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2009 Archives
- Grace Place Benefit Raises $7,300
- Coldwell Banker Burnet Raises Money for United Way
- United Way Wishes You Happy Holidays
- Thank You from United Way
- United Way Thanksgiving Halftime Show to Feature Motown
- United Way Day of Caring a Success
- United Way Launches Virtual Campaign
- United Way Day of Caring Set for Sept. 18, 2009
- United Way Distributes Funds
- Local Hunger and Housing Summit Provides Ideas, Inspiration
- United Way Launches $9.11 Campaign
- Area Nonprofits Held Summit on Hunger and Housing
- Thank You, Volunteers
- Family Fresh Market Donates 300 Meals to Food Resource Center
- United Way Celebrates Success By 6 Anniversary
- United Way and Grace Place: a partnership that pays off
- Cardinal Health is Dedicated to United Way
- Second Harvest Heartland Releases Food Report
- United Way Focusing on Critical Needs
- Student United Way to Host Kick-off Event
- The Deerfield Sponsors January Food Shipment
Grace Place Benefit Raises $7,300
R&D Catering Banquet Facility held its wine tasting and silent auction to benefit United Way and Salvation Army's Grace Place Nov. 21, raising $7,300.
“We are so grateful for everything that the staff at Ready Randy’s does to make the benefit a success,” said United Way St. Croix Valley Executive Director John Coughlin. “The $7,300 raised helps to keep the doors open at Grace Place.”
Event sponsors included Mix 105 FM, WIXK AM, Xcel Energy - Hudson, Anchor Bank, First National Community Bank, Edward Jones and Company and the Office of Jill Schreck.
Photo: United Way Executive Director John Coughlin and St. Croix County Salvation Army Director Duana Bremer accept a check from Jackie Rivard, Banquet Manager and Randy Calleja, Owner of R&D Catering Banquet Facility.
Coldwell Banker Burnet Raises Money for United Way
Real estate agents from Coldwell Banker Burnet held a silent auction at Thanksgiving to raise money for United Way. United Way St. Croix Valley Executive Director John Coughlin snapped the photo when he stopped by to pick up the proceeds.
Standing (left to right): Brian Johnson, Earl Mielke, Wayne Johnson, Mark Johnson, Jean Moore, Tom Nielsen, Nancy Mielke. Sitting (left to right): Bob Nicholson, Sara Nielsen, Wendy Swatzina.
United Way Wishes You Happy Holidays
All of us at United Way St. Croix Valley want to wish you a happy and safe holiday season. Please click here to view our online holiday card, and here to view our holiday video. Happy holidays!
Thank You from United Way
United Way St. Croix Valley thanks all of our donors, volunteers and other supporters for your dedication in 2009. We could not do the work we do in our communities without your generosity. Thank you for giving, advocating and volunteering in 2009, and for helping the communities of St. Croix and Pierce Counties LIVE UNITED.
Click here to view our thank you video to you!
United Way Thanksgiving Halftime Show to Feature Motown
Be sure to tune in Thursday, Nov. 26 at 12:30 PM ET on FOX when the Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers. Proceeds from the halftime show will benefit United Way youth fitness. For more information, visit liveunited.org.
United Way Day of Caring a Success
On Sept. 18, 2009, organizations and individuals from all around the St. Croix Valley participated in our second annual Day of Caring event. Senior citizens and local nonprofit organizations benefited from the volunteers' help, which included landscaping, painting, home repairs and cleaning.
This year, approximately 40 project requests were fulfilled by more than 100 volunteers. United Way thanks everyone who participated for their hard work and dedication to making the St. Croix Valley a better place to live. For more information on the 2009 Day of Caring, view the press release. Visit our Event Photos page to view Day of Caring photos.
United Way Launches Virtual Campaign
In an effort to incorporate social media into this year's United Way campaign, United Way St. Croix Valley will launch its first Virtual Campaign. The campaign will begin Sept. 14 and feature weekly fundraising challenges with prizes available to the top fundraisers. Each week the fundraising goal is met, United Way St. Croix Valley will purchase and donate the item(s) listed.
