Author: Elizabeth Bols

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Sharing Gratitude & Hope – Happy New Year from United Way!

As we all prepare to close out this unprecedented and challenging year, I find myself filled with so many emotions related to successes, struggles, changes and transformations. But mostly, I am filled with with immense gratitude and cautious optimism.

Grateful barely seems like a qualified description for the way I feel as we near the end of our fundraising efforts for our 2020 United Way Campaign. As the United Way director, I prepared myself, my board and our partners for the reality that this was going to be the most challenging fundraising year, we have seen certainly in the seven years I have been leading this organization. Approximately 75% of our annual donations come directly from the generous employees of the local businesses that run workplace campaigns, and we know so many individuals and families have spent the year struggling, worried and fearful. We knew that asking folks to invest in our work, even if they wanted to, was going to be a difficult request. We also knew what a difficult year this has been for our small business, many of our corporate leaders, our school districts, and our healthcare systems.

This campaign season also found me unable to meet with employees, give presentations, and personally share the message of our mission and our local impact. It was a year in which we knew our support would be needed “Now More Than Ever,” but our ability to fundraise would be drastically limited.

And yet, so many of you stepped up to support to our efforts, to show your commitment to your communities, to use your investment to say that you want to lift up others during this incredibly hard time. And I can’t say THANK YOU enough. Although we will end this campaign season down from past years, we will still end it with SO much gratitude, the ability to support MANY local nonprofits, programs & initiatives, and the knowledge that we will continue to fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our communities as strongly as we can!

And that fills me with so much hope as we enter 2021. It will not be an easy year. The struggles and challenges of 2020 will not disappear, and may in fact actually compound for a time being. But I was given a front row seat to the dedication our communities have to supporting one another, to investing in assistance for those in need, and to choosing to love and care for one another.

I believe in the power of community, but even more so, I believe in the power of OUR communities. 

Thank you for being with us throughout 2020 as we did all we could, and we hope you’ll continue with us in 2021 as we learn how to do even more.

On behalf of United Way, I wish you and your families all as safe, healthy and happy New Year!

With sincerest thanks,
Megan Hartwick
United Way Executive Director

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United Way Board Member Input – Recipe for Chillin’ Out

No chili cook-off this year? Let’s just “chill” instead!

Since our Board has been blogging, I have always been the chili blogger. Why? Because I LOVE making and eating CHILI and I LOVE the United Way CHILI COOK-OFF!  This year, however, has been a year of learning to “love” and appreciate differently for all of us. I am still loving making and eating chili, but I have now taken on a new love and it’s called “chillin out”. Trust me, this newfound love was hard to grasp at first. If you are like me; “chillin” does not come easy. So, I decided to do what I always do when I want to succeed and make a plan. I thought this may be perfect time to share it and hopefully it will encourage others to “chill” too! And no sooner will we all be “chillin”, and the CHILI COOK OFF will be back!

Robin’s “Chill” Plan:

#1 – Commit to “chill” daily.

#2 – Get a pair of bluetooth, wireless earbuds. (this is very important to keep yourself free of wires during your chill time, it makes a huge difference!) Plus, they work great when you are doing yardwork, cooking, cleaning too. Tip – only put one in so you can hear your family too!

#3 – Pick 3 – 5 activities that promote “chillin” out and rotate daily. This keeps it fresh. Here are a few of my favorites:
a. Coloring (yes, I do love to color, it is a great activity for calming your mind)
b. Walking…..with my family, my dog, or just on my own.
c. Listening to music or inspirational Podcasts. (This has been a wonderful new world for me. There are so many great people podcasting.)
d. Reading. (Yes, this one NEVER goes out of style!)
e. Online shopping. (Yes, it’s true, shopping is therapeutic).
f. Meditation, praying, connecting with your spiritual self. Find your peace.

#4 – Schedule time each day to “chill”. (Yes, easy to say hard to do) Keep in mind:
a. Pick the time of day that works best for you and your family.
b. Don’t break your date with yourself! You are worth it.

#5 – Keep a calendar (you can use any calendar) and check off every day you “chilled out”. You will be surprised how it becomes part of your day.

Let’s all take a lesson from an anonymous wise person who said “Life is much easier when you just chill out.”

Robin Kennedy
United Way Board Member
VP of Mission Advancement, Opportunities, Inc.

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United Way Asks Community Members to Share Their Chili Recipes from Home

Fort Atkinson, WI – November 9, 2020 – The United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties is asking community members to share their chili recipes from home this weekend, in lieu of the cancellation of their 21st annual Chili Cook-off event, originally scheduled for this Saturday.

