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."
Madison House, the independent volunteer center for students at the University of Virginia, has teamed up with Habitat for Humanity and the UVA Community Credit Union to offer free tax preparation services for residents in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties. Together, these organizations form the Cville Tax Aid Coalition. The coalition partners offer in-person tax assistance, drop-off service, and 24/7 self-service options.
The UVA Cancer Center Wreath Auction is back after a hiatus due to COVID. This year, wreath auctions will occur at the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center (ECCCC) and UVA Cancer Center Augusta. Team members from across UVA Health have generously donated their time and skill to decorate these amazing holiday wreaths. To get this project off the ground, Madison House volunteers Haeli Knox and Ahmad Shahid helped the ECCCC with logistics and promotion. UVA Connect recently sat down with them to discuss their studies, careers, volunteerism, and UVA.
After serving as the program director for Madison House’s Music Resource Center partnership last year, UVA third-year student Jack Engel is now a head program director for Madison House’s Youth Mentoring program. His journey from volunteer to program director to head program director has been a highlight of his time at UVA.
