Milwaukee pastor remembered after COVID fight: Forever grateful
Milwaukee pastor remembered after COVID fight
Pastor Jerome Smith, co-founder of the Joseph Project, lost his battle with COVID-19 on April 27. He was 49 years old.
MILWAUKEE - A champion for Milwaukee, Pastor Jerome Smith was remembered Friday, May 7 after losing his fight with COVID-19. He died at the age of 49 on April 27.
Smith co-founded the Joseph Project with U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson s office. This has been rough and tough for us, said Orlando Owens, a Joseph Project volunteer. We will miss him but we will do the work in his memory.
A Milwaukee pastor who lived up to his favorite phrase You don t throw people away will be remembered for launching a jobs initiative that helped hundreds find employment.
Pastor Jerome Smith, 49, overcame childhood poverty and a suicide attempt as a young man, then devoted himself to helping others get back on their feet. He led the Joseph Project from his church on Milwaukee s north side since 2015. The faith-based program connects adults from central-city neighborhoods, especially those who are formerly incarcerated, with job opportunities in the region, and provides transportation and training.
Smith died Tuesday, April 27, from complications of COVID-19. It’s just really hard for me right now to put to words how much he meant to so many people, said Orlando Owens, a Milwaukee minister and aide for Sen. Ron Johnson who partnered with Smith to create the program. So many people he touched and supported.
Thy neighbor s vote
Now, say you want to vote again by, for example, appropriating your neighbor s absentee ballot.
It would help to know whether heâs already requested a ballot. For that, youâd need to look him up on the stateâs public voter database, myvote.wi.gov. Youâll also need to know his date of birth.
If he hasnât asked for a ballot yet, you could pretend to be him and request it. Unless youâve also stolen his driverâs license, youâd have to indicate at this point that heâs indefinitely confined to get around the license requirement.