Impact in the Chippewa Valley

We Kicked off GIVING TUESDAY with a FUNdraiser!

Join us for our most tasty and toasty online auction fundraiser yet! For one week only, you'll have the opportunity to bid on our very unique perfectly paired selection of wine and cheese!

We received a generous donation from an anonymous local wine collector. And if you have wine, you certainly need cheese. So we reached out to our friends at Cheese Brothers to help us pair each bottle with a delightful box of Wisconsin cheese, sausage and jam. All proceeds from this auction will benefit United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley (UWGCV) and the greatest needs of our community.

The auction is open now, running through Tuesday, December 5 at 10 p.m. Shipping is not available, local pick-up only. Please plan to stop by our office on Friday, December 8 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to collect your auction winnings.

Please help us spread the word! Bid to win wine & and cheese to support our mission to build a stronger Chippewa Valley! WIN WIN!

When you support UWGCV, you're giving to many gouda causes! We're grape-ful for your support!

CLICK HERE TO BID NOW!

This month's introduction is brought to you by our Marketing Intern, John Rhutasel. John brings a passion for digital marketing and web analytics. He's helping us make some improvements during his time here. Read on, as we're excited to announce the date for next year's Dueling Pianos event, it's going to be a blast! Also, serious resources, the 211 Wisconsin App and ALICE report access links are available here as well. We're thankful for you all this holiday season, we appreciate you for being here and supporting the greatest needs of our community.

A few words from our Marketing Intern:

Hello Readers!

My name is John Rhutasel and I am the Marketing Intern here at United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley (UWGCV). I am thankful to have the opportunity of filling this role, working with great people and learning more about our community and non-profit organizations!

In my position here at UWGCV I have had the pleasure of using my skills and background to make a difference. Recently I have been researching our website, taking notes for future optimization and design choices that I am now starting to implement. I have helped with updates to the 2024 sponsorship packet, as well as brainstorming some ideas for a potential hero video to bring more excitement to the UWGCV homepage.

For a bit more background information about myself, I was born and raised here in Eau Claire, Wisconsin then moved to Menomonie, Wisconsin for college. I am currently a senior at UW-Stout in Menomonie and will be graduating this semester with my bachelor’s in digital marketing technologies. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and her adorable cat Winnie, running outside and golfing during the summertime. I also enjoy being with family during the holidays and bundling up to watch a good sci-fi movie during the cold months! As of now, I am largely enjoying my learning experience at UWGCV while looking for full-time opportunities after I graduate this December.

I want to give a big thanks to everyone on UWGCV's team for supporting me through my journey here. Working with people who strive to build up the Chippewa Valley and make beneficial changes within the community has been a wonderful and eye-opening experience.

Also, a final thank you to those reading!

Appreciatively,

John

John Rhutasel

Marketing Intern

United Way of the

Greater Chippewa Valley

Phone: (715) 944-8696

Email: intern@uwgcv.org

GET HELP NOW! DOWNLOAD THE NEW 211 APP!

We're here to promote the release of the new 211 Wisconsin App. Kudos to United Way of Dane County for their work on this project! We're thankful for this statewide resource.

Also thank you to United Way of Wisconsin and Great Rivers 2-1-1 for supporting this project. The app is available for download in the Apple and Android app stores by searching 211 Wisconsin.

LEARN MORE HERE

Dueling Pianos Tickets ON SALE NOW!

Join us for Dueling Pianos in 2024, tickets are on sale now! "Midwest Dueling Pianos offers a wildly entertaining music and comedy dueling piano show." All tips for the performers and ticket sales go to support United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley.

When: February 24, 2024

Door open: 7:00 p.m.

Performers: 7:30-10:30 p.m.

Location: Eau Claire Event District, The Crescent

See you on February 24!

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE!

Our neighbors and our friends need help. United Way is committed to connecting individuals with resources to ensure financial stability.

The new United Way of Wisconsin ALICE® Reports states that One-Third of Wisconsinites Struggle to Make Ends Meet Financially.

Wisconsin households have difficulty affording basic necessities like housing, food, transportation, child care and internet access.

READ THE ALICE REPORT HERE!

GIVE TODAY TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS!

Oktoberfest gives back to UWGCV!

Thank you to Chippewa Falls for hosting an event that allows volunteers to choose where they would like to give back. We're proud recipients of part of the $20,000 given back to the Chippewa Valley and we so appreciate your support.

