Booking & Catering The Innovations and Wellness Commons The Innovations and Wellness Commons (aka The Commons) is a community-driven, cooperatively funded multi-use commercial development on the corner of N. 16th and W. North Ave. in Milwaukee’s historic Lindsay Heights neighborhood. The Commons is revitalizing the commercial corridor of W. North Avenue, creating sustainable jobs, and increasing access to a variety of integrated services – healthy food, workforce training, educational and community programming, social enterprise businesses, and health and wellness services – for local residents. Meet the Wellness Commons Partners Lindsay Heights NID #12 (414) 255-3134 Area Health Educaiton Centers (414) 344-0675 ext. 224 Coalition on Lead Emergecy (414) 335-5519 United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee (414) 978-2000 Miwlaukee Center for Independance (414) 937-2020 Benedict Centers (414) 347-1774 Book Meeting Space @ IWC Conference Room Book Now Innovation and Wellness Commons conference room can accommodate up to twenty guests, with the flexibility to be divided into smaller rooms for 8 to 10 individuals each. Additionally, our Taste of Lindsay Heights Cafe offers food catering services. Reserve Meeting Space Online Booking & Catering

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