OUR IMPACT IN FEBRUARY

The work we do makes a difference in the lives of those we serve.

Hey Brandi,

Urban Triage is deeply appreciative of the overwhelming support received during The Big Share, which culminated in raising $25,920.48 in just one day. This remarkable achievement was further enhanced by the generous matching donations from American Family Insurance and our triumph in The Super Power Hour, securing an additional $2,000 from MG&E. These contributions are vital to sustaining and expanding our community support efforts.

We are excited to launch new initiatives that will have a profound impact on our community. Our Emerging Adults Transitional Housing, Rapid Rehousing, and Rapid Rehousing - Domestic Violence initiatives are set to provide critical support and stability for those in need. Make sure you follow our future newsletters and check our website for more information about the launching of these initiatives. Additionally, our partnership with the Madison Metropolitan School District and Public Health to work with youth after school from area high schools represents a significant commitment to nurturing the potential of our young people.

Our Supporting Healthy Black Families (SHBF) and Agriculture (SHBA) workgroups continue to inspire transformation within the Black community through education and personal leadership programs. We're also proud of our collaboration with Prodigal System Academy in the Supporting Healthy Black Employment (SHBE) program, which offers comprehensive job training, certification, and placement services, ensuring participants not only develop skills but also secure meaningful employment opportunities.

As we look forward to these new endeavors, we are also thrilled to announce Urban Triage's first gala, "Black Brilliance: A Celebration of Our Unsung Heroes," scheduled for May 17th at the Overture Center. This event promises to be a night of elegance and tribute to the unsung heroes in our community. Moreover, we invite job seekers to explore career opportunities at our Job Fair on March 15th. For more details or to get involved, please contact bgrayson@urbantriage.org, and don't forget to read our full newsletter to stay informed about the significant work we are undertaking.

In solidarity,

URBAN TRIAGE JOB FAIR

Discover your path to success with us!

CELEBRATING OUR UNSUNG HEROES

Join us in celebrating the heart of our community

It's our 1st gala! It's a fundraiser. The theme of our first-ever gala is Black Brilliance: A Celebration of Our Unsung Heroes where we will be honoring unsung heroes in our community that do so much without recognition.

We'll provide more information as we get closer to the event. We need sponsors. If you have any questions, please email info@urbantriage.org; for now, mark your calendar, save the date, and do whatever you need to do to ensure you don't miss the event of the year.

The gala will be at the Overture Center on Friday, May 17th from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm. It will be Boujee, Brilliant, and Black!

THANK YOU!

We appreciate your support for another successful year

We want to give a HUGE shout out and thank you to our friends at American Family Insurance for generously matching all donations up to $10,000! Words cannot express how grateful we are for your continuous support of the work!

Thanks to donors like you, Urban Triage was named the winner for The Super Power Hour where the organization with the most unique donors between 6:00 - 7:00 PM on Monday, March 4 wins $2,000 on behalf of MG&E. Thank you to all who donated during this Super Power Hour!

We want to thank everyone who contributed to The Big Share in support of Urban Triage! We raised $25,920.48 in ONE day, and the funds raised will support offering comprehensive support encompassing housing assistance, agricultural education, entrepreneurship development, and employment training initiatives. We couldn't do the work without you - your investment in our most vulnerable youth matters!

While The Big Share is over, you can still donate and support the work by visiting our website! Invest in a brighter, healthier future for Black families and other vulnerable populations in our community. Be part of the change.

COMMUNITY YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

We're changing the trajectory of lives, one person at a time

LA FOLLETTE BLACK STUDENT UNION

MINI CONFERENCE

We held a mini conference at La Follette High School with their Black Student Union on Wednesday, February 28th. The event was held to support black students in the space. We had several guest speakers in attendance to speak to the students, having conversations about Black history, explaining finances to the students, and being Black in the agriculture field.

We provided food catered by City BBQ. We also held a raffle for students to win prizes like Stanley cups, blankets, gift cards, hair products, and more. There was a great deal of excitement among the students to have time and space just for themselves.

