Winners of the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs), awarded to organizations working to improve impoverished neighborhoods, were announced at a sold-out dinner. Westlawn Gardens, which replaced half of the old Westlawn public housing complex, is a MANDI finalist for its unique design and environmental features. Though it’s been open less than a year, the project is changing how people view the city’s northwest side. MANDI nominee United Methodist Children’s Services finds its calling working with low-income families. Activist Jan Christensen says building a community is a long-term project. She is the community organizer in the Riverwest neighborhood. Nearly a dozen renters have moved into foreclosed homes that are part of the Rent to Own Homes program in the Layton Boulevard West neighborhood. The project is a finalist for a MANDI. Just One More Ministry, which “rescues” food from groceries and caterers, is moving into the city to be able to serve more meals to Milwaukee’s hungry. Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and animal tracking are just a few of the activities for students on winter field trips at the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum, a MANDI finalist. IndependenceFirst Mobility Store, which provides medical equipment for people with disabilities, is a finalist for a 2014 MANDI. Finalists for the 2014 Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innnovation, known as the “MANDIs,” were announced Wednesday evening to a crowded room of nominees, community leaders and corporate sponsors. The “Northern Trust Navigator Award” • Charles Brown, Journey House • Jan Christenson, YMCA of Metro Milwaukee • Howard Snyder, Northwest Side Community Development Corp.