How to get help in Milwaukee

Catalytic converters are located behind the front axle housing next to the oil pan and transmission. Thieves target them to get the precious metals inside and to sell to repair shops looking for parts.

If yours is cut and stolen, you should report it to your insurance and police. Even if there’s no physical evidence left behind, officers can use the information to spot trends and warn other car owners.

Experts say the best way to prevent theft is to park in a locked garage, spray paint the converter a bright neon color to make it less desirable and engrave your car’s VIN on the converter.

If you've experienced sexual assault or domestic violence, there are resources in Milwaukee to help.

The Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at (414) 933-2722 and offers assistance with e-filing for restraining orders at (414) 278-5079. The center also offers a 24-hour confidential texting line at (414) 877-8100.

The Milwaukee Women's Center also offers a hotline at (414) 671-6140. The Asha Project, which serves African American women in Milwaukee, provides a crisis line from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (414) 252-0075. More culturally-specific services can be found at WeAreHereMKE.org.

Advocate Aurora Health's Healing and Advocacy Services for sexual assault survivors includes a 24-hour hotline at (414) 219-5555 and a confidential text line (414) 219-1551.

You start with a petition. You'll need at least 50% of support from the block's property owners and/or residents where you want to put the speed hump and you need support from your area's alderperson.

Speed humps are not allowed everywhere. They can only be installed on side streets, typically in residential neighborhoods.

Ninety percent of the cost for a speed hump is paid by the residents in the neighborhood and 10% is paid for by the city.

The average cost is around $6.50/foot of property, which usually results in a bill of $200-$300 per property owner. That cost can be paid off right away in full, or in low-interest installments over ten years.

Milwaukee police recommend you file a missing persons report as soon as possible. There is no 24-hour waiting period.

You should go to the nearest Police District and bring a recent photo of the missing person. You can find a map and addresses of district stations here.

You cannot put plastic bags in your recycling bin, but some Roundy’s grocery stores will take them.

Other items, including electronics and batteries, cannot be put in your curbside recycling bin but can be taken to a city drop-off center.

The city offers regular recycling pick-up. Find your recycling schedule here.

Electrical fires pose a deadly and hidden risk. You can protect yourself before signing a lease by counting the outlets in a room and testing them using a cellphone or hair dryer.

If you find electrical problems after you have signed the lease, don't try to fix them yourself. The first step is to contact your landlord. It is against the law for a landlord to evict you or raise rent based on any complaints that lead to the city issuing the owner a code violation.

Were you arrested, had all charges dismissed but still find yourself having to explain this to employers? Or were you evicted more than two years ago but still struggle to find an apartment?

These records can follow you around online without you even knowing it, visible to potential employers and landlords. Check out the Legal Tune-up Tool. The tool uses an online process to streamline the removal of eligible criminal and eviction records.

Your first stop should be EvictionFreeMKE.org, a free government-run online tool that can connect you with free legal help, rental assistance and other resources.

Milwaukee County has a "Right to Counsel" program to provide residents facing eviction the right to a free lawyer and this tool can help you find one of those lawyers.

More than a dozen agencies in Milwaukee can help you buy a home and offer a range of free or low-cost services, including financial counseling, lending and real estate agent representation.

Grants and preferred lending options are available to qualified home buyers, too. ACTS Housing, for example, allows qualifying home buyers to borrow up to $50,000 from Acts Lending for purchase and repairs.

Milwaukee has several local agencies and organizations, including ones that offer free legal help, that address rental problems. Community Advocates, Milwaukee Autonomous Tenants Union and the Milwaukee Justice Center can help you.

You can contact the regional Department of Housing and Urban Development office by calling 312-913-8453, emailing ComplaintsOffice05@hud.gov and/or you can file an administrative complaint by calling 1-800-669-9777 or submitting your complaint online.

You can also reach out to the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council for guidance at 414-278-1240 or submit a complaint online.

Other resources that may be helpful include the Rental Housing Resource Center (reachable at 414-895-7368 or info@renthelpmke.org) and the Milwaukee Autonomous Tenants Union (reachable at 414-410-9714 or intake@matunion.org).

Before filing an appeal, you can reach out to the city using their “Ask the Assessor” feature. Homeowners who go this route can see how likely it is that their assessment will be reduced without having to pay for market research or an independent appraisal.

If you choose to file an appeal, the office encourages property owners to submit evidence, such as a copy of a recent appraisal, a recent market analysis from a real estate agent, photos of areas needing maintenance or photos showing features not listed on the Assessor's Office's property record card.

You should also have your property’s tax key number.

Homeowners can make their appeal by calling 414-286-6565, visiting the assessor's office or going to the website milwaukee.gov/assessorobjection.

For more information about appealing assessments and general information for property owners, you can read the Wisconsin Department of Revenues guide

Common household asthma triggers include dust, mold, humidifiers, pet dander, pest infestations (such as cockroaches and bedbugs), rodent infestations (such as rats and mice), plug-in fragrances, deodorizing sprays, certain chemicals such as bleach, extreme heat or cold, and smoke of any kind including cigarettes.

The Wisconsin Asthma Care Program also features a checklist of household related asthma triggers.

The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program provides emergency fuel assistance, counseling, repair and more to households within certain income limits. To find your local agency, you can call 866-HEATWIS.

You can learn more about the program here in English, Español and Hmong.

You can apply for the program via phone at 866-432-8947 or online. The application requires a valid email or phone number, Social Security number, proof of citizenship or lawful immigration status, proof of Wisconsin residency, heating or electric costs and income verification. If you rent, you'll need to provide the rental agreement or name, address and phone number of the landlord.

