If you are looking for great places to eat, community events, business connections and recreational activities around Madison, WI, then you have come to the right place! The I Love Madison Show wants to help you connect to all of the great people and places this city has to offer. On today’s episode, Chris Sorenson highlights an amazing foundation that is working tirelessly to support the adoption of older orphans from Europe, Chris Reese interviews Nick Lenzendorf, a Madison local who recently moved from the Chicago area, and Neil Mathweg hosts featured guest Cathy Yerges to talk about the Madison LinkedIn Success Group, a local meetup that gathers at the Madison Dream Bank! Check out the I Love Madison Chef Show! The I Love Madison Show Vlog has just launched, so make you jump over to YouTube to watch, like and share! The Vlog is designed to highlight the culture in Madison, including the music scene, amazing places to visit, and a new segment called the I Love Madison Chef show! This segment will highlight local chefs and their stories, plus the history of many of Madison’s most popular food spots. Chris Sorenson hosts the “Mission of the Week” segment, with Dan Spansy and the Before16 Foundation There are an estimated 153 million orphans in the world today. Many of these orphans live in orphanages or with foster families, though some of the most unfortunate already live on the streets. In many countries, the orphans who live within the social infrastructure will "age out" at only 16 years old. While still being in adolescence, they are then treated as adults and exposed to numerous sources of manipulation and exploitation. The numbers tell a tragic story of what happens when these kids hit the street. 10-15% commit suicide within the first 2 years of aging out of the system. With a lack of resources, care, and support, these children are overwhelmed by their tragic circumstances. 60% of the girls become prostitutes. Falling prey to the world of prostitution is a prevalent consequence due to the lack of basic needs and the manipulation of older men looking to take advantage of the innocence of these young girls.​ 70% of the boys turn to a life of crime, often involving drug abuse. Without the love and protection of a family, or continuing education and hopes for a brighter future, many boys have their morality conformed to the hardened reality of substance abuse and criminal activity. Before16 was started to help provide care for these orphaned children and to hopefully find them a "forever family" by building awareness, connecting potential families with children in need, and advocating adoption. The foundation specializes in connecting host families with orphaned children in Eastern Europe. Currently, they are helping to host 9 children over holiday season in the Madison area. In the summer, they hope to grow that number. If you want to support this mission and make a difference in as many families as you can, check out before16.org Chris Reese hosts the “My Move” segment with guest Nick Lenzendorf After living in the Chicago area for a number of years, Nick Lensendorph decided it was time to head back to Madison! He loves that fact that the city feels big, but does not have the traffic congestion like Chicago. After moving back, Nick said it was easy to connect to people, even just walking down the street. The community is a friendly one, and people are more than willing to stop and chat, recommend a place to eat, etc. Nick says if you are looking for a way to spend an afternoon, be sure to check out the farmer’s market or any of the numerous outdoor concerts that take place during the summer! Cathy Yerges joins Neil Mathweg to talk about the Madison LinkedIn success group Cathy Yerges is a LinkedIn Trainer & Consultant for B2B Professionals, the Director of Client Services at RevGrow, and an awesome homeschool mom! Cathy also hosts the LinkedIn Success Group each month at the Dream Bank. This meetup features an open for