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

Letter from the Executive Director Spring time!!  (Well, almost anyway) VOTE APRIL 4TH!!! As we kick off April, I will open our newsletter by humbly reminding everyone of our opportunity to vote on April 4th!! There are a number of exciting local races for alder.  We featured candidates from Districts 6, 10 and 12 in our last quarter and I was absolutely astounded by our collective fortune to have so many passionate, dedicated and intelligent candidates vying for seats on Madison’s Common Council.  This election we also have the opportunity to decide who will lead us as the Mayor of Madison over the next 4 years, and to cast a vote in a crucial race to determine who will take a seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court.   Whomever you are supporting, please make sure to get out and make your voice heard on Tuesday, April 4th. As we get going with ’23, I want to congratulate Stephanie Bradley Wilson on her promotion to the Director of Operations at Common Wealth Development. Now in her 8th year with Common Wealth Development, Stephanie will leverage this position to embed the foundational tenets of racial justice, health equity and our upstream approach to violence prevention into all Common Wealth activities, and will assist with the facilitation of all Common Wealth programming and activities. Common Wealth is extraordinarily fortunate to have Stephanie as part of our family, and we are humbled and appreciative of her willingness to take on this new role.   When I began my journey with Common Wealth Development, we were in the initial stages of working in collaboration with the Meadowood Neighborhood. 6 years in, I am proud that in addition to our city-wide support of students at all Madison public high schools, Common Wealth now actively works with residents and neighbors in the Allied Drive, Arbor Hills, Leopold, Marquette, Meadowood, Sheridan Triangle and Tenney-Lapham neighborhoods, on projects ranging from low-moderate income rental housing, to opportunities for low-moderate income aspiring homeowners, to comprehensive violence prevention work, providing assistance to up-and-coming entrepreneurs, and supporting youth and adults working to increase their financial fluency.  This work would never have been possible without the foundational support of the staff, volunteers and supporters over our initial 43 years (largely made up of the passion and dedication of residents in the Willy-Street neighborhood), and it is absolutely a testament to the fortitude, creativity and vison of our current staff.    Speaking of homeownership opportunities, Common Wealth is excited to be near completion of our newest additions to our Lease-Purchase homeownership program. Ashley Gohlke, Common Wealth’s Director of Real Estate Development, has been working hard with her folks and an amazing team from Operation Fresh Start (another phenomenal organization) and the City of Madison’s Community Development Division to prepare two houses in the Tenney-Lapham neighborhood for new prospective homebuyers.  We are excited to get these projects through the finish line, and a huge shout-out to Ashely for all the work that has gone into making these projects a reality.    Additionally, another huge shout-out to Kevin Sandoval, and to Conner Wild and the entire housing team for their work in providing all of our Meadowood residents with free internet access(!!!!).  Kevin is an Administration and Finance Specialist at Common Wealth, who took this project on in addition to his regular role. We are excited for the residents and our goal is to scale this to all Common Wealth rental properties in the years to come.  Thank you to everyone who made this possible.   Here’s to a great Spring, I hope everyone has opportunities to get out and enjoy a rainbow or two, and I look forward to chatting more as we get into Summer…. As always, I am extremely grateful to be part of your community, and ever appreciative of your support and solidarity of Common Wealth Development. Justice Castañeda Executive Director Common Wealth Development, Inc.

