Building Community in Wake of August Floods

Kickapoo River Valley was hit hard by the flooding that affected much of Southwest Wisconsin last August. Several commercial and residential buildings experienced significant damage necessitating demolition. The August flooding has taken a significant toll on the community. The incident spurred local resident and Mead & Hunt employee Scott Lind to action.

As an involved member of the community, Scott could see the emotional, environmental, and physical toll the flooding had on the area surrounding the Kickapoo Valley River. With the help of fellow employee Mark Sauer, Scott was able to enact positive change in his community by creating a team of Mead & Hunt employees dedicated to removing flood debris from the Kickapoo River.

The project struck a chord for many within the company who were themselves affected by the flooding. Due to the high level of interest and dedication, the company provided time off for employees to participate as well as funding for the project. This funding allowed the Kickapoo Valley River to hire a local logging company to remove a large walk-in cooler from the center of the river, along with multiple log jams and other debris.

This cleanup project is vital to the community as the local topography makes farming and transportation difficult, so visitors to the area represent a large source of income. Kayaking, canoeing and tubing in the Kickapoo River is a significant driver of tourists to the area. Keeping the river as beautiful as possible is therefore critical from an environmental, social and financial perspective.

Mead & Hunt believes in empowering employees to enact positive change within their own communities where they see need. For the Kickapoo Valley River community, seeing people come together to rise above the effects of the flooding to actively move forward is a vital morale boost, and also has the potential to drive sorely-needed revenue to the area.

Mead & Hunt is an employee-owned consulting firm and remains strong on ENR’s Top 500 design firm list with a national ranking of 119th in 2019. The firm employs over 750 employees from 30+ offices located across the nation and was named by CE News one of the top 10 engineering companies to work for in the nation.

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Media Contacts:

• Kathy Schumann, Employee Communications, schumann@meadhunt.com 608-443-0374
• Chloe McKenzie, Corporate Communications, mckenzie@meadhunt.com 608-443-0389

Attic Angel Awards $220,000 in Grants to Area Nonprofits

Attic Angel Association, the fund-raising and volunteer arm of Attic Angel Community, awarded nearly $220,000 in grants this year to a total of 10 area nonprofit organizations that support pressing needs in the greater community.

Each year, the 500-member Association conducts three community-wide signature fund-raising sales to support the Association’s good works, a long list of which dates back to 1889. Proceeds from the Attic Sale, Classic Clothing Sale, and the Holidays Galore & More Sale all go toward that fiscal year’s outreach focus. In 2018-19, the focus was to provide mental health services for school-aged youth (K-12).

Grant recipients for 2018-19 are as follows:

• CANOPY CENTER INC. – Oasis Program Expansion – $43,850
• CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF MADISON – School-Based Suicide Prevention Program – $12,742
• DOMESTIC ABUSE INTERVENTION SERVICES (DAIS) – Men Encouraging Nonviolent Strength Program – $20,000
• GOODMAN COMMUNITY CENTER – Mental Health Services Program – $25,000
• HORIZON HIGH SCHOOL – Mental Health Services – $10,000
• THE RAINBOW PROJECT – Rainbow Project Trauma Specialists in the Schools – $30,000
• THE ROAD HOME – Bright Future Therapy Program – $40,000
• SAFE HARBOR CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER – Safe Step Trauma Assessments – $8,000
• UNITED WAY OF DANE COUNTY – Cognitive Behavior Interventions for Trauma in Schools – $14,241
• VERA COURT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER – Mindfulness Project – $15,000

Attic Angel Association began in 1889, when two sisters earned the nickname “attic angels” by descending from their attic with armloads of goods to share with children less fortunate. Today, more than 500 members join their ranks to serve both children and seniors throughout Dane County, including those living in Attic Angel Community. This new fiscal year, Attic Angel marks its 130^th anniversary of caring for the greater Madison community.

