UW-Whitewater @ Work: Madison Social Work students help keep the porch light burning
Released: November 29, 2004
A warm bed, hope, opportunity and a helping hand — not a handout — is what Porchlight, Inc. of Madison is all about. It is a second chance for many Madison area residents needing the support to get back on their feet and solve the problems that have plagued them.
On a November Saturday morning, about 30 UW-Whitewater students from the department of social work engaged in a community service project to help Porchlight make life for others a little better. Working at three different sites, students moved dirt, put up gutters, painted hallways, cleaned up leaves and made breakfast for people trying to turn their lives around.
Porchlight, Inc., a non-profit organization largely funded by the United Way, and the result of the merger of Transition Housing Incorporated (THI) and Community Housing and Services (CHAS), helps people suffering from substance abuse, mental illness, and homelessness.
“We’re always looking for volunteers to help however they can,” said Amy Mosher-Garvey of Porchlight. Managing 22 properties around the Madison area, Porchlight requires a lot of general maintenance work to be done. “What the students are doing today is just wonderful,” Mosher-Garvey added.
The student lead and organizer of this event, Solare O’Brien, junior, is originally from the Madison area and has known Mosher-Garvey for years, making this project especially important to her being able to help her community and a friend.
“It feels good just seeing their faces, happy, talking to me this morning as I made them blueberry pancakes for breakfast, cleaning up their yard, knowing I’ve made their day,” said O’Brien. “This is the part of social work I think some people forget about. Even if you aren’t working with the recipients one on one, you know you are making a big difference in their lives.”
Michael Wallace, lecturer in the department of social work at UW-Whitewater, stated, “The social work student organization is really student driven. They come up with the ideas that make projects like this a success.”
“Porchlight needs help to keep its programs going,” said Mosher-Garvey. “Every bit makes someone’s life better.”
For more information on volunteering opportunities with Porchlight, Inc. contact Adam Smith, fundraising and volunteer coordinator, at (608) 257-2534.
- Jon Minnick,minnickjh01@uww.edu
