Common Wealth Development's quarterly newsletter for residents, commercial tenants, workforce participants, and supporters LIKE YOU.
Letter from the Executive Director
Five years ago, after more than 19 years away, I made the decision to move back to Madison and join the team at Common Wealth Development. It has been quite the ride, and I think I speak for many when I say that I could go without any biblical/once-in-100-year events for a while; however, the strength and commitment of the staff and supporters of Common Wealth has been absolutely remarkable, and catastrophic flooding and global pandemics notwithstanding, I have sincerely enjoyed getting to know this organization and everyone who has put their time into making it what it is today.  
 
As we head into the Spring, we are all looking forward to the warmer weather and gearing up for our summer programming and events.  Our Youth Workforce Development team is hard at work preparing for our summer internship programs – Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program (partnership with the City of Madison) and the Program for Entrepreneurial and Agricultural Training (partnership with Neighborhood Food Solutions). If you know any high-school youth who are looking for *paid* summer internships, definitely let them know.  Both programs are phenomenal opportunities: Wanda Fullmore provides youth with a rigorous civic engagement opportunity while they are placed in actual City of Madison departments where they work with talented City staff to learn all that goes into making our great city run. PEAT is a hands-on agricultural experience, where youth work from planting to the harvest all while gaining valuable skills and experience as they manage a small farm operation in Dane County.
 
Common Wealth is also in the process of going through some longer-term strategic planning, particularly around our extant portfolio of buildings and properties, looking at ways that we can continue to contribute to the City’s efforts at creating more housing opportunities for low-to-moderate income families.  We are doing this in collaboration with our neighbors and collective stakeholders, so if you are interested in being part of this conversation, reach out to Ashley Gohlke. 
 
While unpredictable at times, it is an absolute honor to continue to work with the people who make Common Wealth Development such a special place. Thank you, everyone, for all of your support and guidance over the past 5 years.  
 
Onward.
 
Respectfully Submitted,
Justice Castañeda
Executive Director
Common Wealth Development, Inc.
Healthy Housing
With our *Fingers crossed* we say “Until next year…” to another Wisconsin winter… 
With the gnarly ice storms came extra use of salt to ensure safe walkways and parking lots. Common Wealth strives to incorporate environmentally friendly practices at all levels despite the affordability challenges this can present. Dry, deiced walkways are critical for the safety of residents and staff alike. With the awareness that one teaspoon of salt can indefinitely contaminate five gallons of fresh water, however, it is a difficult balancing act to weigh the safety of people against damage to the environment and our watershed. 
 
For the past three years, Common Wealth has been invested in working with local engineers, professionals and landscaping experts to learn about alternatives to salt, and will continue to work to minimize the amount of salt used, while always keeping resident safety as our highest priority. Our housing specialist, Nick Lee, was tasked with conducting an environmental impact analysis of our salt usage and to research recommendations to limit the harm caused to the environment while still ensuring safe passage for residents. His research into better alternatives led to practices such as salt brining, increased use of sand, and even replacing salt with alfalfa meal.
 
While these practices reduce salinization of freshwater resources, they are not without their limitations. Salt brining requires specialized application equipment which is cost prohibitive for many snow removal companies. Sand can clog up sewers and also gets deposited into fresh water. Alfalfa meal is extremely high in nitrogen which contributes to run off and algal bloom, something from which our local lakes already suffer.
 
This seemingly simple problem highlights the nuanced and multi-faceted complexities of providing healthy, safe, and affordable housing. To provide healthy housing, we need to ensure a healthy environment. Practices that are safe and healthy often come at the sacrifice of affordability. We believe that this trinity – healthy, safe, affordable – are not mutually exclusive. That is why even a decision as seemingly innocuous as to salt or not to salt requires us to assess, evaluate, and strive to find the solution that gets us to healthy, safe, and affordable housing. Common Wealth Development is committed to working towards a salt-free future, and continues to work with salt-wise certified landscapers and snow-removal professionals. The perfect solution for salt may elude us for now, but our mission continues.
 
