PozCast is a podcast from TMJ4 News and Positively Milwaukee, hosted by Shannon Sims.
PozCast focuses on everyday individuals creating opportunity, overcoming adversity and improving lives. They're not seeking the spotlight. They're seeking change that's Positively Milwaukee.
Have you ever driven past a building and wondered what happens inside? That's exactly how Positively Milwaukee host Shannon Sims felt about the Wisconsin Community Services (WCS) building on Wisconsin Avenue—until she sat down with CEO Clarence Johnson.
This 113-year-old organization quietly serves 17,000 people annually across 60 programs with nearly 600 staff members.
Founded in 1912 as the Society for the Friendless to help incarcerated individuals re-enter society, WCS has evolved into a comprehensive provider addressing the deep connection between behavioral health and justice involvement.
Their work spans youth residential programs like the Bakari Center, foster care services, mental health support, and re-entry programs.
The most inspiring part? WCS believes in the power of lived experience. Johnson shared the story of a Joshua Glover Center resident who spoke at a board meeting—and was hired two years later. Today, nearly a decade later, he's still empowering others as a peer specialist.
"What keeps me coming back every day is being inspired by the people doing the work and watching them have a positive impact on children, adults, and families," Johnson explains.
WCS represents Milwaukee at its best: neighbors lifting up neighbors, second chances becoming success stories, and quiet giants creating extraordinary change.
