By Tom Wilkowske
Ascendium Education Group

Ascendium Education Group has been proud to support Northside nonprofits with employee volunteer hours and funding support over the years. 

One year into the COVID-19 health crisis, Ascendium is checking in with leaders of The River Food Pantry, Vera Court Neighborhood Center and East Madison Community Center to see how things are going at some of our volunteering locations. We’re reaching out to these nonprofits to discuss the lessons they’ve learned, the challenges they continue to face and the hopes they have for the coming months.

The River Food Pantry

The River Food Pantry, 2201 Darwin Road, is the busiest food pantry in South Central Wisconsin, serving over 1,000 families each week. Although its clients are mostly from Madison, it serves all of Dane County. It curtailed its in-person, store-like experience for clients due to COVID-19 restrictions and now provides boxes of groceries for curbside pickup or delivery, freshly prepared to-go meals, and mobile lunches for children learning virtually at home. 

“Our biggest challenge right now is trying to reach people who are facing food insecurity and hunger, and who aren’t already using The River’s services,” said Helen Osborn-Senatus, the food pantry’s program manager. “How do we make sure they know about us, that they know it’s easy and welcoming to come here or to sign up for food delivery if they can’t make it here?”

The River is reaching out to new population-specific organizations that might not be connected with a food pantry. It’s also doing social media and distributing flyers to get the word out.

Ongoing needs for The River continue to be financial support and volunteers to staff The River’s expanded offerings in response to the pandemic.

Osborn-Senatus said 95 cents of every dollar donated to The River goes to direct service to clients. Procedures have been put in place to keep volunteers safe, including requiring masks, gloves and temperature checks. Public health staff have also visited the site to offer health guidance, she added.

“If anyone reading this knows someone who’s nervous about not having enough food for their family, let them know about The River. It’s a judgment-free space,” she said.

To give: riverfoodpantry.org/ways-to-support/funds

To volunteer: riverfoodpantry.org/volunteer/

Vera Court Neighborhood Center
One of the biggest challenges facing Vera Court, 614 Vera Court, has been its ability to connect in-person with people who need support. Numerous events at the center, including community meals, have been canceled or curtailed due to the health crisis. 

“We used to serve 70‒80 middle school and elementary kids a day and now we serve 30‒40,” said Tom Solyst, Vera Court executive director. “We don’t know if it’s because families are concerned about virus spread, but we just don’t know where all our kids are and how they’re doing.”

Vera Court typically ran after-school programs but expanded to offering school-day support to students in virtual school. To adapt to group size restrictions, it created four groups of 10‒12 students that keep apart from each other, cycling separately through the center’s spaces during the day. Solyst said if there’s a silver lining to the health crisis, it’s that Vera Court is now providing better support to children’s’ education than could be offered in an after-school only format. “We actually have a stronger partnership surrounding the school portion. We’ve enjoyed getting to know the parents as a partner in solving some of the educational issues that come up,” he said.

Vera Court is one of the organizations adopted by Ascendium employees to receive focused volunteering efforts, such as reading one-on-one to children, processing fundraising letters and doing grounds work.

As far as current needs, Vera Court Program Director Tom Qualls said the center needs a wider selection of board and card games for children. It would like to get more learning materials in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). 

The center also needs volunteers, either in-person or remotely, who can share a special skill or area of knowledge, such as how to build model rockets, rap or perform magic. If interested, please contact Tom Qualls at tomq@veracourt.org.

To give: veracourt.org/donate.html

To volunteer: veracourt.org/volunteer.html

East Madison Community Center

East Madison Community Center, 8 Straubel Court, serves as a community gathering space for groups and families on the east side of Madison. It provides neighborhood-based services including a food pantry, educational and recreational youth programs, tutoring, art programs, a community garden, wellness programs, information and referrals, and more. 

Assistant Director Regina McConnell said fundraising remains the center’s biggest challenge. Although it gets support from the City of Madison and the United Way, “we have to raise 70% of our budget on our own. The less time we spend fundraising, the more we can spend in direct service,” she said.

The center has been adjusting to the COVID-19 health crisis and was forced to cancel many ongoing in-person events and programs. On a brighter note, the center has been offering a full-time, in-person youth education camp, which provides assistance with virtual learning along with supplemental educational and recreational activities.

“We do provide some programs for adults but have had to limit the offerings and group size due to COVID,” McConnell said. “People really miss coming in, having their birthday parties here and attending family nights.”

Current volunteer opportunities at the center include the food pantry, youth education camp and clerical support. In the spring, volunteers can also help in the children’s garden. McConnell said they are also seeking volunteers willing to work with the children on an ongoing basis, whether it’s reading or tutoring for an hour every week, providing virtual school support or a bigger commitment. “The continuity really helps the kids connect,” she said. More programs will be re-introduced according to COVID guidelines and Public Health recommendations.

To give: eastmadisoncc.org/invest

To volunteer: eastmadisoncc.org/volunteer