Category: Member News
Learn who’s growing, changing, moving and more! Stay on top of what’s new with your neighboring businesses. We share news releases and announcements from your peers in the Madison area. Want to toot your own horn? Use our Submit Member News form to share your own stories.
Photo by Richard Hurd
Celebrate the Holiday Season with JNJ Gifts and More
Experience sophistication with JNJ Gifts and More’s custom luxury corporate gift boxes. Perfect for any occasion, our unique, practical gifts, available nationwide, are designed to save time and impress.
Learn more here: https://jnjgiftsandmore.com/
Photo by Richard Hurd
Madison Reading Project Celebrates Giving 100,000 Books This Year
November 16, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MORE INFORMATION:
Rowan Childs
Rowan@madisonreadingproject.com
Cell: (608) 347-7970
Madison Reading Project Celebrates Giving 100,000 Books This Year
Madison Reading Project delivered its 100,000th book of the year on Wednesday, Nov. 15, to the Salvation Army, Darbo Drive, kicking off the season of holiday book-giving.
“Whose Toes are Those?” by Jabari Asim is one of dozens of books Madison Reading Project, working with Madison Public Library, brings periodically to the Center.
“It’s another milestone along the journey of providing great books and literacy resources to children, families, and educators to encourage and inspire readers and learners,” says Rowan Childs, Madison Reading Project’s founder and executive director. “And, coincidentally, it’s also Family Literacy and Madison Reading Project month, as proclaimed by Madison’s mayor and city council.”
“We’re very proud of our role connecting the greater Dane County area with free, culturally and linguistically, diverse books and literacy resources – to ignite a love for reading,” says Deirdre Steinmetz, Madison Reading Project’s program and operations director. “Thanks to our generous community, we will continue bringing even more books to organizations and schools as we work together to support kids and educators.”
“In a season noted for honoring generous giving, we’re celebrating the opportunity to bring books to deserving children,” says Childs. “Our corporate donors, foundations, and especially individual givers during this month’s Community Book Drive make it possible to reach such a milestone. I’m so proud of our team’s determination to make every book wish come true. Reaching 100,000 is a huge achievement of our organization and helps meet our communities’ need for quality reading materials accessible to children.”
“Serendipitously, The Salvation Army, Darbo Drive location, was our very first program partner when we began in 2014. Since then we’ve added many new literacy programs to our repertoire, including our Books for Educators, where so far this year, we’ve given over 1,000 local teachers more than 22,000 books. And, since our founding, we’ve given 478,400 books to about 303,600 kids.”
Working with the Wisconsin State Journal’s Empty Stocking Club, Madison Reading Project plans to bring more than 15,000 books to the annual holiday toy distribution event.
“With the communities’ help, we’ll work to get new books that kids want into the hands of children from birth to age 18, who may have few, if any, books in their homes,” Childs says.
To contribute and learn more visit www.madisonreadingproject.com/communitybookdrive
Madison Reading Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to connect communities with free books and literacy enrichment programs that ignite a love for reading.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
Endres Mfg. Company Foundation November 2023 Grants Given
This November 2023 the Endres Foundation received 51 grant applications with a total amount requested of $780,000. The primary focus area was health and human services, with education and the arts second and third, respectively. This year 17 grants were given for a total of $213,583. In addition, we made 3 pledges to be spread out over the next 3 years (totaling $210,000) for the following organizations: The Playing Field, The Salvation Army, and the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra building. The EMC Foundation will also be matching $25,000 in grant decisions made by the UW Philanthropy Lab Class.
Henry James said: “Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind, the second is to be kind and the third is to be kind.” Be generous with your time, talent and treasure and show kindness to all of humanity. And Helen Keller said: “The true disability is not being blind. The true disability is having sight but no vision.” Envision a better and brighter future, a world that is filled with kindness!
Happy Holidays from the EMC Foundation Team!
