Madison Urban Ministry (MUM)

Madison Urban Ministry (MUM)
2300 S. Park St. #5
Madison, WI 53713
(608) 256-0906

MUM Volunteer Opportunities

1. Circles of Support volunteer: The Circles of Support Project recruits adults from the community to serve on volunteer teams of four to five people that encircle an adult formerly incarcerated in jail or prison and who meets certain criteria. MUM trains, matches and coordinates these "Circles of Support," made up of four or five volunteers who meet regularly with a newly released former prisoner, for at least six months.

Circle work might include explaining the bus system, sharing ideas for jobs, or making referrals for housing. But mostly it is listening to the new neighbor and reducing isolation, while increasing accountability. Former prisoners are called Core Team members (CTM). Volunteers are called Circle members. Circle members also benefit by learning about poverty, racism and the criminal justice system.

Volunteer Circle member requirements:

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Be screened and trained by MUM through its Circles of Support program
• Be willing to make at least a six-month commitment to have at least a monthly meeting with the circle
• Be willing and able to become familiar with and remain nonjudgmental about the prisoner and their families
• If you are interested in becoming a Circle of Support volunteer, e-mail Barbara McKinney, Circle of Support coordinator, at barbara@emum.org.

2. Mentoring Connections – connects caring adults with children of incarcerated: Madison-area Urban Ministry's Mentoring Connections (MC) program provides mentoring services to children who have a parent incarcerated in prison. Madison-area Urban Ministry will recruit, train and guide 70 volunteer mentors in collaboration with faith-based and community-based organizations.

A three-year grant from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (DHHS) assists. There are over 1,600 Dane County children who have a parent in prison. Children of incarcerated parents face health, isolation, attachment and bonding issues. They may also be at risk for going to prison themselves. Seventy percent of incarcerated women are mothers of dependent children. There are disproportionate numbers of people of color in Wisconsin's prisons.

Volunteer mentors:

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Be screened and trained by MUM through its Mentoring Connections program to be a mentor
• Make a one-year commitment to have one-to-one contact at least one hour weekly with their assigned child
• Participate with their assigned child in some of the monthly group activities organized by MUM through its Mentoring Connections program
• Be willing and able to become familiar with and remain nonjudgmental about the eligible children and their families
• In appropriate cases, be willing and able to accompany their assigned child to visit his or her parent in prison

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact mentoring connections coordinator Lynn Miller at lynn@emum.org. Send applications to match support specialist Shelia Stubbs at shelia@emum.org.