- Week of Sept. 14 – Challenge: Spaghetti and meatballs from UWSCV partner Emergency Food Shelf Network to be donated to UWSCV’s Food Resource Center - $25 goal
Prize – Office/school supplies - Week of Sept. 21 – Challenge: Medium and large diapers from UWSCV partner Emergency Food Shelf Network to be donated to UWSCV partner Grace Place transitional housing - $42 goal
Prize – Live United T-shirt - Week of Sept. 28 – Challenge: Toilet paper and trash bags from UWSCV partner Emergency Food Shelf Network to be donated to UWSCV partner Grace Place transitional housing - $64 goal
Prize - Carry pouch - Week of Oct. 5 – Challenge: Vegetable soup, cream of mushroom soup, tomato soup, saltine crackers, pear halves, fruit punch from UWSCV partner Emergency Food Shelf Network to be donated to UWSCV’s Food Resource Center - $77 goal
Prize - Sport bottle - Week of Oct. 12 – Challenge: Baby and Me class with UWSCV partner Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley (for parent(s) and infants, one teacher, 10 classes, to be raised over four-week period) - $100 goal
Prize - Autocup - Week of Oct. 19 – Challenge: Baby and Me class with UWSCV partner Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley (part 2) - $125 goal
Prize - Insulated lunch sack - Week of Oct. 26 – Challenge: Baby and Me class with UWSCV partner Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley (part 3) - $125 goal
Prize - Roll-up tote bag - Week of Nov. 2 – Challenge: Baby and Me class with UWSCV partner Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley (part 4) - $150 goal
Prize - Drawstring backpack
Prize for highest overall fundraiser – iPod Nano slim with Live United sleeve – donated by Five Star Plumbing
Total fundraising goal - $708
* Please note: Amounts are rounded up to the nearest dollar, as Facebook Causes only accepts donations in whole numbers.
Click here to visit and join the United Way St. Croix Valley Facebook Cause and join in the challenges.
United Way Day of Caring Set for Sept. 18, 2009
United Way St. Croix Valley will be kicking off our 2009 campaign with our second annual Day of Caring community service event, to be held in locations throughout the St. Croix Valley area. On Sept. 18, teams of volunteers will assist local agencies and seniors with various projects such as painting, cleaning, weeding and washing windows. For a schedule of events and more details, please view our flyer. If you are interested in signing up to help, please download our sign-up form and liability release form. Click here to download the form to sign up with a project.
United Way Distributes Funds
The United Way St. Croix Valley Board of Directors approved the distribution of funds raised through the 2008–2009 annual campaign and the first round of checks have been mailed to nonprofit agencies. United Way has awarded $624,326 in grants to over 70 nonprofit programs and services. United Way and its Citizen Review Panel volunteers allocate the non-designated funds to create lasting impact in the categories of: Basic and Emergency Needs; Children and Families; and Health and Self-Sufficiency. An additional $197,469 will go to specific agencies designated by the donors. For more information, please view the press release.
Local Hunger and Housing Summit Provides Ideas, Inspiration
Citizens from around the St. Croix Valley area gathered to discuss and learn about local hunger and housing issues at “Transforming Communities: A Summit on Hunger and Housing in Western Wisconsin” Thursday, May 21 at Bethel Highlands Lutheran Church in Hudson.
The half-day summit, sponsored by ten local nonprofits, featured several speakers including a keynote address from University of Wisconsin-Extension Family Living Educator Dr. Julie Keown-Bomar. Dr. Keown-Bomar’s work includes developing grassroots programs and community initiatives to help limited-income families. Her keynote focused on current poverty trends in the area, including child poverty and food share increases, as well as ways attendees could help their neighbors gain self-sufficiency.
“Seeing the hard numbers in Dr. Keown-Bomar’s presentation really hit home,” United Way St. Croix Valley Marketing Associate Kate Smith said. “It made me even more motivated to work on these crucial issues in our communities.”
The presentation stated that according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Institute for Research on Poverty the child poverty rate increased in both St. Croix and Pierce Counties from 2005-2007, increasing more than twelve percent in Pierce County alone. Food stamp usage also increased more than fifty percent during the period of 2007-2009 in both counties.
Dr. Keown-Bomar described simple ways attendees could help with these issues—helping people learn to budget money, teaching literacy, coaching or creating a brochure about local resources were a few of her suggestions. She also stressed the importance of focusing efforts to maximize results, as well as the importance of working toward policy change.
Following the keynote address were two more speakers, including a former resident of local transitional housing Grace Place. He spoke to the significance of Grace Place in his life, stating he turned his life around due to the support and stability he received during his stay.