READ YOUR HEART OUT

Urban Triage participated in this year's annual Read Your Heart Out. In the month of February, schools across Madison Metropolitan School District participate in the district's annual Read Your Heart Out event in celebration of National African American Parent Involvement Day. Family members, community members, and volunteers who identify as African American/Black read books, recite poetry, or connect with students through visual or oral storytelling in the classroom. We had an amazing time reading books, showing up, and supporting youth in the classroom.

MEETING THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT

Urban Triage is known for developing and implementing programs that fill the niche and gaps and serve those most vulnerable. We've successfully and impactfully served 3,082 individuals over the last year with housing services and placed more than 300 individuals and families in permanent housing. We have more than 4 years of providing support and services to tenants and landlords, which positions us to meet the needs of vulnerable youth effectively and efficiently.

Navigating Housing Resources for Every Community Member

Centering humanity at the core of serving the community

As we recognize the full humanity of our clients, we engage them exactly where they need us, without degrading or stigmatizing them. Through active listening, connecting individuals to vital resources, or providing hands-on assistance in navigating complex services, we have never failed to make a positive impact. You'll find a place to call home at Urban Triage, but you'll also be embraced by a team that goes beyond conventional measures to ensure your journey is met with profound empathy and true solutions.

Our housing services include:

• Chronic Documentation: Assisting individuals in securing the necessary paperwork and records required for housing applications and government programs.
• Housing Navigation Services: Guiding our clients through the complexities of finding and securing sustainable housing.
• Outreach Programs: Reaching out to those in need where they are, offering support and connection to essential services.
• Rapid Rehousing: Providing immediate assistance to help homeless individuals and families quickly transition into their own homes.
• Transitional Housing: Offering a temporary residence for those in the process of securing permanent housing.

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS

Building futures and creating housing stability

In the beginning of January 2024, Housing Navigation Services transitioned from Catholic Charities to Urban Triage. Housing Navigation Services is now an initiative of Urban Triage – created in partnership with Dane County – to provide compassionate, caring, and culturally conscious services to individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness.

We want to ease this often stressful navigation by addressing your personal needs, preferences, and barriers to achieving housing. Our staff uses an individualized approach with each person or family to determine the level of assistance needed when crafting a personalized housing plan. Additionally, resources such as employment and training, benefits, and overall health services are factored in for client success.

To learn more information, please click the button below.

SUPPORTING HEALTHY BLACK FAMILIES

Together, We’re Building a Healthier Tomorrow

Supporting Healthy Black Families (SHBF) is a 12-week personal leadership and change workgroup that empowers and inspires breakthroughs and transformation in Black people, families, and communities. 

Our education model is transformative, meaning it enables structural shifts in basic assumptions, thoughts, feelings, and actions that equip learners with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to promote sustainable development. Our workgroup enables learners to understand and anticipate change, manage uncertainty, critical thinking, value changes, and empathy.

Our next cohort start date will be announced at a later time. We meet every other Saturday at 2312 S Park St. Lunch is provided for FREE. 

Children over six (6) can attend and receive Black history and self-expression through the arts. Brandi Grayson leads the parent sessions, and Black retired teachers lead the children's sessions. 

We focus on three areas of learning: 

• Cognitive Learning: This refers to acquiring knowledge, understanding, and critical thinking about racism, brain structure, parenting, child development, and local issues.
• Social and Emotional Learning: Refers to trauma recovery, social connectedness, shared values and responsibilities, empathy, solidarity, respect for differences and diversity, and a sense of responsibility for your future. 
• Behavioral Learning: Refers to learning from experiences and understanding what you want based on what you don't want. It also involves intentionally and deliberately creating experiences to develop new habits and a new reality.

Our workgroup is known for its life-changing impact, and our curriculum is like no other. If you commit to the work group, your life will improve. Click the button below to join our waitlist!

SUPPORTING HEALTHY BLACK AGRICULTURE

Growing Together and Nourishing Our Neighbors

SHBA is a 12-week leadership workgroup series designed to empower and inspire breakthroughs and transformation in Black communities. Our workgroup teaches the basics of growing your own food as well as the entrepreneurial benefits/opportunities in the agriculture field.

