Backpack collection begins today

You can help bring smiles to hundreds of children and youth from the Marshfield area by collecting supplies. Monetary donations welcome; checks payable to Marshfield Area United Way.

Collect supplies August 1 -12.  Supplies can be taken to the following drop off locations: Associated Bank-Chestnut, Century 21 Realty, Heritage Bank-Marshfield, M&I Bank, MACCI, Target or United Way, 156 South Central Avenue, Marshfield.

If you receive free or reduced lunch or are experiencing a financial hardship call 715-384-9992 to register to receive supplies.  Registered families will receive a post card at the end of August when backpacks are available for pick up.

Backpacks are distributed to students in grades Kindergarten to eighth grade from Auburndale, Marshfield, Pittsville, Spencer and Stratford.

This city-wide drive is coordinated by the Marshfield Area United Way and the Marshfield Clinic’s Center for Community Outreach.

For more information call 715-384-9992 or visit www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org.

Suggested supplies:

1 Plain Backpack
1 Pack Crayons (24)
12” Ruler (Centimeters/Inches)
1 Pack Colored Pencils
1 Large Box Kleenex
4 Pocket Folders
5 Glue Sticks
2 Red Pen/Pencils
1 Highlighter (Yellow)
1 Bottle of Glue
1 Pack Magic Markers (Washable)
2 Packs Loose-Leaf Paper (White/Wide-Ruled)
4 Wide Rule Spiral Notebooks
10-12 No. 2 Pencils (No Eversharps)
1 Fiskars Scissors
2 Large Erasers
1 Crayon Box or Zippered Fabric Pencil Pouch
1 Box Ziploc Bags (Quart or Gallon)
1 Pack Clorox Wipes
1 Protractor

 NO TRAPPER KEEPERS

Optional: One-Inch 3-Ring Binder or 1 Pack Wet Wipes

 

Volunteers Needed - Set up help needed to repair storm damage - Farm Technology Days

Last week's wind storm wiped out the work finished by volunteers for Farm Technology Days set up.

Volunteers are needed this week to help with picking up posts and ropes from tents that were downed from winds, pulling out stakes, spreading shavings, mowing other miscellaneous tasks as needed to help repair the site.

For more information or to volunteer call 715-384-5494.

The Farm Technology grounds main headquarters is off Galvin, East on Birch.  Come to the trailers parked on site.

What started out as the round barn, holiday scene, little red wagon and yellow brick road transformed into a gold mine of food donations. This year Figi’s, Gifts in Good Taste added a twist to its annual food drive.  Each department was challenged to create a Figi’s-themed sculpture with the food collected.

The Human Resources department claimed the trophy and bragging rights with its sculpture of the Marshfield Round Barn, constructed with brown gravy packets, tomato soup, cream mushroom and cream of chicken soup.

Eleven departments participated to collect approximately 1,500 items, eclipsing prior donations.  Food was distributed to food pantries in Pittsville and Stratford and Saint Vincent DePaul in Marshfield.  Food also was distributed to United Way Partner Programs: Big Brothers Big Sisters, Marshfield Area Respite Care Center (MARCC), Mary’s Place and Soup Or Socks food pantry.

“This will help so much—what a gold mine. Since we provide lunch for our participants, we typically use three cans of vegetables a day,” said Marilyn Seidl-Kramer, MARCC program director.

Record food donations are only the surface of benefits this drive provided. Activities like this increase morale and promote team building, said Pamela Rosterman, Figi’s, Gifts in Good Taste Vice President of Human Resources & Facilities Administration.

“We believe that we can combine team building with community action for a winning culture.  We have generous associates who love to have fun while giving.  It is a formula that makes Figi’s a fun place to work and gives us all that warm feeling you get when you know you gave something for the greater good of our community,” Rosterman said.

This caring culture is the spirit of United Way’s goal to create opportunities for a better life for everyone. United Way works to provide the building blocks to a good life by giving youth a good start, helping families become financially stable and supporting our most vulnerable populations so they can live safe and independently.

For more information about United Way, visit www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org or call 715-384-9992.  If you need help, dial 2-1-1.

Stay connected online: Facebook and Twitter.