United Way St. Croix Valley Board member Jim Dahl said the personal story was important in getting the summit’s purpose across. “We need to remember that real people are affected by these issues and that local groups and agencies really can make a direct impact on people’s lives,” he said. “Hearing from someone who benefited from Grace Place was a wonderful and inspiring way to remind people of that.”
During the second part of the summit, attendees were able to choose between either hunger or housing-focused breakout sessions led by presenters from Second Harvest Heartland, Habitat for Humanity, West CAP, Grace Place, Two Rivers Community Land Trust and USDA Rural Development. Topics included creating the ideal food pantry, increasing food availability, providing stability to low-income families and foreclosure.
“The breakout sessions were extremely well-thought out and informative,” Dahl said. “The presenters’ dedication to their cause was obvious.”
The summit concluded with Community Café small group discussions about ways attendees could improve hunger and housing in the area. “The Café discussion was one of my favorite parts of the summit,” Smith said. “Everyone had so many different ideas and insights based on where they come from in the community. It was great to learn about what people are already doing to improve these issues and to brainstorm even more possible ways to improve our communities.”
“All of us on the summit’s planning committee were very pleased by how the day went,” said The Salvation Army’s Social Services Director, Duana Bremer. “The participants brought energy, passion and a commitment to continue working together to tackle these tough issues,” she continued.
Smith agreed with Bremer’s sentiments about the success of the event. “I know the summit had a big impact on me and everyone I talked to who attended,” she said. “I hope we can continue to have these conversations as we work toward providing stable food and housing for everyone in the Valley.”
Pictured: Dr. Julie Keown-Bomar
United Way Launches $9.11 Campaign
United Way St. Croix Valley is launching an emergency appeal to close a $131,000 shortfall in last fall’s campaign. United Way is asking people to make a one-time gift of $9.11 to close the gap. "The 911 appeal is just what it sounds like – an emergency appeal to help us provide safety net services for those most in need," Executive Director John Coughlin said.
The key objective of the drive to close the gap is to ask many people to make a very modest contribution. The goal can be met if about 14% (14,400) of the population in Pierce and St. Croix County donate $9.11.
The $9.11 campaign will run from May 13 to June 12. To donate, send a check to the United Way St. Croix Valley, 516 Second Street, Suite 214B, Hudson, WI 54016. Online donations can be made at the United Way website (minimum donation $10) or through Facebook Causes.
For more information, view the press release.
Area Nonprofits Held Summit on Hunger and Housing
Ten local nonprofits came together to sponsor “Transforming Communities: A Summit on Hunger and Housing in Western Wisconsin” on Thursday, May 21 at Bethel Highlands Lutheran Church in Hudson.
The purpose of the summit was to help attendees better understand the hunger and housing issues challenging limited-income households in western Wisconsin and to develop solutions that will transform local communities. Business and community leaders, policymakers, faith communities, professionals and volunteers working with limited-income households and anyone interested in transforming their community were invited to attend.
For more information, read the press release.
Thank You, Volunteers
It’s National Volunteer Week (April 19-26, 2009) and we wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for your commitment to the United Way movement. Together, we’re working to advance the common good by focusing on the building blocks of a good life: a quality education that leads to stable jobs, enough income to support a family through retirement, and good health.
But we can't do it alone. We need the heads, hands and hearts or people like you to help tackle the problems facing our communities. If you already volunteer with your United Way, we thank you for your time and talent. If you haven't had a chance to look for volunteer opportunities in your community, please consider doing so now. Or, take a look at this list of ideas you can include in your daily activities.
By volunteering, you’re creating opportunities for a better life for all. Thank you for opening your heart and lending your muscle.
PS: We are thrilled to report to you that on April 21, 2009, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. The Act is landmark legislation with strong bipartisan support that expands service opportunities at a time of great need and ushers in a new era of service for America. Seventy-five years to the day after President Roosevelt signed the Civilian Conservation Corps into law, the House sent Mr. Obama this new sweeping expansion of national service that will engage millions of Americans in solving local problems through volunteering.
Family Fresh Market Donates 300 Meals to Food Resource Center
Family Fresh Market announced Wed., April 1 the donation of 300 meals to United Way St. Croix Valley's Food Resource Center. The meals serve a family of four and were presented to United Way Sat., April 4 at the Family Fresh Market in Hudson. For more details, read the news release from Family Fresh Market.