Healthy Housing

New Partnership! At the beginning of 2023, Common Wealth Development entered an exciting new horizon with our first collaborative property management contract. The Road Home, a local social service agency that provides opportunities for homeless children and their families to achieve self-determined goals and affordable, stable housing, approached us with an offer to manage two properties which belong to their Housing & Hope program.   The Housing & Hope program provides permanent, supportive, and subsidized housing to families with minors. Residents pay a subsidized rent, (30% of their income) and are supported by a full-time on-site case manager, who provides supportive services to the households. The two buildings consist of 16 apartments located on Balsam Road, neighboring our Meadowood portfolio.   This partnership has been an amazing opportunity to expand our mission with another organization and continue growing community in the Meadowood neighborhood. Every property is unique, with an equally unique set of interpersonal dynamics, and we understand the need to demonstrate our genuine concern and interest in our residents’ wellbeing. During the initial months of this partnership, we have been busy inspecting the grounds and apartments and learning the buildings’ mechanics and quirks. Administratively, we have created new forms unique to The Road Home’s program model and set up new accounts with residents. We have also been building rapport with residents on site by learning their stories and understanding their expectations.   We are very excited to get to work with The Road Home and the residents in their community and feel privileged to have been entrusted with such a valuable and crucial program.  Meadowood Internet Launch  Our Meadowood residents are also celebrating the recent launch of our internet project! In partnership with SupraNet, we now provide free 50mbps internet for all households in our Meadowood portfolio.   Residents have the option of upgrading to 100mbps service for $15.00 per month. We hope this will ensure that residents have continuous connectivity for critical services, such as school, medical appointments, remote work, and grocery shopping, while also providing some relief to their budgets.  Yahara River View Coffee Hour!  With the community room at Yahara River View apartments fully renovated, the residents have begun hosting a Monday coffee hour, originally organized by our housing specialist, Kari Alston, and a few long-time residents. The coffee hour provides an opportunity for residents to commune and commiserate every Monday morning from 9-11AM and evening from 5-7PM. We know the importance of fostering connection and community in our buildings and are very excited to see our beautifully renovated common area being used again.   Welcome Devin O’Brien!  Lastly, we would like to welcome Devin O’Brien to the Housing Operations team! Devin joins us as a maintenance coordinator after having spent five years in the Marine Corps as an aircraft mechanic and three years in the restaurant industry. Devin was born and raised in Madison and enjoys bowling and playing video games in his free time. We look forward to having a full maintenance team ! Welcome Devin!!

Solar in the Southwest... ...Side of Madison! In 2020, Common Wealth partnered with Sustain Dane to apply for a grant through Elevate Energy that would provide emergency rental assistance for our Meadowood residents during the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Elevate Energy and Sustain Dane are likeminded non-profit organizations seeking to accelerate equity and sustainability by providing clean energy and water to the communities they serve. As part of the grant, our organizations collaborated on an audit of Common Wealth’s properties in southwest Madison, with the hope of upgrading the buildings’ energy systems.   Over the last few years, we have been working together to create what we are hoping is a pilot project to update the first of all our buildings in the Meadowood Neighborhood in order to continue providing healthy, sustainable, energy efficient home environments for residents. After years of planning and development, our energy updates and solar installation will begin this year! In May 2023 our partners will be installing solar panels, heat pump systems, and other energy efficient upgrades to a 65-year-old 4-unit building in our Meadowood portfolio. The heat pumps will add a cooling component for our residents, which will replace the current AC window units. Other updates include installing a photovoltaic solar system (aka: Solar Panels), new energy efficient water heaters, smart thermostats and upgrading electrical panels and circuit breakers.  These updates will significantly reduce utility costs for our residents, with an average annual cost savings of $432.00 for each household. After the updates, we will have lowered our operational costs, significantly reduced our carbon footprint, increased energy efficiency, and most importantly, improved the health and comfort of our residents.  Lease to Purchase Program  Common Wealth’s Lease to Purchase Program (L-P) was established in 1994 through a partnership with the City of Madison as an opportunity to provide affordable homeownership opportunities for low-to-moderate income families.   In its prime, the program consisted of 27 homes, while today, only 16 homes remain. As housing prices increase and available housing stock decreases, it has become increasingly difficult to keep homes in the program and nearly impossible to find new homes to continue the program’s mission.  In 2020, after nearly a 10-year standstill, Common Wealth decided to breathe new life into the L-P program by answering the City of Madison’s Affordable Housing RFP. After being awarded $500,000, we began our search for four homes that would be available through the program.   In 2022, after a year of searching, Common Wealth was finally able to purchase three properties. Two of the homes, which neighbor each other in the Tenny-Lapham neighborhood, are currently being remodeled by crews from Operation Fresh Start. The updates to these homes include an exterior facelift with new siding, fresh paint, and new roofing on both. Each home will also have a newly remodeled kitchen and bathroom, new appliances, and flooring updates. We are excited for new families to move into these homes in June of this year!  Common Wealth will maximize our resources and develop the third home into two new single-family units! Our team is incredibly excited to leverage our community partners to create two 4-bedroom two-bath homes that are as sustainable and energy efficient as possible. We plan to install solar, heat pump systems, tankless water heaters, double hung window and energy efficient appliances, and we are hoping to use green building techniques, such as light straw/clay insulation, which is an energy-efficient, health conscious, and low-pollution technique that will provide above average insulation and breathability. Our goal is to produce net-zero housing that is truly healthy and sustainable for the families that will live in them for years and years to come.

