Wisconsin Rapids Community Theater Presents – Drinking Habits

Welcome everybody to midday magazine for this Monday September 23rd 2024 have your hosts James with with you

And right now we are joined by our good friends in the United Way of Southwood and Adams counties

We have CEO of your United Way of Southwood and Adams counties Terry Johns with us Terry. Good to see you

Good to see you

Thank you so much for being here and before we dive into the campaign to some other things Terry

You brought a new friend with you. I did well old friends, but but a new yeah new role for her for United Way

Today I have with me Shalina Walshlogger and Shalina is a member of our board of directors

And probably the biggest hat she gets to wear this year is she is our volunteer campaign chair

So I'm gonna give her an opportunity to just you know tell everybody about her a little bit

Where she works who she's representing and then we'll talk about why campaign

Shalina, thank you very much for being here appreciate the time

So as Terry said what made you want to do this and just an extension of that being on the board as well as doing something like this position

So United Way has always been near and dear to my heart

I started being involved in United Way. I don't know. I think like 2017 maybe 2017

But back when I first started donating

Terry came to my work, which is smurf at

Smurf at Westrak in Adams and I had a coworker and I said hey, do you donate to United Way and she was like

Well, yeah, it's a really good cause and I said really I said well

What do they do for the community because I was new there didn't really know and she said I actually had a house fire

And we lost nearly everything and United Way was one of the

The few that came to help me and I said really and she's like yeah, she's like ever since then

I have always donated always been involved and it was because of her story that I became involved

And then yeah in 2017 Terry asked me if I wanted to be on the board and

It's been like hook line and sinker

You know though

Shalena's been a really great volunteer in that she's willing to step up

You know because I experienced that sometimes when you're trying to coordinate a board

Full of volunteers and people are busy right we all know that you you both serve currently serve on board

So you so you get that but when we've said hey, you know, we really need a vice president

We need you know, I need this I need the so Shalena's already been our vice president and the president of the board and past president

Which makes her part of the executive committee

And then when I said all right guys need a campaign chair for next year

You know, this was probably last fall and she said, you know, I'd really like to try

So you know, I think that that's really important too is we need

We need in nonprofits handraisers people who are willing to say yes, I will do what you need me to do

You know, I want my my whatever it is my time on the board my service to the community to be active

And and that's not everybody not everybody wants to stand up in front of you know a bunch of people and talk about why

Not just how it personally impacts them, but then to ask that hard question of you know, will you give right join me in giving because sometimes

That's just hard to hard to put out there. So, you know

This has been really great to that

Shalena's you know been part of the board and sees the work and and learns from learned from co-workers, but then also

You know is willing to be like I'll do whatever you need me to do so we need more of those

Well said and and I appreciate both of you touching on these points in Shalena

Your your your backstory there a little bit because it one of the things we're doing here is certainly promoting united way reminding people of all the great things

The united way does but we always look for opportunities to remind people that hey

We do need more people in our community step up being on boards and being a part of things and all of us look at our

Schedule our week ahead and we're like, oh, I don't know how I'm gonna fit all of that into my week or my day

But we find the time for the things that matter and it seems like

Shalena while we're being a board member

Certainly you put the time in for that now you're going above and beyond as you've already had by doing this and putting even more time into this

So not only do we appreciate that, but I am curious

What made you go that extra mile that extra step there for this?

Well, I have a very good support system at home

And I wanted to be a good role model for my children too and I want to show them that volunteering is extremely important helping whoever you can

And there's always time in the day, but you can always find the time if something's really important to you

Especially with and I'm so glad you touched on this

Because when I bring up people and being on boards or any of those things

It's not just us that are paying attention. It's not just our fellow, you know our peers

It's kids

And if we want kids to grow up and do these things

They're gonna be more likely to do it if they see mom and dad if they see adults doing these things

If they don't see them doing them then we're probably not gonna see as much of that

So it is it is so much about that. I appreciate you noting that as well. Thank you

I think something else that's really important is the company that Shalina works for so Smurf at Westrock is in Adams County

The southern part of our service area. So we serve southwood and Adams counties

But they are also very supportive of united way in a variety of ways of course of her time

