Fourth-year student & Madison House volunteer Margaret Lowe

Madison House joins the entire University of Virginia community in mourning the passing of Margaret Lowe, a fourth-year student. Margaret volunteered with Madison House's Adopt-A-Grandparent and Cavs in the Classroom programs. 

We want to echo this message from Dean Groves from earlier today:

To the University Community:

With a deep sense of grief, I am writing to confirm the death of fourth-year student Margaret Lowe from Nashville, Tenn. Margaret passed away yesterday evening at the UVa Hospital after sustaining a cerebral hemorrhage. She had been engaging in one of her favorite activities - running - at Lannigan Field on Monday evening when she collapsed. Although two UVa School of Medicine students immediately came to her aid and administered CPR, she never regained consciousness.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Margaret's family, including her parents, Whitson and Sandra Lowe, her brothers, John and Mark, all of Nashville; her sorority sisters in Pi Beta Phi at UVa; and her many friends at UVa and beyond.

Margaret touched the lives of numerous individuals both here and elsewhere. She excelled in her studies as a Classics-Ancient Greek major and was looking ahead to medical school. She had just begun her second consecutive year as the co-chair of ADAPT (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team) and had led various educational efforts aimed at reducing the risks of alcohol use among her peers. Active in several service organizations, she volunteered with Madison House and was a counselor with Camp Kesem in Charlottesville. She participated in Bike and Build in 2014 and 2015, biking this past summer from coast to coast to promote affordable housing and raise funds for its cause. She was involved with Reformed University Fellowship at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville. In addition to her membership in Pi Beta Phi, she was a leader within the Inter-Sorority Council. In the brief autobiography she wrote for Bike and Build, she described her passion for life, including her commitment to wellness and her love of sports.

A service in celebration of Margaret's life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 11 a.m. at West End United Methodist Church in Nashville. The address is 2200 West End Ave., Nashville, TN 37203.

Our community suffers when we lose a member for any reason. The loss of Margaret is difficult to accept, especially when we have come back together for a new semester. Please reach out to one another in this time of sadness. The comfort and compassion of community affirms the preciousness of life and helps bring healing over time.

Any student who wishes to speak with a counselor may call Counseling and Psychological Services at 434-243-5150 during the regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Monday through Friday). After hours, the number to call is 434-972-7004. Information about CAPS is available atwww.virginia.edu/studenthealth/caps.html.

Faculty and staff can find similar support through the Faculty and Employee Assistance Program by calling 434-243-2643 or by emailing the office via a form on the website at www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/pub/feap/general-information.

Sincerely,

Allen W. Groves
University Dean of Students

Our thoughts and prayers are with Margaret's family and friends. Madison House volunteers, please know that our doors are open if you wish to talk with our staff. 

[Photo credit: Richard Dizon for The Cavalier Daily]

Come to the Madison House Information Fair

Volunteer recruitment for Madison House's nearly 170 community partner sites is underway for the fall semester. Madison House volunteers spoke with interested 'Hoos at the Student Activities Fair on Central Grounds earlier this week.

If you are interested in volunteering beyond Grounds this year, but want to learn more about the many options before you sign up, Madison House will host an information fair on Wednesday, September 2 at the U.Va. Amphitheatre from 11:00am-2:00pm.

Stop by to meet student leaders for our volunteer programs, ask questions, and learn how you can get involved in service this school year!

Big Siblings and BBBS Announce Partnership

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge (BBBS) and Madison House’s Big Siblings program are forming a new partnership. Student volunteers through Madison House’s Big Siblings program will benefit from training and coordination with the professional staff of BBBS. BBBS will gain valuable support from Madison House’s student leadership and volunteer recruitment network on Grounds. Most importantly, the youth of Central Virginia will benefit from the partnership’s large pool of highly-trained and supervised mentors.

Join Tim Freilich, Executive Director of Madison House, Caroline Vangsnes, a Fourth Year student and the Head Program Director of Big Siblings, and Jackie Bright, Executive Director of BBBS of the Central Blue Ridge, for the official announcement on Tuesday, September 1st at 10:00 am at Commonwealth Reserve. This event will feature a Q&A session. Light refreshments will be served.

Update:

Watch: "Partnership to Help More Area Kids" - Charlottesville Newsplex

Thank you to The Cavalier Daily for this article about the partnership:

Madison House’s Big Siblings program is kicking off a new partnership with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge.