If you would like to hear more about the Lease to Purchase program or any of the current projects, please contact Ashley Gohlke at 608-620-7856 or ashley@cwd.org

Equitable Economic Development

Youth Workforce Development

Common Wealth is gearing up for a busy summer, supporting Madison and Dane County youth in our ongoing school-based programs and upcoming summer internship program.  Happy 10th Birthday, Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program!!!!  2023 marks the 10th year of the Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship program. We are extremely grateful for the partnership with the City of Madison, all of the community partners, Common Wealth staff and most importantly, the incredible youth who have made this unique opportunity such a success over the past 10 years. Common Wealth staff have been recruiting and planning for the 2023 Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program throughout 2023, and are looking forward to an amazing summer.  Youth-Business Mentoring Program This spring, we will offer the Youth Business Mentoring Program (YBMP) at Vel Phillips Memorial and East high schools in April and May respectively. By enrolling in YBMP, students build community and connections with program staff, community volunteers, partner organization representatives and peers and develop foundational skills to enter the workforce, including career exploration, resume development, mock interviews, and basic financial education. The two-week training is held on-campus Monday – Friday, for one hour right after school. After program completion, students are paired with a mentor who supports them as they enter the workforce. Mentors help students identify when, where, and how they want to start working and continue to provide guidance throughout the first four months of their job placement. This ongoing support help to ensure that their job placement is a good fit and mentors are there to troubleshoot any potential problems.. Additionally, youth who participate in YBMP are automatically enrolled in MMSD’s Experiential Learning Program, where they can earn academic credit while working their part-time jobs.   Applications for YBMP include a Youth and a Parent/Guardian application—both are located on our website: https://www.cwd.org/youth-development/youth-business-mentoring/

Financial Literacy Workshops We offer free financial literacy workshops to groups around Madison and Dane County. These can be specifically tailored to meet the needs of the group and adapted to a timeline that supports youth’s schedules. Recent workshops have included topics such as resume development, financial literacy education, and post-secondary pathway planning. Each workshop varies based on scheduling needs but often includes hour-long sessions across three to eight weeks. The workshops can be tailored to meet the needs of small groups, one-on-one support, or to be expanded to accommodate larger group sizes. If you’d like to discuss this opportunity, please reach out to Ashley Hoeft at ashley.h@cwd.org.  Applications Closed for 2023 Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program!! Common Wealth staff recently wrapped up recruitment for the 10th year of the Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program (WFYIP). Applications for the 25 available internship positions closed on March 24th.. WFYIP is an 8-week, paid summer internship that provides Madison students with an opportunity to learn more about employment with the City of Madison. Through on-the-job training, structured lessons, and a rigorous civics curriculum, youth learn about City departments and processes, and build community and connections that they’ll carry forward into their post-secondary careers.    Interns work collaboratively, under the guidance of Common Wealth staff and UW-Madison technical assistants, to critically assess real-world projects happening throughout the city. Youth provide insight, analysis and critique in conversations with city staff, elected officials and community members around development initiatives and projects. Upon completion, interns earn elective school credit and the Department of Public Instruction’s Employability Skills Certificate.  To be eligible for the Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program, youth must have a City of Madison address OR be enrolled in an MMSD school, and be, at minimum, 14 years of age. If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, or would like to receive future recruitment information, please contact Ashley Hoeft, Director of Workforce Development, at ashley.h@cwd.org or 608-620-7862.

If you have any questions regarding any of the Youth Workforce Development programming offered at Common Wealth Development, please contact Ashley Hoeft, Director of Workforce Development at ashley.h@cwd.org or (608) 620-7862.

ADULT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Seeking Support in your Job Search? Adult Workforce Development is an employment program through Common Wealth Development that focuses on supporting individuals who have barriers to finding employment. We often work with those who have criminal backgrounds, history of homelessness, or experience with other societal factors that have impeded their job history or capacity to find work. Our programming includes Job Shop, a weekly employment workshop that helps participants develop their resume and apply for jobs, and S.T.E.P, a transitional employment program that provides 100 hours of work with a livable wage. S.T.E.P. leverages a holistic coordinated care model that incorporates person-centered case management to support individuals in their job search efforts and referrals to our community partners, such as Joining Forces for Families, Childrens’ Wisconsin, Early Childhood Initiative, and the Meadowood Health Partnership. These partnerships allow us to provide wrap-around services that increase participants’ access to housing support, food stability, mental health and wellness, transportation assistance, childcare, and healthcare.

