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DAIS seeks volunteers to work with clients and their children

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By Brea Kleine
Domestic Abuse Intervention Services

As a volunteer with Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS), you have the opportunity to work directly with victims in crisis and their children. These positions require a 26-hour New Advocate Training, in addition to program-specific training and observations.

DAIS is currently recruiting for several volunteer positions (especially Help Line volunteers). Applications are due by Aug. 7 for our August training. The next round of volunteer training will be held in January. Position descriptions, the application and the training schedules can be found on our website (abuseintervention.org, hover over “I want to help” and click “Volunteer”).

Below are the descriptions of each client-based opportunity at DAIS.

Children’s Advocate: Children of all ages are involved in both structured and free play through the DAIS Children’s Program. Volunteers help lead group activities, as well as assist individual children. Currently looking for all shifts

Help Line Advocate: Volunteers are trained to answer the 24-hour DAIS Help Line. Calls from survivors, concerned family and friends, other health/service professionals, and staff from other organizations are typical. Currently looking for all shifts, with high need for evenings and weekends

Shelter Chef: Volunteer chefs work together to cook and serve dinner once a week to shelter clients and families in the DAIS kitchen and shelter, in addition to dishes and cleanup after dinner. 

Support Group Advocate: Advocates provide support, community referrals, referrals to other DAIS services, and safety tips through facilitation of these support groups. Currently looking for all shifts

Court Watch Program Volunteer: Volunteers are responsible for attending and collecting data from restraining order injunctions at the Dane County Courthouse. Must be available Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays during the day

If you are interested in any of these volunteer positions, please fill out the Client-Based Volunteer Application Form. 

Because client-based volunteers work directly with survivors of domestic violence, there is a thorough 25-hour New Advocate Training required prior to working in those positions to prepare you for your role. While our policy states that you are allowed to miss one day of training, Saturday, Aug. 17, is a mandatory day because it provides all basic information and is the foundation for the following training sessions. With your permission, DAIS will conduct a criminal background check and contact three references.

DAIS staff will be in contact with you to set up an interview with the coordinator in charge of the program you are interested in and to answer any questions.

Westport Farm partnership grows land security for Hmong farmers

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By Mike Ivey
Groundswell Conservancy

Thanks to the efforts of a local conservation group coupled with a generous grant from the Madison Community Foundation (MCF), a group of immigrant farmers are feeling a lot better about the upcoming growing season.

Groundswell Conservancy, which works to protect and enhance open spaces in the Dane County area, is using MCF monies to improve land security for a group of Hmong subsistence and market growers. Set on 10 acres of land in the village of Waunakee, the new Westport Farm also brings in the expertise of Community GroundWorks (CGW), which specializes in urban agriculture and is best known for overseeing Troy Gardens.

The total project costs are budgeted at $38,000, with MCF providing $19,000. Groundswell and private donors are covering the rest. 

Not only does the project provide some badly needed upgrades to the farm infrastructure, including new storage sheds and a permanent water supply, CGW is working with the growers themselves to develop a leasing and governance system that will allow farmers to make long-term investments in their land. The project also provides technical assistance in areas like soil and plant health, cover cropping, crop rotation, organic certification, composting, season extension, pollinator support and animal husbandry.

Participants have cheered the project, calling it a long overdue effort to assist a displaced population. Most of the Hmong families in Dane County emigrated as refugees starting in the 1970s and came primarily from rural backgrounds with less access to education than other Asian immigrant populations.

“To know that the Hmong growers at Westport Farm will have access to the land for the rest of their lives and are provided culturally appropriate services is unbelievable,” said grower Presley Chang. “It’s about time something like this happens for under-resourced minority communities to connect with nature and soil in Dane County. This is only the beginning; let’s keep it going so we reach everyone.” 

Grower Mai Chang echoed those comments, saying the project will only enhance her connections to the fertile fields north of Madison which date back 14 years.

“Every time I’m out at the land tending to the vegetables I’ve grown out of love, I’m so happy,” she said. “I feel this enormous weight lifted from my shoulders. I’m no longer stressed out and I don’t have to worry about anything else.” 

Groundswell purchased the property along Bong Road last year from Peg Whiteside, who retired after 40 years in the farming business. Whiteside had been renting plots to Hmong gardeners and wanted to make sure they could continue to do so. She offered the land at a discount to Groundswell with the express purpose of keeping the arrangement intact.