Here's a link to a story by the Chippewa Herald and another by WEAU 13 News. Thank you all for everything you do for the Chippewa Valley!

The Chippewa Valley Village Child Care Provider Network, a dynamic community initiative aimed at supporting and empowering family child care providers, has received funding from the Wisconsin DreamUp! Grant to support the community-led effort.

The Chippewa Valley Village Child Care Provider Network holds monthly in-person meetings, providing a supportive space where child care providers can come together, share experiences and exchange valuable insights. These gatherings foster a sense of camaraderie and collaboration, as providers connect with like-minded individuals facing similar challenges and accomplishments. The network meets the second Tuesday of every month from 6-8 p.m. in the Pines Room at 29 Pines Family Restaurant & Lounge in Eau Claire.

LEARN MORE HERE!

This newsletter's Program Partner Spotlight is featuring L.E. Phillips Career Development Center:

When you support UWGCV, you are investing in collaborative, innovative, research-based and results-focused initiatives. These initiatives coordinate the work of local programs, service providers and community stakeholders in the Chippewa Valley. Together, we're working to solve our community's most pressing problems. Each Program Partner is funded under a specific initiative that is driven by a bold goal that keeps everyone working toward the same mission. Each newsletter we'll talk about how the featured program fits into our initiatives.

BASIC NEEDS BOLD GOAL:

Chippewa Valley residents will have access to food, shelter and medical services in their time of need.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

Outreach functions as a central point of intake for individuals facing homelessness. The primary responsibility of the Chippewa Outreach Office is to assess the needs of those in crisis help to meet their basic needs. Some people the Outreach Office serves just need a little bit of help to make it through a rough patch, such as an unexpected loss of income. Others need help with long-term struggles such as disabilities, mental illness or drug addiction that has led to homelessness and are in need of emergency shelter.

A photo of L.E. Phillips Career Development Center's Donation Room at the Outreach Office in Chippewa Falls. They are currently in need of donations of winter gear and blankets.

We're here to give you an overview of what our Program Partners do to impact our communities. We asked them to answer a few quick and direct questions for better insight as to what they do, how they do it, how United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley (UWGCV) supports them, any immediate needs they may currently have and any other notes they'd like you to be aware of. Here's what L.E. Phillips Career Development Center had to say.

Please tell us who you are and what you do to strengthen the Chippewa Valley:

The mission of L.E. Phillips Career Development Center is to be a viable business enterprise as a means to provide meaningful and appropriate vocational services and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities or disadvantages. The mission of the Outreach Office is to support individuals and families facing homelessness, or at imminent risk of homelessness, by providing crisis management and resources to meet their basic needs.

How does UWGCV strengthen your program?

As a Program Partner we have been able to really get our name and what we do in our community out there more through Impact Tours, helping with United Way kick-off events and through Program Partner meetings. We have also learned so much about other Program Partners and what they do in the community, thus being able to strengthen our collaborations.

What is your greatest

program need?

Right now our greatest need (other than money for emergency shelter/motel vouchers) is winter gear and blankets. We are searching for all sizes, new or used, winter coats, hats, mitts and boots.

For more information about

L.E. Phillips Career Development Center

Outreach Office in Chippewa Falls

Please contact:

Jennifer Barrett

(715) 861-5002

barrettj@lecdc.org

21 E. Grand Ave.

Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

Or visit their website at lecdc.org/chippewa-county-outreach

and follow their social platforms.

A street view of the L.E. Phillips Career Development Center Outreach Office in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

Thank you L.E. Phillips Career Development Center for providing support and opportunities to those in need in the Chippewa Valley.

Digital Equity Awarded $5,000 from Prevail Bank

We're here to celebrate the wonderful people at Prevail Bank. We're so thankful for this $5,000 investment in support of our Digital Equity and Inclusion Initiative. We're united to bridge the digital divide!

When you give where you live, you generously strengthen the Chippewa Valley for everyone! THANK YOU!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DIGITAL EQUITY

BE A DIFFERENCE MAKER! VOLUNTEER TODAY!

Check out our new ULTIMATE ONLINE VOLUNTEER RESOURCE, ChippewaValleyVolunteer.com!

In collaboration with Visit Eau Claire, we’re able to bring local volunteer opportunities to one accessible digital platform. ChippewaValleyVolunteer.com is a one-stop shop when you’re looking to be a volunteer or to recruit volunteers.

Volunteer. Recruit. Visit Now.

VISIT CHIPPEWAVALLEYVOLUNTEER.COM NOW!