Job Shop  Job Shop, a collaboration with Common Wealth Development, Joining Forces For Families and Children’s WI, will continue to provide free drop-in services for anyone looking for support with finding a job. This weekly gathering takes place in Southwest Madison every Wednesday from 9am - 1pm at the Meadowood Neighborhood Center, 5734 Raymond Road. The following services are all available through Job Shop:  The following services are all available through Job Shop: Résumé 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  General resource navigation

Updates to our Adult Workforce Team  The Adult Workforce Manager Marquis Sanders has transitioned to a new role with another organization. We are incredibly grateful for the work Marquis has done with our participants, and we anticipate to have the position newly filled by the end of May. In the interim, you can contact Workforce Development Director Ashley Hoeft by phone at 608-620-7862 or email at Ashley.h@cwd.org.   Work Up! Academy  Stay tuned, Common Wealth Development will soon be launching our new career readiness program called WorkUp! Academy, which helps individuals refine their computer skills, basic budgeting, time management, conflict resolution, professional communication, self-care, goal-setting, and other soft skills. The program will help participants to be more prepared and appropriately trained to enter the workforce and to increase the potential for long-term job retention. WorkUp! Academy will be free and open to any interested community members. More details coming soon.

Learn more about Adult Workforce Development!

For any additional information or questions regarding Adult Workforce Development programs, upcoming changes, or available resources, you can contact Workforce Development Director Ashley Hoeft by phone at 608-620-7862 or email at Ashley.h@cwd.org.

BUSINESS INCUBATORS

We recently said farewell to Wm. Chocolate and [bayk] MADISON as they transitioned out of the Main Street Industries community. With appreciation for the wonderful work they’ve done, we wish these business owners the best in their future endeavors and know that their products have brought joy to countless customers. Though the pandemic brought many challenges to the local economy over the last three years, we are celebrating the long-term and new businesses within our incubators who have had many success stories and will continue to grow and thrive.

Welcoming New Businesses! We recently welcomed Level 5 Donuts and modern Talisman to our community!

Level 5 Donuts joined our second-stage incubator facility Main Street Industries! “Level 5 Donuts is a 100% Vegan company that specializes in donuts. Primarily starting as a “pop-up”, donuts can be found in coffee shops all over the Madison area. Custom Orders are also available online through their website. These sweet and cruelty free confections are made by husband and wife team Aaron Mooney and Caitlin Rockey. Caitlin and Aaron were looking to provide a kinder alternative to the way we enjoy food. With a solid veganized donut recipe, and a little help from their friends Level 5 Donuts was created.” - Caitlin Rockey and Aaron Mooney, Owners of Level 5 donuts

Visit Level 5's Website

Modern Talisman joined Madison Enterprise Center in February, filling one of the last remaining spaces in our 1st stage business incubator. “Modern Talisman offers bead and craft stores, jewelry manufacturers, and makers an unmatched selection of beads, amulets, and silver and brass jewelry components imported from Asia, primarily Thailand, Nepal, and India.” - Modern Talisman Website

Visit Modern Talisman's Website

Commercial Space Available at MSI! We are looking for a new business to join our incubator community at Main Street Industries!. This huge space is the former home of Zap Cables and Chris Hines Photography. More info about Suite 24:  Available April 1st, 2023  1,726 square feet  $16/sq ft (gross)   Stubbed-in for water service, and kitchenette  Available April 1st, 20231,726 sq ft

Click to explore available suite at Madison Enterprise Center!

Upcoming Events at MSI The Deliciouser is hosting a variety of cooking classes and pop-up events. More details can be found here! Madison Makers Spring Market and Pub Crawl  Hosts include MSI incubator businesses Giant Jones Brewing Company and The Deliciouser  Saturday, May 6th from 12 – 5pm More details can be found here!

