United Way Service Day

Yesterday, 40 United Way of Dane County staff members came to Center for Families for a service project.  Each year for the last 15 years, United Way  has chosen a different service day theme.  In 2011 it was independence for seniors, another year it was decreasing family homelessness. This year the theme is early childhood fun and education.  A planning team comprised of United Way staff asked agencies who work with families and young children what type of four hour volunteer projects they had for 40 volunteers.  The United Way planning Committee decided on Center for Families and we are sure glad they did! 
   

 

Our projects were not glamorous but they were important.  Staff teams washed windows, weeded our rain gardens painted rooms, organized and sterilized toys, planted flowers, added decorative birdhouses to our entrance and added finishing touches to the squirrel playground which sits outside the Respite Center window.

“How does washing windows and pulling weeds have an impact on children in their early years?” you might ask. The United Way volunteers were asked this question themselves at the end of the day wrap up. The answers ranged from keeping children safe and healthy by having a clean and bright place for them to play, learn, be comforted and have fun - to giving parents and children respect by offering them a welcoming place when they need help.

These service days are important to United Way, “Being together as a group, as United Way, and being able to do something first hand to change a child’s life makes everything worthwhile and we are proud to do it.” – Sarah Listug, Assistant Director of Community Engagement at United Way of Dane County

They are important to the agencies as well, “ The projects that the United Way staff completed at Center for Families are necessary to keep our building  looking great for our staff and the parents and children who make use of our programs.  The Center for Families building is a great community asset and it is our responsibility to keep it beautiful as well as functional. For economic and time management issues we need help to do this.  We appreciate United Way staff for their work this year and the help we receive from employee groups every year during their annual “Days of Caring – Meg Miller – Co- Director at Center for Families.

United Way Days of Caring is an annual volunteer event that officially kicks off the United Way Campaign.  It is an opportunity for companies and their employees to get into the spirit of giving, experience volunteer activities and corporate team building, and help in the community’s work in the Agenda for Change.  This year’s Days of Caring will take place August 21, 22 and 24.  Visit the United Way of Dane County website at www.unitedwaydanecounty.org for more information on Days of Caring and how you can participate.

To view all the photos from the United Way Service Day at Center for Families visit our facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/Centerforfamilies

Thank you

 On behalf of everyone here at Center for Families we would like to thank United Way for all their time and support.

- Center for Families

Parking Lot Renovation

It is hard not to notice our Center for Families parking lot this week!  Our agency is familiar with toy dump trucks and excavators-- driven by the children of Center for Families.  But this week the big machines were here.  After many months of driving through mud and pot holes we have paved our big parking lot.

Many years ago, before Madison was established, the isthmus was a wetland.  Sadly, our first parking lot “sank into the swamp”—so to speak.  But with the help of Soil Engineering Services  and Fink’s Paving, we re-built a lot that will last for decades.

When our old lot failed we asked SES to provide soil tests.  They showed us that we needed to dig out the old soils and replace them with the ideal layers of fabric and rock.  The old paving was removed by another company last fall.  Unfortunately, the recession caused that company to close and we were left with a gravel parking lot.

In the spring we hired Fink’s Paving, of Mt. Horeb, to completely rebuild and pave the lot. Thanks to John, Brett, Jack and all the guys, in four days we had our new parking lot.

The whole parking lot project has been very exciting. Many of our Center for Families children and staff members have enjoyed watching the project.  They all got to see the giant machines in action.  

 Finks Paving, Excavating & Concrete has become the newest contributor to the strength and vitality of Center for Families and our mission to support the health and growth of Dane counties children and families.

 

Thank you to Fink’s, SES, Webcrafters (for sharing their parking lot for the week), Chris Boehm (facilities manager and project supervisor), Mike Kenitz (co-director), Meg Miller (co-director), Heidi Martin (finance) and Caitlin Ninedorf (documentation and publishing).

And to all the employees at Center for Families who showed great patience through a difficult winter!

THANK YOU

 For more photos of the project visit our facebook site.

Return to centerforfamilies.org

- Center for Families