But then also matching their employee giving and then doing group impact projects

So I don't know if maybe you want to share a little bit about the

Group impact project that you guys participated in last year, you know to just kind of give other workplaces an idea of what's

What the opportunities are so for our annual safety

We had united way come in and what we did is we had all of our employees

They all went through an assembly line so to speak and we ended up putting together hygiene kits

So it had what shampoo conditioner lotion soap body soap toothpaste toothbrush like everything you need basically for the essentials

And in a nice bag

And so every employee assembled each one of these bags and then we ended up donating it

And then what yeah, they went to the food pantry in Adams they went to the schools, you know because sometimes there's just

Kids, you know, they just don't have that stuff at home and you don't really you know, you can't just say to a

Eighth grader. Oh well if you go over to the dollar store and get this stuff because they clearly you know

They don't drive right so if you have it to hand off

But that was a really great way. I think for

The employees of the of the company to to hands on be part of something and to show like

You know, it's just not donating money like we do a lot of nice different things and in November

We're going to be assembling birthday kits so to speak because

I don't know we feel that there are some kids in the community that necessarily don't get their birthday celebrated

So um, we plan to have probably a cake

Yeah, frosting candle and maybe a little gift and there's a birthday card in there. Yep. So all of everything that you need to

Celebrate your birthday. I think there's a bag of balloons in there too

But but then those kits get assembled and those also go to the food pantry and to some other, you know

Opportunity places for for families to get those but it's it's kind of fun when the think about being at the food pantry

Right being a volunteer at the food pantry and saying either any birthdays in your house this month

Yeah, and then you can give them you don't give them that like that's super cool, too

Yeah, that got me that I didn't know you were doing that that really got me that is really that

This speaks to again, what are the reasons why not just this station

But I myself put my name on the United Way and so much of what they do

There are big issues in our communities. There are big things going on the United Way sees those and does what they can with those issues

But there's so many great areas there's so many things that we don't think of yes

We know people are struggling with food, but what are the what about if you if you tighten the microscope on that what other issues

Are there for people struggling with that and something like this comes up and not a lot of people especially

Non-profits where you don't have that much resources or people or anything you guys continue to find different ways to add to these events

Add to our community greatly appreciate that. I was one of those kids man. I get that. I know what that's like and that that is

That's something that we can't really put in the words

So what it can mean to a kid that wouldn't have something like that otherwise

Well, yeah, because who would think a box birthday cake is frivolous

But when you're on that type of a budget and when you look at how much groceries are costing and that kind of thing

It it's an it's an extra right? So if you know if Shalina and the team at at smurf at Westrock can assemble those and get those out and and the company

pays for the supplies

That's just like it's just a huge win for the community and it's just a little bit

You know, it's not just meeting needs. It's the one fuzzy part of meeting. Yeah, you know, it's the extra

Yeah, you know that you're doing something good for others and you're getting everybody involved and you can make it fun

And Shalina with with your business

We're doing that did you notice that other employees that maybe whether they donate to the United Way or not that they enjoyed it that they were

They were happy to be a part of it that good feeling in the soul they got that too

Absolutely every single one of them had a huge smile on their face and

They would even go through the line again like oh, we'll keep helping. We'll keep helping. It's like well

We only have like 200 of these to do today

Yeah, we have we have a lot of really really great employees that volunteer a lot of their time to just for community stuff as well

And whenever we have United Way fundraising at smurf at Westrock

They're always getting involved like we're gonna be doing a chili feed and I don't know if that'll end up being like a chili cookoff

Yeah, a lot of our employees all get involved

It's a note to all your businesses out there

Being a part of things like this doing events like this and working with the United Way

Can also be not just a great PR move for your business which is certainly no worthy

But your employees enjoy these things and happy employees make for good work and get more productivity and all of these things

So it's a win-win kind of situation and and along with also feeling really good to the soul

Absolutely, we're speaking with our friends from the United Way of Southwood and Ames counties

Terry is the I wanted to dive right into the McDonald's day coming up this week and everything you want us to go there first?

