Volunteers Are The Heartbeat of Marshfield Area United Way

Some of our smallest but mightiest volunteers on Make A Difference Day.

In order to operate year-round, Marshfield Area United Way relies heavily on the support of hundreds of volunteers throughout the year. From the governing Board of Directors to the committee of individuals who decide ho

w your generous contributions will be distributed, volunteer community members help United Way leverage resources to do the most good and address our community's most pressing human service needs.

Our small United Way staff (2.5 employees) certainly wouldn't be able to successfully execute the annual fall campaign without the generosity of volunteers. Every year, Campaign Drive Chairs make the commitment to volunteer their time and their voice to lead that year's United Way campaign, while volunteer employees from numerous companies city-wide take on additional duties every fall to represent United Way during their company's workplace campaign, acting as an advocate and facilitator for our organization. Marshfield Area United Way also uses volunteers to help with fundraising events throughout the year. These volunteers play an integral part of making sure the events run smoothly.

Thank you to all the individuals involved with the following United Way committees and efforts throughout the year:

• Board of Directors
• Community Impact Committee Members
• Finance Committee Members
• Campaign Committee Members
• Campaign Volunteers
• Employee Campaign Coordinators
• Special Event (5K for United Way, Wipeout) Volunteers

Marshfield Area United Way has year-round initiatives that are volunteer-based as well. Our greatest appreciation goes out to everyone who helps with the following United Way initiatives: the Annual Backpack & School Supply Drive, Make a Difference Day, the Tax Preparation Assistance program, the Volunteer Reception Center Response team, and the scores of businesses, organizations, and individuals (and they are too many to list by name) who make the weekly implementation of the Nutrition On Weekends program possible:

Thank you to the 2014 Leadership Marshfield group who helped and continue to help with the organization of the NOW program and scheduling of volunteers.

Volunteer Businesses, Organizations, and Groups:

• Alternative High School students and staff
• Marshfield Door Systems employees
• Youth Group - First Presbyterian Church
• Festival Foods employees
• City of Marshfield employees
• V&H Truck employees
• Associated Bank staff
• Forward Financial Bank employees
• Wipfli staff
• Marshfield Clinic employees
• Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital staff
• MCIS employees
• Prince Corporation employees
• United Way's Women's Group members
• 4H group members
• Girl Scouts members
• Gosse Chiropractic
• Heritage Bank - Marshfield and Spencer
• Burnstad's Market
• United Methodist Church (Spencer)
• Granton Rotary Club
• Roger's Grocery
• School District of Marshfield
• School District of Spencer
• School District of Granton

A special thank you to the countless people who have donated food items for the program, to Rotary Winter Wonderland for the donations of peanut butter & jelly, and to Nasonville Dairy for their weekly donation of cheese for the children.

This all amounts to hundreds of volunteers and thousands of hours of time donated by individuals, groups, businesses and community leaders who care about our community. The appreciation United Way has for all these efforts to make the Marshfield area a better place to live is too much to express with words.

Humbly, graciously, "thank you all."

Have you given to this year's Marshfield Area United Way Campaign? No?...

In today's world, a dollar doesn’t buy much anymore, but when your dollar is going to Marshfield Area United Way it is making a difference.

Here is what giving just $1 a week can buy at United Way. Your donation of $1 per week…

• Is enough to provide a weekly supplemental (weekend) food pack to one child that is facing food insecurity in his/her home. 
• Will provide supportive services to one family with a disabled child through the Child Disability Resource Center. 
•  Will allow a child participate in a sport/activity that promotes health and well-being through a Right To Play For All Scholarship. 
•  Supports early childhood literacy by providing a book to a child during his/her well-child visit. 
•  Provides one day of food for a family of four through Soup Or Socks food pantry. 
•  Gives 2 area youth the opportunity to participate in Boys Scouts or Girl Scouts.

These are just a few of the ways your generosity is making an impact in the lives of thousands of individuals in our area. To learn more about United Way’s work and the work of its funded partners please visit, www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org and click on “Our Work.”

Please be generous and give today. Any donation, no matter it size, is helping make a difference right here in the Marshfield community. You can give through your workplace campaign, online at www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org, or by mailing your donation to PO Box 771, Marshfield, WI, 54449.

Marshfield Area United Way’s service area includes the city of Marshfield and these surrounding communities: Arpin, Auburndale, Chili, Granton, Greenwood, Loyal, Neillsville, Pittsville, Spencer and Stratford.

Food For Thought...Expired Food Donations Are Costly

All donated food in these boxes expired in 2013 or before.

