Our Program Partners

The 2022-2025 United Way Program Partners will be working together in the four community impact areas of health, education, financial stability and basic needs under comprehensive plans to address key issues affecting the well-being of people in our community.

Health Initiative Logo

United we improve the mental health
of Chippewa Valley residents.

 

Mental Health | Support | Mindfulness
 
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern WI
PROGRAM: 1-to-1 Youth Mentoring

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin partners with individual donors, foundations, corporations and others to build the critical network of support that funds and enables the work of carefully matching children with caring adult mentors and provides ongoing support to the child, volunteer mentor and child’s family. The focus at Big Brothers Big Sisters is on creating long and sustaining relationships that will have the greatest impact on the children we serve. We know that having a Big Brother or Big Sister can help children reach their potential and get set on the right path in life.
 
Bolton Refuge House, Inc
PROGRAM: Mental Health Intervention/Prevention Program
The Bolton Refuge House provides confidential services to victims of domestic violence, intimate partner abuse, dating violence, human trafficking, elder abuse and sexual assault and to children who have witnessed or been exposed to violence. These services include 1:1 advocacy, mental health counseling, support groups, assistance with referrals to additional resources and community outreach and education services. The Mental Health Provider/Victim Advocate seeks to address the root causes of unhealthy behaviors while enhancing life skills, safety and stability in the lives of those impacted by violence.
 
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley
PROGRAM: Advanced Mental Health Prevention for Youth at Boys & Girls Clubs in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls

Using research-based, youth-focused mental health strategies, Club kids identified as having mental health needs or as subject to multiple risk factors will participate in Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s (BGCA) comprehensive health and wellness initiative, known as Triple Play. The program strives to improve the mental health of members, ages 7-18, by helping them develop healthy relationships and self-esteem, strengthening their ability to make positive choices and abstain from harmful behaviors, increasing their daily physical activity,and teaching them good nutrition. Trained staff empower youth to recognize and address their mental health needs and identify effective strategies.
 
Children’s Wisconsin
PROGRAM: Child and Family Counseling

The Children’s Wisconsin Child and Family Counseling program knows that children need healthy families and communities to help them thrive and grow. Mental Health experts work with children, their parents, family members and other people who are important to them. The goal of counseling is to learn and use skills that manage stress, respond to trauma, work out conflict and build strong, healthy relationships. Services offered include individual therapy and family therapy at the clinic location and through virtual telehealth services, as well as site-based mental health services at five schools in Eau Claire and Altoona.
 
Chippewa County Department of Public Health
PROGRAM: Healthy U

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.
 
Eau Claire Area School District (ECASD)
PROGRAM: Student and Family Assistance Program (SFAP)

Mental health is a significant need for many students and families, preventing students from learning & achieving to their full potential & oftentimes causing much stress within the family. Strong family systems of support are central in promoting healthy children, families, and communities. The Student and Family Assistance Program (SFAP) provides confidential counseling, consultation, prevention and referrals services to students & families who need help. Families have access to a mental health therapist 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
 
Family Support Center
PROGRAM: Domestic Violence Program

The purpose of Family Support Center’s (FSC) Domestic Violence Program is to promote the overall well-being and safety of adult and youth survivors of domestic violence. The program provides comprehensive trauma-informed services to adults and youth in both one to one and group settings designed to increase emotional and physical safety, increase protective factors, build resilience and prevent future mental health crisis and violence.
 
The Open Door Clinic, Inc.
PROGRAM: Mental Health Services

The Open Door Free Clinic’s mental health services provide both counseling and psychiatric services to residents of the Chippewa County who would otherwise have no access to mental health care. The Clinic’s goal is to improve the health of our neighbors, friends and families in Chippewa County, and caring for our patients’ mental health is an integral part of providing the support they need. Over the past year, a higher percentage of patients than ever have been served by our mental health program, and we are proud to be able to provide such essential services to those in need.
 
YMCA of the Chippewa Valley
PROGRAM: YMCA Healthy Living Program

The YMCA of the Chippewa Valley’s Healthy Living Program is a network of sub-programs administered by trained staff in collaboration with community partners that is designed to address and impact the community’s mental health and physical health needs. This program offers evidenced-based health and wellness supports to some of our most vulnerable populations: at-risk teens, cancer survivors, people with dementia and their caregivers and adults over age 55.

Education Initiative Logo

United we prepare children
to enter school ready to succeed.

