Happy Valentine's Day from Urban Triage to you and your family! We had a successful 2022, and we're off to a great beginning in 2023. We launched our High Five for Black History campaign and have successfully laid the groundwork to provide youth services, initiatives, and a pathway for entrepreneurs interested in growing and processing cannabis. Please look below at what we're up to in the upcoming months! Watch us work!
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Happy New Year!
We're off to an amazing start this year, and we're super excited about our new initiatives that'll be rolling out in the next couple of months. It's only February, and yet---we've attended multiple events, placed ten families and individuals into permanent housing, and launched our High Five for Black History Campaign.
And last week, I added a new skillset - Black Jack Dealer! I was invited to be a dealer at the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County's (BGC) Hearts for Helping Sneaker Ball Fundraiser. Thanks, Mike, for having me; I had a ball, and I also enjoyed winning the Best Sneakers contest.
I look forward to future opportunities with BGC as well as other agencies. As it's imperative that, as leaders in our community, we model what it means to be in community. Starting with mending bridges and building new ones--putting our personal feelings and agendas aside to develop direct access points and referrals to meet the increasing needs of our community, specifically youth.
In response to the growing needs of unhoused youth and other vulnerable youth in our community---Urban Triage is launching our Unhoused Youth Initiative in partnership with the Youth Action Board and the City of Madison. Our initiative includes a homeless youth parent shelter, scattered transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and a drop-in center. To meet the financial gaps of our new initiative, we need your support more than ever--donate today. Click here!
As I shared last month, our hemp license has been approved, and in partnership with Herbal Aspects, we'll be running our 1st entrepreneur-focus cannabis workgroup. We're expanding our Supporting Health Black Agriculture workgroup and offering $2,500 seed grants to entrepreneurs to start or expand their current businesses to include cannabis, aka hemp.
You can support this amazing work by donating now. The funds from our High Five for Black History campaign will support our unhoused youth initiative. We're only asking for $5, and I hope you'll donate more and share the news with your network. Five dollars can go a long way, especially when encouraging others to donate. Donate and share the campaign with your network.
Lastly, I would like to remind you that the Dane County CORE 2.0 rental support program will end in 2 to 3 months. We need you to support us to continue providing services to those who will still be in need when the program ends. We're good at what we do. And to continue to do what we do---we need money. You can sign up to become a recurring or one-time donor or sponsor our drop-in center and/or the shelter. We'll send out an email blast in the night week or so with sponsorship opportunities.
We're a pretty dope organization, and none of our work would be possible without you. Thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
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IT'S BLACK HISTORY MONTH! |
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February is Black History Month and a time to celebrate Black Excellence and Black Americans' contributions to American history and culture. Our stories continue to be left out of societal narratives as our collective history and the his-story books used in public education and academia. Understanding how Black people have made America great is imperative to developing and implementing solutions that are innovative, equity-focused, and justice-centered.
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Urban Triage understands how much our History affects our future; this understanding is integrated into our programming and everything we do. The primary foundation of Urban Triage is to provide transformative education and opportunities to Black families and communities to expand their awareness, understanding, and skill sets. Our Supporting Healthy Black Families Workgroups are designed to take participants on a journey of self-discovery. We support participants in identifying the mechanics of their minds and the lens through which they see the world. Utilizing the framework of post-traumatic slave syndrome by Dr. Joy Degruy--participants identify their maladaptive behaviors while developing the skills to replace them with habits that align with their highest, grandest version of self—uprooting trauma using a multidisciplinary approach and curriculum. Our curriculum includes metaphysics, Black his-story, neuroscience, and more. When participants become aware of the source and impact of racism--and are able to identify its impact on their souls and their perception and embodiment of inferiority complex--participants become inspired and empowered. They experience breakthroughs and transformations.
Friend, Urban Triage is Black history and Black leaders in the making. We're celebrating Black History by offering Black facts via email blasts and social media. Learn more below.
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CELEBRATE WITH US!
All that we've sowed together as a community and a Black led organization.
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We want to celebrate Black History Month with you! A "high five" is a gesture and symbolizes celebration, greeting, and congratulations; therefore, we want to "high five" with you and celebrate Black inventors, Black leadership, Black innovation, and Black excellence. In return, we ask you to donate $5 to support our unhoused youth initiative.
High Five for Black History with us, celebrating all that we've sowed together as a community and all that Black people have contributed to civilization. Donate $5 today to support Black History and ask your network to do the same! Click the Donate Today button below.
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WHAT IS URBAN TRIAGE UP TO?
Check out the amazing new things we have in store this year!
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Expanding Our Agriculture Program to Include Cannabis
Supporting Healthy Black Agriculture (SHBA) is a 12-week workgroup designed to empower and inspire breakthroughs and transformation in Black communities. Our workgroup teaches the basics and advanced techniques of growing food and the entrepreneurial benefits/opportunities in agriculture. SHBA provides services and training to adults and youth. And offers opportunities for parents/guardians and others to bond and heal with the children they love by sowing and harvesting together.
We have been approved for our hemp/cannabis growing license. Cannabis offers a unique model to teach specialty crop farming to a historically underserved population often left out of emerging opportunities.
