In the last two weeks, I have been fortunate to witness two big displays of community right here at Goodman. First, there was our Be the Good event on April 27 (thank you to everyone who came!). It was a joyful and thoughtful evening of storytelling, and I loved both sharing my story and listening to the stories told by Imru, Sarah, Martha and Dani.

Then, just this week on Monday, Goodman child care teachers and parents teamed up to host a rally and press conference in honor of the national Day Without Child Care. So many people came together to show their support for child care teachers and to talk about how important it is to care for the people who care for our kids.

In addition to parents, staff and students, we were joined by four legislators who support including Child Care Counts funding in the next state budget: Representatives Lisa Subeck and Samba Baldeh and Senators Melissa Agard and Kelda Roys.

All involved spoke passionately about ensuring the child care crisis we're facing here in Madison and across the state and the country doesn't get worse.

Thank you to Maddie Fagerland, one of our elementary lead teachers, and Marcus Trapp, a parent of one of our preschool kids for sharing your story with our legislators and the community. Watch the story told by NBC 15 here.

If you'd like to help advocate for this important funding, get in touch with your legislators as soon as possible and let them know you support Child Care Counts.

Thank you for your support!

Take care,

P.S. Interested in supporting child care happening right here in our neighborhood? Consider making a gift to Goodman's child care program. We rely on funding from our community to ensure our kids have access to quality care.

Did you know you can order some limited-edition Goodman merchandise this month? The store is open for orders through tomorrow (Thursday, May 11). Now's the time to snap up a Be the Good sweatshirt, T-shirt or hat, or get ready for Pride Month with a Goodman Pride shirt!

Orders can be shipped directly to your home, or picked up at Ameriprint in Sun Prairie when they're ready.

Not too long ago, on a particularly blustery day, five folks from Zendesk won the battle against the gusty wind and helped us clear the splash pad of the off-season leaves and debris. And not long after, 10 Edgewood High School juniors helped restock our food pantry and make some of our hospitality spaces shine for their Day of Service.

Thank you to both of these groups for coming out to help us out!

If you'd like to get in on the volunteering fun, we have a number of great opportunities for this summer.

In the latest issue of Eastside News (on newsstands now!), we dove deep into our elementary after-school program, taking a look at how this program has evolved and grown since COVID. Our dedicated teachers spend a ton of time working on social-emotional topics like empathy and naming feelings, and the kids spend time building bonds with their after-school family.

Read all about it on the Goodman blog or pick up a copy on newsstands today.

The Goodman Lussier LOFT team are always finding new ways to deepen the connection they have with youth and introduce them to something new in the process. Recently Indigo, the newest member of the middle school team and enrichment coordinator, shared some delicious pieces of his First Nation heritage with the cooking club: Fry Bread and Funnel Cakes.

Indigo said that he loved watching them use "powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar and all the Nutella" to "do their own thing" with their handmade treats. The kids loved the activity so much, they immediately requested Round 2!

Our older adult program really knows how to put on a good time! This year's 50+ Meet & Greet was a wild success. The night saw nearly 100 guests mingling, enjoying food catered by TEENworks and dancing the night away thanks to a lively DJ. There was bingo, information and program booths, wonderful drinks – every detail was enjoyed by all.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the night a smash hit, especially the night's partners: NewBridge Madison, Monona Senior Center and Madison Senior Center.

We can't wait to see everyone at next year's party!

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 child care for kids in preschool and attendees of Lowell or Emerson elementary schools, and more.

This month's Ballweg Gallery exhibit is one of color, emotion and family. Leo Salazar and his son Luca are equally represented in these beautiful works of art made from mixed paints and construction materials.

Luca works in crayon, erasable markers and dot markers to express "happiness, frustration, anger, boredom and running," while dad Leo uses various paint to express life's fluidity and experience.

View and purchase pieces of Leo and Luca's collection until the end of May in our Ironworks building.

Spring is a season to refresh and plan for the rest of the year, and to help you get started, we're sharing FreeWill: a free estate planning resource. This online tool makes it easy to secure your future, protect those you love, and create a legacy that inspires kindness and strengthens lives.

Be the Good this spring and plant your legacy today.

When Smart Motors Toyota sales manager and previous Atwood kid, Justin Jackson, heard from their marketing team that Goodman was in need of a new van to support Meals on Wheels, Justin had a full circle moment. Motivated by the good of Meals on Wheels and the role our center has had in his life, Justin made that new van happen.

Thank you, Justin, for the work you did to get us this amazing van! We are so happy to have your family as a part of our own.

You can read more about Justin's connection to Goodman on Madison365.

Turn your unused sports and fitness gear into cash and support Goodman! We're excited to announce our partnership with locally owned Play It Again Sports Madison. Simply look through your house and garage for any quality used sports and fitness gear your family no longer uses and bring it to Play It Again Sports Madison at 6674 Odana Rd.

Tell them you'd like to donate your store credit to the Goodman Community Center Gear Fund, and they'll give you a tax receipt. So simple!

There's no time limit or special days. Come any time. They're open from 10-8 weekdays, 10-5:30 Saturdays and 10-5 Sundays.

We will use this fund to purchase equipment needed for the center. Thank you for your support!

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

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