 

Child Development | Early Literacy | Positive Parenting
 
Eau Claire City-County Health Department (ECCCHD)*
PROGRAM: Western Wisconsin Nurse-Family Partnership Consortium

Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is an evidence-based home-visiting program that joins low-income pregnant mothers with specially trained nurses to help mothers and babies reach their fullest potential. Nurses regularly visit moms-to-be, starting in early pregnancy, continuing through the child’s second birthday. In these first 1000 days, each mom has a trusted resource who helps build her confidence and provides the tools she needs to give her baby a healthy start. Mothers are supported in attachment and bonding and learn how to create safe and healthy environments for their baby to learn and grow.
 
*In fiscal partnership with: Chippewa County Department of Public Health.
 
Family Resource Center Inc.
PROGRAM: 'Triple P' Positive Parenting Program

The ‘Triple P’ Positive Parenting Program is a tiered parenting education intervention that provides ‘just enough information at just the right time’ to increase parents’ skills, self-efficacy and confidence. Triple P helps parents build loving relationships with their children, praise desirable behaviors, teach new skills and spend less time managing misbehavior. In over 35 years of research in 26 different countries, Triple P has been shown to improve the mental health of parents and children, decrease child abuse and neglect and improve children’s behavior so they can succeed in school and life.
 
Family Support Center*
PROGRAM: River Source Family Center

The River Source Family Center Program works with Chippewa County families with children from prenatal to five to promote health and physical well- being, social and emotional development, language skills and general parenting knowledge. The program helps parents and guardians provide supportive environments for their children to learn and grow. The program is a collaborative effort with the Chippewa County Department of Public Health and utilizes both home visitation and group/family connections to achieve its goals.
 
*In fiscal partnership with: Chippewa County Department of Public Health.
 
Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council, Inc.*
PROGRAM: Childcare Partnership

Child Care Partnership’s Project, Preventing Early Expulsion of Kids (PEEK), will provide supports to families & child care programs in the Greater Chippewa Valley in order to reduce or prevent child expulsion in programs and provide much needed resources to improve the social and emotional health of children, ensuring school readiness for children and a greater overall well-being for children and families.
 
*In fiscal partnership with: Feed My People.

Financial Stability Initiative Logo

United we empower residents
to achieve self-sufficiency.

 

Budgeting | Employment | Financial Literacy
 
Chippewa Valley Technical College Foundation
PROGRAM: United Way Microgrant Program

United Way, in partnership with the Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) Foundation, has established the United Way Microgrant Program. This program offers microgrants to support qualifying students in locally in-demand degree programs at CVTC. Because students who have unmet financial needs are at risk of not completing their education, United Way is working to reduce financial barriers (such as tuition, books, child care, auto repair, utilities and food) for these students so they can finish their degree programs. Upon graduation, they will help boost our local economy by filling the skills gaps that have been identified by Chippewa Valley employers. Students are eligible to apply for the United Way microgrants if they are enrolled in the following CVTC programs:
  • Dental Hygienist
  • Electrical Power Distribution
  • FireMedic
  • Gas Utility Construction & Service
  • Human Resources
  • IT-Network Specialist
  • Machine Tooling Technics
  • Mechanical Design Technology
  • Mechatronics Technician
  • Medical Laboratory Technician
  • Nursing Assistant
  • Nursing-Associate Degree
  • Paramedic Technician
  • Practical Nursing
  • Radiography
  • Respiratory Therapy
  • Truck Driving
  • Welding
  • Welding Fabrication
 
FamilyMeans
PROGRAM: Financial Solutions

Debt does not mean defeat. Financial Solutions helps individuals and families achieve and maintain financial stability through: Budget and Debt Counseling; Debt Management Program; and Financial Education. The program supports people on their path to financial security.
 
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, Northwest Region
PROGRAM: Personal Finance and Work Readiness Education

Junior Achievement prepares young people to successfully navigate their economic future. Through learning experiences that stimulate future success and support career discovery, Junior Achievement programs provide students with the financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work-readiness skills that they will need to become responsible citizens and succeed in a global economy.
 
Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council, Inc.
PROGRAM: Chippewa Fresh Start
The Chippewa Fresh Start (CFS) program works with young people, ages 17-24, from Eau Claire and Chippewa counties. The program provides education, employment skills and career direction for at-risk young people by engaging them in the construction of a new house. When completed, the house is sold to an income-eligible family in the community. In addition to the “hands-on” learning that comes from building the house, the program offers a variety of classroom instruction, counseling, financial literacy and money management, leadership, pre-employment training to obtain and retain a job, and job search assistance.

Basic Needs Initiative Logo

Individuals and families in the Chippewa Valley
facing crisis will have access to basic needs.

