See those wheels in the photo below? Those wheels are a shiny example of community coming together to support one another. Let me explain.

Food Pantry Manager Francesca recently looked into replacing the worn-out wheels on the two U-boat carts (pictured above) that are critical to the daily function of the pantry. She quickly learned that it would cost hundreds of dollars to buy 12 new wheels (six for each cart).

Francesca called the sales department of Little Giant, the manufacturer of the wheels, and shared her dilemma: we needed the wheels, but the cost just wasn't in the budget. Little Giant donated the wheels for both carts!

And it doesn't stop there. Francesca went to Ace Hardware on Willy Street to pick up some bolts and lubricating oil she would need to swap out the wheels. When she told the staff person what the supplies were for, he said he loves to support Goodman and they were on him.

These two acts may have seemed small for Little Giant and Ace, but they will have immeasurable impact on our community. Our pantry’s carts will remain reliable tools, which means we’ll be able to continue to provide food to the hundreds of families who visit our pantry each week.

There is so much good happening out there, it's amazing! Be the Good, Madison!

Take care,

P.S. Looking to do a little good yourself? Our pantry is in need of donations of food and supplies. Check out the most-needed list here.

P.P.S. Goodman will be closed Monday, May 29, in observance of Memorial Day and Monday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth.

We’re excited to kick off Pride Month with our first-ever Goodman Youth Pride on June 4. The afternoon will include an open mic, clothing swap, raffle and pizza donated by Glass Nickel.

The event is open to kids and teens and their parents or guardians. 

Goodman Community Center

Brassworks building

214 Waubesa St. 

Want to learn more about how to plan for your financial future? Join Goodman Community Center for our next Love & Legacy Workshop Wednesday, June 7 at 2:30pm. The workshop will feature GCC friend and neighbor, Sue Peck, founder and president of Evolution Financial.

Whether you are new to investing or would simply like a refresher, this is an opportunity to learn more about the different investment options, types of accounts and how everything works together. We’ll also discuss the different parts of financial planning and how you can use them to take control of your financial picture.

Anyone is welcome to join us for this free workshop. Registration is encouraged but not required, and drop-ins are welcome on the day of the event!

In this Community Chat, Letesha will be joined by Goodman board member DeVon Wilson. They’ll discuss diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging (DEIAB), something DeVon knows a lot about, being the Assistant Dean and Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator at the College of Letters & Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Following the short 30-minute discussion, attendees will participate in small-group work to consider what DEIAB looks like at Goodman and the Madison community, and how the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion play into our individual lives.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Registration is appreciated but not required.

We're looking for 19- through 26-year-olds to join our new summer internship program! Interns will support our fun and lively middle school summer program in activities like field trips, fishing, swimming, gardening, cooking club and basketball workshops in partnership with the Madison Mavericks.

This opportunity is designed to help interns gain the skills to follow their passions and succeed in school and beyond, through a mix of acting as youth mentors and receiving mentoring from Goodman staff.

Interns will be paid $19/hour. If you know a young person who would be interested in this great learning opportunity, please share the job listing with them!

The Goodman Center has some of the best benefits in town – no joke. In addition to an incredible health care plan (better than what some much bigger businesses in town offer, we've been told by our staff) and retirement matching, Goodman also offers more than 5 weeks of paid time off in your first year, free child care for kids in preschool and attending Lowell or Emerson elementary schools, and more.

Check out our current open positions and apply today:

Love to mow? We have a volunteer opportunity for you! We are looking for a few people to help us maintain the lawns and green spaces around our two buildings. We will provide a push mower and other tools. You provide the time and effort. Prior lawn maintenance experience preferred but not required.

Time commitment is three hours per week with a flexible schedule that can be dependent on weather conditions.

Did you catch TEENworks student Julian on News 3 Now / Channel 3000 last week? He was cooking up crepes and talking about his amazing next step: attending the Culinary Institute in New York in the fall. And he's graduating a full year early to do it!

This young person has the determination and discipline of someone much older, and it’s been a joy to help him grow into his own in our TEENworks program.

As you know, New York is expensive, so Julian is going to need the help of the community to get there. Check out his Go Fund Me, and if you have a few dollars to spare, please help this tenacious young man realize his dreams.

Watch the Channel 3 story here. 

You may remember us telling you about the cool Hello Fresh-style meal kits being assembled by Abby, our food pantry assistant. Well, our blog post about the topic caught the eye of online news site Next City. Their journalist caught up with Abby and one of our food pantry customers to learn more about the program and how it’s going.

The article is incredibly well done and shines a lovely light on Abby’s hard work. Give it a read here. 

Spring is a season to refresh and plan for the rest of the year, and to help you get started, we're sharing FreeWill: a free estate planning resource. This online tool makes it easy to secure your future, protect those you love, and create a legacy that inspires kindness and strengthens lives.

Be the Good this spring and plant your legacy today.

Our food pantry is open three days a week to anyone who needs it.

Interested in helping our food pantry serve our community? Check out our list of most-needed items.

Questions? Contact Francesca at francesca@goodmancenter.org or 608-204-8049.

608.241.1574 | info@goodmancenter.org | goodmancenter.org

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