Common Wealth Development's quarterly newsletter for residents, commercial tenants, workforce participants, and supporters LIKE YOU.
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Letter from the Executive Director |
Happy New Year!!
…and while we could all agree that its been a long 20 + months, it is always nice to start anew. On to ’22!
In 2021, Common Wealth Development completed the development of our West Madison office at 5802 Raymond Road(!). Huge thanks to the Meadowood Neighborhood Association for their continued support of our work, and their involvement with the development of this project—The Alliance at Meadowood Park. The Alliance marked the resurgence of our Development Team, and we are eager to continue to work with Dane County residents to support healthy communities and equitable economic development. As we move forward into 2022 we have a number of projects in the works, and are looking forward to more neighborhood involvement in the creation and sustainability of true, low/moderate-income housing options for Dane County families.
In addition to our housing work, Common Wealth continues to support an amazingly eclectic community of small businesses in our incubator programs, The Madison Enterprise Center and Main Street Industries. In a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit in Madison, in 2021 we welcomed new businesses to both incubator spaces, and are hoping to bring a few more aboard in 2022.
Common Wealth Development continues to provide employment and workforce development opportunities to both youth and adults. In partnership with The City of Madison, Dane County Human Services, the Madison Metropolitan School District, and all of the amazing community partners who make up the Youth Employment Network and the Dane County Employment and Training Network, we are working hard to support the employment and training needs of both youth and adults.
We want to give a special shout out to Hugh Wing and the Community Development Division at the City of Madison, and our partners at the MMSD for their dedication and commitment to providing top-tier experiential learning and career readiness opportunities for youth, especially during the multitude of challenges created by COVID-19. Common Wealth is proud to be in partnership with these professionals, and are looking forward to another year of great training opportunities to support our youth.
Thank you, everyone, for all of the love and support over the past two years. We could not do any of this without you.
Respectfully Submitted,
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Justice Castañeda
Executive Director
Common Wealth Development, Inc.
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It is with great happiness that we welcome two new staff to our team: Kari Alston and Nick Lee. Kari and Nick will be joining as Housing and Resident Relation specialists. We are still on the look out for a Maintenance Coordinator! We look forward to meeting more candidates for the position. |
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I was born and raised in the greater Madison area in a time when the neighborhood kids all played together. We stayed outside until the streetlights came on and you knew where everyone was because everyone’s bike was parked outside.
I’m an 80’s girl who loves Pepsi, making people laugh, and reading. I graduated from UW Madison in People – Environmental Geography. I think it’s important to understand how our environment impacts who we become and how our experiences influence how we treat our environment in turn. I don’t believe success is determined by how much stuff you have, nor do I think having a rich life has anything to do with money.
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I was born and raised on the west side of Madison. After graduating from West High School, I took a gap year where I spent three months building and maintaining trails in national parks out west and six months teaching English in China. I then attended the University of Michigan where I earned my degree in environmental studies with a focus on urban planning.
In my free time I like to paint, play music, and care for bonsai trees.
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Equitable Economic Development |
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Youth Workforce Development |
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Youth-Business Mentoring Program
We are excited to be continuing to support the youth who participated in YBMP this fall. We have had some amazing students participate in our virtual sessions and many are well on their way to starting at their first job!
Some of the topics that youth learned through this training include:
- How to find and apply for a job
- Interviewing skills
- Financial literacy (including topics such as budgeting and credit)
- Wellness in the workplace and personal branding
We are excited to share some information about the New Year! We have five YBMP sessions scheduled for the spring. If you or someone you know have a youth between the ages of 14 – 17 years old who are looking to learn more about how to be successful in the workforce and start a job, please consider applying!
In-person training is held Monday through Friday, from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm for two weeks at designated schools. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, we are holding some of these trainings via Zoom ONLY. Virtual trainings are held Monday through Friday, from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm for two weeks. For virtual trainings, youth must have access to a computer with a camera and internet access.
To apply, a youth must submit a youth application and have their parent or guardian submit the permission form. The links to the forms can be found on our website:
Once applications are submitted, a staff member will follow up with the applicant to discuss next steps. While we do accept applications on a rolling basis, there are specific deadlines applications must be turned in by to attend a specific training session.
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Any questions can be directed to Ashley Hoeft, Youth Workforce Development Manager. She can be reached via email at ashley.h@cwd.org or by phone 608-620-7862.