Local Business Owners Making a Difference for 1,850 Children in Haiti

Madison, Wis. (March 13, 2019) –What started in 2006 with one school, one teacher and twelve children, has now become a network of schools in Haiti that serve over 1,850 Haitian children in ten schools. Local business owners Doug and Lois Fearing, of Fearing’s Audio Video Security, became involved with Schools for Haiti in 2014 and, in addition to supporting individual children through child sponsorships, host the Schools for Haiti Gala annually to raise funds for the non-profit.

The sixth annual Schools for Haiti Fundraising Gala & Silent Auction will take place on Saturday, April 27th, 2019. The Gala will be held at Madison Marriott West. Laura Gallagher, President and CEO of The Creative Company, will be master of ceremonies. The gala will also feature Brandon Williams, former All-Big 10 Badger & NFL Wide Receiver.

Schools for Haiti is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that provides safe and nurturing educational environments for the youth of Haiti offering them the opportunity to gain knowledge, skills, and values so they can flourish and grow. Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. The literacy rate is only 61% and 85% of all education in Haiti is performed by Christian and other non-profit organizations.

Schools for Haiti operates schools in and around the city of Montrouis, (pronounced Mo-wee) which is 57km north of Port-au-Prince. The schools provide a quality Haitian education, a daily nutritious meal, and school uniforms to each child. They also employee 181 staff, helping to strengthen the local economy.

In particular, the money raised is going to two specific projects: The Wisconsin School in North Montrouis which serves around 185 kindergarten thru 6th grade students and The Educational Vision Complex, a property that will have elementary and high schools, a mission house for visiting mission teams, and a community center that will serve the entire Montrouis community.

“Becoming involved with Schools for Haiti was an opportunity God just placed in our hearts,” said Doug Fearing. “When Lois and I visited for ourselves and saw the need, we had to get involved. By providing an education to the children of Haiti, we firmly believe it will change the future of the country. Who knows, the next Nelson Mandela or president of Haiti could be a student in one of the schools right now!”

Tickets for the Gala can be purchased online at www.fearings.com. If you are a business and would like to learn more about sponsorships, please contact Lois Fearing at 608-443-2595.

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About Schools for Haiti:
Schools for Haiti  is a nonprofit that operates and funds ten schools in Haiti, the third poorest nation in the world. Schools for Haiti educates over 1,850 students in eight primary schools, one kindergarten and one high school, with an average passing grade of over 86%, along with providing nutritious meals and school clothes. The schools have only Haitian staff, with 181 positions filled by residents, adding greatly to the local economy. Gil and Bonnie Bailie from Florida, and Daniel Michelle, who grew up in an orphanage in Haiti and was in the States at the time learning to operate a water drilling rig, started Schools for Haiti in 2006. The first school had 12 students. The organization has grown tremendously, with Doug Fearing of Fearing’s Audio Video Security joining the Board of Directors in 2015.

About Fearing’s Audio Video Security:
Fearing’s Audio Video Security is a Wisconsin-based and family owned business, with offices in Madison and Milwaukee. Fearing’s is a design-build low voltage systems integrator with core disciplines in audio, video, security, and voice/data/fiber cabling systems serving the commercial and residential marketplace in the Upper Midwest for 21 years.

Fearing’s vision is to make a difference for “our customers, our communities, and our world”. The company supports many local organizations and is deeply committed to Schools for Haiti, a nonprofit which provides education for hundreds of children in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

For more information visit www.fearings.com or find the company on Facebook and LinkedIn.

About Laura Gallagher: Laura Gallagher is the President and Founder of The Creative Company, a PR and Web Development Agency in downtown Madison. She is also one of fewer than 100 women to be recognized as a Trailblazer by the State of Wisconsin. She is a 2019 finalist for the SBA’s Women’s Business Champion of the Year Award and Wisconsin’s Ambassador for Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, a Global economic empowerment movement where Gallagher also serves as the North American Regional Ambassador. Gallagher is a published author. Her book #180in120 – How to Recharge Your Business was published in March of 2016.

