Common Wealth Development's quarterly newsletter for residents, commercial tenants, workforce participants, and supporters LIKE YOU.

Letter from the Executive Director Greetings Common Wealth Family and Supporters,   Great to see everyone at the Fair!    It has been a couple of years, and it was so great to finally see some semblance of normalcy, and what a way to wrap up the summer.   2021 marks my 5th year with Common Wealth Development, and I want to personally thank you all for the privilege of leading such a unique and dynamic organization. The past 5 years have had some interesting moments, with everything from flooding to a global pandemic, however it has truly been an honor to work with everyone, and to continue to support the mission of Common Wealth.    And there’s a lot more to come!   On behalf of the Board and Staff at Common Wealth Development I want to again thank you all for making Common Wealth Development the organization that it is.    Respectfully Submitted, Justice Castañeda Executive Director Common Wealth Development, Inc.

Healthy Housing

Housing Operations is very excited to celebrate the opening of our new development, The Alliance! At the beginning of August, we had the great honor of welcoming 11 new households to our community. In addition, we are overjoyed to have also opened the doors to our permanent office space in the Meadowood neighborhood which will be shared with Common Wealth’s Adult Workforce Development and Health Equity and Violence Prevention programs as well as community partners including Joining Forces for Families, Children’s Wisconsin, and Early Childhood Initiative. This co-working space will provide improved community resource access for the neighborhood and residents. The apartments at the Alliance are the result of years of hard work by our directors as well as our partners at the City of Madison. Our Director of Development, Ashley Gohlke, had a vision for high-quality apartments that remained affordable for working-class and fixed-income households while also providing crucial amenities. This vision has become reality with in-unit washers and dryers, granite countertops, vaulted ceilings, all kitchen appliances provided, balconies, and energy-efficient and energy-conscious building designs. The care and thoughtfulness put into each apartment are tangible as soon as you enter, and we are proud to be able to offer the highest quality housing at truly affordable rents. We are furthermore proud to be the first new development in the neighborhood in over two decades. We hope this building serves as a benchmark for community development in a neighborhood that is often and unfairly maligned in the public discourse in Madison. We strive to have this building represent the true heart of the Meadowood neighborhood, which is one of community, caring, and working together.

Equitable Economic Development

Youth Workforce Development

Youth-Business Mentoring Program This past summer we had one round of our virtual Youth-Business Mentoring Program (YBMP) sessions. From this, many participants are in the process of getting a job – and many have been hired! Some of the topics that youth learned through these trainings include: How to find and apply for a job Customer Service Financial literacy (including topics such as budgeting and credit) Wellness in the workplace and personal branding We have four upcoming trainings scheduled this fall. The first two will remain virtual followed by an eventual transition back to in-person trainings for the first time in over a year! If you or a youth you know between the ages of 14-17 are looking to learn more about how to be successful in the workforce and start a job, please consider applying!  Training is held Monday through Friday, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm for two weeks. Due to COVID-19, we are currently holding these trainings via Zoom ONLY. Youth must have access to a computer with a camera and internet access. To apply, students 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: https://cwd.org/economic-development/workforce-development/youth-employment/ 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.

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. We are happy to host both VIRTUAL and IN PERSON workshops. If there is interest in having a workshop, please reach out and we can discuss options. Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program In its 8th year running, the Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program wrapped up wonderfully! 21 City of Madison youth worked paid internships learning about their city government, development, and career skills while networking with peers and community and government professionals. This program is held on an annual basis in the summer, with applications opening in late January. Please look out for more details this fall! 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, and get to spend some quality time getting their hands dirty and building relationships with fellow youth and adults in the urban agriculture world. To apply to be in this program, students must have participated in our Youth-Business Mentoring Program (YBMP) at some point prior to the start of the summer. Students who are interested are welcome to apply to YBMP at any time, but enrollment for this program opens early to mid-May. Any questions or for more information about how to apply can be directed to Ashley Hoeft, Youth Workforce Development Coordinator, at ashley.h@cwd.org or 608-620-7862.

