November 2023 // A Community Newsletter | |
Dear friends and neighbors, | |
It's the week after Thanksgiving, and I hope you all were able to spend a little time with family and friends or relax over the last week. This Thanksgiving was one for the books at the Goodman Center. | |
|
We registered more families than ever for our Thanksgiving Basket program. When all was said and done, we ended up providing 4,312 Dane County families with Thanksgiving groceries! That is unbelievable!
As you would expect with an effort this immense, the event wasn't without its hiccups, and this year we ran into a huge challenge. Monday afternoon, we realized we were going to run out of Baskets. My pantry director, Francesca, came to me as calm as she always is and delivered the news. My stomach sank. But Francesca had a plan. We created IOU's for the families who were in line and set to work figuring out where we were going to get the extra food we needed to ensure everyone who came to pick up a Basket would get one by Tuesday.
Before Monday was done, our friends at the River Food Pantry and WayForward Resources stepped up to help. The River provided more than 300 boxes of stuffing and WayForward gave us nearly 300 turkeys! That evening, we purchased remaining food to fill the gaps for those who were coming back on Tuesday.
This event is an enormous undertaking, and thousands of individuals, businesses and organizations have chipped in year after year – for the last 35 years – to help us pull it off. This year, perhaps even more than any other year, we saw our neighbors pull together to do something incredible. That's community in action, and it's inspiring to witness.
As we ease into the end of the year, I wish you all peace and joy as you take care of yourselves and those you love.
| |
Letesha Nelson
CEO & Executive Director
| |
P.S. I’ll be hosting a Community Chat in a couple of weeks, with a brilliant group of JEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) leaders. Check out the story below to learn more and register to attend. | |
|
EVENTS
Community Chat: JEDI Masters
| |
|
Increasingly, organizations are seeing the importance of including Justice in their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work. In this Community Chat, Letesha will host four local leaders who are doing important work in JEDI every day.
Join these leaders as they discuss ways we can foster and grow JEDI values within organizations and in the community.
Tuesday, Dec. 12
8-9am (doors open at 7:30am)
Brassworks building (214 Waubesa St.)
| |
Photo by ilana natasha photography | |
|
NOW ENROLLING
Youth Sports Skills Sessions & Camps
| |
|
Our youth sports program is offering three-week winter skills sessions this December for youth interested in volleyball or basketball. These sessions are designed to help youth build their skills and are geared toward players who have prior experience with their chosen sport(s). Sessions will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays, Dec. 4-20.
The youth sports program will also kick off a series of camps in January. Check out both and register your child(ren) today!
Clinics are $60 each, and scholarships are available.
Learn more and register your child(ren) here.
| |
|
PROGRAMS
Get to Know 3 Veterans
| |
|
Earlier this month, our Older Adult program hosted a Veterans Day gathering to celebrate the wonderful US military veterans who frequent our senior program. Prior to the event, a member of our communications team, August, met with three of the veterans to learn more about their time in the service.
Read the full blog post, and learn more about Karl (WWII), Gary (Army and National Guard) and Bobbi (Air Force Reserves).
| |
Restorative Justice Circle for Teens | |
|
On Mondays, Mya Williams, community restorative justice coordinator with the YWCA, facilitates a Restorative Justice Circle with youth in our Lussier LOFT program.
Restorative justice circles offer youth an opportunity to discuss their experiences, feelings and the responses of others to their actions in an equitable and judgement-free space.
These circles help students, particularly Black and brown youth, resolve conflict, engage in accountability, build community and provide support.
| |
Learning about Chromatography | |
|
Do you know what Chromatography is? Our Emerson Girls Inc. STEM Club does! This group of lucky young people spent an afternoon learning how to separate components of a mixture with Thermo-Fisher Labs.
By dipping strips of paper with dots of ink in water, the club members got to see all the different colors that go into the ink's final color. The heavier, denser colors use the water to spread up the paper, creating beautiful layers from a single dot, line or drawing.
| |
|
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Louise's Food Drive
| |
|
This is Louise. She's been hosting a food drive for our Thanksgiving Basket Drive for the last four years, and each year she's set a higher goal for herself. What started as a goal of 100 items in 2020 became 400 in 2023, and guess what? She exceeded her goal!
She stopped by with her dad the week before Basket distribution to drop off the food, and we couldn't be happier to receive the donation.
Thank you, Louise, for being such a thoughtful and caring person!
| |
|
FOOD PROGRAMS
Fritz Food Pantry
| |
|
AT THE CENTER
Holiday Hours
| |
|
The Goodman Center will be closed for winter break, Dec. 23, 2023 through Jan. 1, 2024.
We will reopen on Jan. 2, 2024.
Our buildings, as well as all programs and services will be closed. This includes children and teen programs, older adult meals and activities, food pantry and fitness center.
| |
For all of you who supported our Thanksgiving Basket Drive, in whatever way you could – monetary, food, goodwill and positive vibes – thank you for your kindness, generosity and compassion. ❤️ | |
GOODMAN COMMUNITY CENTER
214 Waubesa Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53704
| | | | |