“Our United Way is incredibly sad to have made the decision to cancel this year’s Chili Cook-off, but we know it was the best decision in order to protect the health and well-being of our communities” states Megan Hartwick, United Way executive director.  “But that doesn’t mean our communities can’t still connect over warm, delicious chili recipes! So, we’re hoping community members will consider still making their best chili this weekend and sharing it on Facebook by tagging our United Way and using the hashtag #2020chilicookoff.”

United Way will compile any posts & pictures shared with them and share a full recap on their Facebook page and in their November newsletter. Community members are also encouraged to use this opportunity as an act of kindness.

“Not only are we hoping community members will still make chili this weekend and then share that with us, but we hope they will spread the love and share it with others,” Hartwick adds. “We ask those who are able, to consider sharing some of their delicious chili meals with others who could benefit from that generosity. Consider delivering a warm chili meal to a single parent, or elderly neighbor, or friend who lives alone, or simply someone you know could benefit from a random act of kindness.”

United Way is also strongly encouraging people to make their chili to enjoy while watching the live stream of the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce Holiday Parade on Saturday, November 14th at 5:30pm.

“We are so grateful for our partnership with the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce and that our Chili Cook-off always follows their great holiday parade,” Hartwick states. “We want to still offer that partnership support this year by reminding our communities they can still enjoy the parade – either in-person, socially distanced and masked, or virtually from home. And we hope you’ll still include chili somehow with the viewing of the parade.”

United Way also hopes that community members will consider finding a way to support their organization, despite the cancelled event.

“Although the main intention of our Chili Cook-off is to serve as a community awareness event for our United Way and other partners agencies that participate, the annual event does also serve as a fundraiser for our fall campaign,” Hartwick adds. “During a year where fundraising is already incredibly challenging, but at the same time the need for support is incredibly high, we are hoping individuals who normally attend will consider still making a small donation in lieu of their $4 chili bowl.”

Anyone who would still like to donate to the 2020 United Way Campaign can mail in a donation to 734 Madison Avenue, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 or an online donation can be made at https://uwjnwc.com/get-involved/give/

United Way will plan to revive the annual fundraiser in the fall of 2021, as long as it is safe to do so. Anyone who has any questions can contact the United Way office directly at 920.563.8880 or unitedway@idcnet.com.

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United Way Board Member Input – Now More Than Ever

Happy October, everyone! It’s hard to believe we are only nine weeks away from Christmas and a busy (albeit sure to be unusual) holiday season. Just because the year is almost over does not mean that the United Way is done helping people! Now more than ever there is a need to continue to provide support for our community as we continue to face unprecedented times.

First and foremost, it would be extremely remiss if I did not use this opportunity to send a sincere “thank you” to Megan, the Executive Director for the United Way of Jefferson and Walworth Counties. The dedication, determination, and passion that Megan has for helping people, no matter the situation, is unmatched and is certainly deserving of recognition. I think that we all can agree that this year posed and continues to pose a challenge for all in a variety of ways, and the United Way is no exception. Megan did not allow these circumstances to put a halt to the United Way’s vital work, but rather, she thought outside of the box to make this year’s campaign just as successful as any. Again, thank you, Megan, for your leadership and your commitment to your community.

At Festival Foods, we are very honored with the privilege of kicking off, if you will, the United Way campaigning season. In honesty, given the circumstances of this year, I was unsure how successful our campaign would be. The global pandemic has undoubtedly played an impact on an individual’s finances. However, with a desire to serve the community, the Festival Foods team came together to have a successful campaign. I beyond proud to share that this year the Festival Foods team raised more money than any year in the past, despite the season of uncertainty in which we currently live. Now more than ever, the Festival Foods team came together to support the community in which they serve.

Again, now more than ever, the Jefferson and Walworth counties need our support, and the good news is that it is not too late to show support to the United Way. In a season of uncertain times, we, too, like Megan, need to think outside of the box.

And remember, support, no matter how small we may feel it is, is much appreciated.

Cory Krisher
United Way Board Chair
Store Director, Festival Foods

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The Power of Kindness & Caring

Our mission at United Way is simple – to fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our communities. And while that fight always includes things like fundraising, advocacy, marketing & PR, and relationship building, it also always includes kindness. And compassion. And generosity. And support.

