Dear Friends,

In early January, we lost our matriarch and mentor, Ms. Verline Gee. Verline served the Madison community for decades as a mentor for current leaders during their youth, social worker, poet, published author, family therapist, faith community leader, and most importantly, as a mother and grandmother. Our mother and many of her peers have been vital pillars of our Black community for decades, sharing our history, nurturing our leadership, and helping us find our own paths toward excellence. There is no Black excellence without Black seniors like Mom to nurture and encourage excellence among younger Black generations.

In honor of Mom’s story, we aim to raise $500,000 to build a senior space within The Center that is filled with the stories of Black senior excellence. Funds will also support wellness education and research within this space to advance the health and mental wellbeing of our Black seniors. As a special gift, we are offering a copy of Mom's book of poetry to everyone who contributes $1,000 or more. By raising these funds, we will be able to name this special space the Verline Gee Senior Center and develop programming to launch it.

Mom’s peers are too precious to wait another moment to advance The Verline Gee Senior Center. Please consider a gift in honor of our mom and all of our Black seniors who have much to share and celebrate.

Alex Gee, Lilada Gee, and the entire Gee family

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Mom’s story
Verline Gee lived across the spectrum of Black experience in America. Our mother picked cotton as a child in a sharecropping family, was a migrant worker, attended segregated schools, lived through the civil rights period, worked in factories, and attended one of the best universities in the nation to obtain an undergraduate and advanced degree. She served the Madison community for decades as a mentor for current leaders during their youth, social worker, poet, published author, family therapist, faith community leader, and most importantly, as a mother and grandmother.

Her family holds 13 degrees from UW-Madison due to her trailblazing efforts and example. Mom taught us to be bold and assertive, she stressed the importance of kindness, she planted the seed for our lifelong dedication to speak up and stand for what’s right, and she taught us to dream… BIG!

What many people don’t know is that Mom was part of the foundation for servant leadership and community transformation that we have fostered since our young adulthood. Mom was one of the key founders of The Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership. She offered her home and leadership for the establishment of Fountain of Life Church. She sparked the motivation for a statewide cultural home that would celebrate and honor Black excellence and Black firsts. She helped hundreds of families through her dedication to social work. She welcomed many families into her home when they were unhoused and new to Madison. So much of what we have both built started with the inspiration of Mom's strength, brilliant ideas, courage, and example of service.

Something major shifts when the last matriarch of her generation is called home. Our hearts are grabbing hold of lessons taught by her!

Help us create the Verline Gee Senior Center

In honor of Verline Gee and our community's Black elders