Your Community Needs You...

“It is kind of like having to choose between your children.”  This was a statement that was made by  It really was an accurate statement.  Requests to United Way for 2016 totaled almost $682,000 and with $530,000 available to grant, it made for some very difficult decisions.  So how do the volunteers decide?  Through an extensive process of application reviews and interviews and deliberations individuals representing local businesses are the ones who determine the amount of funding for programs applying for United Way funding.  A number of factors weigh into the decision making process.  Including:  How critical is this service for our community?  Without United Way funding will this program cease to operate?  If United Way is supporting multiple programs for an agency can we afford to support all of the programs, or do we need to determine which program is most important for our community and focus our funding in that area?  How many people does this program impact?  What does the organization have available in reserves funds?  What are the outcomes for the program?  It really was a difficult process this year.  All of the programs that submitted applications are excellent programs that contribute to the quality of life in our community.  However, there was simply not enough money to fund all of the programs that applied for funding.

one of our thirty volunteers that were involved in allocating funds that were raised during the 2015 campaign to area non-profits.

During the fall United Way campaign, one of the things that we tell potential donors is that funding raised by the campaign stays local, and that the amount that is raised directly translates into what we have available to invest into our community.  It’s hard since donors all have programs and organizations that they want United Way to support, unfortunately there are just not enough resources to support all of the programs.  I hope that in the future when individuals are asked to support United Way they remember that there is a direct correlation between the amount United Way is able to raise in the community and the support of needed services.  Be generous!  Your community needs you!

Paula Jero, Executive Director

Marshfield Area United Way

Volunteer Reception Center Training This March 24th & 31st

When disaster strikes many organizations are quick to respond. Fire, police, and other emergency services are the first to arrive and provide vital services to help people and communities affected by the disaster.  Significant disasters often bring individuals, sometimes from all over the country, to communities affected to offer their assistance. A Disaster Volunteer Reception Center organizes and screens these volunteers and disperses them throughout the disaster area to help rebuild these communities.

Marshfield Area United Way will be holding two-day training (March 24^th and March 31^st) for individuals interested in joining the Disaster Volunteer Reception Center Response Team for North Wood County. On Tuesday, March 24, 2015, participants will learn about a Volunteer Reception Center and all of the duties and responsibilities of the response team who are called upon to build and maintain a center in the wake of a disaster. The following Tuesday, March 31, 2015, will be a trial run of a plausible disaster scenario and the building of a Volunteer Reception Center with members of the North Wood County response team. Both sessions will begin at 5:00 pm and will be held in the back of the United Way office (106 W 1st Street).

Dinner will be provided on the evening of March 24, 2015, and snacks will be provided on the evening of March 31, 2015.  Please register for the training by calling 715-384-9992 or by sending an email to unitedway@tznet.com. For more information, please call Marshfield Area United Way or visit www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org.

Hygiene Drive Feb 22nd - March 15!

88.5 The Family's "Help for the Homeless" hygiene drive will be collecting new personal care and cleaning products for area crisis agencies, including Soup Or Socks, The Hannah Center, Mary's Place, and St. Vincent de Paul. The goal of Help for the Homeless is to provide a year's worth of hygiene supplies to each agency to help stretch the agencies' limited financial resources. ALL Donations will remain here in Marshfield!
 
 

Please donate generously. Donations can be dropped off at any of the following public locations: Festival Foods, Shopko, Pick 'N Save or Walgreens from Feb. 22 - March 15. We are also accepting donations here in our office.

List of Items Needed

 

Cleaning Supplies:
Laundry Soap Dish Soap
Garbage Bags Floor Cleaner
Bleach Cleansers
Sponges Disinfectant Cleaner
Toilet Bowl Cleaner Dryer Sheets
Dishwashing Gloves

 

Paper Products:
Toilet Tissue Facial Tissue
Paper Towels Feminine Care
Pads Tampons

 

Baby Care:
Diapers Wipes
Baby Bottles Sip Cups
Baby Lotion Baby Shampoo
Rash Ointment

 

Hair Care:
Shampoo Conditioner
Hair Brushes Combs
Clips & Elastics Styling Products - for all types of races & ethnicity

 

Personal Care:
Soft Soap Bar Soap
Deodorant Razors
Shaving Cream Nail Clippers
Cotton Balls Q-tips Moisturizer/Lotions
Contact Solution Lip Balm

 

First Aid:
Children’s Pain Meds Pedialyte
Band Aids Rubbing Alcohol
Hydrogen Peroxide Anti-Diarrheal Meds
Antacids Antibiotic Ointment
Cold Meds Liquid Benadryl
Sun Screen Head Lice Treatment

 

Dental Care:
SOFT Toothbrushes Toothpaste
Dental Floss Denture Care
NO mouthwash please (contains alcohol)

Join Community-wide SNAP Challenge October 6th - 10th

Food insecurity and hunger are real issues and they are issues that people are dealing with right here

in our community. Over the past ten years in Wood County, participation in Wisconsin’s FoodShare program has nearly tripled. In 2003, 6195 (3229 adults, 2966 children) individuals where receiving FoodShare benefits. Last year, 18,322 (11,307 adults, 7025 children) were enrolled in the program. Children, age 4 and under are the largest age grouping of individuals receiving FoodShare benefits, making up 13% of the recipients. Fifty percent of FoodShare recipients are age 23 and younger.