Our communities are facing incredibly difficult times right now – parents & children, educators & students, employers & employees, first responders, healthcare workers, small business owners and so many others are dealing with overwhelming weight of daily stresses and difficult changes. It is an unprecedented time that is begging for our communities to make the decision to come together, support one another, and consciously choose to be more compassionate and supportive.

We are asking you to make that choice. We are asking you to join us in our fight. We are asking you to commit to actively participating in our first-ever Virtual Week of Caring.

What will that entail? We’ll ask you to share positive words of encouragement with a community worker who has helped keep us all safe and healthy. We’ll ask you to support a local business through a purchase or a positive review. We’ll ask you to commit to becoming an active volunteer and community advocate. We’ll ask you to lend your support to others and prioritize taking care of yourself! These missions can be as simple or as grand as any participant wants them to be. We don’t have a lot of requirements or expectations, other than your pledge to share positivity and joy across our communities.

Because while our communities have been hurting, so many people, organizations and businesses have been working tirelessly to do everything they can to keep people healthy, safe, connected and employed. While we all may not agree on policies, protocols and procedures, I think it’s safe to say we can all agree that our communities are filled with hardworking, generous, amazing people – people who deserve our thanks, recognition and support.

We know that spreading caring power won’t solve all of the complex issues our communities are facing. But we do know that the impact of caring power is infinite and has the ability to strengthen communities like nothing else can.

So we hope you’ll join us. We hope you’ll join our team, our board of directors and everyone else who chooses to step up for seven missions across seven days – seven impactful ways to show you care.

And let’s never underestimate the power of kindness, compassion, generosity and support. Let’s never forget that we can always make the choice to actively add positive value to our communities and to show others how much we appreciate them and their efforts.

Let’s all contribute to the future strength & stability of our communities.

Let’s all lend a hand, raise our hand, and offer positive words of encouragement.

Let’s all care.

Megan Hartwick
United Way executive director

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United Way To Host First-Ever Virtual Week of Caring

Fort Atkinson, WI – August 14, 2020 – The United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties is launching their first-ever Virtual Week of Caring to be held September 14th – 20th.

“Our 2020 Campaign is going to be the most unique yet challenging campaign I’ve had to run,” states Megan Hartwick, United Way executive director.  “We know there will be folks who’ve supported our organization in the past who won’t be in a position to do so this year, and we also know these past six months have been really hard on our communities. So our United Way wanted to introduce a brand new event focused on spreading caring power around to everyone, while of course keeping everyone as healthy and safe as possible.”

The Virtual Week of Caring will consist of seven different small missions across the seven days of the week, beginning on Monday, September 14th. The missions will be as follows: Join our Mission (Monday), Praise a Community Worker (Tuesday), Thank a Business (Wednesday), Commit to Volunteering (Thursday), Advocate for a Cause (Friday), Lend Your Support (Saturday), and Practice Self-Care (Sunday). There are no set requirements for completing each mission, and there is no sign-up for registration fee for participating.

“We wanted to make participation in this week-long series as easy as possible,” Hartwick states. “We will be offering a lot of suggestions and information that will help people figure out what specific acts of caring will work best for them, but we also want community members to get creative and express themselves during these small missions. Mostly, we want people to remember that small, simple acts of kindness can have a huge ripple affect across communities. And I think we can all agree that our communities need as much caring power and support as possible right now.”

Any community member is able to participate in the Virtual Week of Caring. United Way is encouraging workplaces to join in and use it as a team building exercise, or for parents to engage their children and make it a fun family activity. The acts can be as small or as big as an individual determines, and can be something very quick or tasks that require a longer commitment.  The one request from United Way, is that folks share their participation and encourage others to join.

“We want to see all of these amazing acts of caring and we want the participants to share their positive impact with others and encourage them to join in,” Hartwick states. “We have created specific hashtags for the week that we’d ask people to use anytime they post their participation on social media. We’d also love for United Way to be tagged in any postings so we can help share the information. But mostly, we want participants to find any way to share – text your friends, post something up in your break room at work, or email your family members. We want to see this have a grand impact on our communities.”

Full details for the Virtual Week of Caring, including instruction sheets for each individual day, hashtag details, Facebook images and more, can be found on the Virtual Week of Caring page on the United Way’s website – https://uwjnwc.com/events/week-of-caring/.

“We’ve put together a lot of details and marketing information to make it very easy for people to participate and to promote the week’s tasks,” Hartwick states. “I’ll be sharing my personal participation each day, as well as our board of directors’ involvement, because our United Way is fully committed to spreading caring power throughout our communities. And also because, at United Way, we see one of our main responsibilities as creating connections throughout our communities; connecting individuals to needed help and resources, connecting volunteers to organizations who could benefit from their time, connecting donors to causes and missions they care about, and now connecting the power of kindness and support to those who need it.”