Our mission is to bring sustainability back into agriculture while providing bonding time and healing space for Black families and opportunities for community members to learn about agriculture from the Black experience. To make our work more impactful, we dive into the many societal pressures that keep Black people from pursuing agricultural careers such as land access, culturally relevant training, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS), and much more.

Click the button below for more information or if you know someone who might be interested in joining the waitlist!

SUPPORTING HEALTHY BLACK YOUTH

Empowering Young Minds to Nurture the Next Generation

Urban Triage is excited about a collaboration we have formed with the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) and Public Health of Madison and Dane County (PHMDC) to offer innovative strategies for engaging students at LaFollette High School and Capital High. The aim is to reduce truancy, enhance academic outcomes, and prevent violence both within and beyond school premises. Our Supporting Healthy Youth workgroups endeavor to connect with students at their current stages of development.

After school, a group of students will be bused to our downtown youth drop-in center and take part in our Supporting Healthy Youth workgroups. These transformative workgroups equip young individuals with essential tools and skills in a supportive environment that encourages exploration of personal character, emotions, motivations, and aspirations. This exploration occurs through various creative arts, including hip hop, creative writing, photography, videography, as well as programs focusing on trauma recovery, healing, and personal growth. We extend comprehensive support and services to students, encompassing workforce development, employment opportunities, leadership training, financial education, music production, spoken word, creative arts, socio-emotional learning courses, and recreational activities. Participation in our workgroups enables students to earn graduation credits by fulfilling the experiential learning requirement, thus integrating work and education. The initiative also involves parents, offering them extensive support.

To learn more, please click the button below. 

SUPPORTING HEALTHY BLACK EMPLOYMENT

Bridging Gaps to a Pathway of Career Success

The Supporting Healthy Black Employment program is a vital initiative dedicated to improving employment prospects for Black and vulnerable communities. This program operates through a strategic partnership with the Prodigal System Academy and focuses on providing comprehensive carpentry training with a specialization in wood framing.

By prioritizing the needs of Black and vulnerable communities, the Supporting Healthy Black Employment program serves as more than just a skill-building opportunity—it's a pathway to career success and overall well-being.

Program Highlights:

• Carpentry Training: Participants receive hands-on training, developing expertise specifically in the area of residential and commercial carpentry.
• Certification: On completing the program, graduates are awarded an OSHA certification, which signifies their readiness to uphold safety standards in the workplace.
• Job Placement: Ensuring a smooth transition into the workforce, the program collaborates with local construction firms to secure job placements for its graduates.
• Additional Support Services: To complement the technical training, Urban Triage offers participants further assistance and a curriculum designed to nurture and sustain healthy Black families.

WE'RE OUTSIDE

See what our team has been up to in these streets.

Urban Triage attended the Allied Community Resource event on Friday, March 1st. The event was to let people in the community know what resources are available to them. Some of the resources in attendance were Rise Law who helps with immigration documentation. The Rainbow Project who offers therapy to children 10 years old and under along with their family. They often go into schools to help teachers identify trauma response vs. behavioral issues. Public Health was in attendance handing out care packages.

Meet our Homeless Outreach Lead, Katrina Burnett. She joined our team in February 2023. We are thrilled that she has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to our team. Her hard work and dedication have significantly impacted our Homeless Outreach efforts and contributed to our overall success. Please join us in congratulating Katrina for this well-deserved recognition and expressing our gratitude for her valuable contributions to our organization.

Thank you, Katrina! We appreciate you

COMMUNITY CORNER

Here's what's happening in our community.

Sunday, April 28th - Tuesday, April 30th | Revolutionary Acts 2024 Teen Summit

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!

Start making a difference now and join our team of volunteers!

Are you ready to create change in our community? Apply to become one of our community advocates and make a difference today!

We are currently looking for immediate volunteers for the following:

• Agriculture
• Bilingual Support
• Organizing Office Space, Closets, and Storage
• Event Committees
• Events: Black Brilliance Gala
• Grant Writing

If you are interested in volunteering for the above needs or any other future needs of Urban Triage, please sign up to volunteer below!