Did you participate in this month’s Post Office Food Drive?  If you did, Thank You!  If you didn’t donate expired food, I thank you even more.  The Post Office Food Drive, also known as the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive collected 16,202 pounds of food on Saturday, May 10^th in Marshfield.  Sounds wonderful, right?  Unfortunately, 13% or 2106 pounds of the food had expiration dates that required the pantries to throw out those items and an additional 4600 pounds or 28% of the donations had expiration dates of the first 6 months of 2014.  The food that is recently expired can be offered to individuals and families on a take on your own risk basis, but can’t be used to fill food orders at the pantries.  As a result, 41% of the food is unusable by the pantries. 

Expired food is a part of every food drive, and instead of helping it creates a new problem, a 2100 pound problem to be exact.   As I am writing this I have a few ”visuals” sitting on my desk: a box of Macaroni and Cheese that expired on December 17^th 1999; a dust covered can of Cream of Broccoli soup that expired in February of 1997; and the big winner (drumroll please) a can of Refried Beans that expired the year after I graduated from high school – hint, I graduated from high school in 1978!  These “winning” food items and their 2100 pound brethren have been hauled and carried and sorted.  They have consumed manpower, gasoline costs and will cost the food pantries yet again for a garbage dumpster as they now have to dispose of these items.  

Expired food also costs in perception since the food panties will report on the amount of pounds of food collected and 16,202 pounds sounds pretty awesome right?  It sounds like the food pantries are well stocked?  This year’s Boy Scout Food Drive brought in half of the amount of food then the previous year’s drive and 25% of that food was expired.  End result, our pantries will need donations to help them through to the next major community collection which is Winter Wonderland in November.  So please consider donating to your favorite food pantry this summer.  And while you are at it, could you be sure it’s not an expired donation?

Paula Jero, Executive Director

Marshfield Area United Way

Team United Way scores to help resident in need

Like the formula for a winning team in the NFL, the preparation is intense and every one’s role is critical to success. Earlier this week, United Way wrapped up another campaign and recognized the success of our team in 2010.

Drive Chairs Tom & Laura Drendel—both avid football fans: Tom for the Chicago Bears and Laura for the Green Bay Packers compared United Way’s operations to an average football season.

As there’s much excitement for the upcoming NFC Championship between these two division foes, this is also one of the most exciting times of the year for United Way and our team.

Hundreds of volunteers, local programs and businesses across the Marshfield area (including surrounding areas: Auburndale, Marshfield, Neillsville, Pittsville, Spencer and Stratford) work throughout the year to achieve great things just like your favorite team.

We have programs and volunteers “in the trenches” providing resources for residents to improve their lives. There are board, committee and staff members cooking up the best offensive strategies, pulling together top notch rosters and drawing up an unstoppable playbook for everyone to follow. And of course we have the Drive Chairs and campaign volunteers who are our best playmakers out on the field executing routes to put another W in the record book.

Sometimes there’s an injury or turnover, but like all championship-caliber teams, we stand together to overcome this obstacle and come back stronger. With the generosity of the Marshfield area, $883,000 was raised in 2010, which will be enough to fund programs in 2011.

Thank You again to everyone who contributed to the success of United Way and our community. Our MVP’s this year were: Campaign of the Year – Small: Heritage Bank-Marshfield, Medium: Marshfield Utilities, Large: Opportunity Development Centers, Inc.

See all our “Pro Bowl selections.” All businesses recognized at the event, Volunteer of the Year and Employee Campaign Coordinators of the Year are online at www.marshfieldareauntiedway.org.

And even if you are like the Drendels rooting for different teams, United Way is a team we can all unite under and work together to improve lives in our community.

You can also connect with United Way on Facebook and Twitter.

For more information about United Way and how you can Give. Advocate. Volunteer. and Live United call 715-384-9992 or visit www.marshfieldareauntiedway.org. If you need help dial 2-1-1.

Stacey Oelrich, Marshfield Area United Way’s Communications Director

Want a FREE coffee or fountain soda? Wear your LIVE UNITED Shirt to Baltus Tuesday, April 20

April 18-24 marks National Volunteer Week – and we want to celebrate volunteers.  

Tuesday, April 20, as a token of our appreciation, anyone who wears a LIVE UNITED T-Shirt to any Marshfield Baltus location will receive a free coffee or fountain soda! 

If you register on the Volunteer Center’s Web site April 18-24, you will be entered in a drawing to have a chance to win a LIVE UNITED Shirt and more! 

In our crazy schedules sometimes we can’t find time in the day to get everything done.  Yet every day in our communities there are volunteers who are making a difference, creating change, making an impact and giving a part of themselves. 