One popular option for saving is known as a 529 account.

A 529 account — named for the tax code section that defines it — is a way to save and invest for educational expenses for yourself, your children, grandchildren or other kids in your life.

Wisconsin offers two state-run 529 platforms. You can open an account with one of them, Edvest, for as little as $25.

You can change the beneficiary if needed so the money can be used for educational purposes by a sibling, parent or other immediate relative.

A 529 account can be used for college, university, vocational or apprenticeships programs, K12 private school tuition or up to $10,000 in student debt loan repayment.

Es una cuenta de ahorro universitario y es similar a lo que son las cuentas 401(k) para la jubilación. Usted realiza aportes a la cuenta. Luego esos aportes se invierten para que la cuenta genere más dinero. Ese dinero se incrementa libre de impuestos y puede utilizarse posteriormente para la universidad o la formación profesional.

El nombre "529" proviene de la sección del código de ingresos internos que describe la política fiscal que rige estas cuentas.

Financial literacy is an important life skill and a growing number of schools in Wisconsin are offering standalone personal finance classes. If your school district does not offer those classes, Secure Futures in Milwaukee and Asset Builders in Madison offer financial and investment coaching and workshops for young people.

Some MPS high schools have enough space to accept all students who want to attend. Others use admission criteria to determine which students to accept.

Eighth graders can submit applications from Sept. 23 through Oct. 31 each year. Students who miss this period get another chance to enroll in February and thereafter, but some schools may already be full.

Students need to complete only one application, which can be found on the MPS website.

Wisconsinites can register to vote at myvote.wi.gov, by mail, in a clerk's office or at the polls.

They will need proof of residence, such as a driver's license, utility bill, pay stub or other document. They will also have to provide their Wisconsin driver's license number, if they have one, or the last four digits of their Social Security number if they don't have a license.

Those who miss the deadlines for registering by mail or at a clerk's office can register at the polls on Election Day.

Just like the federal government, Wisconsin has three branches — legislative, executive and judicial. All of them, ultimately, are answerable to you because in Wisconsin, unlike some states, we also elect Supreme Court justices and other judges.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission has created the “Track my Ballot” tool on its MyVote site, accessible here. Once a voter enters their name and date of birth, their voter status and current address pop up.

The tracker shows six rectangles, which display the steps in the absentee process. Blue boxes signify that a step has been completed — so a row of completely blue boxes means the absentee ballot was received successfully.

Mentor Greater Milwaukee runs a database connecting volunteers with mentoring programs. You can find it here. There also are other mentoring programs, some specifically for youth of color, in the Milwaukee area. Most are free or low cost. Mentoring students is one of many ways to get kids and teens interested in school and reading.

Signs that you or your child may have asthma include shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, changes in breathing, chronic congestion, clammy skin, feverishness, restlessness, difficulty sleeping through the night because of breathing issues, and itchiness around the throat, neck, chin or eye areas.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has a full list of symptoms on its website.

Having a family history of asthma is a risk factor for developing the disease; diagnoses of eczema and allergies are also risk factors.

Behavioral issues such as hitting, yelling, or being destructive are the No. 1 reason for early childhood expulsions in Wisconsin. These behaviors can be difficult for early educators and parents alike to manage.

For parents in the Milwaukee area, family resource centers and Behavior Help Wisconsin, a pilot program that consults with families and educators specifically in cases of children with challenging behaviors, can help. Early childhood educators can also consult Behavior Help, 4C for Children and Healthy Minds, Healthy Children.

There are also a number of statewide resources.

You should start with your doctor. Lead tests are paid for by most insurance plans. Testing for Medicaid-eligible children is required and paid for by Medicaid.

To get your child tested through the city of Milwaukee, call the Health Department's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (MHD CLPPP) nursing staff at 414-286-2165. Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers offers lead testing for children at 414-897-5592, as does the Social Development Commission at 414-906-2700.

If you live in Milwaukee, you can use its directory to see if your home has a lead lateral by clicking here. The city has a home test to help you determine if your pipes contain lead.

If you have lead service lines, or are concerned your water may be contaminated, a filter labeled "NSF/ANSI/CAN 53" is recommended.

You can call the Milwaukee Health Department at 414-286-2165 to see if you are eligible for a free water filter. If you don't have a filter, experts recommend you turn on the cold water and let it run for a minimum of two minutes before you use it. Boiling water will not get rid of lead.

Homeowners who choose to replace their portion of the lead service line can contact the city, and the city will replace its portion.

Make sure your child does not touch or eat peeling paint. Use a water filter that removes heavy metals and lead. Wash your child's hands before they eat, especially if they've been playing outside in soil.

Babies and toddlers between the ages of 6 months and 3 years are at the highest risk for lead exposure, given their increasing mobility and tendency to put everything in their mouths. They also are rapidly developing their motor skills and mental capabilities.

Homes built before 1970 have the highest risk of lead-based paint and lead-contaminated soil; you can search city of Milwaukee records to see when your residence was built.

Milwaukee County has a 24-hour crisis line at 414-257-7222. When needed, a mobile team can meet adults and adolescents anywhere to talk and connect them to resources.

You can find resources for mental health and tips for helping children cope through the Milwaukee Coalition for Children's Mental Health at mkekids.org.

Organizations throughout the Milwaukee area offer support groups to help young people and their families through the grieving process.

Many churches and other faith groups offer support through GriefShare. For a listing of GriefShare groups, click here. Children’s Hospital has groups for parents who have lost a child and children who have lost a loved one to violence. Other hospitals and organizations offer other specialized groups.