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Financial Literacy Workshops
We offer free financial literacy workshops to groups around Madison and Dane County. If there is any interest in having Common Wealth staff provide a virtual training to your student group(s), please reach out to Ashley Hoeft at ashley.h@cwd.org. Please note that we will be following Public Health guidelines for programming and we will be hosting these workshops virtually until further notice.
Looking Ahead:
Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program
Applications for the 2022 Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program will be available at the start of February 2022. This is a paid, 20-hours per week internship that gives students the opportunity to learn how their city works over the course of the 8-week program. In 2021, this program was held 80% virtually, with some in-person work as well. This format will likely continue, hopefully with more in-person work and department placements, but is dependent upon Public Health guidelines at that time.
Interns must have a City of Madison address OR be enrolled in an MMSD school and be at minimum 14 years of age. If you or a student you know is interested in applying for this exciting opportunity and would like to be notified when applications become available, please contact Ashley Hoeft, Youth Workforce Development Manager, at ashley.h@cwd.org or 608-620-7862.
Program for Entrepreneurial and Agriculture Training
This program is a paid, 8-week summer internship where up to 9 youth work on a local farm in partnership with Neighborhood Food Solutions. This is an in-person program that works for 20 hours per week for the duration of the summer. Youth learn about food systems, farming, and financial literacy. They also get to spend some quality time getting their hands dirty and building relationships with fellow youth and adults in the urban agriculture world. We were able to implement several COVID-friendly field trips in 2021 and hope to continue to do so as we move into another year. As always, we will be following Public Health guidelines to ensure the health and safety of participants, but hope to continue offering unique and exciting field trips with this program
To qualify for this program, a youth must have participated in our Youth-Business Mentoring Program (YBMP) at some point prior to the start of the summer. Any questions or for more information about how to apply can be directed to Ashley Hoeft, Youth Workforce Development Manager, at ashley.h@cwd.org or 608-620-7862.
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ADULT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT |
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Common Wealth's Adult Workforce Development programs are fully operational and ready to help with your employment needs!
Call or email us to set an intake appointment and to discuss how we can help,
or visit us at JOB SHOP at the Meadowood Neighborhood Center
5734 Raymond Rd Madison WI, 53711
Every Wednesday from 9 am until 1 pm
Some of the available services are:
- Resume Writing & Cover Letters (provided by UW’s Madison Writing Assistance Center, writing professionals, and Adult Workforce Development staff)
- Online Job Applications
- Public Benefit Applications
- Housing Searches
- Resource referrals
- FSET Enrollment & Case Management
- Rental assistance application
- Direct referrals to Joining Forces for Families
Staff are available to meet with community members Monday through Friday,
9 am-5 pm at our Southwest office at The Alliance at 5802 Raymond Road. If you would like more information on or assistance with help finding job leads, creating a resume, interview prep, or enrolling in FoodShare and other State of Wisconsin benefits, please contact us. If you would like to explore what resources may be available to you and your family, we can assist with that as well.
Staff and community members must always wear masks during face-to-face interactions. CWD will be happy to provide masks when needed.
Our Staff:
Marquis Sanders, Adult Workforce Development Coordinator, 608-516-5332 or marquis@cwd.org
Christa Zhang, Workforce Development Specialist, 608-212-8614 or christa@cwd.org
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New Business at Main Street Industries
Atwood Atelier (October 2021) – Artist Philip Salamone offers drawing and painting classes that are open to artists of all skill levels. “The Atwood Atelier fosters a diverse community of artists passionate about exploring the craft of classical drawing and painting from life.”
New Businesses at Madison Enterprise Center
Metric Forrest Studio (September 2021) – “Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Metric Forrest Studio specializes in creating handcrafted, one-of-a-kind pieces that enhance any outfit. Our collections tell their own story, one that finds beauty in simplicity. Each item is all handmade, one at a time right here in our studio. Our mission is simple: to create timeless designs that empower everyone to feel beautiful.”
TacoCat Creations (October 2021) – “At TacoCat Creations, we have one obsessive focus – making cool stuff for cats and the humans who love them. Each one of our cat toys is hand sewn and individually stuffed with super potent catnip purchased in small batches from a farm, or grown right in our backyard. If your cat doesn’t respond to catnip, give ours a try! We have built a reputation for making catnip toys proven to drive your cats crazy. Just check out our social media!”