In other updates, we are excited to welcome new residents into the Common Wealth community! We have taken on a 2-unit apartment home in the Marquette neighborhood and have had the great fortune of being able to meet with the residents in the building and make plans for making the space the best we can for them. We are working on our long-term strategic plan and are hoping to find more ways we can acquire more units in the Marquette neighborhood to ensure more affordable units are available to families in perpetuity.                                 
 
We also are excited to welcome our new staff member, Tracy Koeller, to Common Wealth’s Maintenance team. Tracy is a long-time Madisonian who will be coming on as a Maintenance Coordinator. Tracy comes at a crucial time as we continue to catch up on maintenance delayed during the pandemic, to ensure we are providing the highest quality housing in Madison.

Equitable Economic Development
Youth Workforce Development
Youth-Business Mentoring Program

Common Wealth is excited to continue to support the youth who participated in YBMP already this winter and early Spring. We have had some amazing students participate in our sessions and many are well on their way to getting a job – and a few have been hired!

Some of the topics that youth engaged with through this training include:

-         How to find and apply for a job
-         Interviewing skills
-         Financial fluency (including topics such as budgeting and credit)
-         Wellness in the workplace and personal branding

We have two more YBMP sessions scheduled for the spring. If you or someone in your network know of 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. Those dates are listed below:
Any questions can be directed to Ashley Hoeft, Youth Workforce Development Manager. Ashley can be reached via email ashley.h@cwd.org or by phone 608-620-7862.
 
Financial Literacy Workshops
Common Wealth offers free financial literacy workshops to groups around Madison and Dane County. If there is 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 our default is to host these workshops virtually; however, if there is interest in us coming out to conduct in-person trainings, please let us know and we may be able to accommodate. 
 
Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program
Applications for the 2022 Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program are now OPEN. This opportunity is a PAID, 20-hour per week internship that gives students the opportunity to learn how their city works over the course of the 8-week program. In 2021, we shifted this program to a hybrid format due to COVID-19, and we are continuing that format for the program this summer as well. Youth will work on projects focused on community development and engagement all while learning about the City of Madison and how the different departments inter-connect.
 
Interns must have a City of Madison address OR be enrolled in an MMSD school and be at minimum of 14 years of age. If you or a student you know is interested in applying for this exciting opportunity, please visit our website (link below) to access applications and to get more information about the program. For an application to be considered complete, the student needs to complete 3 steps:

1.      Submit a Youth Application
2.      Submit a Parent/Guardian Permission form
3.      Attend an Open Interview (this is either in-person at a Madison area high
school or virtual with a Zoom link to be sent after the youth application is
submitted)


Any questions can be directed to Ashley Hoeft, Youth Workforce Development Manager. She can be reached via email ashley.h@cwd.org or by phone 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, financial fluency, and get to spend some quality time getting their hands dirty and building relationships with fellow youth and adults in the world of urban agriculture. As always, we will be following Public Health guidelines to ensure the health and safety of participants, however we were able to integrate several COVID-friendly field trips in 2021 and hope to continue to do so this year.
 
To apply to be in 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.
ADULT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
 
Common Wealth’s Adult Workforce Development program
Is 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
JOB SHOP provides drop-in services for anyone looking for work in
Southwest Madison.
Every Wednesday
9am - 1pm
Meadowood Neighborhood Center
5734 Raymond Rd Madison WI 53711
 
Some of the available services are:

· Résumé Writing & Cover Letters (provided by UW Madison’s Writing 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 services
 
Staff are available to meet with community members Mondays through Friday, 9am-5pm 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, doing a resume, interview prep, or enrolling in FoodShare and other State benefits, please contact us. If you would like to explore other resources available to you and your family, we can assist.
 
Common Wealth is happy to welcome Rachel Stetenfeld as the new Adult Employment Specialist. Rachel will assist with data & case management, outreach, and referral resources.
 
