Mentoring Positives, Inc.

02/22/2026

February is Black History Month!! A time to honor legacy, culture, excellence, and the power of community. 🖤❤️💚

By popular demand, Muriel’s Plate is BACK!

So many of you have been asking when the next one is… and we’re excited to announce:

📅 Thursday, Feb 26th
⏰ 5:30pm–7:00pm
📍 2844 East Washington Ave, Madison

We’re proud to share that Chef Tyrone Reese is partnered with Mentoring Positives, working directly with our youth and he will be cooking the meal alongside them. This is mentorship in action.

Together, they’ll be preparing a soulful, from-the-heart menu:

🍗 Smothered Chicken
🍠 Sweet Potatoes
🧀 Mac & Cheese
🥬 Greens
🌽 Honey Butter Cornbread
🍌 Banana Pudding

Muriel’s Plate is more than a meal — it’s legacy, leadership, and love served on a plate. Named in honor of my mother, Muriel, this experience continues her spirit of nourishment and community.

All proceeds support Mentoring Positives youth programming and help us continue building pathways for young people in our community.

👉 Click the link and purchase your dinner today.
Pull up. Bring family. Celebrate culture. Support youth.

Muriel’s Plates is about love, life skills & leadership through food. Join us this week for a heartfelt community meal in her honor.

01/01/2026

✨ Happy New Year from Mentoring Positives & Muriel’s Place ✨
We will be closed January 1–5 as our team takes a brief break and gears up for an impactful year ahead.
Thank you to our MP family and supporters for your continued love and support.
Here’s to a great year ahead!

12/16/2025

It was a great evening sharing our last community meal with our Darbo Worthington residents and community partners.

12/15/2025

A daily reminder of why we do what we do: It's all about the customer! 😄❤️

12/15/2025

🍝 Community Dinner | Final One of the Year Monday December 15th 5pm-6:30pm🍝

Mentoring Positives is proud to collaborate with the City of Madison, Salvation Army, Project Babies, Hawthorne Library, and MPD for our last community dinner of the year ❤️

We’re hosting a Spaghetti Dinner and celebrating community with food, connection, and giving back.

🎁 What we’ll have for families & kids:
• Toys, a few kids coats and a bike from DJ Fusion & our friends at 93.1 JAMZ
• 30+ pieces of art from our friends at Uniek (Kate & Laurel)

👶 our Friends at Project Babies supports our youngest families:
We’ll also be sharing baby-care items including:
• Dove baby body wash samples
• Pacifiers & pacifier clips
• Size 1 diaper samples with wipes
• Breast milk storage bags
• Knit dishcloths & breastfeeding shawls

This dinner is about more than a meal — it’s about community, care, and connection. We hope to see you there as we close out the year together.

12/10/2025

🎁 HOLIDAY GIFT BOXES ARE HERE! 🎁
A great cause never tasted so good! 😋✨

Support Mentoring Positives youth this holiday season by purchasing our handcrafted holiday boxes — all made with love by local young people learning culinary and workforce skills at Muriel’s Place.

📍 Where:
Muriel’s Place
2844 E. Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53704

📅 When:
Pick-up: Monday 12/15 – Wednesday 12/17
⏰ 11am–7pm

🍕 What’s Inside?
Choose from our delicious holiday boxes:

🍕 Meat Lovers Pizza Box
• 3 (12”) frozen meat pizzas
• 2 jars of Off the Block Salsa (Spicy or Mild)

🥦 Vegetarian Pizza Box
• 3 (12”) frozen vegetarian pizzas
• 2 jars of Off the Block Salsa (Spicy or Mild)

🍪 Chocolate Chip Cookie Box
• 12 Triple Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookies

Come grab your holiday goodies and support youth doing great things in our community! ❤️💚

11/24/2025

🎙️ New Episode of Social Compass Featuring Julian Walters!
Download UpNext Tv App: https://socialads.nemc.io/TheSocialCompassPodcast

This week, I sit down with Julian, founder of Eminent Development, to talk about his journey from foster care to becoming one of Madison’s leading community-focused developers.

We dive into his vision for equitable housing, the impact of projects like Park Lofts, the power of partnerships, and the culture-building energy behind the JuJu Block Party.

Julian also shares what it means to be a Black developer in Madison, the barriers he’s faced, and his vision for the future of Dane County.

A powerful conversation about hope, community, and building with the people.

11/12/2025

We are so happy to be a partner of 100+ Women Who Care Madison. Congratulations 🎈🎉🎊

100+ Women Who Care – Madison brings women together to make a big impact through collective giving.

11/10/2025

🎙 Social Compass Podcast – Episode Featuring Brittany Graack of Power Up Nutrition
Download App: https://socialads.nemc.io/TheSocialCompassPodcast

On this episode of The Social Compass, I sat down with Brittany Graack, the owner of Power Up Nutrition right here in Madison. Brittany shared her inspiring journey of turning passion into purpose — building a space that’s more than just about shakes and teas, but about community, connection, and positive energy.

We talked about her path to entrepreneurship, what it means to find your why, and how she’s empowering others to live healthier and happier lives. Brittany also shared insights on mentorship, giving back, and staying grounded when the grind gets tough.

💬 From fueling athletes to uplifting her neighborhood, Brittany’s story is a true reminder that success starts with service and heart.

Tune in to hear how she continues to “Power Up” our community every day! ⚡️

🎧 Available now on The Social Compass Podcast — Presented by UpNext TV

10/27/2025

🎙 New Episode Drop: Social Compass Podcast
Download App: https://socialads.nemc.io/TheSocialCompassPodcast

This week we sit down with Shalicia Johnson, founder of ArrowStar Photography, whose camera isn’t just capturing images — it’s preserving culture, building legacy, and telling the truth about our community.

She shares how photography can be a healing force, a tool of representation, and a pathway for young Black creatives to own their narrative. If you believe art can be a form of activism — this episode is for you.

✨ Tune in for a powerful conversation on storytelling, identity, and collective vision.

10/26/2025

Today our Mentoring Positives youth took the lead teaching our UW interns how we assemble and package our Off the Block pizzas for sale!

From layering the sauce and toppings to expertly wrapping each pizza, our young entrepreneurs are learning valuable job skills and teaching others in the process.

💪 This is youth leadership in action.
When you support Off the Block, you’re supporting real opportunities for young people to grow, earn, and lead.

🙌 Support our youth. Support the movement.