Colleen Manner Design(December 2021) – “Colleen Manner Design is a Madison, WI based design studio specializing in bringing brands to life through visual identity, product design and packaging. Her design philosophy is simple: create beautiful, functional, and meaningful work that communicates a brand’s benefits, values and personality. The targeted customers are consumer product brands of all sizes in beauty, wellness, hair, skincare, cleaning products, food + beverage, and technology categories across the United States and Canada.”
Slabs and Planes (December 2021) – “Slabs and Planes is a business that encompasses nationally exhibited artwork alongside unique, salable woodcut prints. Michael Benedetti, sole proprietor, utilizes the Slabs and Planes moniker to brand his personal aesthetic and explore multiple markets that include university and contemporary art galleries, boutique markets, and the expansive printmaking community.”
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Health Equity and Well Being |
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Health Equity and Violence Prevention
Stephanie Bradley-Wilson, Director of Health, Equity, and Violence Prevention
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"A Seed Called Community", Common Wealth Development’s
podcast series!
Learn more about CWD and other contemporary topics by listening to “A Seed Called Community.” The short 20–30-minute podcasts feature CWD staff and the ongoing work being accomplished to help make Dane County a better place for all. Learn about our housing, business incubators, workforce development and other efforts that CWD is doing in the community.
Find “A Seed Called Community” on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn or wherever you subscribe to your podcasts.
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Marquette Minute
News from the Marquette Neighborhood Association
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Friends and neighbors,
Here's what happened at the December MNA Board meeting last night. Complete minutes will be available on the MNA website soon.
Welcome New Executive Committee Members!
The board approved new Executive Committee members last night. Jen Plants will serve as President and Jack Kear will serve as Vice-President. A huge thanks to Anita Krasno and Marlisa Kopenski Condon as they exit those roles. Renee Lauber and Lance Lattimer will continue as Treasurer and Secretary, respectively.
Annual Budget Discussed and Approved
The board reviewed the efforts of the Budget Working Group that proposed a balanced budget for 2022 reflective of the priorities of the neighborhood association: community, education, environment and advocacy. Highlights include support of the Wil-Mar Center, our four schools, trees and air quality, multi-cultural programming, community events and neighborhood safety. The approved budget can be found here.
Police Report
Our new neighborhood resource officer, Ryan Jeffery, reported on general safety in the neighborhood including an uptick in thefts of catalytic converters from autos and packages from porches.
Mental Health Services
Officer Jeffery also commented on the prevalence of mental health needs in our community. If you are in crisis or need help dealing with one, call Journey Mental Health at 608-280-2600 to speak to a trained professional. Help finding mental health and/or substance use services can be obtained at the Dane County Behavioral Health Resource Center at 608-267-2244 or via email at bhrc@countyofdane.com. Note that contacting either of these resources does NOT trigger a response from law enforcement, and resources are for those in crisis themselves and for those who need help supporting someone else through a mental health crisis.
Alder Report
Alder Brian Benford reported that as of January 1, he will be living in the new aldermanic District 15. He will continue to serve as our alder in District 6 until April 2023.
January Meeting to be held the 24th
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr Day, the MNA Board meeting will be moved to the fourth Monday, January 24th.
In Memoriam, Dick Wagner, Community Servant
While not discussed at the board meeting, it is worth sharing with the Marquette community that Dick Wagner- neighbor, community servant and gay rights leader- passed away earlier this month. An article about Dick's amazing life can be found here.
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Meadowood Neighborhood Association
By Terry Evanson, President
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Represent your neighbors on the Meadowood Neighborhood Association Board
Meadowood Neighborhood Association (MNA) is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, that represents the residents of our neighborhood. Meadowood is divided into 15 areas, with a representative from each area serving on our Board of Directors. The Board sets the direction for MNA, sponsors neighborhood activities, and partners with other non-profits, like Common Wealth Development, to promote a safe and engaged community. If you are over 18 years old and live in the Meadowood neighborhood, you can serve on our Board of Directors. We are specifically looking for individuals to represent residents living in apartments north and south of Raymond Road, between Whitney Way and Cameron Drive. The commitment involves attending a 1 ½ hour evening board meeting on the first Wednesday of each month (except July), encouraging neighbors to join MNA and helping with sponsored activities as you are able. If you are interested in joining our board, please send an email with your name and contact information to MNABoard1@gmail.com. I’ll be happy to talk to you about MNA. Learn more about MNA at https://www.meadowoodneighborhood.org/.
Terry Evanson, President
Meadowood Neighborhood Association
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Common Wealth Development
news@cwd.org
P: 608.256.3527
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