Big Brothers Big Sisters matches local kids with mentors for a couple hours each week, and many stay engaged as pen pals through the summer.

There are typically 100 to 150 children on the waitlist at any given time.

The new partnership with Madison House aims to help more than 100 children move off the waitlist and be paired with a mentor, said Executive Director Jackie Bright.

“It just seemed to make sense as we both run very similar programs,” Bright said. “We are coming together to execute an advanced big sibling program.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters casts a wide net, Bright said, working to serve children who need help with school or are struggling with bullying or gang activity. Many of the children who participate in the program have family members who are incarcerated, are living in poverty or come from single parent households in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

Madison House will continue to run Bridging the Gap, a program to mentor refugee children in Charlottesville.

The idea for collaboration came about early last spring semester, said Caroline Vangsnes, Madison House Big Siblings head director.

“[Big Brothers Big Sisters] really wanted Big Siblings to have a ton of input, and they wanted leadership at Madison House” to be involved, Vangsnes said. “They didn’t want one organization to take over the other.”

Children will be matched by the volunteers at Madison House who will be working with guidance counselors at local schools. The program will offer enhanced training and professional support for mentors.

The application process will also include an interview and a background check to ensure the program draws “really committed volunteers,” Vangsnes said.

She also said she is confident the partnership will extend beyond the current academic year.

Second Year Council presents Cavs Serve Cville

The Second Year Council presents Cavs Serve Cville, a panel discussion that will focus on the most impactful ways in which University of Virginia students can engage with and serve the surrounding Charlottesville area.

Often, community service can easily be written off with quick, simple donations of time, goods, or money. But giving back can be much more meaningful and effective when communities are engaged and relationships are formed. To further promote the ideal of effective service, Cavs Serve Cville is sponsoring a competition among service-minded charitable incorporated organizations (CIOs) at U.Va. in which the winning organization will be awarded $300 to fund their next initiative! 

Second Year Council wants to transform the way that service is viewed on Grounds by maximizing the impact of the time and effort U.Va. students dedicate to service.

Panel Featuring:
• Rachel Winters, Director of Community Engagement at Madison House
• Anne Scott, President and CEO at Charlottesville Area Community Foundation
• Trent Garrett, Volunteer Coordinator at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville
• ...and more speakers to be announced!

Cavs Serve Cville will take place on Tuesday, September 8 from 5:00-6:30pm in Newcomb Theater. This event is FREE and open to all University students.

Non-Profit Management Internship Program

Looking for an internship for this school year? The Non-Profit Management Internship Program at Madison House is designed to give undergraduate students 'hands-on' experience in the day-to-day operations of a non-profit organization. Each intern will work closely with a professional staff member to learn the about their respective functional area. All interns are expected to participate in staff meetings and be included in the student leader group charged with developing strategic priorities for the organization.  For more detailed information, questions, or job descriptions for each position, please email Rachel Winters, Director of Community Engagement, at rwinters@madisonhouse.org.  Apply before school starts!  

Opportunities currently available on CavLink:

• Operations Intern (Job ID #: 64678)
• Programs Intern (Job ID #: 65278)
• Administrative Assistant (Job ID #: 65860) - Work at the front desk (must be work study)

Madison House Volunteers featured in Virginia Magazine

Madison House volunteers were the subject of a feature article in the summer 2015 issue of Virginia Magazine, published by the U.Va. Alumni Association. Volunteers from five of our programs were interviewed: Latino and Migrant Aid, Recreational Therapy, Big Siblings, Adopt-A-Grandparent, and Housing Improvement. 

Read the full article here.

UVA Today Interviews Madison House's Executive Director

Watch: Newsplex - UVA Today: Madison House (June 29, 2015)

From Newsplex:

Tim Freilich, the new executive director Madison House, is only four months on the job, but he is a Madison House veteran.

Freilich, who earned undergraduate degrees in Spanish and psychology, and later a law degree, at UVa, was a Madison House volunteer while a student. In 2005 he was recognized as Madison House's "Alum of the Year" for his public service work.

He jumped at the opportunity the be the directors of Madison House, because he said it gives him "a chance to direct the positive energy of 3,100 student volunteers in the community I love."

An independent bridge between the University and the community, Madison House serves as the student volunteer center, coordinating volunteers, developing leaders, building community partnerships and promoting lifelong volunteer service. Madison House organizes service programs to address the needs of the community as well as the educational and personal growth objectives of students.

