On Thursday, August 13th, MTZ Charitable Organization Inc. officially broke ground on their Family Life Center coming to Madison’s southside. The Family Life Center has been a vision in the making for decades and will sit on the same plot of land as Mt. Zion Baptist Church’s first Fisher Street property. This ceremonial event was one of the last celebrations to be held in the church’s old sanctuary that has been the site for countless worship services, weddings, funerals, and community dinners since 1960.
This rich history fuels the organization and leader of the MTZ Family Life Center Capital Campaign, Reverend Dr. Marcus Allen Senior. Rev. Dr. Marcus Allen has grown to become a devoted member of the Madison community and is also the Senior Pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church.
The Family Life Center will join the ranks of Black-owned and operated community centers in south Madison. The Family Life Center will be the new home for MTZ Charitable Organization’s many programs that are committed to providing essential services to those in need. MTZ Charitable has seven active community programs that serve everyone along the spectrum of mental, physical, and financial health. Programs also target specific age groups like the Academic Learning Center and Older Adults Programming. With so much already going on, MTZ Charitable needs the space to continue growing, providing, and uplifting those in need.
Community members from every corner of Dane County came to celebrate this momentous occasion. The event, held primarily inside due to weather, was attended by over 200 people. Most of the crowd was filled with members of Mt. Zion Baptist Church who witnessed the birth of MTZ Charitable, the philanthropic arm of the 115-year-old church in 2021. Getting its start amid COVID-19, MTZ Charitable was able to garner support from organizations, companies, and individuals looking to invest back into communities that MTZ Charitable was already serving. The organization has remained steadfast in its original purpose to embark on a Capital Campaign to fund the Family Life Center.
A handful of campaign contributors and community dignitaries provided remarks at the ceremony. The ceremony included acknowledgments from Chair of MTZ Charitable Organization Inc. Board of Directors, Chuck McDowell, Building Committee Chair Dwight McDonald, South Madison Community Leader, Carman Porco, Dane County Executive Melissa Agard, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, and Congressman Mark Pocan. The program was rounded out by Rev. Dr. Marcus Allen, who took time to thank the campaign’s many donors and supporters.
What this building means for Madison was a theme that allowed each remark to build upon the next. That “what” being a free, community-facing, one-stop-shop for anyone to come and have their basic needs met. While fundraising for the project is still ongoing, the organization is committed to moving forward, hoping to break physical ground in the coming weeks.
Donations to the MTZ Charitable Organization Family Life Center can be made online at https://www.mtzcharitableorginc.com/donate or mailed to MTZ Charitable P.O. Box 259933 Madison, WI 53728.
