Father Dennis Lewis’ efforts have helped countless Milwaukee families, especially immigrants from Southeast Asia, become homeowners. When he arrived at St. Michael’s in the Washington Park neighborhood, he discovered many of the Hmong and Laotian immigrants were living in poor rental situations. He reached out to the city and met John Worm of the Department of City Development. The two founded Allied Churches Teaching Self-empowerment, or ACTS, in 1992. The goal was to boost the number of homeowners who lived in the neighborhood and who could walk to church. The group started by helping immigrants who had no experience with the complex mortgage process buy homes from aging residents who wanted to sell. ACTS Housing has grown dramatically and added services to help families navigate language, credit and financial barriers. Unlike some programs, ACTS doesn’t own homes — it empowers would-be homeowners. While Father Dennis has seen major strides in the neighborhood, he’s also seen heartbreak, such as when a church usher, a refugee from Burma, was killed by armed robbers while making breakfast for his children in 2015. These days, Father Dennis is an assisting priest at St. James Parish in Menomonee Falls.