Next Door Foundation history

1969 – Our Savior’s Lutheran Church opens a youth and young adult outreach center located next door to the church.

1971 – The program incorporates as a nonprofit organization in the State of Wisconsin – Next Door Foundation.

1974 – The Genesis outpatient alcohol and drug treatment program opens with personal and group counseling services, along with employment and housing assistance, adult education and medical treatment.

1975 – The Early On home visitation program begins, serving families with children from birth to five years old.

1987 – Next Door receives the Hope Apartments on North 27th Street, providing permanent housing for low-income residents.

1992 – Next Door moves into its new home in the former Helwig Carbon Products factory building along North 29th Street.

1996 – Next Door receives its Early Head Start Demonstration Grant.

Therefore, in 1997 she decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps to provide high quality early education and care for central city families.

In 2001, Schnell was asked by Milwaukee Public Schools to utilize the second floor of the center for Hi Mount Elementary School.

In June 2003, Schnell opened JO’S Early Learning Academy-South at 3027 West Greenfield Avenue to provide the same quality of early childhood services to Milwaukee’s south side children and families.

In 2004, JO’S began a partnership with Guadalupe Head Start to provide Head Start classes at the Greenfield site.

In 2005 Next Door expanded the collaboration and began providing Head Start services at JO’S North Avenue site.

In September 2009, JO’S partnered with Next Door Foundation to add 3-year-old Head-Start classrooms and two Early Head Start classrooms for 1 and 2-year-old children.

2010 – Next Door receives a state designation as a Head Start Center of Excellence.

In 2013, JO’S partnered with Acelero Learning to provide Head Start services for eligible children and families at the North Avenue site.

In 2015, she bought the building right next to the childcare center to operate her first elementary school.