“In the nearly 30 years since I started renting plots to Hmong gardeners, I’ve been impressed with their skill and passion for raising food,” said Whiteside. “Thanks to Groundswell and the remarkable grant donors, I can rest easy knowing these hardworking folks can continue growing healthy food for their families and others long after I’m gone.”

Yimmuaj Yang, Gardens Network Manager for Community GroundWorks, has worked with minority farmers, provided direct and technical assistance, created access to resources, and consulted in farm business management. She is excited about ramping things up this spring at Westport Farm.

“In my 10 plus years working with vegetable growers, this is the first project that is addressing the demand for land access and land tenure through culturally appropriate engagement by the user group,” she said. “And it’s happening because the right organizations and people are collaborating together.”

CGW’s Maeraj Sheikh noted that what makes the project so impactful is that it’s led by the Hmong community itself versus a top down approach. “Restoring connection to the land is a crucial part of healing wounds for refugee populations,” she said. “Community GroundWorks is serving as a trusted advocate to advance the mission of equitable land and food access in order to heal the social fabric of which we are all a part.”

Westport Farm is located between Cherokee Marsh and Westport Prairie, where good land use practices are important to the health of the surrounding protected areas. A planned hiking trail connecting the two protected areas will pass through the community farm. 

Kennedy Heights moves forward

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Arieana Dietzman is a graduate of the FLYY program. Photo by Anita Weier
Arthur Richardson is a graduate of the FLYY program. Photo by Anita Weier

By Anita Weier
Northside News

Director Patrina White has aimed to build a staff at the Kennedy Heights Community Center that has heart — plenty of heart.

Her success in that regard was clear during a warm summer evening when students, their families and staff gathered to celebrate graduation from the Forward Learning Youth and Young Adults (FLYY) program.

It had been a long path of weekly meetings beginning last October as young people met to share experiences and knowledge. Now they would receive their diplomas.

The 10-month FLYY program was headed by co-leaders Jessie Kushner and Anthony Jack, who led the graduation ceremony.

Favor Olubi, 15, a sophomore at East High School, said she liked the program a lot. “It taught me ways to show leadership and how to talk to people. I learned how to get people to help with things.”

Lucy White, 16, a junior at Shabazz Alternative High School, agreed that she gained leadership skills. “I learned about nonviolent communication,” she said. “This opened up a world of empathizing with myself and others and making connections.”

The class started with 23 participants but ended with 13 — nine youth and four young adult leaders/participants.

“We do not mark by how many are here. This is small but mighty,” Kushner said. She thanked the City of Madison for sponsoring the FLYY pilot program, a Northside Peace Program. She noted that it was unusual to offer a peace program of such length. She also thanked the families of the students for completing “a ridiculous amount of paperwork.”

Participants learned how to lead Peace Circles so they can lead them at Kennedy Heights and in the community if asked to do so.

Jack added, “You are facing the world — to make it better or make it worse.”

White was immensely pleased with the success of the program. When she took over as director at the beginning of January 2018, “There had been somewhat of a revolving door at Kennedy Heights. So, I focused on the community. I needed to find out what the community truly wanted. They needed people who cared,” she said.

White, who graduated in business administration from the University of Phoenix, was familiar with many of the center’s programs from serving on the board before becoming director. White, 55, previously worked at WHEDA and United Way. She lives in Waunakee with her husband of 28 years. They have two children.

Programs at Kennedy Heights include an Early Childhood Program, Elementary After School Program, Youth After School Program, Girls Inc. and Boys Group.

Nonprofits make a difference in our community

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By Lauri Lee
Northside Economic Development Coalition

When you think of a “nonprofit” what do you think of? Most likely, you think of a group that is strengthening and making a difference in our community. We all want the same thing — for our communities to be incredible places to live. It’s the specialized work that nonprofits provide which helps build a stronger community.

A nonprofit organization is a business that has been granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) because it furthers a social cause and provides a public benefit. A nonprofit designation and tax-exempt status are given only to organizations that further charitable, educational, literary, religious, scientific, public safety or cruelty-prevention causes/purposes. Currently, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations registered in the U.S., 33,965 in Wisconsin, 2,999 in Dane County and 296 nonprofits in the 53704 zip code.  