Register your organization to recruit volunteers

Let’s face it.  Projects and events take a lot of work.  Often it’s more manpower than your organization has—especially when you are small.  But to make a big splash, you can’t just limit your imagination to the number of employees or core members.

If you are a community organization, task force, service organization or nonprofit: you can register on the Volunteer Web site to post events or office tasks to help lighten the load.

First you have to register and create a profile.  This tells prospective volunteers a little bit more about you such as who you serve, your mission and your contact information.  Once our staff approves your profile you’re ready to recruit!

Think big … and small.  Volunteers can help with simple, but time intensive administrative work like labeling projects.  You can post to find help for daily on the ground operations like program leaders.  Or get a team to carry out your organization’s grand scale events that require many heads and hands to make it spectacular.

Whatever your need … there’s probably someone in the community perfect for it, and just waiting to help.

View current organizations and opportunities here.  Questions? Call 715-384-9992 or email us.

Stay connected: Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

House Raffle ends June 4

You don’t have to go to Vegas to win a fantastic grand prize.  You can enter to win a new house or $50,000 in the United Way Dare to Dream House Raffle.  But if you don't buy a ticket soon, it will be too late.

The winners will be selected next Saturday, June 4 at 3:30 p.m. during Dairyfest activities. 

Click here to find a ticket location near you or purchase your tickets at the United Way office, 156 South Central Avenue, Marshfield.

Your Last Chance for tickets are: June 3 – Mayor’s Dairy Breakfast, June 4 – Dairyfest parade route-Hiller’s Parking Lot and at the Fairgrounds-Expo Building until 3:30 p.m.

Tickets are $50 or three for $100.   

Only 5,000 tickets are printed--so your odds of winning a prize that could change your life is better than any state lottery or slot machine!

Dare to Dream ... Enter to Win ... LIVE UNITED

For more information visit http://www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org/dream.html or call 715-384-9992.

Stay connected: Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Books Are Fun Book Fair

A "Books are Fun" book and gift fair will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, May 16 and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 in the main lobby of Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital.

Choose from a wide variety of books, games and gifts for all ages at prices up to 70 percent off. All proceeds benefit the Marshfield Area United Way.

For more information visit http://www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org/NALC.html or call 715-384-9992

Stay connected: Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Make your grocery list to Stamp Out Hunger

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is coming up this Saturday.  Add these foods to your grocery list or rummage through your pantry for the following items (don't forget to check expiration dates! If it's expired, toss it).

Soup Or Socks food pantry is in need of the following items:

Rice
Baking Mix (Jiffy/Bisquick)
Fruit Cocktail
Mixed Vegetables
Canned or Bottled Juice
Dried Soup
Mayonnaise
Canned potatoes
Broth
Ramen Noodles

Brown Paper Bags

The following items we have in generous supply and are not needed at this time.
Corn, Green Beans, and Peas
Pork and Beans
Baked Beans
Variety Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
Canned Pineapple and Oranges 

Need volunteer hours or want to help out?  We're looking for volunteers for Saturday.  Sort, load and unload food at the Marshfield Post Office or Soup Or Socks from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Volunteer by emailing unitedway@tznet.com or call 715-384-9992.

For more information visit http://www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org/NALC.html or call 715-384-9992

Stay connected: Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Volunteers Needed - Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

Be a part of the largest food drive in the nation, Saturday May 14.  Join Marshfield Area United Way, National Association of Letter Carriers and the Marshfield Post Office for the 17th annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
 
Volunteers are needed from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to sort food and load trucks at the Marshfield Post Office.  Any amount of time is needed: service can vary from 30 minutes to one or more hours.
 
To volunteer call United Way at 384-9992 or e-mail.
 
On Saturday, May 14, place a bag of nonperishable food by your mailbox. Your letter carrier will pick it for distribution to local food pantries, St. Vincent DePaul and Soup Or Socks.
 
Don't forget to check those expiration dates before you donate!

For more information visit http://www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org/NALC.html or call 715-384-9992

Stay connected: Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Buy your tickets to win a new house or $50,000

You don’t have to go to Vegas to win a fantastic grand prize.  Enter to win a new house or $50,000 in the Marshfield Area United Way Dare to Dream House Raffle.

 

Tickets are $50 or three for $100. Only one month to buy tickets, and only 5,000 are available.