Yeah, sure, so we have our 50 second annual

Have you been at all of them almost every single one

Oh, wait, this is the serious show

All right, sorry my bad. I forgot too. Okay, so this is our 50 second annual United Way Day at McDonald's

Couple of things to note that are important is one it is at the McDonald's in Wisconsin rapids

So it is exclusive to that location

And that's outside of our control right that is just support from from that ownership and honestly the original ownership of the McDonald's in Wisconsin rapids

You know

Decided to do this day well obviously 52 years ago, but but you know made a big thing about it and and really

It's it's a tradition in the community

I mean, I will see people there this Wednesday that I have not seen since last year on McDonald's day and it and it's really awesome

You know, we appreciate people coming out and joining us

subsequent ownerships

sense mr. Tom Ross have continued

To to support United Way in this in this way with the event at McDonald's so this Wednesday

September 25th 7 a.m. To 7 p.m

A portion of the proceeds from the Wisconsin rapids McDonald's will go to United Way to help support the annual campaign

We encourage you to come on out even if you say you don't eat McDonald's food everyone like some hot fries

Let's just be real even if you shouldn't you still like um, but but there are you know, there's many options

Come for breakfast lunch dinner snack, you know, whatever whatever works

It is all purchases at the local McDonald's so

If you go through the drive through fine if you like to come inside and see us

We really appreciate that as well. We will have a table set up with some United Way information

We will have a register to win basket so you can come and put your name and phone number down and see if you can win a nice

Fun little fall basket that Stephanie from our team put together

And so there's just a great opportunity, but I really encourage you to come on in and say hi

Some at least two people from our stuff will be there the entire day. I'm 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. We're just kind of rotating in and out

But we really encourage people to participate in this um, you know

I'm glad you brought up the idea of coming in the building and saying hi

Not only is it a great way to you know, thank the United Way staff say a big shout out to them

Including the McDonald staff they got such hard workers over there and on a day like that

The coming up this Wednesday. They are busy. Yeah, and it does you know, it does elevate the the amount of work that they're doing

One of the things I will say if you don't want to come in just be patient in the drive-through, right?

They normally do about 70% of their business through the drive-through on a regular day

And so then this makes it a little bit more

But remember there's two lines going it moves pretty quickly

I'm otherwise come on in and see us and they also have their mobile app

I mean, there's lots of ways that you can um that you can you can help us out on this day

But it is uh, it is important and it is a big deal and we frankly we need the resources

We don't want to miss out on any on any dollars

So don't think to yourself. They're too busy. I'm gonna go somewhere else instead

Just come join us and chat with us and we'll we'll wait with you when it comes to those resources you mentioned there Terry

Here's a great opportunity as well. Um, you can read a lot online

You can go to their website you wac.org and read a lot of the things

But you can want you really want to ask questions or talk to somebody you're able to do that

You're able to talk to Terry you're able to talk with unitedway members and hey, what do you guys do about this?

Or what do you guys do in the community and you'll get answers? You'll find out

I remember doing this or seeing you do this at at a McDonald's day before so I know

For sure that it's a great way for people to find those things out and and learn more about ways that you can impact your community

Yeah, absolutely and like I said, we we just welcome the opportunity to um to visit with community members and

Um, hope that you will consider joining us on Wednesday September 25th 7 a.m. to 7 p.m

United Way to McDonald's we'll meet you there everybody. I am uh, purposely. I'm fasting just until

I haven't had a big Mac. I think since last year

And then I got it like at the end when I was leaving because I'm really not going to probably sit there and eat a big Mac

Put everybody talking to me, but

I've already decided when I'm bored, but it sounds good. Yeah

Big Mac and fries exactly when I'm bored because I haven't had that in a while either

Um, Terry

I did want to also mention a couple of other big things coming up with the unitedway

We have dating day another another big one day of caring is right around the corner

Yeah, so day of caring will be on October 26th and this is an opportunity for you to come on out join us raking yards

for our

friends and family in need

So this is for elderly or disabled who don't otherwise have the means to get their yard taken care of for fall

We are currently taking two different registrations one if you need your yard rate and you