The grant requests awarded are:
Agrace HospiceCare, Incorporated – grief support services $5,000
Arts for All Wisconsin, Inc. – Veterans art studies $5,000
Asset Builders of America Inc. – Youth P.O.W.E.R. Academy of Finance $3,500
Badger Honor Flight, Inc. $5,000
Community Support Network, Inc. $1,000
Crossroads United Methodist Church Incorporated $8,200
Family Service Madison, Inc. – family health services $12,000
Food for Kidz $1,000
Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, Inc. $20,000
Center for Community Stewardship, Inc. – I Am We Global Village $2,250
Learning Atrium, Inc. – reading, dyslexia, tutoring and $11,700 coaching programs
Madison Area Community Land Trust $10,000
Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens, Inc. $8,000
The Playing Field, Inc. – The World We Imagine $16,333 ($50,000 over 3 years)
The Salvation Army $33,000 ($100,000 over 3 years)
UW Odyssey Project $25,000
UW Philanthropy Lab $25,000
Village Diaper Bank, Inc. $5,000
Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired, Inc. $1,600
Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra $15,000 ($60,000 over 4 years)
TOTAL: $213,583
Photo by Richard Hurd
Black Men Coalition: Join Us in Revitalizing Lives
REVITALIZE 1st Annual Black Tie Fundraiser: We are thrilled to announce our first-ever Black Tie Fundraiser, an event dedicated to raising funds for our BMC Supportive Employment Housing Capital Campaign. This event also serves as a platform to share BMC’s progress on programming and unveil exciting new projects.
We believe this event aligns with the values of our vibrant community and would greatly appreciate your support in spreading the word.
About Black Men Coalition: The Black Men Coalition is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for Black men in Dane County. Through community involvement, mentorship, education, and employment skills development, we aim to create a sense of belonging crucial to social and emotional development.
Our Mission: Our focus is on creating positive outcomes for young Black men by opening doors to various opportunities and promoting positive representation in the community. Members and volunteers contribute resources that enable us to affect change, and our overarching goal is to provide the necessary resources and solutions to influence positive change in the lives of those we serve.
The Challenge: Nationwide, including in our community, there is a growing issue of shortages in skilled workforce and affordable housing. BMC recognizes that the path to achieving our goals is not always linear. Our unique approach involves building a vertically integrated program that adapts to real-life circumstances and has a strong community support system. Addressing basic needs such as income, housing, and transportation lays the foundation for achieving self-sufficiency. BMC’s distinctive approach is to not only address the symptoms, but also to tackle the root cause by supporting the whole person.
Photo by Richard Hurd
The River Food Pantry: Sponsor or Support the HOPE (Help Other People Eat) Holiday Food Drive
Everyone deserves to enjoy a holiday meal, but not all can afford it in Dane County.
With today’s high cost of living, thousands of our low-income neighbors are being forced to choose between paying bills and buying groceries. Renee is one of our neighbors who is doing everything she can to stay afloat, while also dealing with a serious health condition that has impacted her diet and ability to work. This grandmother of three would love to share a holiday meal with her loved ones, but it’s just too expensive.
You can help. By sponsoring or supporting The River Food Pantry’s HOPE (Help Other People Eat) Holiday Food Drive, you will not only provide nutritious food to fill bellies over the holidays, you will help our food-insecure neighbors celebrate the season in ways that bring hope.
With your HOPE donation or sponsorship, you will help provide a bountiful variety of holiday groceries and freshly prepared holiday meals for a local family in need. Last year, HOPE supporters brought hope, holiday joy, and smiles to nearly 2,000 households, including Renee’s, throughout Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“Thank you for making our Christmas bright with the gift of food at a time when food prices seem unbearable,” said Renee. “Making a holiday meal feels impossible for me. Now at least I can celebrate with my family.”
As the need for food grows in 2023, The River is preparing to serve record numbers this holiday season—the pantry’s busiest time of year. By giving to HOPE, you will help local children, seniors, veterans, and low-income families celebrate the holidays with delicious, quality food that makes the season bright.
To give by check, please mail checks with the word “HOPE” in the memo to: The River Food Pantry, 2201 Darwin Road, Madison, WI 53704
Learn more here: HOPE Holiday Food Drive 2023 | The River Food Pantry