Back in the early part of the pandemic, actor John Krasinski started a web series he called Some Good News, where he used his platform and his network of famous friends to create joy by shining a light on goodness in those dark and unsettling days. I loved watching the episodes, and I bet many of you did too.

We're planning to do something similar at our Be the Good event. On April 27, you're invited to join us and bask in just a taste of the kindness happening all around us in our community as we invite storytellers to come on stage and share their story inspired by the phrase "Be the Good."

And we still need storytellers. If you're interested in taking to the stage or simply sharing your tale of humanity at its best (we'll be sharing stories leading up to the event on our website and social media channels too), I encourage you to fill out this form or call 608-204-8029 to record your story.

We've already received a few, and they've warmed my heart. I hope to hear from each one of you too.

And if you haven't already, mark your calendar (and secure your tickets) to join us at Be the Good: Celebrating Kindness in Our Community on April 27.

Take care,

After being canceled due to weather, the 50+ Meet & Greet has a new date! Join us for this fun and casual gathering, where you can meet some new friends and have a great time.

Enjoy music, dancing, appetizers, beer, wine and door prizes. Learn about fun events and social networking groups around Dane County — even find one to join!

Tickets are $10 and include all activities, food and one drink ticket.

Tickets can be purchased at the door, or you can register in advance by contacting Older Adult Program Manager Gayle at gayle@goodmancenter.org or 608-204-8032.

Olivia has been a Girls Inc. member for a long time, and she did Adventure Camp for the last two summers. One of the things Girls Inc. has taught her? How to speak up for herself. She shared this example:

"And recently, I spoke up. I have a gym teacher who was not treating girls fairly. When we picked teams, he'd have the boys choose boys for their teams one by one, and then he'd just randomly send half the girls to each of the teams. It as like we were just filler. Like we weren't bringing anything to our teams. So, when I got an assignment to write a letter to someone about something that I care about, I wrote to our school board and told them about this injustice."

Way to go, Olivia! Read more about Olivia, in her own words.

Want to help inspire more girls to be strong, smart and bold? Make a gift in support of Girls Inc. of Greater Madison before the month is through. Your donation will be doubled, thanks to a generous match from a local couple.

Last Thursday, our preschool and elementary kiddos and their families were treated to "The Surprising Story of the Three Little Pigs," performed by Children's Theater of Madison. The youth actors put on an incredible show, and the audience couldn't have been more delighted. After the performance concluded, the kids and their grown-ups were invited to participate in an acting workshop led by the young players, where the adults had as much fun as the kids.

Thank you to Children's Theater of Madison for this wonderful evening!

Goodman is proud to share that we've been selected as the new caterer for SSM Health at Home's Meals on Wheels program.

When the program lost its caterer suddenly in January, Goodman stepped in immediately to ensure 40 Meals on Wheels customers who had no other access to food didn't miss a day of deliveries. We've been ramping up meal production, and by the end of April, we'll be providing nearly 300 nutritious, balanced lunches to older adults across the Madison area.

Thank you to SSM Health at Home for entrusting us with this great responsibility and to our incredible staff for stepping up when our community needed us.

Some of you may be regular customers of meal-kit services like Isthmus Eats or Hello Fresh. These services were an inspiration to Food Pantry Assistant Abby, who decided to test out making meal kits for pantry customers to pick up and try out at home. The first kit Abby assembled was everything customers needed to make shepherd's pie, and it was a hit!

Our food pantry is open three days a week to anyone who needs it.

Interested in helping our food pantry serve our community? Check out our list of most-needed items.

Questions? Contact Francesca at francesca@goodmancenter.org or 608-204-8049.

The Goodman Center has some of the best benefits in town – no joke. In addition to an incredible health care plan (better than what some much bigger businesses in town offer, we've been told by our staff) and generous retirement matching, Goodman also offers more than 5 weeks of paid time off in your first year, free childcare for kids in preschool and attending Lowell or Emerson elementary schools, and more.

The local chapter of Jack and Jill of America stopped by last week to drop off donations from their food drive. The chapter collected food and monetary donations and delivered more than 70 pounds of food to our pantry. A huge help, as our pantry continues to see unprecedented demand.

Thank you, Jack and Jill of America – South Central Wisconsin!

In November and December, Willy Street Co-op shoppers donated more than $13,000 to local food pantries, and the co-op doubled that amount! The funds were distributed to five local pantries, including Goodman's Fritz Food Pantry. Food Pantry Manager Francesca Frisque and Corporate Giving Manager Meghan Johnson popped over to Willy Street Co-op last week to say thank you for the incredible donation.

This is a great example of community coming together to support each other. Thank you, Willy Street Co-op members and shoppers!

608.241.1574 | info@goodmancenter.org | goodmancenter.org

Read the Eastside News, our bimonthy, uber-local newspaper.