About Brandon Williams: Brandon Williams is a former NFL Player, Author, Commentator and Innovator, who serves on the teaching team at Zion City International Ministries, a faith-based organization. Since 2010 he has been a NFL and College football analyst for FOX, ESPN and BTN.  In 2015, after years in the financial services industry, he released his first book called “Millionaire Mindset 7 principles athletes need for financial freedom.

He is also the Founder/Publisher of Kingdom Man Magazine, a personal, professional and spiritual development magazine geared toward men.  Brandon has a Bachelor’s in Communication with a minor in Entrepreneurship and is a Certified Life Coach with the International Coaching Federation.  He has been happily married to B. Marcell Williams since 2011 and together they have 5 children.

State Bank of Cross Plains Reinvests in Local Communities to Celebrate 110-Year Anniversary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Photos attached)

State Bank of Cross Plains Reinvests in Local Communities to Celebrate 110-Year Anniversary

January 2019, MADISON, Wisconsin— January 2019 marks the end of a year-long anniversary celebration that focused on the community aspect of community banking. To commemorate 110 years as an independent community bank, State Bank of Cross Plains (SBCP) enabled its employees to donate $110 each as an investment back into the communities served by the 10 SBCP locations.

Nearly 160 employees directed more than $17,000 in total donations as part of this gesture.

“We were looking for a way to thank our customers and the communities where we live and work,” shares Jim Tubbs, President and CEO at State Bank of Cross Plains. “Anniversaries are about celebrating strong relationships. We wanted to give an anniversary gift that represents how much we cherish these relationships.”

SBCP employees could choose any cause or organization to support. The only guideline was the $110 amount and the local focus. As a result, employees donated to more than 90 different organizations – and in most cases, they hand-delivered the checks. Despite the variety of groups, the causes often fell into a handful of broad categories, such as:

• Taking care of our communities’ older adults

• Supporting animal welfare and animal service relationships

• Investing in community housing, services, and overall development (parks, schools, and more)

• Creating safe and healthy places to live (food pantries, domestic abuse survivor support, environmental cleanup, and other similar groups)

• Providing care and supporting research for a variety of health issues and diseases

While the majority of the gifts were single donations, there were some popular causes that received multiple gifts, including:

• $1,320 to Dane County Humane Society

• $660 to NorthWest Dane Senior Services

• $550 each to Domestic Abuse Intervention Service (DAIS) and Agrace Foundation

• $440 each to Gilda’s Club, Ronald McDonald House, Make-A-Wish, Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM), Waunakee Neighborhood Connection, and the Alzheimer’s & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin

“From Honor Flights to the Clean Lakes Alliance to OccuPaws Guide Dog Association, these organizations share our mission to make our communities vibrant and diverse places to connect, grow, and succeed,” says Tubbs. “Our bank family did a great job of embracing this celebration and living out our mission through these simple connections.”

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Established in 1908, State Bank of Cross Plains is a $1 billion bank, offering a full range of business and personal financial services. The largest independent community bank in Dane County, State Bank of Cross Plains recently announced plans to merge with Union Bank & Trust in spring 2019 to expand services into adjacent counties and communities. SBCP is known for our modern, progressive approach to supporting consumers and small-to-mid-sized businesses by offering services more typical of larger financial institutions in an environment that values one-on-one personal relationships and community involvement.

For additional information, please visit sbcp.bank or contact VP-Marketing Director Darin Tessier at 608-826-3514. 

Downtown Breakfast Eatery offers Better Together: A V-Day celebration of love in all its forms

Contact:

Andrea Collins, Director of Sustainability

Short Stack Eatery, 301 W. Johnson St.

andrea@shortstackeats.com 608.709.5569

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Downtown Breakfast Eatery offers Better Together: A V-Day celebration of love in all its forms

Madison, WI — January 18, 2019

Everyone loves breakfast, and for the second year in a row Short Stack Eatery is proud to offer Better Together, an event celebrating love in all its forms for Valentine’s Day 2019. Short Stack believes that we are all Better Together, so you can be sure that your race, religion, age, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other label that might be cause for consternation when dining somewhere new will be honored and welcome.