 

Food | Shelter | Medical and Dental Care
 
Bolton Refuge House, Inc
PROGRAM: Crisis Intervention Services

Crisis Intervention Services provide confidential personal advocacy at no cost to victims who are in need of immediate crisis and support services. Advocacy services are also provided to children who have been exposed to or witness abuse. To address the basic needs of individuals, Bolton Refuge House (BRH) provides emergency shelter in downtown Eau Claire. In addition to sheltering, BRH provides food, clothing, vouchers, safety planning, information and referrals. All services are provided to aid the individual and family with their immediate needs and to provide an opportunity to assist the individual in creating safety and stability in their lives.
 
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of La Crosse, Inc.*
PROGRAM: Shelter for Homeless Adults

Sojourner House and Gaining Ground provide overnight shelter & crisis services for adult men and women in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties. As a nighttime homeless shelter and a crisis services provider, the two programs provide services for most of the day. When Sojourner House closes at 8:30 a.m., guests may work with Gaining Ground from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Sojourner House is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
 
*In fiscal partnership with: Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.
 
Chippewa Valley Free Clinic
PROGRAM: Comprehensive Health Care for Impoverished and Low-Income Families

The Chippewa Valley Free Clinic (CVFC) will provide comprehensive health care to impoverished and low-income adults in the Chippewa Valley. Services will include acute and basic care, mental health, chronic disease management, vision care, oral health care, medications and lab services. To meet the needs of the increase in women and Hispanic patients seeking care at the CVFC, the focus is on women’s health needs, unserved rural residents, and service industry workers using a community liaison to assist with health screenings and coordinate follow-up care on site at the Free Clinic.
 
Chippewa Valley Technical College Foundation, Inc.
PROGRAM: CVTC Dental Clinic

The Chippewa Valley Dental Clinic is a working, learning clinic. The clinic operates through a partnership of community and technical college health providers to train dental care professionals and serve the oral health needs of low-income populations. Clinic staff provide comprehensive, patient-centered care to patients, including all major primary, preventive and restorative services. The clinic’s mission is to create culturally competent and socially minded health care practitioners for the future. The clinic’s primary focus is on education, with low-income patient care an important outcome.
 
The Community Table
PROGRAM: The Community Table

The Community Table’s mission is to serve balanced, nutritious meals in a safe, welcoming environment and to connect those in need with existing resources.
 
Hope Gospel Mission
PROGRAM: Programs to Help the Homeless

The goal at Hope Gospel Mission is to not just help someone for today, but for life. Programs are designed to be holistic, meaning that we will come alongside a person wherever they are in life and provide guidance and training to them in every area of life so that they can reach their full potential. Staff and volunteers are here to make sure that those served can have the resources they need to rebuild their life. Hope Gospel Mission believes “No-one is beyond hope."
 
Hope Village - Tiny Housing Alternatives Inc
PROGRAM: Tiny House Shelter Program
The Tiny House Shelter Program provides temporary housing, case management and supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Chippewa County. Program guests work with a Navigator and volunteer mentors to develop and achieve individualized goals identified through their secure living plan focused on financial stability, health resource connection, and permanent housing. The Navigator connects program guests with community resources such as food pantries, the Lighten Your Load laundry program, the Open-Door Clinic, Public Health, Workforce Resource and the Housing Authority to ensure guests have the resources needed to meet their basic needs while working toward long-term housing stability.
 
L.E. Phillips Career Development Center
PROGRAM: Chippewa Outreach Office

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.
 
The Open Door Clinic, Inc.
PROGRAM: Medical and Prescription Services

The Open Door Clinic’s ongoing services provide much-needed high quality health care and a connection to community resources to our neighbors, friends, and families in Chippewa County. The link between preventative health care and the development of chronic illnesses and co-morbidities are understood. Some of the most costly health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, and COPD, are also among the most preventable. As such, prevention and treatment of these chronic conditions are foremost in the objectives.
 
West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency (WestCAP)
PROGRAM: Homeless Prevention Program

The Homeless Intervention Program provides medium and long-term housing and supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, or who are at risk of homelessness, in west central Wisconsin.
 
Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council, Inc.
PROGRAM: Homeless and Housing Housing Services

At both Western Dairyland EOC, Inc., and Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley, it’s believed that people matter. Homeless people matter. The belief that housing is a basic human right and to do the best to address that in the Chippewa Valley. These agencies provide a myriad of services to help house the homeless or help the housing-challenged stay housed. Between the street outreach, homeless shelters for families, rapid re-housing, permanent supportive housing and homeless prevention programs, they all work collaboratively to provide comprehensive services which focus on and attend to all concerns of the homeless population.
 
*In fiscal partnership with: Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley, Inc.