Another staggering statistic is children enrolled in the free and reduced meal program in Marshfield public schools. The percentage of students participating has more than doubled over the past decade going from 15% in 2003 to 34.5% in 2013. In 2012, one out of every five students from the Marshfield Middle and High Schools indicated that he or she had gone to bed hungry in the past 30 days because there was not enough food in the home.

In an attempt to bring awareness to the hunger issues facing many of our community members, Marshfield Area United Way is inviting the entire community to take the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Challenge. The SNAP Challenge gives participants a view of the struggle to obtain adequate food that is faced by millions of low-income Americans receiving FoodShare benefits. From October 6th through October 10th individuals participating in the SNAP Challenge will be allowed to spend $4 per day to eat. For a family of four, this would mean feeding all four family members three meals for the day on just $16. By living on the average food stamp benefit, Challenge participants will find themselves forced to make food shopping choices on a limited budget, and learn how difficult it is to avoid hunger, afford nutritious foods, and stay healthy without adequate resources.

To join the community SNAP Challenge and receive a Challenge toolkit that explains your role as a participant, please contact Marshfield Area United Way at 715-384-9992 or unitedway@tznet.com. More information about the SNAP Challenge is also available at www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org.

Join Us For Campaign Kick-off September 8th

What:  2014 United Way Campaign Kick-off
When:  Monday, September 8, 2014, @ 5:00 p.m.
Where:  RiverEdge
             10191 County Highway B
             Marshfield, WI 54449
Cost:  Suggested $5 donation

Please join us Monday, September 8, 2014, at RiverEdge to help us kick-off our annual fall campaign. A cash bar and food sampling will begin at 5:00 pm. Dinner will begin at 5:20 pm with a program to follow. 2014 United Way Campaign Drive Chairs, Beth & Brian Kief will lead the program and there will be a guest speaker to talk about her experience on Wisconsin’s FoodShare program. The kick-off will also serve as an
introduction to a community-wide invitation to take the SNAP Challenge this October.

On Any Given Day at United Way

Last week we had our intern keep count of all of the individuals and phone calls that we received in a single day at United Way.  The results surprised me.  I know our office is a busy place, but even I underestimated how many people we come into contact with on a single day.  So what does a typical day look like at United Way?  We had 53 individuals visit our office and 17 phone calls.  

The visits included 35% of the individuals coming to our office seeking assistance with securing employment either by using the Job Center or for an interview that a local employer was conducting.  An additional 35% of the individuals came to our office for United Way programs, including Backpack and School Supplies, Nutrition on Weekends and the Keep Kids Warm program.  The remaining 30% of the individuals were seeking services such assistance with food or rent assistance from North Central Community Action, or came to our office for their W-2 case management appointments. 

When I began with United Way we had probably five people a month walk into office.  There are days when I have to admit the five people a month would be nice, but it doesn’t fulfill our mission. Everyone deserves opportunities to achieve a quality education that leads to a stable job, family-sustaining income through all of life’s stages, good health and a safe home. That's why Marshfield Area United Way focuses on the building blocks of a good life: education, income and health. 

On any given day in our office, you can see the work of United Way donor dollars and our mission at work. Whether it’s supporting school readiness through the backpack & school supply drive, providing income supports through North Central Community Action Program, increasing the health or well-being of child through the Nutrition on Weekends program. All of these things (education, income, and health) are intertwined and all are improving the overall quality of life in the Marshfield area. It takes an entire community to make a difference. Last year, because of you and United Way, more than 15,000 individuals in and around the Marshfield area received support from United Way programs and initiatives. Your generosity is making a difference in our community.

Paula Jero, Executive Director
Marshfield Area United Way

Have you heard? Brian and Beth Kief Named 2014 Campaign Drive Chairs

Marshfield Area United Way is pleased to announce Brian and Beth Kief as the Drive Chairs for the 2014 United Way Campaign. The Kief’s will lead the annual fall campaign in the community and help United Way in an effort to reach the $830,000 goal set by United Way’s Board of Directors this Spring.

Though the Kief’s have lived in Marshfield for a short while, they feel compelled to ‘pay it forward’ since being so well-received in the community. “We have only been in Marshfield for five years and it seems there are so many other outstanding people in Marshfield.  In the end, though, we said yes because of how we feel about Marshfield; how welcoming so many people have been to us and we believe that United Way is the premier safety net organization in our community.”

Brian is the President of Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital and Beth is a former Physical Education/Health Education teacher who is now an active volunteer in the community. Brian and Beth have two children, Jared and Anna. Jared is a student at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, and Anna will be a senior this fall at Marshfield Senior High.

The Kief’s are long-time supporters of United Way and learned at an early age the importance of volunteering and giving back to their community. In fact, Brian’s mother was a Campaign Drive Chair for United Way in the early 1980s.

Throughout the campaign this fall, the Kief’s hope to broaden the base of people who are aware of the needs in the community and are willing to engage in finding solutions. “A strength of United Way is to identify organizations in the community that not only help people through a crisis or difficult time but also help them attain skills and identify resources to become self-sustaining members of the community.  As a result, every dollar given to the United Way has a multiplier effect in terms of how it helps people,” said Brian.

When asked what needs they have seen in the community that have surprised or left an impression on them, Brian and Beth were surprised in two ways. “Every individual has a story and a unique life experience that has created their situation of needing help from community organizations.  We are surprised at how often members of our Central Wisconsin communities find themselves in need of help.  What surprises us even more is the amazing commitment and the loving care shown by the people who work and volunteer in the various agencies.  They are role models and inspiration for us all.”