ADULT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Adult Workforce Development 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, or visit us at JOB SHOP at the Meadowood Neighborhood Center 5734 Raymond Rd Madison WI, 53711 Every Wednesday from 9 am - 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 Application Support Public Benefit Application Support 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, forming a resume, interview prep, or enrolling in FoodShare and other State benefits, please contact us. If you would like to explore what resources may be available to you and your family, we are also able to assist with that.   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.   In June, Adult Workforce Development welcomed Christa Zhang to the team. She is from St. Louis, MO and is currently working on her master’s in social work at UW Madison’s School of Social Work. Christa assists with all services provided through Adult Workforce Development such as help with resumes, housing, and job searches. She will also be working out of our southwest office at 5802 Raymond Road.   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

BUSINESS INCUBATORS

Missing Vines If you have been to (or driven by) the Madison Enterprise Center within the past couple of days, you’ll notice that something is missing. The building looks less…green. The winding vines on the Madison Enterprise Center brought so much charm and character to the building. So much so, that we would often include them in the description when directing people to the building. Recently, Madison Gas & Electric decided to remove the vines. Why would they do this? Well, we did a little research and found out that older vines can weaken the mortar and cause cracks in old brick. The building has been around since 1911, so we understand the decision. The Madison Enterprise Center still holds its eclectic character and spunky industrial feel, even without the captivating winding ivy. The businesses inside continue to thrive and serve so many in our community.

Health Equity and Well Being

Health Equity and Violence Prevention Stephanie Bradley-Wilson, Director of Health, Equity, and Violence Prevention

The Alliance On July 27th, Common Wealth opened “The Alliance” at 5802 Raymond Road. This building not only serves as the southwest office but has 11 units of affordable housing as well. The purpose of having a secondary location is to foster our “people-first approach” of providing service to individuals and families that we serve in the Meadowood, Prairie Hills/Thresa Terrace, Park Edge, and Allied Drive neighborhoods. Our services are built on developing and maintaining relationships with those we work closest with to provide employment and housing through a health equity and violence prevention lens. So, who works in this new office? This office hosts several members of our team, as well as Eric Alvin (Joining Forces for Family Social Worker), Loretta Swanson, Jennifer Torres Barrera, and Gigi Anton (Early Childhood Initiative workers). CWD also partners with the Meadowood Health Partnership and other organizations in the community. Marquis Sanders and Christa Zhang work with adults seeking employment and housing opportunities as well as make referrals to other necessary services. Conner Wild focuses on the CWD’s 46 residential units in the area. Stephanie Bradley Wilson oversees the office space, community engagement and other efforts related to health equity/violence prevention efforts. The core business hours at the Alliance are 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. The Common Wealth Office at 1501 Williamson is also open from 9 AM to 5 PM. To learn more about Common Wealth and its 42-year history in Madison, go to www.cwd.org.

"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.

EVENTS

The last couple of months have been very event-FULL! On August 12th and 13th CWD staff supported The Sessions at McPike Park, followed immediately by the Main Street Bazaar on the 14th. The Bazaar celebrated 25 years of our small business incubator space, Main Street Industries. The event, which was held in conjunction with Forward Fest, featured lots of wonderful music and tasty food.  Then came September and the wonderful events didn’t seem to be slowing down. We once again worked to support The Sessions, and even hosted a virtual auction to support both CWD and The Sessions. Perhaps the most anticipated, however, was the return of the famous Willy Street Fair! CWD again partnered with Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center to host the 44th annual, two-day event featuring over 25 musical acts, 80+ vendors, a parade and a 50/50 raffle. Overall, it was a wonderful and music-filled summer! We look forward to the fall festivities to come.

Marquette Minute News from the Marquette Neighborhood Association president@marquette-neighborhood.org

2020 MNA Accomplishments A challenging year to say the least, but the Marquette neighborhood rallied together, and–in spite of everything–MNA continued to make significant contributions to our community, including: $12,000 to help operate the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center $10,000 to the Wil-Mar Center’s capital campaign for building renovations $4,000 to Common Wealth Development to support youth mentoring $10,000 for East High School’s McPike Field House (2) $2,000 college scholarships to neighborhood high school students $1,000 to the Lapham Elementary School garden program $1,400 to plant new trees in the neighborhood $5,900 to a newly-created Neighborhood Crisis Fund at the Tenant Resource Center $2,020 to support neighborhood businesses, artists and performers $250 to the Goodman Center’s EastSide News   Plus, MNA hosted these fun events:   Neighborhood Trivia Night (and free chili dinner) First annual Neighborhood Sculpture Contest MNA Treasure Hunt Community Garage Sale Waterfront and Orton Park Festivals “In Place” And MNA was a sponsor of the BLM Kids’ March. Thank you to all of you who continue to make the Marquette neighborhood a great place to live, work, and visit!

Meadowood Neighborhood Association By Terry Evanson, President mtevanson@gmail.com; (608) 271-6846

Common Wealth Development news@cwd.org P: 608.256.3527