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“It only takes one person to mobilize a community and inspire change. Even if you don't feel like you have it in you, it's in you. You have to believe in yourself. People will see your vision and passion and follow you.” – Teyonah Parris
This month we celebrated our communities by giving back in one group effort with this year's Day of Caring event on Friday, September 22. Over 500 volunteers set out to make a difference in the day-to-day of some very deserving organizations. Over 40 projects were completed. From hanging lights in Irvine Park for the City of Chippewa Falls Parks and Recreation to helping with the Pop-Up Food Bank at Feed My People Food Bank, all of the projects helped bring a little extra cheer to the Chippewa Valley. Thanks again to all who participated!
As you read along, you'll find an introduction from this year's Board Chair, Shawn Snedden. A great supporter of our communities and a cheerleader for our team. We're thankful to have him on board. Also, a special thank you to all of the Employee Campaign Coordinators (ECCs) working hard out there, running special events and growing awareness to support our initiatives in Health, Financial Stability, Education, Basic Needs and Digital Equity. Thank you for your dedication!
Read on to learn more about the opportunity to provide feedback with Digital Equity's Digital Access in Wisconsin Survey. We also have information on The Chippewa Valley Village Child Care Provider Network, hosting meeting opportunities each month where you can connect and find support. We're better together!
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A few words from our Board Chair:
What an exciting time to be a part of this great organization supporting the Chippewa Valley area! Greetings everyone, my name is Shawn Snedden and I work for Leinenkugel’s Brewery as the General Manager/Plant Manager in Chippewa Falls.
I am married to my wife Jeannette and have three children Tyler, Avery and Sydney along with my German Shorthair Pointer (GSP), Axel. I love to spend my time after work volunteering, traveling and spending time in the outdoors with Axel.
Why am I so excited about this organization? We have an outstanding staff, board members and a community of selfless United Way volunteers who spend countless hours to provide services to our community to support their needs. I have been a part of United Way in volunteering and giving for over 20 years and there isn’t a better feeling knowing what you do and what you donate supports those in need.
Kind regards,
Shawn
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Shawn Snedden
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Inc.
Board Chair
United Way of the
Greater Chippewa Valley
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Impact Tours provide the opportunity to learn more about the issues affecting our community and how you can support the efforts of local nonprofits by donating to United Way.
For each tour, we visit multiple United Way Program Partners throughout the scheduled time. You'll get an up-close look at the amazing work that is being done right here in the Chippewa Valley.
The 2024 Impact Tour dates are being determined,
we'll keep you posted!
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Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's Day of Caring event! More than 500 volunteers worked in teams across the Chippewa Valley on Friday, Sept. 22 to make a huge impact in the day-to-day for many organizations. We were able to complete more than 40 projects at 28 different locations. We're better together, be very proud of all of the work we accomplished!
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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 had difficulty affording basic necessities like housing, food, transportation, child care and internet access.
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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.
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This newsletter's Program Partner Spotlight is featuring Chippewa County Department of Public Health:
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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.
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HEALTH BOLD GOAL:
Mental Health of Chippewa Valley residents will improve by utilizing prevention and intervention programs.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
Healthy U, organized by the Chippewa County Department of Public Health (CCDPH), is a community education program that utilizes the research-backed curriculum of Mindful Schools to help alleviate or remove factors that contribute to mental health illness in school-aged children across Chippewa County. Using Mindful Schools, the program aims to spark change through an inside-out approach by cultivating awareness, resilience and compassionate action. By means of mindfulness practice, Healthy U builds cultures that prioritize the social-emotional well-being of all educators, students and families throughout local communities, specifically those impacted by social and economic barriers.
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September's Impact Tour made a stop at the Chippewa County Department of Public Health to learn more about the Healthy U Program.
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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 Chippewa County Department of Public Health had to say.
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Please tell us who you are and what you do to strengthen the Chippewa Valley:
The Chippewa County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) is a county government entity comprised of 31 employees across multiple divisions. Improving mental health throughout local communities has long been a focus of this organization and is a priority
area highlighted in the Community Health Improvement Plan. CCDPH serves Chippewa County's entire population, responding to residents from various geographical, racial, ethnic and income backgrounds.
Healthy U introduces mindfulness practices to youth residing in rural communities. The program's main objective is to foster emotional well-being, resilience and self-awareness among rural youth, equipping them with valuable skills to navigate life's challenges. The target population for this program is youth from Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) households.
How does UWGCV strengthen your program?
The program partner and advisory council meetings have been a great resource in our pilot year. UWGCV has also been extremely helpful in connecting us with other community partners to supply resources and help us meet our program goals. We love working with Isabella Hong and we are so grateful for her continuous support, especially as we prepare our program for year two of implementation.
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What is your greatest
program need?
We are in need of volunteer On-Call Advocates to respond to our crisis line during times our building is not open.
For participants, one major need is assistance for short-term motel stays when individuals and families are fleeing violent situations.
Is there anything else you'd like to highlight?
Evaluation results from the program’s first year show a 7% increase in the number of students who feel they can calm themselves when feeling anxious and an 18% increase in the number of students who feel they can tell other people why they feel a certain way.
All teachers who participated in year one activities with their students said that they would opt-in to participating in the program again and that they intended to continue mindfulness practice in their classrooms after the program was completed.
Most teacher participants also felt that mindfulness practice created an environment in which they could spend more minutes teaching, due to improvements in students’ ability to relate to one another, settle down, control their impulses and regulate their emotions.
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For more information about
Chippewa County
Department of Public Health
please contact:
Hailey Bomar
(715) 726-7900 ext. 4575
711 N Bridge St
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. 54729
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Or visit their website at co.chippewa.wi.us/government/public-health and follow their social platforms.
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Thank you Chippewa County Department of Public Health for informing, educating and advocating to keep our communities healthy!
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Helping others is proven to induce warm fuzzies. Don't believe us, try it for yourself!
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.
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Keep up to date with all of our future United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley events. Get involved and give back. Dates for our 2024 events coming soon!
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Chippewa Valley Village Child Care Provider Network
the second Tuesday of every month
From 6-8 p.m. | Pines Room at 29 Pines Family Restaurant & Lounge
5872 33rd Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54703
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Check out this year's campaign video. Hear the reasons why you should support UWGCV!
GIVE WHERE YOU LIVE.
Donate and volunteer today!
uwgcv.org/give | 715-834-5043
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Invest in improving Health,
Financial Stability,
Education,
Basic Needs and Digital Equity
in the
Chippewa Valley.
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Impact in the Chippewa Valley is sponsored by:
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Like and follow us on social!
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