Purchase your tickets at the United Way office, 156 South Central Avenue, Marshfield.

Tickets are also available at:

    Associated Bank locations: Chestnut, Festival Foods, Neillsville, Pittsville
    Cattails Coffee locations: Marshfield Clinic lobby, North Central Avenue
    Central City Credit Union – Marshfield
    Forward Financial Bank locations: North Central Avenue, Sixth Street
    Heritage Bank locations: Marshfield, Spencer; MACCI
    M&I Bank locations: North Central Avenue, South Central Avenue
    State Bank of Marshfield
    Stratford State Bank
    Wisconsin Homes

Take a walking tour of the house and buy tickets at the Open Houses: the first three Saturdays in May, starting May 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wisconsin Homes Model Village, 425 West McMillian Ave, Marshfield. 

For more information visit www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org or call 384-9992.

Bowl for Kids Sake - March 20

Lace up your bowling shoes to help a local program!

Bowl For Kids Sake
9-PIN TAP BOWLING FUNDRAISER
Sunday, March 20th, 2011
Rose Bowl Lanes Marshfield

Team Entry Fee: $50 (Includes Shoes)
Registration: 11:30 A.M.
Bowling: Noon - 3 P.M.
To Register Your Team Or Sponsor A Lane, Contact
Big Brothers Big Sisters At 715.387.6198
Rose Bowl Lanes At 715.387.1114
Those involved with Big
Brothers Big Sisters
impact lives.

●Youth are impacted through
one-to-one mentoring relationships.
●Volunteers are impacted by knowing
they mentored a child.
●Donors are impacted by knowing they
are making a sound investment with a
proven return.

A United Way Partner Program

Volunteer Monday! Spring Food Drives

Soup or Socks is looking for a group of people, youth or adult or combination of both to help with our spring food drives. 

The group would be responsible for moving the boxes of food that have been checked and packed into our storage area for the food pantry. We have carts and hand trucks available. There is some lifting involved. 

Depending on the size of the group, this would take approximately 1 hour.

Date Time # volunteers requested  Apr 16, 2011 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM 12 May 14, 2011 05:30 PM - 06:00 PM 12 May 18, 2011 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM 12

Contact Person: Cheryl Lewis Hartl, 387-1796

Use community resources to get over the winter blahs

Are you tired of winter? It seems that every one that I talk to is ready for spring.  While I think that snow can be beautiful, I am less of a fan of the slush and the bitter cold that often goes along with a Wisconsin winter.  By the time February rolls around I am ready for a change in my routine to help me get through the last few weeks of winter.  If you are looking to add something new to your routine I have a few suggestions.  

Try volunteering.  There are numerous groups and organizations in our community that depend on volunteers.  Volunteering can be a one-time event or an ongoing commitment.  You can volunteer by yourself or involve your friends, co-workers or family members in a group opportunity.  

In the winter volunteers are particularly needed by many organizations since many regular volunteers head to warmer climates.  One source of volunteer opportunities is our website: www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org and click Volunteer.  Also, Volunteer Monday! is a feature on Facebook and Twitter the first and third Monday of the month that focuses on volunteer tips or highlights opportunities.  

My family recently volunteered with Home Delivered Meals.  While it was a cold and snowy day as we were delivering the meals, we felt warm and sunny knowing we had taken a little bit of time out of our day to help someone else.

Support the events of local organizations.  Almost every weekend in the Marshfield area there are some great fundraising events.  These events range from family events like Bowl for Kids Sake, to pancake breakfasts, auctions and even shopping opportunities.  There is no shortage of events that are both fun and help support worthwhile organizations.

Plan your garden.  I know nothing helps me take a brief respite from winter like a seed catalog.  I love planning what I will plant in my garden.  Part of my planning also includes what additional vegetables I will plant to donate to a local food pantry.  These donations help our food pantries stretch their limited budget.  

Integrate a few of these events and activities in your routine to get you through the last few weeks of the winter blues.  It will brighten your day and make your community a better place.

For more information and ways to get you through the winter visit marshfieldareaunitedway.org, facebook.com/MarshfieldAreaUnitedWay or twitter.com/MAUW01 or call 715-384-9992.

Paula Jero, Executive Director of Marshfield Area United Way can be contacted at unitedway.paula@tznet.com