Madison House currently has about 3,100 volunteers, working in about 170 different sites in the community.

"In the past year, Madison House volunteers contributed about 111,000 servicehours to the community," Freilich said.

Freilich, who was the legal director of the Legal Aid Justice Center's Immigrant Advocacy Program for 15 years, thinks both the University and the community benefit from Madison House.

"Madison House is a pivotal organization to bring the University and the broader community together," he said. "I want to create opportunities for U.Va. students and community members to learn from one another with mutual respect."

With Madison House's 50th anniversary in 2019, Freilich wants to position Madison House to continue to be a strong and vibrant program for students and the community.

Katie Bailey Finds Her Comfort Zone in Volunteering

From UVA Today:

“I feel most comfortable when I’m doing something, or giving back,” said Katie Bailey, who graduated from the University of Virginia on Sunday with a double major in urban and environmental planning and in Spanish, plus a minor in global sustainability. She also completed the McIntire Business Institute certification program.

No doubt, Bailey made herself mighty comfortable at U.Va. Shortly after arriving on Grounds, she threw herself into the Relay For Life organization, which raises funds for the American Cancer Society. U.Va.’s chapter of the national organization had raised over $1.25 million, and is one of the top 15 collegiate events in the world.

She also served as a program director for Madison House’s Cavs in the Classroom program, and was a student mentor for U.Va. Pals, a volunteer for the English as Second or Other Language program and a member of U.Va.’s Sustainability Committee. 

Not surprisingly, then, her classmates gave her their Community Service Award during Valedictory Exercises on Friday.

Madison House on the cover of the C-VILLE Weekly

Check out Madison House on the cover of the May 6th issue of the C-VILLE Weekly! Madison House was named one of “five local non-profits lifting our community” and a profile of Madison House was included in a feature article titled “Give Us A Hand: Five Local Nonprofits Worth Your Attention.” 

Here is an excerpt:

“‘Volunteering with the Big Siblings Program has made a hugely positive impact on my UVA experience,’ said UVA third-year Maria Mencini, one of Madison House’s 220 student program directors. Madison House’s Big Siblings Program pairs a UVA student with an at-risk local child, and Mencini’s been working with the same girl for two years. ‘Every week, I look forward to being a kid again with my little sib, whether we are seeing a movie, going bowling or making cupcakes at my apartment,’ she said.”

Read the full article here.

Madison House Volunteers Win Prestigious Awards

Three current Madison House volunteers have won prestigious awards recently.

Lia Cattaneo, Class of 2016 and student member of the Madison House Board of Directors

Lia Cattaneo, a Class of 2016 student who serves on Madison House’s Board of Directors, was awarded the prestigious Truman Scholarship. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation was created by Congress in 1975 to select and support the next generation of public service leaders. In her interview with UVA Today, Cattaneo said, “Receiving the Truman Fellowship will emphasize my commitment to the policy aspects of climate and energy and will keep my career grounded in public service.” Click here to read more!

Shantell Bingham, Class of 2015 and Head Program Director of Bridging the Gap

Shantell Bingham, a Class of 2015 student and the Head Program Director of our Bridging the Gap program, received a $10,000 grant as part of the Dalai Lama Fellowship. Here is an excerpt from the UVA Today profile about her volunteer service:

As a first-year student, Bingham coached a local youth soccer team, where she met the girl she would formally mentor when volunteering with Madison House’s Bridging the Gap program during her second year.

“I love this program for mentoring refugee kids,” said Bingham, who directs Bridging the Gap this year. Bingham has maintained her relationship with her Tanzanian mentee, now 14. They like to take walks together, often taking photos, a common interest that she has nurtured and shared with the teen.

“Mostly, I’ve been someone she can talk to and be an emotional support for,’ Bingham said, adding that the girl’s family has had a rough time between the refugee camp and the transition to American life.

Anna Cait Wade, Class of 2015 and volunteer with Madison House's HALO program

Anna Cait Wade, a Class of 2015 student, received a $10,000 grant as part of the Davis Projects for Peace award. Anna Cait will spend her summer working with the Mariposa DR Foundation, a non-governmental organization working to end generational poverty in the Dominican Republic by empowering adolescent girls. Aside from her other remarkable accomplishments and commitments, Anna Cait still found time to volunteer with our ESOL program last semester and she volunteers with our Hoos Assisting with Life Obstacles (HALO) program this semester. Click here to read more!

CBS-19 Shines a Spotlight on Day of Service

Watch: CBS-19 - UVa Students Participate in Nationwide Volunteer Effort (April 13, 2015)

From CBS-19:

April 11 marks the Big Event, a day where students across the country volunteered their time to help non-profits in the community.

More than 300 University of Virginia students came together to give back to Central Virginia.

It all started in the morning at the Madison House where students were paired with different companies and non-profits to volunteer.

Some students were paired with with Alloy Workshop in Charlottesville to build a structure that will help bring awareness to the non-profit group Computers for Kids.

Victoria Long, a staffer at the Madison House, was glad to be a part of the program.

"Lots of local non-profits and charities have kind of a wish list of projects they can never get around to” said Long. “And they don't have the manpower for and so what the big event is all about is for UVa students to swoop in and help with the projects."

"This particular event,” said Tricia Howell, program director for Computers for Kids. “Is a wonderful opportunity to for us to partner with other organizations so alloy workshop: when would we have ever been able to get with those guys? They’ve been tremendous."

The structure will be on display along with other non-profit designs next weekend at the Tom-Tom Festival in Charlottesville.

U.Va. Parents Committee Supports Help Line

Thank you to the U.Va. Parents Fund & Committee for allocating funds for Madison House’s HELPLine program!

Because of this generous support, HELPLine volunteers will receive training from the Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA). HELPLine is a 24/7 anonymous and confidential listening hotline for the University of Virginia community. The program is staffed by trained UVA students and operates during the academic year. In regards to the expectations of volunteers when they receive a call; the students serve as nonjudgmental listeners and use active listening and non-directive actions to guide callers to the most appropriate resources.

Thanks to this additional funding from the U.Va. Parents Fund & Committee, SARA training will increase the knowledge and resources that HELPLine volunteers utilize when they actively listen and empower callers on this subject.

(Image credit: U.Va. Parents Fund & Committee)

Madison House and The PB&J Fund

My name is Tim Freilich, and I’m the new Executive Director at Madison House. You probably already know that our recipe for success includes student leadership, lifelong service and community.

But let me show you how those ingredients come together at one of Madison House’s most innovative community partners, the PB&J Fund.

When I met last week with Executive Director Emily Wampler, she shared the PB&J Fund’s mission: to connect Charlottesville youth with the resources and knowledge necessary to help develop a healthy diet. She gave me a quick tour of their color-coded, kid-friendly kitchen, and soon, five Madison House volunteers arrived–just in time.

Minutes later, twenty-one super-excited pre-teens came in, washed their hands, donned aprons, and learned that they would be making Turkey Nachos with Fresh Market Salsa.

Another of Madison House’s great community partners, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Virginia, brought the kids to the kitchen.

The kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs are having a great time learning to cook healthy foods. The amazing staff members at the PB&J Fund are teaching far more kids than they could without the assistance of Madison House volunteers. And our Madison House volunteers are leading groups while both learning and teaching a basic life skill—how to make a mean (and healthy) plate of nachos!

To get the full flavor of Madison House’s impact on the community though, you need one more morsel of information. PB&J Fund’s Executive Director Emily Wampler—the one stirring this whole big steaming pot of non-profit collaboration for the benefit of kids in the community—Emily is herself a former Madison House volunteer. 

Helping Hands at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank

It might surprise some people in Charlottesville to learn to that over 1 in 10 people in the Blue Ridge region cannot take their next meal for granted. Founded in 1981, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (BRAFB) is the largest organization alleviating hunger in Western and Central Virginia. BRAFB is an emergency food assistance agency that serves more than 114,000 people each month through a network of 234 food pantries, soup kitchens, schools, churches and nonprofit groups. Last year, BRAFB distributed 18 million meals across the Blue Ridge to the most vulnerable in our community: children, the elderly, struggling families, the working poor, people with disabilities and the homeless.

This semester, Madison House sends 9 volunteers every week to the BRAFB’s Charlottesville distribution center as part of Hoos Assisting with Life Obstacles (HALO). HALO is a Madison House program that seeks to address the issues of hunger, homelessness, unemployment and other life obstacles in Charlottesville through seven different partnerships with local organizations like BRAFB. At the Food Bank, Madison House volunteers help to sort salvaged food, serve customers in the food relief room, and build emergency food boxes. They also are needed to make Person-in-Need Boxes, staff the Drop In Food Assistance Center, aid with Food Stamp Applications, plan food drives and solicit donations.