Common Wealth Gallery (Madison Enterprise Center – 3rd Floor)  The Common Wealth Gallery is a community art gallery located in the historic Madison Enterprise Center at 100 S. Baldwin Street on Madison’s near east-side. The 2,000 square foot gallery is open for a minimum rental period of one week and can accommodate shows for a rental rate of $195 a week. Before reserving, please check availability by visiting our gallery calendar, or contacting Brendan Vandenburg-Carroll at brendan@cwd.org.   Upcoming Events in the Gallery   “I Think We Could’ve Been Something” is a Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition by Jorge Ariel Escobar, MFA Candidate in Photography at the University of Wisconsin Madison.  The exhibition will be on view from April 10 to April 22, 2023  Reception will be held on Friday, April 14 from 5pm to 8pm

Gallery Calendar

For more information about renting spaces at MSI, MEC or the Common Wealth Gallery, please contact Brendan Vandenburg-Carroll, Business Development Coordinator, via phone: (608) 438-6804 or e-mail: brendan@cwd.org.

Health Equity and Violence Prevention

Genealogies: Violence Prevention through Health Equity  Stephanie Bradley-Wilson, Director for Operations

Common Wealth Development uses a racial justice and health equity approach to our violence prevention work. The cornerstones of this work include reducing health inequities by providing safe and healthy housing, supporting economic stability and reducing the likelihood of violence through workforce development and business incubation and leveraging community resources and outreach activities to enhance social cohesion.

Changes at Common Wealth: Congratulations & Farewell Common Wealth wants to send a heartfelt congratulations to Marquis Sanders as he transitions out from Common Wealth, and into a new chapter with the City of Madison’s Warner Park Community Center. We appreciate the work Marquis has provided to support individuals in their job search efforts and his approach to helping people during vulnerable times in their life.  Common Wealth’s Adult Workforce Development program efforts will pause as we conduct a hiring process. Anyone needing employment support should work with our partners Eric Alvin, Joining Forces For Family, and Loretta Swanson, Milwaukee Children’s Hospital, who are both co-located in the Alliance Building, or Sheray Wallace, Meadowood Health Partnership, who is located at the Meadowood Neighborhood Center. Any additional questions about workforce development can be directed to Ashley Hoeft, Workforce Development Director, Ashley.H@cwd.org, who oversees all workforce development at Common Wealth. Common Wealth is excited to announce Stephanie Bradley Wilson as the Director for Operations at Common Wealth. In this role and impact, Stephanie will leverage the experience gained from her previous role to embed the foundational tenets of racial justice, health equity and upstream approaches to violence prevention in all Common Wealth activities. She can be reached at the Alliance on Raymond Rd, 5802 Raymond Rd or by email at stephanie@cwd.org.

Volunteer Tax Assistance Program (VITA)  Volunteers for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) have started their work at the Madison Central Library on Saturdays, 10 AM to 2 PM until April 7, 2023.After this season, volunteers will have the training and knowledge to run a VITA site in 2024 at the Meadowridge Library in the southwest neighborhood. Designed for low to moderate taxpayers, this free service helps individuals file personal income tax returns and to assist them in identifying available tax credits and other benefits. Volunteers for the 2024 tax season will be accepted starting in September. If you are interested in learning more about Common Wealth’s VITA efforts, please contact Stephanie Bradley Wilson at stephanie@cwd.org

Period Products Personal hygiene (period) products, including tampons, pads, menstrual cups, and wipes, are still available through a program with the Southwest Madison Action Coalition. If your organization wants to be on the monthly distribution list or have an immediate need for products, email Courtney Carlson at ccarlson.smacc@gmail.com or Stephanie at Stephanie@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.

Click to Listen to our Podcast

Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center 504 S. Brearly Street We’re an inclusive neighborhood center that’s provided diverse programming for our community and all those in need since 1968. Click here for the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center website.

Parks Alive! Coming to a park near you!

Parks Alive! connects neighbors to their parks through fun, family-friendly activities, music and free food. Events are held in parks across the city, throughout the summer. Connect with your neighbors. Engage in the community. Have fun at Parks Alive! The below schedule list is not exhaustive. For more details, go the cityofmadison.com/parks/events.

Meadowood Community Gardens

Meadowood Park Community Garden Updates   Registration is nearly full, but Meadowood Community Gardens is still soliciting new members, as some gardeners usually drop out or scale back the size of their plots throughout the year.  Call Nicholas at 608-236-3478 or email him at meadowoodgarden@gmail.com if you are interested in a plot. A beginning gardener series is being planned throughout the summer to help people new to gardening. A community compost project is being considered for Meadowood Park. There may be stipends available for local coordinators of this project. If you are interested in this project, follow up with Nicholas.

Become an MNA Member

Common Wealth Development news@cwd.org P: 608.256.3527