Next Door Foundation’s general service area is bordered by N. 40th Street on the west and N. 10th Street on the east, W. Capitol Drive on the north and I-94 on the south.
Next Door's primary area of recruitment and service focus is the Metcalfe Park neighborhood bounded by N 40th Street on the west and N 24th Street on the east, W Center Street on the north and W North Avenue on the south.
Next Door is an integral part of the reinvigoration of Milwaukee’s Metcalfe Park neighborhood. The organization had demonstrated its commitment to the neighborhood through the construction of The Educare Center of Milwaukee and the recent renovation on the Helwig Family Community Center. Next Door programs respond to the community need by: providing young children with a healthy start in life, equipping children with the reading skills needed for educational achievement, motivating parents to work towards a better life for themselves and their children and offering a safe place for youth to go after school and in the summer.
In Next Door’s service area, 43% of residents live in poverty – more than triple the rate for the State of Wisconsin as a whole. The children who live in Next Door’s service area are at high-risk for many health disparities usually attributed to low levels of family income and education. These high risk factors include:
Next Door's target area has one of the highest concentrations of birth-to-five year old children in the city of Milwaukee. The neighborhood faces ongoing and inter-related problems associated with a low average household income, unemployment, and low educational attainment.