Eastmorland Community Center

06/02/2026

Time to celebrate! Our capital campaign has reached 61%!

If you haven’t donated yet, or it’s been a while, you can go to https://givebutter.com/3JDXRh to help us reach our next milestone.

05/28/2026

A foundation can be something you pour in concrete—and something you build in your values. Sometimes, it’s both. Last week, as a steel beam was set into place, Adam Johnson, our site’s construction manager with Threshold Builds, shared this:



“This place is built on Love, so it is written in the concrete. Honestly, I don't know what's the bigger privilege, the team I get to work with, or the amazing clients whose vision we see to fruition. This is a special project for all of us, and for the community it will serve.”



Adam’s idea has stayed with us. Because what’s being built here isn’t just housing and a community center, it’s something rooted in care for our neighbors, a more just society, and a healthier environment.

That’s the kind of foundation that carries a project forward long after construction is done.

What’s your foundation?

05/27/2026

Leo Cox is not only a member of our Finance Committee but he is also helping to make solar energy a reality for the Eastmorland Community Center.

What are you most looking forward to at the new ECC?
I am most looking forward to the ways that larger groups will be able to use the new ECC’s open areas, both inside and outside. There’s something particularly special about walking by an event space that is in your own neighborhood on a summer evening and feeling the energy emanating from people having a good time.

What is a favorite memory from the old building?
Admittedly, I did not spend much time in the old building prior to learning of the multi-use redevelopment plan. My wife and I moved to the neighborhood in late 2020. Our interests took us elsewhere in Madison, and I think it took me some time to realize that the old building was not exclusively a church. My favorite feeling about the old building was the ingenuity and entrepreneurship that took place inside it. I remember visiting the Ethical Trading Company’s store during one of the ECC’s meetings and thinking how cool it was that the building was playing incubator to a socially responsible business while the neighborhood was convening literally two rooms over. The symbiosis that comes from these two groups using the same space epitomizes a community centered space, and in that moment it made me realize that our little neighborhood is not as sleepy as I once thought.

Why do you chose to give your time?
I give my time because I want to help create a space for people to come together.

05/26/2026

A big thank you to our friends and neighbors at the UW Credit Union for their financial support of the Eastmorland Community Center. We look forward to working together for our community.

05/21/2026

MMSD Play and Learn Program will be back at Eastmorland Community Center next school year! We can’t wait!

Check out their summer schedule. It’s an amazing program.

Our 2026 summer application is live- please visit our website to apply!!

If you have any question, please email [email protected]
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Ya salió nuestra solicitud para Juega y Aprende de verano 2026, entra en nuestra página web para aplicar.

https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/early-learning/play-learn

05/21/2026

Many of you know Dan Zimmerman from his work with the Eastmorland Community Association. He generously continues to serve our neighborhood as a member of our Finance Committee.

What are you most looking forward to at the new ECC? The plans for the new building will provide larger and more usable spaces for the Common Grace congregations; community organizations/groups, such as the Boy Scouts, theater groups who need rehearsal space, etc.; and community events, such as wedding receptions. I anticipate that the building will be utilized on a daily basis. I am excited that the plan for the uses of the new structure is to be more than just a community building (a noun); it will support community building (a verb) in significant ways.

Why do you choose to give your time? I fully retired in early 2019. I had plans to spend time traveling with my wife (COVID, two hip replacements, and the birth of our two grandchildren have significantly limited our travels), reading, and doing volunteer work on social justice issues and community building work. My involvement with the ECC Finance Committee certainly fits into the type of volunteer work to which I am committed.

A fun fact? As a coach for the NIATx program, I taught participants to develop SMART goals for their system change projects. “SMART” stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Framed. In retirement, my SMART goals for myself for a successful day involve two criteria: a nap and a crap. Everything else is icing on the cake. As a result, most of my days in retirement have been successful. Life has been good!

05/20/2026

If you have some free time this evening head down to Pinney Library to celebrate with Carrie Breunig from Kindling Community Arts as she begins her residency, The Art of Neighborships. 6:00-8:00 pm.

05/20/2026

Donations to the ECC are now tax deductible even if you don’t itemize!
Capital Campaign: https://givebutter.com/3JDXRh
ECC General Fund: https://givebutter.com/LYz8Qs

05/15/2026

Today is the last day of matching funds for monthly gifts of $5 or more.

05/15/2026

Thank you to all who participated in the "Name the Apartments" Contest!

We had nearly 60 name suggestions from Eastmorland neighbors and friends of our project!!
The Common Grace Board loved reading and hearing the thoughtful intentions behind the name suggestions as they worked to make a very hard decision with a lot of tricky considerations involved. We even had to do some legal research into other housing entities with similar names for trademark purposes.

We especially liked the idea of calling the apartments "Commons". We felt that the word denoted the kind of shared space and community life that we intend for these homes in our neighborhood. "Common" is part of our missional statement, "Common Space for the Common Good".

The first name choice was to embrace the shape of the property -- which is notable in the neighborhood -- and go with Jeremy Nealis' suggestion of "Triangle Commons".
However, there is a large housing development that is currently being rebuilt between Regent Street, Park Street and W. Washington Avenue. It is called the "Triangle Community Ministry" or the "Triangle Housing". When doing internet searches including the words "triangle", "housing" and "Madison, WI", this housing development pops up with several links to sites. We felt the strong similarity would lead to constant confusion for the Eastmorland project.

We finally settled on "Grace Commons at Eastmorland" for the name of the apartments. It is a play on the congregational name, but more than that it offers the intention of "courteous goodwill" (which is another definition of "grace") in this place for "common" life in our neighborhood. Courteous goodwill is what we hope our site will continue to create in our neighborhood!

Because this suggestion of Grace Commons ultimately came from our team, we would like to honor the spirit of the contest and award the gift card to the strong runner-up.

Jeremy Nealis -- thank you for suggesting "Triangle Commons" -- please PM us with your contact information so that we might get you the $100 gift card for the local restaurant of your choice or to Woodman's Food Market!

With gratitude to all those who so thoughtfully participated in this contest!

The Common Grace Board