United Way Celebrates Success By 6 Anniversary
It has been five years since United Way St. Croix Valley convened a meeting of community members interested in strengthening programs and services for young children and families. Several dozen people gathered to discuss existing early childhood development programs and identify gaps in services. That was followed by a yearlong effort to develop a vision, goals and structure for an ongoing community initiative called Success By 6tm. The initiative is now overseen by a 20-member Leadership Board comprised of a wide cross-section of people from Pierce and St. Croix Counties. The vision for Success By 6 is: All children with the strong support of family and community will, by age six, have the necessary physical, mental, emotional and social development to successfully grow and learn.
The Board recently ranked and approved five priorities – the desired results for Success By 6 programs.
- Parents and caregivers will have the knowledge and training to provide children with safe, stable and supportive environments.
- Parents and children will have opportunities for group interaction, education and support.
- Communities will understand the importance of quality early childhood development programs and work to strengthen services.
- Parents and community caregivers will be aware of community resources and have the information needed to access them.
- All children will receive age-appropriate developmental screening to identify possible delays and provide the parents with referrals to services.
United Way St. Croix Valley and its partners are building a growing continuum of programs that connect with families during the pregnancy and support children until they start school. “Success By 6 is really a pledge by communities to help prepare kids for success at school,” according to United Way Executive Director John Coughlin. “How it looks and the partners may vary community to community but it really boils down to a commitment to our children,” he continued.
For example, United Way and Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley are partnering with the hospitals in Baldwin and River Falls and to offer an opportunity for face-to-face contact between parents and a parent educator at the prenatal class and during the hospital stay following the birth. Parents receive advice, support and information about available classes and programs.
Family Resource Center’s Baby and Me classes are offered in many communities, sponsored by the hospitals in New Richmond, Baldwin and River Falls, the United Way and other donors. The classes are parent/child playgroups with a parent education component. Topics include infant massage, brain development, separation anxiety, sleep, nutrition and exercise. The next series of classes are Play and Learn groups for toddlers and their parents. These groups provide children the opportunity to interact and learn from each other in the company of their parents. Parents observe their children with other children, share parenting strategies with their peers, and get expert advice from trained parent educators.
The cornerstone of United Way’s commitment to help every child and family succeed is providing major financial support for Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley’s home visiting program. The visits are to families that need one-on-one parenting assistance often because of special circumstances such as being teen parents or shelter residents. A new Success By 6 goal is to partner with the Pierce and St. Croix County Birth to 3 programs, Family Resource Center and area schools to offer developmental screenings for children as young as one year old.
Another Success By 6 goal is to make sure parents know about available resources. Information about area programs and services that support young children and families is now available on refrigerator magnets and physician’s referral pads.
The cost of providing high quality early childhood programs is expensive but studies done by the Federal Reserve Bank show that every dollar spent returns twelve dollars to the public in the long run. Anyone interested in supporting Success By 6 is encouraged to call United Way at 715-377-0203.
United Way and Grace Place: a partnership that pays off
United Way St. Croix Valley's partnership with Somerset shelter Grace Place has spanned almost a decade and is still going strong. To read about the partnership's latest developments, click here.
Cardinal Health is Dedicated to United Way
Cardinal Health has made helping United Way St. Croix Valley and its initiatives a priority for several years, and the company’s contributions of employee time and resources have made a significant difference in the lives of those in the communities the United Way serves. From volunteering at United Way’s Food Resource Center to donating during the annual campaign, Cardinal Health has shown its strong support for the United Way time and time again.
Cardinal employees have dedicated many volunteer hours to the Food Resource Center, and that dedication has been instrumental in getting the center up and running. The company first learned about the local United Way initiative during its annual giving campaign and began looking for ways to assist in the center’s development.
“We searched for opportunities to help and we came upon the volunteer grant that the company sponsors,” Operations Supervisor Chad Burt explained. “We had about 12 employees volunteer 75 hours of loading and unloading food over the course of four months. With that, the employees were able to secure a grant that would go to the FRC.”
Cardinal gives its employees the opportunity to support a nonprofit they are passionate about via its volunteer grant program. Through Cardinal’s GivingStation website, employees are able to obtain a grant for the nonprofit of their choice by volunteering more than 75 hours in groups of three employees or more.
