A Summer to Make A Difference

Alyssa at the Children's Book Swap this past June for United Way's Day of Action.

When I started my summer internship with Marshfield Area United Way I did not know what to expect. I knew that they helped the community and provided volunteer opportunities for others which is what intrigued me to apply. I now know they do so much more than that! Since I started my internship I have had the opportunity to go on site visits and see first-hand how they help fund certain organizations. I have also been able to organize and work events such as our 5K for United Way and our annual backpack and school supply drive, coordinate volunteers, and build positive relationships with coworkers and other community members.

A specific site visit that I will always remember is our visit to Mary’s Place. Mary’s Place provides housing for low income individuals and has a Genesis Room for homeless individuals which is funded by United Way. I was shocked by the generosity of the staff who work there, the history of the building, how organized and clean it was, and what they do to provide individuals with a place to live when they could have been homeless instead. This experience makes me appreciate that I have a roof over my head and I will no longer take that for granted.

Another experience that has touched me the most is the backpack and school supply drive, because I am striving for a degree in education. I did not realize that each year United Way provides hundreds of families with school supplies because they are not able to afford it for their children. As a future teacher I am proud to say that I am helping these children get what they need in order to be ready for school which will hopefully allow them to succeed in school. This means more to me than words can describe, because I am so passionate about teaching and doing everything I can to help provide a positive future for children.

My time with Marshfield Area United Way has opened my eyes and changed my whole outlook on life. I am thankful for this opportunity and will never forget it. I truly feel that I have made a difference in the community and in many individuals’ lives.  This experience is just the beginning to my time spent supporting a community that I truly care about. You, too, can make a difference. Find out how at www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org. 

Alyssa Breu

Summer Intern

Join the Inflatable Fun at the 2nd Annual “Wipeout for United Way”

Get your team ready to race again through inflatable obstacles for the 2^nd Annual “Wipeout for United  United Way has a new obstacle course planned this year and all the action will be moved inside of the middle school track area. Here, four-person teams will race head-to head against the competition until the fastest team is found and claimed as Wipeout champions.

Way.” The event will be on Friday, September 13, 2013, starting at four o’clock in the afternoon at the Marshfield Middle School.

The entry fee for a four-person team is one hundred dollars. Teams will be able to take time off of their team’s overall race time by raising additional money. For every additional $50 a team donates, ten seconds will be deducted from the team’s race time. Last year, twenty-one teams participated in the event. United Way is looking to grow the participation and excitement around this event. If you aren’t interested in participating in Wipeout come on down and cheer on all the teams who’ll be bouncing off the walls having tons of inflatable fun!

The Wipeout event will informally mark the beginning of Marshfield Area United Way’s annual campaign and all proceeds will go toward the 2013 goal of $900,000. This team event is a great way to get employees, co-workers, friends and family members involved in something really fun that the community will benefit from.

Teams can register online by logging on to volunteermarshfield.org and clicking Wipeout for United Way. Registration can be sent to unitedway@tznet.com or called in to 715-384-9992. Please visit our website at marshfieldareaunitedway.org for more information.