Category: Board & Staff

Things are going great here at United Way, and I am really enjoying myself and the work I am doing. My favorite part about my role at United Way is working with the community here. Over the past couple of days I have had the opportunity to communicate with and meet a lot of wonderful people. Everyone has been so kind and welcoming to me. I really appreciate the warmth I have received from this wonderful community. I have not only experienced the kindness, but working with United Way I get to see the generosity of the community as well.  A true community of giving!

Over the last two months I spent some time meeting with many organizations about their United Way campaigns. It was wonderful to see how excited these workplaces are to get their campaigns rolling and start giving. It was so inspiring to see how excited individuals got about giving back to their community. I have never seen a community like ours that is so dedicated to making sure their neighbor is taken care of. However, it is not only the workplace campaigns, but also the individuals who donate and support us that are making a difference. Individual giving not only includes financial giving; they also give of their time by volunteering for events like our Chili Cook-off. It is great to see a community that is so involved. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to get to work with all of you throughout our campaign season. Please let me know if I can help in any way.

As campaign packets and generous donations start to come in, I get excited about what our United Way will be able to do this year! I know that these funds will go to support hundreds of thousands of our community members, and it all comes from your kindness and generosity. We would not be able to do what we do without this wonderful giving community. I am grateful I get to continue to work with you all and look forward to see what is to come!

Rachael Chupka
United Way Intern

Happy fall everyone,

As we are getting into fall that also means our campaign season is about to get into full swing. This year at Festival we decided to take a different approach to the campaign season so we could really focus on maximum exposure to our associates. In years past, we would have United Way campaigns running throughout the company at all times of the year throughout our 32 stores across the state. For the 2019 campaign season, we made the decision as a company to launch our campaigns at the same time. This year we took a laser-focused approach to ensure consistency and increase awareness. With this news that we would be launching our campaign three months earlier than the rest of the group here at UWJNWC, I wanted to make sure we started the season off in the right direction and challenged the team here at Festival to really focus on this campaign. With this challenge, I wanted to make myself available to all associates if they had any questions about United Way. If and when they did, I was then able to speak with them directly to ensure they knew how the money is spent and what process we go through as a board to ensure all funding goes to organizations that align with our values. To kick-off the campaign, the management group decided a great way to raise some funds for the United Way outside of the store was to run the concession stand at the Fort Atkinson Generals game. The day of the game, in which we were running the stand, was one of the hottest days of summer and it quickly turned stormy which cut the game short.  We still made the best of it and had a blast doing it. Once we officially wrapped up the 2019 campaign we ended up with some fantastic results to be proud of! Here is the breakdown of our results:

• $1500 increase in total giving over last year
• 22 new donors (out of 150 associates)
• 73% of our associates donating up 17% from prior year

The key to a successful campaign is really quite simple.  There needs to be ample communication while running a campaign.  This can be done by making it a point to talk to your associates about the event every single day. This ensures they know what is going on, what we are doing to help support the United Way and why the United Way is so important to us and the community. As board members, it is our job to ensure our associates know the process behind allocating the funds raised every year and really drive home how that money stays in our local community.

At the end of the day, there is nothing more rewarding than being part of a successful board and I am happy to say United Way has one of those boards.  That is all thanks to our amazing group of board members and our fantastic director.

Cory Krisher
Store Director, Festival Foods

As a college student you learn a lot about yourself. You find out what you want to do, who you want to be, and most importantly you find out how you want to leave your mark on this world. For me, I want to leave my mark by helping people and “creating opportunities” in my community, and that is why I choose United Way.

I should start by introducing myself. My name is Rachael Chupka and I am currently an intern with the United Way of Jefferson and North Walworth Counties. I am a senior at UW-Whitewater and will be graduating in December with my bachelor’s degree in Business Management with an emphasis in healthcare administration.  Last year I took the nonprofit management class as an elective and it quickly became one of my favorite classes. During that class, I had the pleasure of meeting Megan when she came and talked to us about her job with United Way.  When the opportunity arose for me to work with Megan I was thrilled.

After only a few days of working at the United Way I quickly learned of all the great services that our United Way either provides or is involved with. All of these programs offer a wide array of support to community members to help them get connected with the resources they need. My favorite part about United Way is that they are, in a sense, the middleman of the operation. We have the pleasure of taking the generous donations from the community and making sure that they are allocated to worthy causes within our community.  It is the community members of Jefferson and North Walworth county that make these programs possible. This organization works to fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our communities and I am so lucky to be part of that effort.

