United Way of Marathon County

September 01, 2016

CommUnity Fest is September 24

Mark your calendar and plan to attend United Way CommUnity Fest on September 24, 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Marathon Park. There will be kid's activities and crafts, food vendors, costumed characters, music, chances to win free water park passes and gas cards and more. The highlight of the event is the United We Can food sculpture competition. Local businesses will construct sculptures from non-perishable food products and household goods which will all be donated to local pantries after the event. You can help fight hunger in our community by bringing a non-perishable or cash donation. For each item or $1 contributed, you will receive a ticket to vote for your favorite entry. The entry with the most votes will win the coveted "People's Choice" award.

Partnership for Youth Provides Workshop

Earlier this summer the Partnership for Youth Coalition provided training for teachers, counselors, foster parents and others who work with children who have been exposed to trauma and have some behavior challenges. One of attendees commented, "The Meeting Behavioral Challenges With Compassion session was phenomenal. I work with a team that is already well versed in trauma sensitivity and we all walked away with a list of things we know we can do to ensure our work with students and families truly respects where they are coming from."

The Partnership for Youth Coalition is working on future programs that will help local teachers, social workers, case managers and others better connect with the youth in our community who are experiencing challenges. If you would like to receive information on upcoming programs, please contact Deanna Schuette, Community Impact Director at United Way.

Need Help Raking Your Yard This Fall?

United Way Volunteer Connection is once again organizing volunteers to rake leaves on Make a Difference Day, October 22. If you, or someone you know, is frail elderly or disabled, and need help with this annual chore, call Volunteer Connection at 715-298-5723 or United Way's 2-1-1, to request assistance. Based on the number of available volunteers, this project is limited to the first 150 callers.

Share the Harvest moves to Saturdays

Beginning on September 10 you will find the Marathon County Hunger Coalition's Share the Harvest activities at the Wausau Farmers' Market on Saturdays. They still have lots of fun activities planned for kids and families to enjoy while shopping for locally grown produce. There will be taste testings, cooking demos, pumpkin decorating and more during September and October, with the final Share the Harvest on October 29, featuring Ghoulish Fun!

RSVP September Activities

United Way RSVP has several offerings in the coming weeks. At their monthly Coffee Hour on September 27, 9:30-10:30 a.m., at the Longfellow Administration Center they will be learning about volunteer opportunities in the Wausau School District, as well as the Reading Buddies program at Marathon and Mosinee Elementary schools. With fall approaching, they are also gearing up the offerings of the technology classes. If you could use some help with Windows 10 or using your Iphone or Ipad, make plans to attend a free technology class taught by United Way RSVP Tech Tutors. You will find the class schedule on our website.

For more information on the RSVP programs, call Tony Omernik at 715-298-5721.

Emerging Leaders Partnering with Daily Herald for 20 Under 40

United Way Emerging Leaders will once again partner with the Daily Herald for the 20 Under 40 program. If you know a young person who deserves to be recognized for their contributions to our community, please consider nominating them for this prestigious award. You'll find the necessary forms on-line.

Make a Difference in a Child's Life

Do you have an hour or two a week to spend reading with a child? If so, United Way Volunteer Connection wants to hear from you. The Reading Buddies program will start soon in both the Mosinee and Marathon districts. Volunteers are needed to help kindergarten students who are struggling with reading.

Until third grade, students learn to read. After that, they need to be proficient readers to learn other subject matter. That's why helping those kids who are struggling early... in kindergarten.... has the most impact. Students that participated in this program last year saw a dramatic increase in their reading abilities. You can learn more about the programs on our website or by contacting Volunteer Connection at 715-298-5723.

Your gift of an hour or two a week can make all the difference in the life of a child. Please consider volunteering!

Your Gift Makes a Difference

Watch our video, "One Family's Story", to learn how you are making a difference in our community.

Thanks to Mary Ellen Marnholtz, Pam Rucinski and Colleen Parquette for volunteering their time and talents to create this video.

United Way Welcomes New Staff

Jessica Sayer and Nancy Czerwinski recently joined the staff at United Way of Marathon County in positions previously held by Becky Walsh and Judy Prange.

Nancy (on the left) is a native of Greenfield, Wisconsin, and a graduate of UW-Whitewater. Her primary responsibilities will be creating e-pledge sites and processing, e-communications and social media. She is busy exploring Wausau in her free time and enjoys hiking, photography and spending time with family and friends.

Jessica (on the right) is from Door County and graduated from UW-Stevens Point. You may recognize her as the former Volunteer Coordinator and Operations Manager at the Center for the Visual Arts. Jessica will be the first smiling face you see at our reception desk and will also be responsible for data entry and other administrative tasks. She lives in Stevens Point and enjoys biking, reading and cooking.

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