To join in on the week’s events, people are encouraged to visit the United Way website and subscribe to their newsletter and to “like and follow” their Facebook page (@uwjnwc).

“We’re so excited about this brand new way to kick-off our 2020 Campaign,” Hartwick adds. “We’re launching this year’s campaign with a theme of ‘Now More Than Ever’ because we believe our United Way support is needed in our communities now more than ever, and we feel constant acts of caring are also needed, now more than ever.”

Anyone who would like more information on United Way can visit the website at www.uwjnwc.com or contact United Way at 920.563.8880 or unitedway@idcnet.com.

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United Way to participate in third annual Brews & Bingo event hosted by Tyranena Brewing Company

Fort Atkinson, WI – August 14, 2020 – Tyranena Brewing Company will be hosting a “Brews & Bingo” fundraiser to benefit the United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties.

The event will take place at Tyranena (1025 Owen Street, Lake Mills) from 6-8pm on Monday, August 24th. There will be $10 bingo cards (with the chance to win many prizes) a 50/50 raffle, and Tyranena will also be generously donating $1 for every pint served during the event. All proceeds will support the 2020 United Way campaign.

“We’re really excited to be hosting our third year of bingo during this great fundraising event with Tyranena. We’ve had such successful bingo nights the past two years, so we’re really hoping for strong, continued support this year,” state Megan Hartwick, United Way executive director. “The Tyranena brewery is such a staple in the Lake Mills community, so we’re looking forward to hosting a great event in their beautiful space, all in support of our local nonprofit partners and community programs.”

There will be a number of great prizes available for bingo winners, including Weber grilling tools, Green Bay Packer apparel, a yeti can coozie, gift certificates and much more. There will also be a Fitbit Charge 3 given away to the winner of a final blackout round at the end of the night.

“Last year we introduced a blackout game to end the night in which the winner received great Brewer tickets,” Hartwick added. “Unfortunately that cannot be our prize again this year, but we received a great Fitbit donation and will use that for our final game. Should there be more than one winner, they will rock/paper/scissors until we have one winner. That was quite a fun way to end bingo last year, so we’re looking forward to it again for this year.”

Guests will also be expected to abide by all COVID-related guidelines in place at Tyranena, including limiting table seating to six people or less, not moving tables, using hand sanitizer when ordering outside, and wearing a mask when order and visiting the bingo table.

“Our fundraisers are very important to the overall success of our campaign, and this event has been an exciting kick-off fundraiser for the past two years,” Hartwick states. “But obviously the health and safety of our communities is top priority. After reviewing details with the Stacey Schraufnagel, Front Operations Manager at Tyranena, we felt very comfortable with the steps they had taken and feel confident we can still hold this event safely. We hope lots of folks will join us.”

More information can be found via the Facebook invite for “Brews & Bingo!” and anyone with any questions can contact Hartwick (920.563.8880) or Stacey Schraufnagel of Tyranena (920.648.8699) directly.

__________________________

 

The United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties’ mission is to fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our communities. We do that by providing support to community programs, projects and local agencies that provide critical health and human services to those in need.  This network of helping services can be described as a “safety net” for those in our midst in need.  Whether it is transitional housing, literacy education, after-school programs and education, health and dental care, end of life care, mentoring programs, job training or disaster relief, the United Way identifies the greatest needs in our community and helps to fund agencies that can meet those needs.

 

For more information about our local United Way, you may visit the website at www.uwjnwc.com  or “like” the Facebook page at “United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties.”  For details regarding the United Way’s online volunteer tool, please visit www.volunteermain.com.

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Board Member Input – Campaigning During a Pandemic

As most of you know firsthand, the pandemic has caused many of us to try new things.  Some good like learning a new hobby, some bad like making a sourdough starter.  What we all need to think about now is what can I do to help make a difference?  For United Way workplace campaigns, that is no different.

Due to social distancing guidelines or other added precautions, some events you normally run for your campaign might not be possible this year. This is where thinking outside the box can help.

Can’t speak to everyone all at once? At United Way, we have posters, signs and videos to help spread the message about your campaign.

Having trouble with event ideas? I have seen companies raffle off mask packages that were handmade by colleagues. You could have a mask competition to vote for your favorite mask. If masks aren’t a hot topic, you could look at raffling off something that encourages being outside like bag toss – an activity that naturally promotes social distancing.