In addition to the volunteer work, Cardinal has also donated to the United Way each year during the nonprofit’s campaign season. Burt says employees’ interest in the United Way has grown with each year the company has participated. “Every year we attempt to reach a new goal in overall participation, and every year we come up with creative new ways to do it,” he said. “Our employees have become more committed to this event every year and as a result, we get more employees engaged in their work and the community.”
Burt says Cardinal’s partnership with the United Way has also strengthened the employees’ relationships and ability to work together as a team. “It is a great way to show team work and collaboration with our teammates or even other organizations. Being that we are all from the same community or have some sort of impact on the community, we each need to play a role in its success.”
Second Harvest Heartland Releases Food Report
Second Harvest Heartland has released a report online detailing the current unmet food needs in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. The results of the report state that 165 million more meals per year are needed in order to ensure all low-income individuals and families in the area have enough food for three nutritious meals each day. This translates to 12% more food needed in Minnesota and 18% more food in western Wisconsin. The missing amounts are equivalent to all area low-income families missing 14 meals each month.
You can help United Way St. Croix Valley work to solve this problem by supporting the United Way Food Resource Center. Please visit our Give page to learn more about how you can help.
United Way Focusing on Critical Needs
United Way St. Croix Valley has announced its intention to sharpen its focus on meeting basic and emergency needs in St. Croix and Pierce Counties. The organization expects to fall short of the $1,175,000 campaign goal but continues to broaden its overall impact by innovative strategies like United Way’s Food Resource Center. Over a quarter-million pounds of surplus food was distributed to pantries and shelters in 2008.
“We really see an ongoing opportunity for local businesses and individuals to partner with us,” said John Coughlin, Executive Director of United Way St. Croix Valley. “Our United Way is spending about $2,500 per month to bring in about $22,000 worth of surplus food. Sponsoring a shipment is the perfect opportunity to make a huge difference,” he continued. Recent sponsors have included the four area Rotary Clubs, The Deerfield and an anonymous couple.
“This is part of an overall change in our business model from one of conducting a single annual campaign in the fall to one of continually seeking partners for our work,” said Campaign Chair Jim Dahl. “We also welcome sponsors for Success By 6tm parenting classes and will publicly recognize support from local businesses,” said Dahl.
United Way St. Croix Valley’s ultimate goal is to prevent problems from happening in the first place but economic conditions often require immediate action to meet basic needs. Board Chair Brad Caskey put it this way, “We will continue to support the important work of our agency partners but we saw the growing reliance on food pantries and made a strategic decision to address the problem head-on by opening the Food Resource Center.”
The United Way has always been about neighbors helping neighbors. “There are a lot of people out there who want to change things for the better and we are inviting them to join us,” said Linda Lia, United Way’s Marketing and Development Manager. She continued, “You can give, you can advocate and you can volunteer – that’s what it means to LIVE UNITED.
United Way has begun the process of distributing funds to its local nonprofit partners. Citizen volunteers are needed to review agency applications in March. For more information about United Way St. Croix Valley or to volunteer for a review panel call 715-377-0203.
Student United Way to Host Kick-off Event
The Student United Way of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls will host a semester kick-off event Thursday, Feb. 12 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Kinnickinnic Theatre in the University Center on the UWRF campus. Attendees will learn about United Way St. Croix Valley and its agencies, as well as the Student United Way's plans for the semester. Speakers will include Dr. Brad Caskey, United Way St. Croix Valley board president and UWRF College of Arts and Sciences interim dean; John Coughlin, United Way St. Croix Valley executive director; Linda Alvarez, UWRF multicultural services advisor and Student United Way advisor; and Kate Smith, Student United Way president. Information on several United Way-funded agencies will also be provided.
The Deerfield Sponsors January Food Shipment
The Deerfield is happy to announce that they have reached their goal to raise $2,500 to purchase the January shipment of a semi truck-load containing more than 20,000 pounds of food for the United Way Food Resource Center. Since February of 2008, the Food Resource Center has distributed more than 273,000 pounds of food to area pantries, shelters and meal programs. “It was a stretch for us, but we felt we were successful because of the prevalent need in Western Wisconsin. It was something that both staff and residents were passionate about. This was a great opportunity for outreach in our community,” JoAnn Wrich, Campus Administrator for The Deerfield, said. Pictured L to R: JoAnn Wrich, Judy Haworth, Administrative Assistant and Fundraising co-chair.