United Way’s focus this year is on “creating opportunity”. United Way of Jefferson and North Walworth County has created such an amazing opportunity for me, and I am so grateful. This internship will allow me to grow my skills, gain real world experience learning more than I ever could in a classroom. I am excited to take this opportunity and use it to give back by helping work towards “creating opportunity” for others during my time here. I look forward to connecting with you all in the next couple of months.

Rachael Chupka
United Way Intern

The changing of seasons is the perfect time to think about how we can best support our community and what better than with United Way. Each fall, we eagerly kick-off the United Way Campaign where we collaborate with local business to raise funding for our partner agencies. The campaign is not only dedicated to fundraising but also to building awareness of all the ways that the United Way positively affects our community.

Jones Dairy Farm, like many other businesses in the area, is dedicated to getting company-wide involvement through fun activities and opportunities to share how giving, regardless of the amount, can make a big impact. Reminiscent of school days, Jones hosts a penny war which gets pretty heated! The winning team gets to enjoy a pizza party at the end. Each person who donates is entered into a drawing to win exciting prizes. Lastly, those office employees who participate get to enjoy a casual dress code.

While enticement certainly helps, the biggest motivator for our employees to consider a donation is simply through the heart. Sharing stories of how United Way funding helps individuals in our own community get better access to housing and job opportunities, or how United Way helps support our children in local schools, or even how funding moves us all a step forward in the right direction to better mental and physical health, it’s a no-brainer to donate or not.

As a new board member, I’m very excited to be part of the United Way campaign in a way that best stewards funds. Growing up in Fort Atkinson, I know this community has a way of stepping up and supporting those in need. I feel honored to represent Jones Dairy Farm in this fashion!

Lisa Caras
Marketing Manager, Jones Dairy Farm

As a United Way Board Member, I am constantly amazed at the generosity of our community. There are times when we are able to contribute, and other times when we are the recipients, who may someday wish to contribute. The United Way is there for all of us.

While we often think of the United Way at the same time we are enjoying watching our favorite professional Football teams—likely because of the poignant commercials—the United Way is very active year round.  Once fundraising projects are completed, the generous donations provided need to cascade to organizations who treat those dollars in a fiscally responsible manner to assist the community.

Partner Agencies, listed on our United Way website, are organizations that are approved for quarterly grant funding from our United Way.  That approval is determined through an application review and interview process, led by the United Way board of directors and multiple community volunteers.   This is a very stringent process, where the United Way participants and community members truly treat the funds as their own!  The Partner Agencies selected have shown true diligence in the applications submitted; and the follow through requirements.  There are so many deserving recipients for the funds—it is certainly difficult to select the most deserving.  Special thanks to our Partner Agencies for their diligence and dedication to the programs funded through the United Way.

Another use of United Way funds focuses on Pillar Grants, which provide funding on specific community projects and programs, which focus on areas of strategic impact.  Again, recipients provide detailed information which is reviewed comprehensively to ensure appropriate funding.  Congratulations to those recipients for their dedication to community efforts.

I am truly proud to serve as a Board Member for the United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties, where we truly embrace the United Way theme.   Thank you for your generosity in supporting the United Way!

Nancy Alstad
HR Director, Fort Healthcare

Why should companies participate in a workplace campaign?
A workplace campaign is an easy way to give back to the community that can be a lot of fun.  When I first took over the workplace campaign for Husco in Whitewater, I was shocked by how many people wanted to help. We started with just a campaign asking employees if they would like to donate. The next year, more and more employees suggested different activities for us to do.  Now we have a silent auction that employees and vendors donate items to auction off. We have a raffle for designated front parking spots of our lot for employees to bid on (great in the winter months). There have been talks of penny wars, a cookout, and walking tacos this year as well.

What’s nice about United Way workplace campaigns is that it doesn’t have to be this huge time sinking event where you lose valuable business time.  United Way asks when you are looking to have the campaign, they will even offer to help.  The campaign can be formal meetings with employees or just a sheet you can hand out of leave out in the break room.  Husco has had pretty good success with the meetings, which typically only take about 10-15 minutes.  Who better to come talk to your workplace about what donating to United Way can do for the community than board members and local community leaders?  Our United Way even has raffle prizes for first time donors or repeat donors who have increased their donation.  There are several winners each year.

Every little bit helps. Donations in any form go a long way in a small community.  From volunteering time and supplies, to simply a few bucks, it all helps and goes back into our local community.  Not sure where to start? Check out www.volunteermain.com for opportunities to get involved. A favorite thing for my employees is that you can designate where your donation goes.  I have several employees who live in different counties, and to have that option for them is very thoughtful.  I also have employees who feel very strongly about certain programs and I know they appreciate being able to have all their donation goes towards that program or partner.

