Uniquely Milwaukee

Need a drill, saw, or lawnmower? Don't buy it; borrow it. 

Since 2021, the Milwaukee Tool Library has been lending tools to everyone from average community members to professional contractors — anyone in need of equipment for a short amount of time. The organization also hosts volunteer-led workshops.

The library is a free, membership-based organization rooted in trust and community, both of which came into play recently when it faced financial struggles that could have forced closure. But a successful GoFundMe raised enough money to keep the not-for-profit afloat. 

For Evan Maruszewski, the director of operations and one of the library's founders, it helped fill a void in Milwaukee and also within himself. "I’m a lucky person who can say, ‘Now I know where I fit in my sphere of influence,' which is tiny. At least I can say, ‘Two days a week, I’m taking good equipment, useful equipment and putting it in the hands of people who otherwise would never have had access to it.”

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Host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

“I just felt like the uterus that I had was a problem, and I wanted it out right away."

At 38 years old, Tonda Thompson faced an issue that impacts many women: fibroids. 

For many months, they caused the mother of two pain and confusion. She said frequent trips to the emergency room and eventually demanding an ultrasound led to doctors finding several of the growths in her body, including one about the size of an apple. 

The medical condition affects more than 70% of women before the age of 50, with Black women at an even higher risk. The cause is unknown, but experts believe genetics, and race, play a role.

In March, actress and advocate Lupita Nyong'o shared she lives with more than 50 fibroids in her body, even after surgery to have dozens removed. In this episode, Thompson recalls her experience and her treatment decision.

To learn more about fibroids, click here.

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Host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

”Many cultures from Asia, Europe, the Americas always used drums, singing bowls, flutes, gongs and various vibrational instruments for ceremonies. They would use them for healing and for meditation. Sound healing has been going on for thousands of years.”

Djuro Rodic has been sharing his knowledge in this area long before he was co-owner of Angelic Roots in Oak Creek along with his wife Laurie. Guest host Dori Zori's own journey with sound healing only started recently, and like many people discovering it, the immersive experience has been transformative when it comes to relaxation, healing and mindfulness.

On this episode, we take you to Angelic Roots and talk with Djuro Rodic about the benefits of this alternative approach to wellness while he demonstrates some of the tools he uses in his sessions.

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Guest host: Dori Zori

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Like most combat sports, boxing is thought of as a male-dominated activity. But in Milwaukee’s Silver City, there’s one gym providing women with a space to build strength, confidence and discipline.

Many who step through the door at SheWolf have no prior experience and might not be all that interested in the fighting aspect of boxing. Still, going to the gym quickly becomes part of their daily routine for other reasons.

“This is just a period of time in society, but then also personally in my life as a middle-aged woman doing a lot of different things, that I just want to feel strong,” said Trudy Watt, a member of the gym who started boxing not just for the physical benefit, but also the community aspect.

“I just passed my hundredth class a couple weeks ago,” she added. “If you just stick with it, it's really astonishing how in less than a year, you'll see your own strength and ability grow in really noticeable ways.”  

On this episode, guest host Rachel Tarby talks with Watt and other gym members, plus owner Donna Gallardo, about what makes SheWolf a unique entry in Milwaukee's fitness community.

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Guest host: Rachel Tarby

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Tucked away on North 76th Street in Milwaukee, below Blue’s Egg Cafe, is Roufusport Mixed Martial Arts Academy. Across two decades, it built a national and even global reputation in MMA circles for training champions. That attention became acutely local in October of 2025, when founder and Milwaukee native Jeffrey “Duke” Roufus died in his sleep.

“Duke Roufus, back in the day, 4 years old, got started in martial arts,” his friend and longtime business partner Scott Joffe recalled. “Next thing you know, he's a professional fighter. Next thing you know, he's one of the top MMA coaches in the world.”

But what does an organization do when it loses the person who provided not just their name, but also the philosophy that made it a success? To find out how Roufusport has persevered, guest host Jon Adler goes to the academy and talks with the people carrying on its founder's legacy.

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Guest host: Jon Adler

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

On this episode, we take you inside a community health clinic at a place known for being as concerned about how their customers feel as how they look: Gee’s Clippers.

Started as a way to help fill an access gap in the community, the clinic is now part of an even larger mission: Gee's MKE Foundation, a nonprofit that owner Gaulien "Gee" Smith recently launched to expand his focus on wellness, mentorship and health disparities within underserved communities of color. 

Host Kim Shine talks with visitors and volunteer staff about the clinic's lifesaving work, as well as Smith himself about what inspired his more than three-decade drive to serve Milwaukee.

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Host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Libraries are sacred, public spaces that are typically quiet. But, every other Tuesday at Milwaukee’s Washington Park Library, you’ll hear the hum of a sewing machine and conversations about seams. It’s a recurring event they call “Mind Your Mending” — a place where anyone can get simple clothing fixes done for free.

Washington Park resident Carol Lee Hopkins helped launch the clinic in January, volunteering her time for small things like patching holes, stitching and repairing the occasional zipper.

“I make a lot of things for myself and my family,” Hopkins said. “But I like helping people, and I think it’s really important right now with this crazy, difficult world we’re living in where there’s a lot of meanness. I can do something kind.”

To find the next “Mind Your Mending” clothes repair clinic, visit the Milwaukee Public Library’s event page.

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Host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

We're in the heart of the Milwaukee Film Festival, and there's one member of our Radio Milwaukee team who chose some of the movies you'll see this year. In addition to being an 88Nine DJ and co-host of La Alternativa, Paula Lovo is the new programmer for Cine Sin Fronteras, created 10 years ago to showcase the Latin Diaspora. Paula, an artist and documentarian herself, is continuing that mission and talked about the films selected for this year's festival. 

The Milwaukee Film Festival runs April 16-30.

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Host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Casimir Pulaski High School’s automotive program is the largest in Wisconsin. Created in 1963, it’s also the only one left within Milwaukee Public Schools. Episode host Kim Shine takes you inside the shop where students learn everything from changing oil and gas lines to replacing alternators and brakes, as they travel the road to becoming certified technicians.

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Host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

The Milwaukee Film Festival has always been a place to see movies from a variety of filmmakers, including local talent from here in southeastern Wisconsin. One of the groups getting their own spotlight at this year's event: the area’s youth filmmakers.

As part of the “Rated K: For Kids” program, the Milwaukee Youth Show features eight short films made by the city’s next-generation creatives. Before they take center stage at 10:45 a.m. Saturday, April 25, at the Downer Theatre, we talked with two of these talents: animator and Brookfield Central High School junior Sam Slowik, and recent Kettle Moraine School for Arts and Performance graduate Joseph Tzougros.

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Guest host: Rachel Tarby

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the support of our Radio Milwaukee members.