Madison House’s Creating Assets, Savings, and Hope (CASH) program works to train and coordinate student-volunteers to provide free tax preparation for low- and moderate-income community members…This year marks 15 years since the launch of the C’ville Tax Aid Coalition — a partnership including Madison House and the University of Virginia Community Credit Union that is coordinated by the United Way of Greater Charlottesville. Since its inception in 2007, the Coalition has generated over $35 million in direct economic impact for the Charlottesville area community.
As a first year at the University of Virginia (UVA), Chelsea Li (CLAS ‘20) wanted to soak up all the opportunities that the University had to offer. She found herself exploring new clubs and classes and was especially eager to be in the community. “In high school,” she said, “I felt as if I was missing a lot of the learning that happens outside the classroom.” This desire to stretch her curiosity across disciplines and interests, along with an intrinsic desire to uplift those around her, was what first brought Chelsea to Madison House.
The House has long been a place where students can come to find or rediscover themselves and their place within the community. This held true for Paige, who shared that “it gives me peace of mind knowing that I am a good swimmer but that's not what defines me. There's so much more to life, like helping others. My time at Madison House has allowed me to see that.”
Kruse, from Ridgeland, Mississippi, is a fourth-year student in the McIntire School of Commerce. She initially got involved in the program because of her prior experience in advocacy work.
“Ultimately, the goal of the program is for students to learn about environmental science through a native lens,” Kruse said. “Maelee Hearington, another UVA student, and I wrote the curriculum to focus on science, social activism and social justice. We also provide additional resources like workbooks, markers, easels and notebooks.”
On March 11, 2020, all Madison House in-person volunteering was suspended in an effort to slow the emergence of COVID-19. Shortly after, a Spring Action Team headed by Madison House student volunteers Simmy Bhatia, Caroline Hallowell, and Mikaela Rirchardson worked in coordination with Dr. Rose Cole, the Madison House Director of Community Engagement, to begin developing a virtual volunteering initiative called "Hoos Helping."
The Cville Education Equity collaborated with Youth-Nex, Madison House, and the Equity Center offers resources for teachers and families across the Charlottesville area. The website offers anti-racist curriculum for teachers, virtual education help for families, and food resources for those experiencing food insecurity.
“Basically, we were all having a conversation about how to help area youth and families at this time," UVA Equity Center Director of Community Research Sherica Jones-Lewis said.
Madison House and the UVA writing department will be partnering in the spring of 2017 to offer a unique one-credit liberal arts course to current Madison House student leaders and student volunteers.
Titled, "Words Matter: Writing, Leadership, and Community Engagement" (LASE 2559) and taught by Kate Stephenson, the course will explore the relationship between the written word, being a leader and being actively involved in the community. Madison House student leaders will draw on their current experiences to reflect on their involvement with community programs and their role as liaisons between the University and the Charlottesville community.
"We are excited to partner with the UVA writing department to offer an opportunity for Madison House leaders and volunteers to connect their experiences in the community to their academic and professional pursuits," says Director of Community Engagement Rachel Winters. "Participating in a course with ample opportunities for writing and reflection will provide students a dedicated space to make meaning of their community engagement experiences, and the potential effect it has on them as students and citizens."
Students will collaborate with a community partner and the professor to develop a writing project that explores the intersections between social issues, politics and civic engagement. These projects range from research papers to photo essays, oral histories or digital writing. Participants will also learn how to present leadership experiences on a resume and in a professional interview—demonstrating how writing lives beyond the classroom and evokes change in the community.
For more information on the course, please contact instructor Kate Stephenson at sks9h@eservices.virginia.edu, or our Director of Community Engagement Rachel Winters at rwinters@madisonhouse.org
