Door County cherries. Plump plums. Juicy peaches. These are just a few of the fresh fruits recently offered through Munch, The River Food Pantry’s mobile meal program. This month, our team had the opportunity to climb aboard the colorful van to help distribute these fruits alongside bags of snacks, drinks, and sandwiches at several stops throughout Madison.

Our shifts began with an overview of south central Wisconsin’s busiest food pantry. Volunteer coordinator Debbie Bormann stressed the importance of volunteers and donations to The River, which has seen a huge spike in new households this year – especially due to the hike in prices for gas and groceries. 

Munch coordinator Jarod Hoffarth then gave us a tour of the van, explained our

For the second straight year, Livability has named the city of Madison as the #1 place to live in America. No doubt, Madison's reputation for being a great place to live, work and recreate is spreading far and wide. 

Which lead us to 4 important questions

#1: In this age of worker mobility, how many people from across the country are viewing the Livability rankings right now and considering a move to Madison?

#2: How many retirees, who could choose to live anywhere, are putting Dane County at the top of their list?

#3: And how many out-of-state investors, who are flush with cash, are wondering how they, too, can get in on the action?

#4: And last, when it comes to climate change, how many people from the west and southwestern parts of

School’s out for summer! While that can be a welcome break for some kids, others who rely upon school lunches may feel differently. That means it’s the busiest time of year for The River Food Pantry’s mobile meals program, Munch. 

“The River Food Pantry launched Munch in 2016 to bridge the gap that exists when school lunch is not available,” said Helen Osborn-Senatus, The River’s Director of Operations. 

The program initially began with a focus on serving school-aged children eligible for free or reduced school lunch, and since then has expanded to anyone facing food insecurity. This year another stop was even added at a southside apartment to serve seniors and individuals with disabilities who aren’t physically able to visit a food pantry. Still,

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 friend, Jim Schumaker, is an amazing photographer. But it hasn’t always been this way. As Jim will tell you, photography was once just a hobby for him. Only over time has he come to view it and practice it as a form of art. Now Jim uses photography as a way to “pay tribute to nature’s beauty” and to “pay homage to our precious planet’s fragility”. 

Jim’s website, natureandhumanphotography.com, curates many of his photos from his life in Wisconsin and his travels around the world. Check it out, and you’ll be moved by his images that capture the extraordinary beauty of our planet and the wildlife and the people that inhabit it. 

You might also notice from his website that Jim has a history of giving his art away. Over the years Jim has donated

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

In 2021 the Mad City Dream Homes team learned more about the initiatives of the local group - Own It. Own It’s mission is to empower, educate and guide Black families in building household wealth through education and real estate homeownership. We do this through advocacy, education, and addressing systemic racism in real estate, banking and financial industries. 

Own It offers families, staff, and alumni at One City Schools education programs and down payment assistance to use towards the purchase of a home.  

As real estate professionals we are learning more about how systemic racism is embedded in our industry and how it impacts the wealth gap. Our team is contributing our time and resources to Own It -- Ann Raschein and Samantha Haas are key