Jersson Isidoro signed up this year for a new pre-apprenticeship program in Madison, hoping it would help guide the next steps of his career in the skilled trades.

He learned construction basics like scaffolding and concrete work. He practiced safety measures and math. And now, he has a job in insulation.

“(The program is) really important,” Isidoro said. “It helps people that are not sure what to do after high school or just if they are interested in the construction area.”

The program, run by the Latino Academy of Workforce Development, was available to more than a dozen students free of charge, and students were paid for their work while training. A $300,000 Lowe’s Foundation grant funded the program and will fund its continued development over the next two years.

Isidoro said he applied after learning about the program through a career fair. Adults authorized to work in the United States with at least an intermediate level of English were eligible to participate. To complete the two-week course, students had to pass testing requirements, an interview and a variety of construction trainings.

“I applied those skills where I work now, like the safety stuff,” Isidoro said. “I’d be more careful, because safety is the most important part when you’re in the field.”

The Lowe’s Foundation awarded 15 of the grants this year to nonprofits, all focused on workforce training in the skilled trades. The Latino Academy’s grant was the only award to a Wisconsin nonprofit.

Nydia Martinez, the Latino Academy’s executive director, said the grant is providing more than money to launch and operate the training course.

“Not only (did the foundation) give us this funding, but they also helped us to establish a partnership with the Lowe’s stores,” Martinez said. “They provided additional tools and support for our students.”

Other partners in the pre-apprenticeship program include the Laborers’ International Union of North America, the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin and United Way of Dane County.

“They supported the program by helping us to address some access barriers,” Martinez said. “For example, providing resources like … gas gift cards to support individuals to be able to travel to the training areas.”

Coldplay’s sold-out show July 19 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison filled the field and most of the bowl with 58,000 people.

Picture that ginormous crowd in your head for a moment. That’s the same number of people in Dane County who are living in poverty, according to the United Way.

Here’s another troubling statistic: The number of third graders in Dane County who don’t read at grade level — about 2,300 — could fill 33 school buses. As much as our community is thriving with low unemployment, rapid growth and a booming technology economy, many people in and around Madison still struggle to get by. Just last month, the United Way of Dane County’s 211 help line received 578 calls for food, 378 for help paying rent and 144 for assistance with utility bills.

The local United Way has rallied our community for more than a century to help the less fortunate. The nonprofit targets donations and volunteers to the greatest need, using data and partnerships in the public and private sectors to improve lives and opportunity.

So please give to the United Way if you can this year. The organization is launching its annual fundraiser at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 19 at Breese Stevens Field in Madison. About 700 people have registered to attend the event, which includes fun activities for families, a food drive and volunteer opportunities. You can register, donate or volunteer at unitedwaydanecounty.org.

Federal cuts to social services — including food assistance and health care for the poor — heighten the need for local giving. The United Way of Dane County is still building back from the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote work hindered donations through employers.

The organization hopes to raise $17.5 million in the coming year, an increase from $17.3 million last year. The year before the pandemic, it collected $18.5 million. Most of the United Way’s donations come from individuals. This year, Dan and Patti Rashke of Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC) are generously covering all administrative expenses for individual donations. That means every dollar you give will go to vital local services, not to overhead.

The Rashkes’ pledge is “an amazing gift and lift,” said Kim Sponem, CEO and president of Summit Credit Union, who is chairing the United Way fundraiser.

“They want to inspire more giving,” said Renee Moe, president and CEO of the local United Way. The United Way of Dane County supported more than 82,000 people last year. This included helping families find and keep affordable housing and health insurance. It included, through a partnership with Americorps, tutoring thousands of area students in reading and math.

The United Way has long strived to better understand and narrow disparities in health, education and employment for people of color. Black people in Dane County are 5% of the population but more than 40% of those who are homeless, according to the organization’s data. Black people in Dane County are twice as likely as white people to be living in poverty. Their average life expectancy of 71 years is more than a decade shorter than for white, Asian and Latino people in the county.

Yet progress is being made, thanks to the United Way, its 13,000 donors, 600 volunteers and 500 community partners. Poverty is down by more than 3,000 people from five years ago — even though Dane County’s population is rising.

More students are completing high school, including an increase of 10 percentage points for Black students since 2020. During a meeting with the State Journal editorial board last week, Moe cited a reduction in homelessness for children and fewer disruptive moves from school to school. She said the tutoring program, which incorporates phonics, has learned that struggling students need more sessions to maximize improvement.

The United Way deserves your trust and donation in helping to make our region a better place for all.

Wisconsin State Journal editorial board

The views expressed in the editorials are shaped by the board, independent of news coverage decisions elsewhere in the newspaper.

STAFF MEMBERS

KELLY LECKER, Executive editor

SCOTT MILFRED, Editorial page editor

PHIL HANDS, Editorial cartoonist

COMMUNITY MEMBERS

JAMES L. HOWARD

LAUREN CNARE

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – The next time you use the 211 information app, there are now resources available in Spanish.

United Way of Dane County launched the Spanish version this week. The app gives 24/7 live local resources to help residents in Dane and six other counites in Southern Wisconsin.

“When you look 5% factor to this, there are over 4,000 people in the Madison area that are Spanish speaking that want to be able to access resources and we want to make sure we can serve them,” Ed Wall, the director of 211 for United Way of Dane County.

The Spanish version of the app was developed with the help of Centro Hispano and a grant from PHMDC.

“Central Hispano right here in Madison contacted us and said a lot of people who want to use the app but only speak Spanish. We took that as something that we wanted to get done. We wanted to create a Spanish version,” Wall said.

The app was originally launched in October 2021. The 211 Wisconsin app was developed to broaden awareness of and access to community resources.

It connects people to resources like food pantries, housing, education, crisis lines and legal help.

If people do not have their own devices, there are 60 kiosks throughout southern Wisconsin for people to use. They can be found in schools, homeless shelters, food pantries and libraries.

Click here for a full list of 211 kiosks.

MADISON (WKOW) — United Way of Dane County has launched a Spanish version of the 211 Wisconsin App.

The move aims to enhance access to health and human services for Spanish-speaking individuals and families in the Badger State.

The app, originally launched in October 2021, has over 5,200 users statewide. Its Spanish version was developed with Centro, a local nonprofit, ensuring cultural and language needs are met.

“At Centro, we believe that access to information is a cornerstone of equity,” Karen Menéndez Coller, executive director of Centro Dane County, said. “This is how we build a stronger, more connected community for all.”

Renee Moe, president and CEO of United Way of Dane County, emphasized the significance of the new app.

“Expanding access to essential services for Spanish-speaking residents brings us closer to the vision of a Dane County where everyone can thrive,” Moe said.

United Way of Dane County and Centro Hispano have partnered to create a Spanish-language version of its community resource app, 211 Wisconsin app.

The app was launched in October 2021 by United Way to increase awareness and access to community resources. It has grown tremendously in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, with now over 5,200 users across the state. 211 provides direct access to resources in various areas including bill assistance, housing, food, transportation, and more, for those in need.

As the realization of 211’s need grows, United Way now looks to expand its ability to serve communities through a partnership with Centro Hispano.

“This partnership with Centro shows the power of user experience design and collaboration to drive meaningful change,” said Renee Moe, president & CEO of United Way, in a press release. “After launching the 211 Wisconsin App, the most consistent feedback from nonprofit partners was the need for a Spanish version. Thanks to a grant from Public Health Madison & Dane County, that’s now a reality. Expanding access to essential services for Spanish-speaking residents brings us closer to the vision of a Dane County where everyone can thrive.”