A workplace campaign through United Way is a stream lined process and can be as hands on or hands off as you’d like for your business.  If you have any questions, reach out to us and we will gladly help answer any of your questions.

Why does Husco run/support a United Way campaign?
Husco has had a United Way campaign since before my time here. At Husco, our shared values of honesty, integrity, and respect are the foundation of how we treat our teammates and our customers — they are also central to our community outreach and philanthropic efforts. We strive to give back to the communities we are part of, on both local and global levels.  These values directly align with the mission of United Way.

Matt Yonke
HR Manager, Husco

I have had the honor of being a United Way Board Member for several years.  During this time I have been inspired by the Director and the Board for their dedication and leadership to continue to build a strong community and help ALL people in need.  Each year we review many grants that have wonderful ideas and programs to help serve people.  That is what this world is all about…helping other people.  It is always extremely heartfelt each year when we review grants and interview representatives from local organizations.  I am always inspired to hear from community members that lead organizations to make Jefferson County a better place for our citizens.  Thank you to all of the local organizations that are making a difference in the lives of people.  Your work is truly admirable!

Dave Geiger, United Way Board Member
Principal, Luther Elementary School

Over the course of the past year, I have utilized the term “ecosystem” on a more frequent basis as we look to and envision the future of the County.    An ecosystem is defined in two ways 1) a system, or a group of interconnected elements, formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment; or 2) any system or network of interconnecting and interacting parts.  As we begin to look at the County as an ecosystem, there are many interconnected elements that must work together to change the trajectory of the ecosystem in a positive way.  This includes work of local government, community groups, non-profits and private sector working together to achieve positive outcomes.

Jefferson County has been working in the planning phases to help define what the future of the ecosystem is.  This started with the development and on-going refinement of the County’s Strategic Plan.  Building off this the County has begun it Comprehensive Plan process.  Like our municipalities and townships, counties have a statutory requirement to update this document every 10 years.  Requirements of this plan include looking into areas of Housing; Transportation; Community Facilities & Utilities; Agricultural, Natural & Cultural Resources; Economic Development; Intergovernmental Cooperation and Land Use & Regulations.

So what does this have to do with the United Way?  As you see, many of the requirements of a comprehensive plan are areas that the United Way has been a part of improving through grant dollars raised in the annual campaign or through direct resource coordination and engagement by our Executive Director Megan Hartwick.  So accordingly, the County has asked Megan to serve on the Steering Committee of the Comprehensive Plan to represent non-profits as we look to the future of the ecosystem of Jefferson County.

As we look to define what is a successful ecosystem, data is part of this analysis.  The United Way of Wisconsin helped produce a report called the ALICE report, which recently published its second version.  ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.  In essence, this data looks at those households that are above the Federal Poverty Level but still have difficulty in affording basic household needs.  This report has developed a household survival budget for each county in the state and compares it to the number of households earning fall below this budget. This is the ALICE Threshold.  Per this report by United Way, in Jefferson County, 10% of our households are in poverty (state average 11.7%) and 27% of households are beneath the ALICE Threshold (state average 25.8%) (2016 data).

The goal of our United Way, the County and other stakeholders in our communities is to collectively work together to improve upon this data set by looking at ways to improve the lives that are impacted by services and opportunities provided by all.  This data is part of the ecosystem we look to improve upon as we make plans for the future.

Please continue to support the United Way and please engage in the County’s Comprehensive Plan process to help envision the future.

Ben Wehmeier
County Administrator, Jefferson County

People often ask me if it’s hard that so much of my job is focused on fundraising (aka, asking people for money). I’ve always been able to very easily and quickly answer that question with a genuine, truthful “no.”

United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties (UWJNWC) fundraising events create a unique intersection of the public, volunteers, business owners, and UWJNWC staff and board members. These events help the community understand UWJNWC’s role in improving the quality of life in our area by providing a public forum for the Executive Director and board members to talk about what they do and why they do it.

Business owners who host fundraisers meet other philanthropic members of the community, demonstrate their hometown commitment to their customers, and have an opportunity to establish new collaborations.

Volunteers, the heart of UWJNWC and the partner organizations we support, act as role models at these events; through their dedication and enjoyment they recruit others to give of their time and resources to help their neighbors in need.

Participating in a local fundraiser is a great way meet people, to give back to your community, to work towards a common goal, and to simply have fun. We hope to see you at one of our future United Way fundraisers!

Make sure to “like” our United Way’s Facebook page (@uwjnwc) to stay up to date on all future fundraising events!

Kristen Burton
UWJNWC Board Member
Operations Manager, Business Outreach
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater