BENEVOLENCE
Building a better future
For our summer months of Benevolence, we’ll focus on a pair of
organizations that offer people in our part of the state opportunities to
move their lives forward by investing in themselves.
In July, we’ll focus our efforts on Literacy Network, an organization that
for 51 years now has provided free assistance to help adults improve their
skills in English language communications, reading comprehension, and
use of information technology. As a result, they advance their careers, help
their kids succeed in school, become U.S. citizens, understand health
information, or obtain their high school diploma or other degrees.
The organization, based on Madison’s South Side, serves approximately
1,400 adults each year; nearly all are people of color who come from low
income households. Some slipped through the cracks of the educational
system. Others arrived here from foreign countries without much of a
foundation in English.
Adults who participate in at least 100 hours of basic education programs
at Literacy Network increase their annual incomes over time by an
average of $10,000, and immigrants who become naturalized citizens have
about 10% higher family income. That’s a huge impact!
In August, we will feature Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, an
organization that has made its mark in Mount Horeb and other
municipalities in the region – through building new homes for income
restricted families but now also providing home repair and financial
capability programs.
Habitat has built more than 350 homes in Dane County since 1987,
offering low- and no-interest mortgages to affordable homes, with an
average price of $262,000 in 2024. Individuals and families must
contribute between 275 and 425 sweat equity hours toward construction
of their home, and must meet minimum and maximum income guidelines
based on household size…
The home repair program, a relatively new addition, helps people maintain
and sustain home ownership as they age or face disability. And the
financial capability program addresses root causes of financial instability
that serve as a barrier to home ownership, helping families improve their
credit and budgeting so they can qualify for a Habitat home.
Here are some ways you can support these two organizations:
Literacy Network is always looking for volunteers to provide 1-on-1
training to help students improve their reading and writing, build English
language skills, learn basic computer skills, earn their high school
equivalency diploma or prepare for citizenship exams. They’re also
looking for volunteers for data entry and to maintain their library
resources. To learn more about Literacy Network, visit their website
(litnetwork.org), sign up for their newsletter and follow them on social
media.
Habitat for Humanity offers volunteer opportunities at construction
sites (no experience is necessary!) and at its ReStore locations on the
west and east side of Madison. If you are interested in lending your
professional or life skills in other ways, you can serve on one of five
committees – including construction, land acquisition, advocacy, ReStore
and development. And you can go through ReStore to either donate
household construction items or purchase items for your own home
projects. To learn more about Habitat for Humanity, visit their website
(habitatdane.org) and follow them on social media.
To financially support these organizations, you can make monetary
donations to Literacy Network during July and Habitat for Humanity
during August by:
● Mail: Send a check to ELC and note “Benevolence” in the memo
● Online: Visit the ELC website and click “Give”
● Digitally: Digitally: Download the VANCO MOBIL FAITH
ENGAGEMENT APP, or text “Benevolence” to 608-400-0183 with
the amount you wish to give.
On behalf of Benevolence,
Adam Mertz
adammertz2@gmail.com
