Publications / Publicaciones
January 2024
In 2023, we decided to launch MAPA (Madison Area Allies and Partners) to respond to emerging basic needs in our community. We met with local providers and teamed up with those that were interested in decreasing gaps of service to community members, especially those new to the area. We invited providers that valued accessibility, collaboration and responsiveness to the MAPA network. As members of the MAPA network, providers are invited to participate in the monthly in person events open to community members and serve as points of contact for their organization. The monthly events are currently being held at the Badger Building on Monday afternoons 2pm-5pm. At MAPA events, providers offer 20 minute consultations where they offer information, tangible resources and support. Targeted at newcomers, providers focus on building trust and providing simple and direct support during the consultation time as a basic introduction to resources in their community.
In 2023, MAPA hosted 5 events in which 67 people attended and consulted with at least one service provider. MAPA events brought together a total of 18 different service providers including government agencies, nonprofit and financial institutions. From signing up for clothing vouchers with St Vincent De Paul, learning about saving energy from MGE, getting vaccinated at the mobile vaccine clinic and much more, community members across the Madison area were able to connect with participating providers in their preferred language.
This year, we will continue to hold monthly events focused on basic needs with an added monthly theme that will provide community members to engage with service providers around specific topics. Updates on the participating providers can be found on our website. Save the date for this year’s events and look out for our monthly flyers (Feb 5th, March 4th, April 1st, May 6th ,Aug 5th, Sep 9th, Oct 7th,Nov 4th, Dec 2nd). If you are a provider, please encourage your clients to connect with their community organizations by attending. If you are interested in our mission please reach out the MAPA team at mapacoalition@gmail.com
September 2023
Madison Area Partners and Allies (MAPA) is a platform where community members can connect with service providers offering information, assistance and resources. Founded by Liliana Loera, Jannet Arenas Pineda, Lucero Torres Manzanares from Joining Forces for Families in partnership with Ximena Linares and Chrisbelly Antimo from Tenant Resource Center, MAPA is a response to trends of need in the community. The MAPA network includes service providers who value accessibility, responsiveness and collaboration to serve the community. The monthly MAPA events bring together a mix of providers or Allies on a monthly basis that can connect, guide and assist community members with their basic needs. Community members are able to walk in, learn about what providers have to offer and sign up for 20 minute consultations with them. In order to provide language access, MAPA events feature bilingual providers and access to language line. Overall, MAPA events have served a total of 34 people representing a total of 114 people in their households and 47 minors.
From left to right: Lily Loera, Jannet Arenas Pineda, Lucero Torres Manzanares, Ximena Linares-Rodriguez
On Monday Sept 11, MAPA held its second event at the Badger Building with eleven collaborating allies from its network present offering services ranging from financial literacy, to clothing vouchers and much more. September’s event also featured a back to school vaccination clinic by MMSD, Public Health & SSM Health that vaccinated a total of 23 people (all of which reported to be BIPOC). A total of 54 vaccines were given including Influenza and COVD’19, Hepatitis B, HPV, Meningococcal, MMR, Polio, Tdap and Varicella. The languages represented at this month’s event were Spanish, English, and Mandarin and more than a third of attendees reported to have been living in Dane County for less than one year.
The next event will be October 2nd, 2-5pm. At this event we will be featuring the 4-C Resources on the Road van! The goal of Resources on the Road is to make early childhood resources accessible to families and childhood professionals. Families are welcome to use their borrowing system to check out toy kits, activity backpacks, storytime backpacks, big books, resource books and more!