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."
Nestled among lush green landscapes at Morven, the site of UVA’s growing Sustainability Lab, the Madison House team recently embarked on a journey to chart the course for a productive year ahead. The annual staff retreat, a time-honored tradition, took on special significance this year as it saw the integration of new team members and a deep dive into crucial topics of partnerships, access and equity, financial growth, and organizational culture.
For Bonnie Gordon, community engaged learning, public service, equity, and Madison House are all intertwined. She is trained as a music historian but has spent much of her time at UVA thinking about community engagement in the curriculum and as a co-curricular endeavor. She says that Madison House has been a key partner every step of the way. Read more about how innovative curricular design, service opportunities, and collaborative partnerships work in harmony to enhance the student learning experience and benefit the community.
For the past three years, Toni Jackson has been the Madison House community partner for The Gym, a Recreational Therapy program that teaches people of all abilities how to lift and have a great time exercising. During the academic year, the program runs twice a week and has between three to five Madison House volunteers working with seven special athletes at each session. The Gym is a collaborative space, where the volunteers and Jackson work together to support athletes in learning new movements and achieving their fitness aspirations. These close-knit relationships are invaluable, and volunteers carry their experiences with them.