When nonprofits thrive, the entire community thrives. Community engagement is a necessary ingredient that’s critical to the success of nonprofits. Without the support of the community in which it operates, a nonprofit has little chance for long-term prosperity. Volunteers serve a variety of roles within these organizations.

Volunteering locally has an incredible social impact on local communities. It has been shown to strengthen social connections, build strong, safe and cohesive communities, enhance civic engagement and provide services that are not provided by the government.

There are numerous personal benefits to volunteering with nonprofits. When you match your passions by volunteering for an organization filled with like-minded people who share similar interests, it is a great way to make new friends, connect to a professional network and discover potential job opportunities. Finding ways to make a long-term impact for an individual or group of people makes the experience even more rewarding.

The experience you gain through volunteering could transform your future. An organization’s board of directors are always seeking professional experience and expertise to enhance the organization. It’s a great way to build your resume, acquire new skills and improve existing ones. Volunteering can give you a distinct advantage over other job candidates. Sometimes, volunteering can be transformed into a paid job.

Take a look at the nonprofits in our community to figure out where you can start making a difference. People who volunteer find it is evidence of a life well lived.

The Northside welcomes three new Habitat families

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By Nicole Sandler
Northside News

Chao and KaNhia and their daughter, Pang Dee. Photo by John Kalson

Habitat for Humanity of Dane County continues to do important and meaningful work as evidenced by the June 5 triple home dedication in the Northside’s Tennyson Ridge, a 12-house planned community. So far this year, Habitat for Humanity has finished building 11 new homes — 289 new homes since 1987 — and has now served 550 families (when including home repair projects) throughout Dane County.

Three families were welcomed to the community: couple Chao and KaNhia, Khue and Ka and their five children, and Kala and her two sons. All three families moved into their new homes in late June.

At the dedication event, the families generously opened their new homes to community members who attended. As the young children raced around the rooms, everyone was welcomed inside to tour the space and enjoy refreshments offered by each family. Ms. Greenhalgh’s third grade class at Lake View Elementary School walked down the street to share in the excitement, meet their new neighbors and present handmade welcome door hangers. 

Each Habitat family has a story to share about the journey leading to their home ownership. For Chao and KaNhia, their journey began in Laos, their native country, until they were displaced during the Vietnam War. After relocating to a refugee camp in Thailand, they arrived in the U.S. in 1996. They worked hard to raise their children — several now married with children of their own — and are thrilled to finally have a home to call their own.

Kala and her sons Jeremiah and Kyrie. Photo by John Kalson

Khue and Ka also spent time in a refugee camp in Thailand and were married there before moving to the U.S. in 2004. All five of their children were born here and have shared cramped quarters in an apartment since then. Having a spacious home of their own, in a safe community, has been a dream of the family since arriving in the U.S.

The third Habitat family, Kala and her two sons, are just as appreciative of the opportunity to own a home. As a child growing up in Madison, Kala moved from apartment to apartment and changed schools several times. “Owning a home has always been a dream that seemed just out of reach,” Kala explained. “Words cannot express how I feel. Beautiful things can happen when people with such big hearts come together and show so much compassion. It makes me see the beauty in the world.”

Tennyson Ridge is Habitat’s sixth planned community in Dane County and joins Northport Commons on Madison’s Northside. The affordable housing development was made possible by a $250,000 donation from Old National Bank. 

To apply for a Habitat home, each family or individual must meet certain requirements. The first entails attending a Habitat informational meeting. A prospective homeowner’s household income must be no higher than 60% of the Dane County median income, and applicants must reside in Dane County for 12 months prior to applying. Information about housing history, credit history and reasons for needing housing are also requested.

In addition to affording a down payment and monthly mortgage payments, Habitat homeowners are required to contribute sweat equity — a hallmark of the Habitat process. Families must put in 375 hours of sweat equity (325 hours for single-parent families) toward the building of their home over a 9‒12 month period. Community volunteers involved in building Habitat homes often find it inspiring to work side-by-side with the families for whom they’re building. 

If you meet any of the new Tennyson Ridge families in your neighborhood or at Northside events, be sure to offer a warm welcome to our community. Information about Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, eligibility and volunteer opportunities can be found at habitatdane.org.