The best way to volunteer is to match your personality and interests and choose the opportunity that will fit best with your available time.  Just like the many flavors of ice cream there is one that suits you!


Marshfield Area United Way’s Volunteer Center helps local organizations and volunteers make a difference every day.  If you would like find out about local volunteer opportunities visit www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org and click Volunteer to register with the Volunteer Center.  Once registered you can view current, on-going or one time volunteer opportunities and choose to be notified when new opportunities are posted.  There’s something for everyone based on your skills, talents and interests.


Still not convinced you have time?  Do you want to help out but have too busy of a schedule to commit to a regular volunteer opportunity? If so TEAM LIVE UNITED is for you.


TEAM LIVED UNITED is a group of volunteers who are notified when there’s community events in the Marshfield area that need a lot of volunteers.

When local organizations plan large community events it often takes a large team of volunteers to help make it successful ... and that is where TEAM LIVE UNITED VOLUNTEERS help out! As a team member, along with your LIVE UNITED Shirt, you’ll receive information about the one-time opportunities perfect for groups, families and individuals.


Want to lend your professional expertise, but don’t know who needs help?  Leadership Link  has opportunities. This Leadership Marshfield Project is designed for local non-profits to connect Leadership Marshfield Graduates and other area professionals to fill board and committee roles. Visit http://www.marshfieldareaunitedway.org/leadershiplink.html for more information.


To all the Volunteers- Thank you for giving back to your community, for your passion, commitment and time you are priceless!

Day of Action this Saturday!

Get out of the house and enjoy a day packed with activities, food and music this Saturday, August 22.

Join us for Day of Action -- rain or shine at Bakerville Sports Bar & Grill (10631 County Road B).

Free Family Activities -- Noon to 2 p.m.
Learn hands on, inexpensive play ideas that you can do at home.

Plus, create a child identification kit to be prepared for emergencies.


Also at noon, Co-Ed Blind Man Volleyball Tournament

Team Entry Fee $60 -- Every player will receive a Free LIVE UNITED Shirt.
Tournament Winner will receive a traveling trophy. Cash prizes also available.

Sign up: Call 676-3768 or 384-9992. Registration closes Saturday at the start of the tournament.

Other activities include: Wii Tournament, Dunk Tank, Door Prizes, Tug of War and more.

Corn and Pig Roast starts at 4 p.m.

Multi-Artist Tribute Band Slab closes the event with a concert starting at 9 p.m.

Volunteers are still needed. If you're interested in volunteering for any amount of time during the day, please call 384-9992.

Thank you to Event Sponsor Bakerville Sports Bar & Grill.

Thank you to these businesses and individuals who have made donations or are volunteering: Michael and Kate Adamson, All American Aerials, Dress 4 Less, Green Bay Packers, Family Resource Center, Farmer’s Insurance Agency: Kevin R. Krisan, Fashion Bug, Paula Jero, Negro Lobo Catering, Sternweis & Sons, Chris and Jolene Sternweis, Tim Sternweis, Shoppes at Wood Ridge and Target.

Figi's, Inc. Chili Championship

Figi's, Inc. held another successful and creative fundraiser this fall. Two weeks of nearly 30 entries of different kinds of chili. From tradional chilies like Mom makes to the fantastic and tasty white chicken chili or margarita chili.

It all came together when the eight finalists cooked their best pot of chili and put together dazzling displays for judging.

Each team was judged on presentation, originiality and taste. It was a hard task for judges WSAW News Channel 7's Jeff Talen, WDLB/WOSQ Bob Meyer, UW-Marshfield/Wood County's and United Way Drive Co-Chair Andy Keogh and Mayor Chris Meyer.

While all presentations leap above and beyond the normal bowl, spoon and fixings--orginality and taste proved to help the judges make the final decision.

The ulimate Chili Champion was crowned and the trophy claimed by Monica Morzinski from Purchasing and her team: Cooks United to Make a Difference with the White Christmas Chicken Chili.

A big thank you to all the chefs and Figi's employees who tasted at each level of judging and the panel of celebrity judges for the Cook out Championship. It was another fun and exciting event--thank you for your hard work, creative spirits and generosity to help our community.

See the results everywhere

By Stacey Oelrich, Communications Director

As you wait in line for your morning coffee you hear a woman talking on her cell phone. She’s finally starting to work her way out of debt, and learning how to budget so she doesn’t have to live paycheck to paycheck.

At the office, the receptionist is concerned about her brother who was laid off and not sure how he’ll get his children dental care. You come home to a message on your answering machine. Your sister’s husband was violent towards her and she went to a safe place.

All of these situations have one thing in common: your friends, family and neighbors found help from United Way funded programs.