Volunteering through Madison House helps build a bridge between the University community and the wider Charlottesville community. Sara Surface, a member of the Class of 2016 at the University of Virginia studying Global Development Studies & Women, Gender, and Sexuality, is the Madison House program director for BRAFB. Sara says, “I began volunteering at the Food Bank my first year because I wanted to become more involved with service in the Charlottesville community. I had heard a lot about the ‘UVA bubble’ and wanted to do my best to break it down. Even now, I continue to see the ways that UVA students are unexposed to the hardships facing the community around us. Being a program director has given me the opportunity to help others to break down this barrier in their lives, as well.”

Anna, a second year student at the University majoring in Economics and Media Studies, offers her perspective: “Volunteering with BRAFB is meaningful to me because it puts things in perspective to see that even small things can go a long way. One day a woman came in and mentioned that she needed food for her kids, so we threw a couple extra juice boxes and more kid friendly snacks into the bags. When the woman noticed this gesture she was so thankful. The people who come to the food bank don’t have many other options and it is humbling to see them have the courage to ask for help. Even if we are just sorting food or arranging bags, all of the work at the BRAFB is necessary in order to give as many people as possible the quality help they deserve.”

Marian, a fourth year Biology major at the University, says “I love meeting the variety of people who come through its doors, and getting a feel for the larger Charlottesville community outside of UVA. I think a lot of people who come in are nervous or ashamed when they arrive and I really enjoy making them feel welcome and comfortable, talking with them about their families, and making sure they don’t need to worry about their meals for the rest of the week. This kind of volunteering has been an excellent experience that I plan to continue elsewhere after graduation.”

Madison House simultaneously builds up the capacity of local organizations and provides meaningful service opportunities for University of Virginia students. Joe, the branch manager at the Charlottesville distribution center for BRAFB, says “I particularly like the “can do” spirit Madison House volunteers bring to the Food Bank; they are up for any task, and once accomplishing those tasks, they are eager for more. Keeping in mind that volunteers contribute 90% of the work that is require to run the BRAFB, Madison House volunteers are vital in helping us help those in need in our community.  Madison House volunteers help individuals directly through our PIN program (People In Need), and they sort and salvage food that goes directly to individuals and families in need throughout our entire service area.”

Home Sweet Home: Volunteering with AHIP

A group of student volunteers from Madison House are helping to keep the homes of local residents safe and warm during winter through their service with the Albemarle Housing Improvement Program (AHIP).

Madison House’s Housing Improvement Program is an energetic group that strives to improve the housing conditions of low-income residents by partnering with various local non-profit organizations, including AHIP. This semester, Madison House sends 38 University of Virginia student volunteers for three shifts each week with AHIP and they tackle diverse projects from roofing to building emergency and wheelchair ramps while working closely with AHIP’s Volunteer Coordinator Corbin Breaud.

“Madison House volunteers are really the backbone of the AHIP volunteer program,” commented Breaud. “Without the steady flow of labor that Madison House provides, we would not be in a position to take on many of the jobs that we do now. One of the most important parts of AHIP’s relationship with Madison House is the stories of our work and our clients that our volunteers carry back to Grounds and share with their peers. It’s always wonderful to introduce U.Va. students to a side of Charlottesville that they aren’t exposed to on Grounds. To see the spark of compassion that is ignited by our service projects and the relationships formed between our volunteers and clients is truly the most rewarding part of our shared mission.”

The partnership between Madison House and AHIP is natural because AHIP actually began as volunteer grassroots effort by U.Va. students to clean up debris and repair damaged houses after Hurricane Camille struck central Virginia in 1969.

Morgan Matson, the Head Program Director for the Housing Improvement Program at Madison House and a member of the Class of 2015, shared her thoughts on volunteering with AHIP after a shift at the Southwood Mobile Home Park in Charlottesville earlier this month:

“During one day’s work, we accomplished fixing a floor, half-way completing a ceiling, and generally improving the atmosphere surrounding the house by raking leaves, collecting debris, and fixing a back wooden entrance. Housing improvement is a fantastic opportunity to make a physical difference that will last the homeowner, or even the community, a few decades or more. It means the world to me because I am not just feeding a family for day, but providing them a safe, comfortable environment to live in, sometimes for the rest of their lives. Meeting the families is especially powerful because you take a step into their lives when you make the commitment to help them. I have met families who have broken down in tears because of our help. Knowing that every hour I spend helps someone’s living situation, but also their dignity as a human being — that is what housing improvement means to me.”

