Hogs and Kisses is a micro-sanctuary that opened its barn doors in Charlottesville in 2021. This year, Madison House is partnering with the farm to give UVA students an opportunity to volunteer with the seven pigs, five rabbits, and two turkeys! Click to learn more about Hogs & Kisses and the volunteer experience.
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.”
“Although it's a non-traditional form of treatment, I have always believed that music is extremely healing,” says Harmonies for Healing Program Director Sophia Yoder. “Being part of [this program] allows me to contribute to someone's healing process and connect with people of all ages.” Read more about the Harmonies for Healing program through Madison House.
GEMS, or Girls Excited about Math and Science, aptly captures the essence of this Education and Youth program at Madison House. Volunteers and Program Directors alike comment on the ability of the program to foster true interest and engagement in elementary-aged girls as they listen and interact in volunteer-curated lesson plans. Read on to learn more about this vibrant program and the Madison House volunteers who lead lessons.
For many UVA students, Madison House is a place to give back to the Charlottesville community—whether it’s mentoring kids, working in local clinics, or helping at food pantries and community gardens. But for a few lucky Hoos, service was a shared passion with their soulmate! This Valentine’s Day, we celebrate three UVA alumni couples who volunteered at Madison House during their undergraduate years.
Only through Madison House do a select number of passionate undergraduate UVA students get to volunteer with the Legal Aid Justice Center, a community-based mutual aid and legal firm. In a typical semester, 15 Madison House volunteers dedicate at least 5 hours per week working virtually or at the center. Volunteers spend most of their time interacting with clients, helping clients and attorneys communicate, and completing client intakes.
With your support, Madison House provided service and leadership opportunities for over 1,600 students while supporting 63 local community partners last year. From Walking Bus and Tutor Bus programs to expanded tax preparation assistance across the region, Madison House student volunteers connected deeply with our community. With Executive Director Mary Denlinger at the helm, we eagerly anticipate our next phase of growth. We are excited to share the highlights of 2023 - 2024 with you!
Flowers are not the only thing springing up as the weather turns warmer! Some seasonal Madison House programs, like Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) Community Gardens Program are picking up again after UVA’s spring break ended in mid-March. The program operates from August to mid-November and is in its sixteenth year of helping local food banks like The Haven, Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, the PVCC Food Pantry, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, the Thomas Jefferson Area Food Bank, and The Salvation Army. Read more about this growing program!
Barnaby Lo swiftly ascended the ranks from his initial steps as a CASH volunteer at UVA, becoming a program director in his second year and a head program director in his third and fourth years. Barnaby graduated from the McIntire School of Commerce in 2015 and has since carved a distinguished career path as a Principal at Towerbrook Capital in New York. Reflecting on his journey, Barnaby speaks with a sense of pride and gratitude, attributing much of his success to the life lessons he learned at Madison House. Read more about Barnaby’s volunteer experience at Madison House.
With seven programs under her Madison House umbrella, third-year UVA student Dao Tran manages 65 volunteers and oversaw 500 hours combined of service in the Fall 2023 semester. Dao is Head Program Director of After School Programming, as well as a co-Program Director for the Music Resource Center. Read on to find out why Dao is invested in serving the community.
As the holiday season draws near, a dedicated team of student volunteers is working to make the festivities even more special for families living in Charlottesville. Holiday Sharing, a volunteer program at Madison House, ensures that everyone gets to participate in the festive atmosphere. As a program director, Riley Sweet organizes volunteer shifts once a week to prepare for the final day of distributing gifts. Read more about the joy she feels in helping share holiday cheer to local families in need.
Every year, Madison House offers many opportunities for students to get involved with volunteering in the health and medical sectors. These opportunities range from interpersonal interactions with patients to administrative work in both clinical and non-clinical settings, from emergency rooms to nursing homes to recreational facilities. Read more about the volunteer experience and Madison House’s call for additional community partners.
With over $3 million dollars in impact and more than 700 Charlottesville area residents having received free tax preparation assistance last year, the CASH (Creating Assets, Savings, and Hope) program through Madison House provides a huge, direct impact in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties. Actively seeking applicants, the CASH program is a fantastic way for UVA students to get involved in the broader Virginia community.
Walking Bus, a new Madison House program, arose when a detrimental shortage of bus drivers led Charlottesville City Schools to expand their walking zones. Because of this, all students within a 3/4 mile radius of Clark Elementary School must walk to school or be dropped off. In light of this, Madison House volunteers began walking children to school for what can be a long and dark route.
One of the greatest advantages of service is meeting new people. In fact, a highlight of Madison House alumnus Mike Loeffelman’s time at UVA was the close bond he developed with fellow student and volunteer Andrew McCormick. Both Mike and Andrew found that their time at Madison House helped them build relationships and pursue passions that are lifelong journeys, and they have advice for college students contemplating what they want to do and who they want to be.
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.
Jenna Delgado is a fourth-year UVA student and is in her third year of coaching basketball as a Madison House volunteer. Jenna has spent most of her life volunteering. As a kid, she worked with her mom, Tracy, to pack lunches for kids in the summer so that everyone in her community in Atlanta, Georgia, would be sure to have something to eat during the day. In middle school, Jenna started coaching basketball, something that has continued as a passion and interest of hers. But she never thought back then that she’d attend the same college as her mom and volunteer with the same organization.
Sonia Patel (she/her) is a fourth-year Cognitive Science major in the College of Arts & Sciences. Sonia is the president of Charlottesville Community Access to Resources, Exposure, and Support (Cville CARES), a CIO whose mission is to serve the underprivileged and underserved community of Charlottesville. Sonia also is a volunteer with Medical Services and Head Program Director for Tutoring with Madison House. Her post-graduation plans include attending medical school and becoming a physician in the future.
Despite the challenges COVID-19 provided, Madison House HPD’s, volunteers, and staff were able to continue to provide services to the Charlottesville community without spreading a single known case of COVID-19!
Additionally, 100% of the House’s head program directors surveyed said that their time at Madison House strengthened their understanding of themselves as a leader, the communities surrounding UVA, future career goals, and their sense of community at UVA.