While this sadly might be our new normal, it doesn’t have to mean running miserable campaigns. “Now more than ever” we need to help each other in our communities, because we are all in this together.

Start thinking and sharing ideas with your campaign manager to help come up with events that will work best for you and your company.

United Way appreciates your support!

Matt Yonke
United Way Board Member
HR and Safety Manager, HUSCO International

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United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties to Merge with Watertown Area United Way

Fort Atkinson, WI – June 25, 2020 – The United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties has announced that it is merging with the Watertown Area United Way effectively as of July 1, 2020.

“We are so excited to be moving forward with finalizing this merger, prior to kicking off our 2020 United Way Campaign,” states Megan Hartwick, United Way executive director.  “There have been many discussions in the past year, among many groups throughout the county, about how to better increase collaboration among local organizations to more effectively support those in need. We wholeheartedly believe this merger of two local United Ways will put us in a position to do just that – to grow support for our mission to fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our communities.”

“Bringing the Watertown Area United Way under the umbrella of the United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties makes sense, in that it gives us the opportunity to leverage our donations in the best possible way in our combined service areas, in turn strengthening the support of our partner agencies,” states Chris VanGundy, Watertown Area United Way board president. “Our donors trust us to make sure their dollars go where they’re needed most and will have the greatest impact, and we believe this merger will allow us to more effectively do that.”

The United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties will continue to support its existing service area of Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, Whitewater, Lake Mills, Palmyra, Sullivan and Helenville, but will now also support Watertown (zip code 53094), Waterloo, Ixonia and Johnson Creek. Hartwick will continue to serve as the executive director for the organization.

“I couldn’t be more honored to continue my work leading our United Way for our service area, but to also now be entrusted with the responsibility of supporting and growing United Way’s presence in the greater Watertown area is something I am inspired by committed to exceling at,” Hartwick adds.

“The board members of the Watertown United Way are excited for the opportunities this merger will bring to the Watertown community. Working with Megan over the last few years, it’s clear that she will bring a revitalized vision of the United Way to Watertown and be able to provide a solid presence for our agencies and donors,” VanGundy states.

The Watertown Area United Way has been a solely volunteer-led organization with a five-member board of directors. Two of those board members will be joining the board of directors for the newly expanded United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties.

“I’m looking forward to joining the board of the United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties as a voice for Watertown. I think having the experience of working in the Watertown community under the United Way for over 7 years, I can bring the knowledge I’ve gained about the specific needs of Watertown and how we can best address those needs to the merged organization,” VanGundy adds.

“Having Chris’s participation on our board, along with Helen Zuehlke, former president of the Watertown board, will be a tremendous asset,” Hartwick states. “They have established a trusted presence of United Way in the greater Watertown community, which will allow our organization to grow our support more quickly and effectively.”

That growth will begin starting with the fall 2020 United Way Campaign.

“With the hardships our communities have endured as a result of COVID-19, we know the 2020 campaign will bring a tremendous amount of changes and challenges,” Hartwick states. “However, we also feel very optimistic that the merger will further show our communities that United Way is committed to doing all we can to ensure support to those who need it most and to ensure the overall strength of our communities. Now more than ever, United Way’s support is needed and this merger will lend itself to our ability to increase that support.”

Anyone in the Watertown area who would like to discuss getting involved with the United Way, or anyone with any questions about the merger and the organizational changes, can contact Hartwick at the United Way office at 920.563.8880 or unitedway@idcnet.com.

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Board Member Input – COVID-19 Relief Fund’s Positive Impact

I have served on the United Way Board for several years and am so proud to do so!

At the beginning of the global pandemic, the United Way Board held some virtual meetings to see how we could best help people in our community.  Under the suggestion and guidance of our Executive Director, the Board decided to restructure the use of our pillar grant funds to create a COVID-19 Relief Fund, which would help support the local school districts in our area as well as two emergency financial assistance programs.

Speaking specifically for the School District of Fort Atkinson (SDFA), the funds have been used to help feed children in the community and to offset additional costs for children and parents. I am in a profession that deals with these children and I have heard from several parents about how wonderful the breakfast/lunch service program was that was delivered to their homes during the school closure!

In a time of need, the United Way is there to help and serve. I am proud that we were able to do this to help so many people. Thank you to all of those people that donated money to the United Way COVID-19 Relief Fund and gave us the ability to help others in the greater Fort Atkinson community.

Dave Geiger
United Way Board Member
Principal, Luther Elementary School (School District of Fort Atkinson)