In a previous article we highlighted the incredible work of JustDane’s Healing House, which opened in 2019 to give people experiencing homelessness a place to heal after surgery. Soon, the Madison area will be able to house some of the most vulnerable people in our community during their final stage of life thanks to the efforts of another local nonprofit, Solace Friends, Inc.

The mission of Solace is to provide dying people with a “place of compassionate, safe, comfortable presence and caregiving,” particularly those who are “experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, extreme poverty, mental/emotional health issues, substance abuse disorders, and/or social isolation.” 

Realtor Ann Raschein first learned about this group through her

While we all know it's important to take care of our physical health, sometimes we forget that our mental health deserves attention, too. They both contribute to our overall well-being, but we’re often more likely to schedule a preventative doctor or dentist visit than make an appointment with a counselor or therapist. 

The last few years have been particularly challenging for people because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which the World Health Organization attributes to a 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide, highlighting the need for more mental health services.

National Alliance on Mental Illness, America's largest grassroots mental health organization, seeks to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public, and

Our team is excited to once again host Madison artist Lilada Gee at our office, 1619 Monroe St, Madison, for Spring Gallery Night from 5-9 p.m. Friday, May 6th! The theme of her exhibit is a “Celebration of Black Girlhood.” 

Lilada writes, “Join me in celebrating the beauty of Black girlhood! EVERY girl who attends my Spring Gallery Night exhibit will get a piece of her own art to take home. Bring your girl out for a night of inspiration. Great food. Great company! And great art that celebrates amazing Black girls will be available in many forms for the girl in your life or to donate to inspire joy in a girl who needs a smile put on her face!”

We enjoyed seeing so many of you for Fall Gallery Night in November, and we hope you’ll stop by to meet

Can you see yourself living in your home for years or even decades to come? Or are you still in search of your forever home? According to statistics from the AARP, more than 90% of people over the age of 65 would prefer to stay in their current home the rest of their lives. By 2030, a fifth of the population will be in that age range. “Aging in place” has many benefits, including treasuring the memories and possessions you’ve accumulated at your home and staying connected to your community, friends, and familiar surroundings. Saving money and maintaining a sense of independence as long as possible are also key factors in this decision.  

So, what happens if someone wishes to remain at home but can no longer drive, doesn’t have family nearby, or could

Think about your last trip to buy groceries. If you’re like me, you drove your vehicle for a few minutes to your choice of grocery stores. Perhaps you picked up each piece of produce to inspect if it had any imperfections, and then gently set it aside to opt for one that looked better – ignorant to just how prevalent food waste is in our country. You filled up your cart with more items and your trunk with several bags and got home in time to cook a balanced meal.

Now imagine how that experience might be different if you needed to walk, ride a bike, or take a bus to get groceries instead – especially if it’s raining, snowing, dark out, or you have kids along with you. How many bags can you manage? How much time do you have to make a meal once you get

As building, lumber, and construction costs rise -- which leads to rising replacement costs to your home -- it’s important to make sure your property is fully covered.

What would it take to rebuild your home if something happened? The average inflation rate in Wisconsin this past year was about 10% and material costs were up about 14% in 2021 from early 2020, and “that’s where the rebuild costs get out of whack really fast,” said Steve Aune, an agent with American Family Insurance in Madison.  

People typically review their policy and coverage every few years to make sure their income and assets are protected. This can prevent them from being underinsured. Aune said some reasons to revisit it include if you: 

• Make material changes to

What started as a Kiwanis Club service project in the 1950s to support young people has grown into the largest neighborhood center for all ages in Madison. The Goodman Community Center has been serving the community -- predominantly those living on the northeast side of the city -- for the last 70 years. Through the connected values of integrity, respect, caring, equity, and trust, Goodman’s mission is to strengthen lives and secure futures. 

“The way I think about that is helping folks in the here and now and setting folks up for long-term success as well,” said Jon Lica, Director of Corporate & Community Relations. Programs range from urgent services such as the food pantry to those that “help young folks build themselves into the adults they

How might your life be different if you were offered a fresh start when you were younger? For 50 years, Operation Fresh Start (OFS) has been building the futures and transforming the lives of more than 8,000 young people with that question in mind. The mission of the nonprofit is to empower emerging adults on a path to self-sufficiency through education, mentoring, and employment training. 

“I think how this organization started is just amazing,” said OFS Development Director Jody Weyers. “Jack Osteraas was a former police officer and saw the same young people on the street all the time. So he talked to some different funding partners and got enough money to buy a dilapidated house, and he got a crew of 8 young men together to rehab the house with him

The Dane County Farmers’ Market has gained notoriety for being the largest producer-only farmers’ market in the United States. Each Saturday, nearly 100 vendors line Capitol Square to sell their goods -- from cauliflower to cheese curds -- all of which are grown, raised, and produced in Wisconsin by the person behind the stand. 

Since its inception nearly 50 years ago in 1972, the market’s mission has been to unite urban and rural cultures and allow people to connect with their food on a different level than they could by purchasing it from anywhere else.  

“The market supports small farmers who grow food in an environmentally-thoughtful way and also supports our local community,” said Market Manager Jamie Bugel. “The market is an incredible

In January 2010, Haiti was the site of an earthquake that killed over 300,000 people and displaced millions of Haitians. Gergens Polynice, a student at UW-Madison, was from Port-au-Prince (the capital of Haiti and also the epicenter of the earthquake) and had spent the holidays at home. Although his family was not hurt, the needs of the Haitian community were immediate. One of his professors, Tom Eggert, taught a class on sustainable development and organized students in the class to help those in Haiti who were left without places to stay, places to work, and places of safety. “This was one of the first natural disasters you could donate to on your phone via text, and the international community arrived with food, medicine, shelter, and water. But my