This is a jam-packed newsletter, filled with lots of important information, so I'm going to keep my letter short. I do want to highlight three things for you to check out:

Take care and I hope to see you around the center soon,

Love to tell stories, but need a little help crafting your tale? Join us for a FREE storytelling workshop, hosted by Zachary Shea and Charles Payne of Mad City Story Slam.

This event is being hosted in conjunction with our upcoming Be the Good event (more on that below), where we'll be celebrating kindness in our community. The theme for the evening – and this workshop – is kindness, so come ready to share your tales of good happening right here in our backyard.

Please note: Though this event is free, space is limited. If you sign up and find out you can't attend, please let us know so we can release your spot to someone on the wait list. 

We're getting ready to celebrate kindness in our community in our first Be the Good event, taking place in the evening on April 27. At the Goodman Community Center, we're lucky to witness acts of goodness every day, and we want our neighbors to get a little snippet of what we see.

Be the Good: Celebrating Kindness in Our Community will shed a light on the love that flows through every corner of our community. Join the evening's MC, John Urban, and hear stories from Goodman CEO Letesha Nelson, other local leaders, youth and neighbors.

Tickets go on sale Monday, March 6. Mark your calendar!

What if every girl and non-binary youth felt they were strong, smart and bold from a young age, and that belief followed them as they grew? Girls Inc. of Greater Madison is working to make that a reality, under the leadership of GIGM Manager Jade Koenigs.

The latest issue of Eastside News dives into what this program is doing and what it has planned, and we think it's pretty darn cool.

Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram accounts all month long as well. We'll be sharing more stories about Girls Inc. and the youth who participate in it. And, if you'd like to support this incredible program and the kids who are in it, consider making a gift to Girls Inc. of Greater Madison today.

Last week, Goodman Food Pantry Manager Francesca Frisque joined Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin and local farmers to speak about the impact of the Farm to Food Bank program, which is entering its fourth year.

Through this program, Second Harvest purchases fresh produce, dairy products and eggs directly from local farmers and distributes them to pantries throughout Dane County, including Goodman. It's a win-win-win for all involved: the farmers get a fair price for their products, pantries get a regular source of fresh foods and neighbors who need it get access to food they might not otherwise be able to afford.

Our elementary kids are exploring their artistic talents with the help of a very familiar local artist. For the last few weeks, Terrence Adeyanju, AKA Peeld, has been stopping by the Red and Teal rooms for art lessons with each class.

Red Room teacher Nicole said, "Terrence has been working a lot with collaboration. He asks the kids to draw something and then another person adds on to the existing image."

You might remember Terrence from his work with our middle school program, including the mural he painted for the student space in the basement of Brassworks. We're so lucky to have him as a part of our community. Thank you, Terrence, for your continued dedication to our youth!

FYI Spring Sports Camps – Register Today! 

It's time to think spring! Our Fit Youth Initiative (FYI) has released its lineup of spring sports camps, and basketball, soccer, flag football and volleyball are all on the docket. These camps are great opportunities for young athletes to learn new skills and build self-confidence through physical activity.

Camps run from March 16 through May 5. Each camp is $60. Scholarships are available.

Camps are limited to 20 participants so sign your child up today!

The Goodman Center has some of the best benefits in town – no joke. In addition to an incredible health care plan (better than what some much bigger businesses in town offer, we've been told by our staff) and generous retirement matching, Goodman also offers more than 5 weeks of paid time off in your first year, free childcare for kids in preschool and attending Lowell or Emerson elementary schools, and more.

In 2024, Goodman will celebrate its 70th anniversary. In celebration of this milestone, our Board of Directors and board committee members are offering a challenge gift in the hopes of documenting 70 estate gifts to Goodman by 2024.

If you make a commitment to leave a gift to the center in your will or estate plan, an additional $1,000 will be donated to Goodman in your honor. Securing the future of your community is a great way for your generosity to live on for decades to come.

Contact Dani Luckett, Chief Development Officer, for more information or to share your plans to include Goodman in your will or estate plans: dani@goodmancenter.org or 608-204-8059.

Our friends at Working Draft are celebrating their five-year anniversary, and they're doing it with a weekend of fun, beer releases and prizes!

They'll be releasing a brew each day Friday through Sunday, and hosting a raffle, the proceeds of which will benefit Goodman.

This March, Girls Inc. of Greater Madison is partnering with Boulders Climbing Gym for Climb for a Cause. Climb for a Cause is part of the gym's #Climb4Community initiative, which aims to break down financial, cultural and other barriers to climbing.

All month long, say the code EMPOWER the front desk for $5 off your day pass or intro package. As a bonus, Boulders will also donate $5 to Girls Inc. of Greater Madison.

No experience or gear necessary. Intro packages include all the necessary instruction, gear and access to both locations for the whole day. Waivers are required to climb or spectate and can be found on the Boulders website.

Through the month of March, visit the Ballweg Gallery at our Ironworks building (149 Waubesa St.) to view the work of artists in the Madison Art Guild.

"The works presented here are inspired by the theme of community, presented directly through subject matter in the work. But the work itself is a result of the community provided by the Madison Art Guild. We are a community of artists, and a great deal of the work presented is a result of the moral support and encouragement provided by fellow artists. Art is the power that created this Madison Art Guild community and has kept it strong for 109 years."

Learn more on the Goodman website or visit the gallery anytime in March.

Our food pantry is open three days a week to anyone who needs it.

Interested in helping our food pantry serve our community? Check out our list of most-needed items.

Questions? Contact Francesca at francesca@goodmancenter.org or 608-204-8049.

608.241.1574 | info@goodmancenter.org | goodmancenter.org

Read the Eastside News, our bimonthy, uber-local newspaper.