Brunch-lovers are invited to enjoy locally sourced, made-from-scratch favorites such as the eggs benedict, biscuits and gravy, pecan streusel French toast, or decadent sweet potato oatmeal pancakes with maple bourbon mascarpone. Better Together will also feature LGBTQ+ inclusive drink specials named to honor major figures and milestones in the LGBTQ+ movement, both globally and locally.

Do you love breakfast, but want to try something new? The “blind special” gives customers the opportunity to try a chef’s special mystery dish that isn’t included on the regular menu. The blind special changes daily and can be ordered for just $7 if customers don’t ask what it is!

Like last year during Better Together, blind specials will be VEGAN! Unlike last year, they will be vegan the ENTIRE MONTH OF FEBRUARY!

A fun, open-minded, quirky local breakfast eatery, Short Stack’s tables are adorned with old love letters, postcards, and even notes and letters from old employees and loyal customers. Natural light illuminates the restaurant through wall-sized windows and lively green plants bring a touch of natural beauty to the space. Most importantly, the Trans Pride flag and Philadelphia Pride Flag (which includes an added black and brown stripe) are proudly displayed in the windows in the restaurant, to show solidarity with the trans community and LGBTQA+ people of color.

This year, Short Stack is picking up a page from the online community art project PostSecret and we’re inviting the community to engage with us by writing postcards to SSE (anonymously or otherwise), touching upon these two questions:

“Who do you love?” and “What does love mean to you?”

Submissions can be homemade, or folks have the opportunity to take advantage of the materials in Anthology’s craft room (230 State Street) or at Short Stack itself to craft about love in the weeks prior to Better Together. The windows and walls of Short Stack will be adorned with these PostSecrets during Better Together to celebrate love — whatever that means to you.

Through their Organization of the Month (OTM) program, Short Stack supports a different non-profit organization by donating a portion of each month’s sales and utilizing space in the restaurant and on social media platforms to spread the word. In the month of February, GSAFE will be their OTM. An organization that supports K-12 LGBTQ+ youth, GSAFE works with students, educators, and families to create schools — and a world — free from oppression based on gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, race, or other identities.

By eating at Short Stack during the entire month of February, you will directly support the important work that GSAFE does state-wide.

Co-owners, Sinéad McHugh and Alex Lindenmeyer, have been very clear about setting their intentions for creating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere for all – and not just for Valentine’s Day.

“If you’ve ever had negative connotations about Valentine’s Day, we’ve got you,” says Lindenmeyer. “When you’re sick of the roses and chocolate and you just want to come and have pancakes with the person or people you love, we’re holding a space for you.”

SSE is proud to now officially have restrooms that are not qualified by a gender. Instead, a sign is affixed on each restroom door that describes the facilities available inside so that each customer may choose whichever restroom best suits their needs. SSE celebrates gender diversity and recognizes the threat that gendered restrooms impose on queer communities. Everyone can feel empowered and confident in choosing the restroom they feel comfortable choosing.

“All people are always welcome in our restaurant. We also recognize that Valentine’s Day is a very heteronormative celebration and that there are endless connections between which love thrives.” says Andrea Collins, Short Stack’s Director of Sustainability. “During Better Together, we intentionally invite communities who might feel like Valentine’s Day is not for them into our space to celebrate love, connection, togetherness, and pancakes.”

Short Stack Eatery will be open during its regular hours for the week of Valentine’s Day:

Wednesday 6am-3pm

Thursday 6am-midnight
Friday 6am-midnight
Saturday 6am – Sunday 9pm (yes, the whole time!)

Mailing address: 301 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53703

Check out their Facebook page for more information!