Patch's 2012 Person of the Year

Who do you think deserves a shout out?

It's the end of the year, and Fox Point-Bayside Patch has had the privilege of meeting some amazing people, doing great things. There was Matt Heltsley who helped found the Milwaukee chapter of Help Portrait, a group who volunteers to take portraits of the homeless for the holidays. Then there was Sam Bear who raised thousands to bring a Honduran baby to America so she could receive proper medical care for her many seizures ravaging her tiny, 7-month-old body.  But we know there are people doing good that we never heard about. This December, we'd like your help determining the Fox Point-Bayside person of the year. You can nominate anyone who lives, works or volunteers in town. But nominations close at 9 a.m. Dec. 13, so submit your picks …

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Fox Point-Bayside Patch Year in Review

The Best of Patch: December

A look back at the top headlines from Fox Point-Bayside Patch in 2011.

At year's end it's nice to take a look back at where you came, which offers a good look at where you're going. At Patch, December brought many stories of giving back, a new footpath for Fox Point residents and some heartfelt letters to Santa Claus. Take a look at what made December a month to remember at Patch. Jewish Santa Crosses the Cultural Divide "There's nothing like being Santa Claus in full Santa Claus garb, driving down the highway and having cars pulling up next to you just looking," Mark Shapiro said. For the third year in a row, Mark, executive director of the Jewish Community Center, will dress up as Santa and deliver hundreds of toys the Shapiro family have collected throughout the year to children at the Cathedral Center, an…

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Fox Point Man Steps Behind The Camera For Familes In Need

In its third year, Help Portrait Milwaukee gives free portraits to less fortunate people.

Under warm studio lights, people who have fallen during hard times sit before photographers and are shown a side of themselves they may not always see. They have just gone through a brief hair and makeup session and are now about to have their portrait taken for the holiday season. It’s all thanks to Help Portrait Milwaukee, a non-profit group run by 34-year-old Matt Heltsley of Fox Point. “The idea is that we take a portrait and give a portrait,” Heltsley said. This is the third year the group has been in action. The non-profit got started three years ago by celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart. He called out to photographers across the country to take pictures for the less fortunate as a way to give back. Heltsley and fellow photographer…

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