Help Amphora Students Start the School Year with Confidence

For the second year, Community Action Coalition is raising funds to help children living at Amphora Apartments prepare for a new school year.

Nearly 80 children call Amphora home. They are artists, athletes, future first responders, animal lovers, and students eager to see their friends, meet new teachers, and take on new challenges.

When CAC’s on-site caseworker asked children what they were looking forward to this school year, their personalities came through immediately.

CJ loves art and proudly showed off a dinosaur he recently painted. He is also passionate about football and dreams of taking the field as a quarterback. When it comes to the first day of school, CJ is clear about one thing: he chooses his own clothes and hairstyle.

My’Asia is excited to arrive at school feeling “stylish.” She carefully chooses her outfit the night before and lays it out so it is ready for the morning. This year, she hopes to feel excited and encouraged as she enters a new grade with new teachers and goals.

Ne’miayah also loves art. She enjoys drawing and appreciates the time her art teacher spends talking with her about the things that interest her. Her family hopes she begins the year feeling happy, confident, and proud of what makes her unique.

Darreon is preparing for his senior year of high school. He enjoys history, football, and basketball and hopes to become a firefighter or emergency medical professional. He is already taking steps toward that goal by applying to a First Responders Academy.

These children have different interests and ambitions, but every family wants the same thing: for their children to feel welcomed, prepared, and seen for who they are.

A Back-to-School Need We Can Meet Together

Nearly 80 children live at the Amphora Apartments. As they get ready to head back to class, many parents worry about the cost of new, well-fitting clothes. We want every child to enter school feeling confident, prepared, and proud.

Goal: $6,000
How: Provide each family with $75 retail gift cards so they can choose the sizes and styles their kids need most.
Impact: Your gift gives dignity and lets parents shop with their children, turning a financial burden into a moment of joy.

Why Your Donation Matters

Direct support: A $75 donation covers one child. Larger gifts help multiple kids.
Community building: On-site caseworkers are launching a Resident Advisory Board this month to offer cooking classes and life-skills workshops. Your gift strengthens this budding community.
Long-term vision: We are committed to creating a safe, tightly-knit neighborhood where families feel valued and supported—your contribution fuels that vision.

Give today and help us reach our goal $6,000 before August 11th.

About Amphora

Tucked into West Madison, the Amphora Apartment complex is more than a place to call home — it is a place where families are currently building stability, community, and connection.

In early 2025, CAC embraced an opportunity to support the individuals and families we serve by opening an on-site supportive services office at Amphora. Our on-site team, in partnership with tenants and the broader community, is working collaboratively to shape the kind of community where all Madisonians have the opportunity to thrive. Together, they’ve established a Resident Advisory Board and are planning cooking classes, life-skills workshops, and social events — all designed to foster learning, sharing, and meaningful connections among neighbors.

Our presence at Amphora, made possible through partnerships with Cinnaire Solutions, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin, and United Way of Dane County, is more than housing. It’s about stability. It’s about opportunity. And right now, it’s about getting kids ready for school.

About CAC

Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin (CAC) is a nonprofit dedicated to ending poverty and building pathways to economic and social security. Serving Dane, Jefferson, and Waukesha counties, we offer housing navigation, food security programs, financial empowerment services, and more—partnering with communities to foster stability, opportunity, and lasting change.

Visit our website to lean more: Community Action Coalition for South Central WI | As One. For All.

cac@cacscw.org | (608) 237-1255

2nd Annual Back‑to‑School Fundraiser for Amphora Families

Help CAC purchase gift cards for low-income children in our Amphora apartments