The positive impact on students and local residents is clear in Madison House’s partnership with AHIP: volunteering through Madison House provides U.Va. students with an opportunity for educational and personal growth, and our community partners benefit from the increased capacity that consistent, weekly volunteers provide.

“During extreme weather, such as the record-low temperatures in recent days, our phones become extremely busy,” says Katie Davenport, Manager of Development & Communications at AHIP. “We experienced a surge of 16 new calls for small, urgent repairs within two weeks this winter—mostly families without heat, unsecure windows and doors, or leaking roofs. The work that Madison House does for local families provides much-needed maintenance before a repair turns into a dire situation jeopardizing a family’s safety, health, and well-being.”

To learn more about the Housing Improvement Program at Madison House, click here. To see a slideshow with more photos of Housing Improvement volunteers at work with AHIP featured by UVA Today, click here.

CASH Volunteers Interviewed by Charlottesville Newsplex

Watch: Newsplex - UVa Students Filing Taxes For Free (February 14, 2015)

Madison House’s CASH (Creating Assets, Savings, and Hope) program was featured on the Charlottesville Newsplex over the weekend! CASH volunteers provide free tax preparation for low and moderate-income working families in conjunction with the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

Head Program Director Barnaby Lo, a fourth year student, was inspired to do this free service for the public since his first year at UVa, “I really enjoyed meeting people in the community, super rewarding to see them getting their refunds and we think it’s a very valuable service,” he said. “We’ve gotten great feedback from our clients and we do it free of cost so, they get everything back, we don’t get a percentage of anything, and we try to do the best that we can to help them out.”

The CASH program delivers high-quality service to Charlottesville residents. CASH has consistently posted one of the lowest tax return rejection rates (less than 1%) among all VITA programs in the country. Thank you to CBS19 and Newsplex for shining a spotlight on these devoted student volunteers!

Meet the new Executive Director of Madison House

Madison House is pleased to announce the selection of Tim Freilich as our new Executive Director.

As an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, Tim was a Madison House volunteer and program director as well as a Lawn Resident during his fourth year. In 2005, he was named “Alumni of the Year” by the Madison House Alumni Council.

Prior to joining the Madison House team, Tim was the Legal Director of the Legal Aid Justice Center’s Immigrant Advocacy Program. Tim earned his B.A. and his law degree at the University of Virginia, where he received the Robert F. Kennedy Award for Public Service. He began representing migrant farmworkers with the Legal Aid Justice Center in 1999, and in 2001 he established Legal Aid’s northern Virginia branch to work with the region’s day laborers.

In 2009, the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy awarded Tim with the first David Carliner Public Interest Award, a national award given in recognition of fearless, uncompromising, and creative advocacy on behalf of marginalized people.

Tim lives in downtown Charlottesville with his wife and two young daughters.

“Madison House bridges the gap between the University and greater Charlottesville communities like few other organizations in town. I’m excited and honored to have the chance to help direct the positive energy of 3,000 of UVa’s best students as they serve the community,” said Tim. “It seems like everyone in town has a connection to Madison House. The students are volunteering in so many of our most effective local non-profits. But they’re also in our schools helping teach our kids. They’re in our hospitals helping people through difficult times. Every time I mention my new job, I hear another positive story about Madison House students out in the community doing great work. As we approach Madison House’s 50th anniversary, I look forward to working with both the University and greater Charlottesville communities. We are ready to lay the foundation for Madison House’s next fifty years of successful service.”

Paige McDermott, the student co-chair of Madison House’s Board of Directors, said “When looking for an executive director, I wanted a candidate who could balance the dual mission of developing student leaders and providing quality volunteers to the community. Tim passed this test with flying colors. I know Tim will successfully lead Madison House through our 50th anniversary and beyond.”

Jennifer Bonenfant, co-chair of the Board of Directors, adds, “I am thrilled Tim is joining the Madison House team! He is a proven leader with a genuine passion for community service. Tim’s deep understanding of the importance of volunteerism will open the door for more support to the community and enrich the student volunteer experience.”

Now in its 45th year, Madison House serves as the student volunteer center for University of Virginia students. Our mission is to coordinate volunteers, develop leaders, build community partnerships, and promote lifelong volunteer service.

You can contact Tim directly at tim@madisonhouse.org.

To read a Q&A with Tim on UVA Today, please click here, and to read an article about Tim in The Cavalier Daily, please click here.