Expanding our workgroup will support us in offering more support and resources to entrepreneurs. Participants will be provided $2,500 in seed money. They will learn to grow, harvest and process cannabis into oil and other products. We are excited to bring innovative opportunities and resources to our community.
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Supporting Healthy Black Youth Thoreau Partnership
Urban Triage has worked with Thoreau Elementary School's students, parents, and staff since October 2021. We meet with students every Monday for 2.5 hours. Students receive academic support from Black teachers in the Madison area and receive personal awareness, communication, and emotional intelligence skill development facilitated by Urban Triage staff. We also meet with the students and their parents every other Saturday for 2.5 hours.
On Saturdays, we split the parents and the students up. The focus for the students is on self-expression through art, and the art projects differ weekly. We meet with the parents providing a modified version of our Supporting Healthy Black Families curriculum to support them in strengthening their parenting, leadership, and advocacy skills. We also provide them with the tools to improve their awareness and accountability. At the same time, we hold space for their trauma.
"I've never felt safe enough to express my needs, frustrations, uncertainties, or self-doubt until now. The group is everything to me. I see the change in how I show up with my kid and myself. I'm more confident and empowered. I also see the change in my kiddo. Every school needs this type of support of parents and students. I love working with Urban Triage."
We'll be expanding our work with schools in the fall. Be on the lookout for more information.
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Unhoused Youth Initiative |
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We'll be launching our Unhoused Youth Initiative in March. This will allow us to serve youth ages 17 1/2 to 24 years old experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, sexual violence, mental health crises, and other traumas associated with housing instability and homelessness. We'll provide housing, transportation to school, appointments, counseling services, etc. As a caveat to our Youth Programming and initiative, the youth will participate in our Supporting Healthy Black Families transformative education workgroup as part of psychotherapy, trauma recovery, leadership development, and personal change.
The unhoused youth initiative will have four (4) components:
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Homeless Youth-Parent Shelter: The facility will house parents ages 17 1/2 to 24 experiencing homelessness and imminent housing insecurities.
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Scattered Transitional Housing Units: Urban Triage will lease three (3) to four (4) apartment units in our name and provide unhoused youth or youth experiencing housing insecurities with housing. We'll also provide wrap-around support and case management.
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Rapid Housing: Urban Triage will work with landlords and property management companies to house youth. We will pay a percentage of their rent until they’re stabilized, and they'll receive wrap-around support and other services.
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Youth Drop-In Center: Our youth drop in-center will start in March/April, offering support with resumes, job placements, essential needs, trauma recovery, navigation support, immediate needs, food, and case management. Urban Triage is rooted in centering those most vulnerable and filling gaps in services.
We're excited to embark on this new journey with YAB, Road Home, LGBTQ Outreach, and the City of Madison.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Join us for these upcoming events!
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February 28, 2023: 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Famous Daves Day of Giving
Join us at Famous Daves, located at 900 S Park Street, to close out Black History Month and meet some of the staff at Urban Triage. Bring your family, friends, etc. Share this with your network. Famous Daves will be donating 20% of all proceeds to Urban Triage on this day. Bring everyone. Tell everyone.
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This is a friendly reminder that our workgroups will begin again in March of 2023. Be on the lookout for applications, and please join our waitlist ahead of time. Links are below.
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COME GROW WITH US!
A safe space for Black children and families to connect.
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PBS Wisconsin's Garden and Landscape Expo
February 10-12, 2023, Urban Triage's Agriculture Team was at PBS Wisconsin's Garden and Landscape Expo to showcase our work, network, and engage with farmers and gardeners. It was a great opportunity and experience for our team.
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Katrina has been with us since September 2021, the beginning of our Rental Assistance Program! She has grown tremendously as an employee, person, and parent! While raising three small children, she continues to show up and show out. She's always on time, and she always shows up to work. We're excited to announce her promotion to Quality Assurance. She will now coach other staff on how to be great. Congratulations on being committed to the work of personal development.
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WE'RE HIRING!
Get involved and join the Urban Triage team.
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COMMUNITY CORNER
Here's what's happening in our community.
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February 17, 2023: Adult Game Night
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February 18, 2023: Minding My Black Owned Business Pop-Up Shop |
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February 18, 2023: Mardi Gras Party
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February 23, 2023: Madison Black Gala |
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February 25, 2023: MMSD State of Black Students Community Engagement Session |
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February 25, 2023: Sickle Cell Awareness Blood Drive
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As your local community nonprofit, FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, we promote the latest business news, community-focused events, and Urban Triage updates! Urban Triage’s newsletter, “The Report,” is a bi-weekly email communication that allows its readers to keep up-to-date with what is happening with Urban Triage and in the community! These biweekly emails currently reach nearly 10,000 contacts and community leaders!
To be considered for our Community Corner and Events Calendar, submit your news and events to info@urbantriage.org.
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CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!
Start making a difference now and join our team of volunteers!
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Are you ready to create change in our community? Apply to become one of our community advocates and make a difference today!
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For the People, by the People. |
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