Staff and community members must always wear masks during face-to-face interactions. CWD will be happy to provide masks when needed.
 
Please contact us with any questions about our available services or to set up an appointment at the numbers listed below.
 
Contact Information:
 
Marquis Sanders , Adult Workforce Development Coordinator, 608-516-5332 or marquis@cwd.org.
 
Rachel Stetenfeld, Adult Employment Specialist, 608-516-1582 or rachel.s@cwd.org.
 
Christa Zhang, Workforce Development Specialist, 608-212-8614 or christa@cwd.org.
BUSINESS INCUBATORS
Business Incubation with Common Wealth Development

The Madison Enterprise Center (MEC) is a 1st stage business incubation initiative of Common Wealth Development that was launched in partnership with Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) in 1987. MEC offers office and light industrial business incubation spaces, supporting start-up and expanding small businesses. The Madison Enterprise Center offers an affordable rental rate and shared services including high-speed internet and video conferencing equipment.
New business at Madison Enterprise Center!

Atmospheric Floral
“As wedding florists in Madison WI, we believe that flowers are the key to transforming a gathering space into an experience. One that is authentic to the couple and will keep the guests talking for years to come.”


Main Street Industries (MSI) is a second-stage business incubator serving start-ups and expanding small businesses. Owned and operated by Common Wealth, MSI is located in an old 50,000-square-foot Greyhound Bus terminal which was renovated in 1996. The building offers attractive, affordable office and light industrial spaced and shared services.

New business at Main Street Industries!

The Deliciouser
“We are a small batch, handcrafted, locally made spice boutique located in the heart of the Midwest. We believe an important aspect of every culture is joining together at the table. Our goal is to create and share some of our favorite flavors and recipes from places we’ve traveled with our families and friends to enjoy.”

Link to their website: https://thedeliciouser.com/.

Common Wealth Gallery, 100 S. Baldwin: Upcoming Events:
April 2022: Juan de Hoyos (4/16 – 4/29)
May 2022: Crossing The River Exhibition (5/1 – 5/17)
 
For more information about renting spaces at MSI, MEC or the Common Wealth Gallery, please contact Brendan Vandenburg-Carroll via phone: (608) 438-6804 or e-mail: brendan@cwd.org.
Health Equity and Well Being
Health Equity and Violence Prevention
Stephanie Bradley-Wilson, Director of Health, Equity, and Violence Prevention
Southwest Madison Action Coalition’s Virtual Info Session (SMAC)
 
Southwest Madison is coming together as a neighborhood with common needs and concerns.  Southwest Madison Action Coalition, created in 2020, works to bring together the groups and individuals living and working in our neighborhood to exchange information, collaborate on projects and advocate for our neighborhood to the city and others.
 
Are you interested in learning more? SMAC is holding 30-minute virtual information sessions for people who might be interested. The April session is Thursday, April 7, 20224:30 pm to 5 pm. If you can’t make this meeting, contact Courtney at ccarlson.smac@gmail.com
 
Southwest Madison needs an organization to work for and represent the neighborhood. Be a part of the effort. Visit the website at SouthwestMadison.org. SMAC! Love your neighborhood!
 
Join Zoom Meeting 
Meeting ID: 810 7577 2660 
Passcode: 131486 
"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.
Marquette Minute
News from the Marquette Neighborhood Association
Support the Marquette Neighborhood Housing Crisis Fund

Established with a contribution from MNA’s emergency budget, this fund will provide support to individuals and families in the Marquette Neighborhood who are at risk of losing their housing. It will be managed and allocated by the Tenant Resource Center to make maximum impact through uses like rental assistance, utility payments, and rental rights support.

Learn more and contribute here.
Meadowood Neighborhood Association
By Terry Evanson, President
mtevanson@gmail.com; (608) 271-6846
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
Common Wealth Development
news@cwd.org
P: 608.256.3527