We’ve found that one in four people in the Marshfield area has used a United Way Partner Program. So, if you haven’t used one, chances are you know someone who has.

These programs shape our community with the work they do. They work to address Marshfield area’s most critical needs. Programs identify and get to the heart of each situation, so individuals and families can make lasting change instead of settling for a quick fix.

And their results are every where in the community. You can see the results in the full pantry of a family who previously went hungry. They were connected with Soup or Socks and were given help to make ends meet.

A family that lost their home to fire or natural disaster receives help from many programs in our community. But their first contact is American Red Cross (ARC). ARC also provides support and services to families who have service men and women overseas.

United Way programs give youth in our area confidence, mentor opportunities, safe activities and much more. The skills youth learn can help them throughout their lives to make good decisions. This is all possible because of the work of Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boy Scouts-Samoset Council, Camp Courage, Girl Scouts of Woodland Council, Lutheran Social Services, Pathway Partners, Spencer Kids Group, Stratford Homework Club and Youth Net.

And in 2008, United Way is funding five programs for the first time. These programs are Chippewa Valley Boy Scouts, bringing scouting opportunities to the Neillsville area; Family Resource Center, a program of Children’s Service Society; The Genesis Room, a program of Mary’s Place; Lifelong Learning Opportunities and Safe Exchange/Supervised Visitation, a program of Personal Development Center.

Your generosity reaches residents here at home by targeting the needs identified by volunteers in the community. Your contributions stay here in the Marshfield area, which includes North Wood County, Southwestern Marathon County and parts of Clark County.

Just as we say thank you to all United Way’s contributors, we recognize and thank all the people who work at and with Partner Programs. We’re proud of the work you do improving lives and strengthening our community.

The programs mentioned are only a few of United Way’s 39 funded programs. To learn more about these programs, United Way or how you can volunteer visit marshfieldareauntiedway.org or call 394-9992.

Gifts to United Way create powerful change

By Stacey Oelrich, Communications Director

When I picked up my mail the other day I was greeted by the usual suspects: credit card bill, cell phone bill, two or three pieces of junk mail and something from my alma mater, UW-Green Bay (UWGB). I followed through my familiar pattern. I tossed the junk, paid the bills and set aside the UWGB envelope for later.

When I eventually got around to looking at it, I saw it was a letter asking to support the University. I received a good education from UWGB and still carry lessons learned and memories of supportive professors and staff with me, so I pulled out my checkbook.

After signing my name to the check, I realized I also wanted to support where I started my undergraduate degree, UW-Marshfield/Wood County, plus I had already made my United Way contribution earlier this fall.

With the holidays right around the corner, I paused. Could I really afford the bills, the budget for my holiday expenses and all of these donations?

A question we are frequently asked is “I give to other organizations close to my heart. Why should I give to United Way?”

We all have many organizations where we invest time and money, but United Way is the one organization that gives individuals, families and our community the building blocks for everyone to have the opportunity for a quality education that leads to a stable job, an income that can support a family through retirement and good health.

Your gift to United Way works to address the most critical needs in the Marshfield area.
United Way funded programs don’t just give people in need a quick fix that will help for a day or get them through a month. They identify the heart of the issue and then help produce real, lasting change.

Mary is missing more work, but it’s because she has trouble reading. Her company is implementing a new system and she can’t understand the new manuals to help her learn the changes. She connects to a United Way program that improves her reading skills.

Alice and Dave’s rent is past due, but it’s not Christmas shopping that has them strapped for cash. They used credit cards for everyday expenses and are overwhelmed by their mounting debt. They find a United Way program that teaches them how to budget and make a plan to pay off the credit cards.

Your contribution goes to help these people and more. You may never know the people you have helped through your generosity to United Way. But there’s always the chance one day you’ll be the one whose life has been changed for the better because of your neighbor’s generosity.

Take a moment to reflect on all the blessings in your life, the sorrow and joys alike. Then, if you’ve received a letter from Marshfield Area United Way, take another look at it and decide how you can be part of powerful change. Make a contribution. Volunteer.

To learn more, visit marshfieldareaunitedway.org or call 384-9992.

Thank You! from everyone at United Way

We're making great progress this year ... and we couldn't have done it without everyone's help.

Thank you to:

Volunteers
Partner Programs
Board Members
Campaign Coordinators
Community Businesses
Campaign Volunteers
Supervisors who give us time to give presentations
Employees across the community who listen to our presentations
Everyone who's contributed so far ...

On behalf of the people who you have touched in the Marshfield area ... we thank you!

Click this link to view a special thank you card http://studio.unitedway.org/thanksgiving/