Stories of Hope

Catholic Multicultural Center

Madison, Wisconsin

The Issue: Pollution, lack of jobs, and hunger in Madison, Wisconsin.

As the city of Madison grows, so does the pollution and its community’s needs. Fortunately, environmental stewardship is a core value of the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC). They installed solar panels, LED lights, and an energy demand controller to reduce pollution and waste, which also dramatically reduced costs. The money they save provides 10,000 meals per year through their daily meal program for the hungry. CMC then addressed local water pollution concerns by installing a rain garden. To engage members of all ages, CMC led a recycling-art project and hosts Bike Night to encourage lifestyle choices that are beneficial for health and the environment.

Their Impact: Encouraging environmental stewardship while giving back to the community.

Another CMC initiative is Culinary Creations Catering (CCC), which gives returning citizens and other vulnerable people an opportunity to engage in meaningful work and earn a livable wage. CCC participates in the center’s care for creation movement by using fresh, local produce from CMC’s parish garden partnership. All of CMC’s initiatives continue to give back to the people of Madison and the environment for years to come.

Andy Russell, director of the CMC, states, “The support of the CCHD has allowed Culinary Creation Catering to reach the next level, build more catering relationships, and provide more job opportunities.”