And you qualify you don't have the ability to do it on your own

You can give us a call between 11 and five at the unitedway office 715 421

0 390 or you can simply call 211 to get your yard registered

You do need to tell us how many trees sometimes people are startled by this question

We want to know how many trees you have in your yard just because we we're trying to get a feel for the volume of leaves

That you might have um as a homeowner you are responsible for having your own bags

They must be paper bags none of the municipalities take plastic bags anymore

You can purchase those at big box retailers um warm art homedipo

Ace hardware you can get those bags locally

But you our volunteers do not bring the bags you need to provide bags

If you are in a municipality that is just rake to the curb then that's what we will do

But we we follow the rules of your municipality

So you need to check that out between now and then

But if you would like to get registered

We still have room for about 35 yards

So it is a good time to call

But we do have good a good amount of registration already so that's awesome

The other registration that we're taking is for volunteers

We are looking for rakers this can be individuals families

It could be a team from your workplace maybe a youth group

Whatever you might like whoever you might like to group up with

If you are an individual don't let that deter you because we will pair you up with someone

Registration is at the Grand Rapids Lions Club in the morning where you will receive your raking assignment

We'll serve you a hot breakfast. We'll have pancakes and fruit and and smother things and then send you out to rake

And our goal is that 90

90-ish depending upon registrations, but about 90 yards will get raked that day by noon

In the event that we have you know, we're not going to

But if we had any kind of inclement weather or something like that

We do still rake and then if for some reason, you know, we can't get through all of them

Our good friends at the River Kings usually help us the following week, you know

Just to say hey, you know, we might have five left over or something like that

I know you personally James have helped us later in the week

You know the Saturday didn't work, but you've said hey, I can you know, I can help out a little bit

So, um, you know, there's a possibility

But our goal is really to do it all that day and I think we're going to have perfect weather

Yeah, me too me too. Uh, I've already talked to mother nature about this put in a note. Yeah, so to register you also visit our website

you wswac.org and you can register your volunteers if you are a group leader you can register everyone in your group

Rakers get a free t-shirt those are wall supplies last um, we do have 450 shirts last year

We had 450 volunteers um, but you know, sizes are just because we have to guess when we order

So so they just are as they come and go so we keep that updated if it says it's sold out then pick a different size

So I so I do encourage you to register early if you know you're going to do it hop on and hop on and register so that you for sure

Get your t-shirt and again one of those things where whether you're a group a business or an individual

We want to be a part of this many hands make light work

And this is a one of the greater things that I think the United Way does

But one of the greater examples of one of the best things the United Way does and strangers helping strangers

And neighbors helping neighbors and some of that and it's one of my favorite days of the year you

Pop around this town. You see all these shirts at the same color and all these red this year red this year

Yeah, I love that um, it's it's perfect

It's a perfect day and I'm looking forward to it and we will have nice weather we will we will

So one of the other things we've got going on right now is you can sign up to be a reading mentor

So we have open spaces at grant elementary at ported words elementary and at mead elementary

So we have three schools that have openings two of our schools have already filled

But we do have openings at those schools so you can find out more information by visiting uwswac.org

When you first pull up our website

There's like a rotating we call it a banner

You know kind of rotates across the front

Just wait till the one pops up that says reading mentors and then you can click on that

And you can get information on what's available at each school

But the other thing that we really have you know, cooking right now is we're shaleena and I are out doing campaign presentations

So um, if you are a business that is interested in having us come and chat with your with your team with your employees

Maybe um, you already have a regular standing staff meeting we could take five or ten minutes of that

Some organizations like this coming Wednesday actually our friends at prevail bank are having a couple of meetings

Just for you know, they're just put in place so that we can come and chat with people

So those are those are the opportunities, you know, that really are um are out there so that we can get the word out about united way

And you know sharing

Sometimes it's it's sharing those messages

Well always it's sharing those messages like like what shaleena shared about her experience herself as as you know

Why she kind of got involved as a donor

But then also you know talking about the fact that there's 30 programs that we help to fund in ten initiatives

And what does that mean you know so what right like what does that mean and so in true form

This happens every year

Um, but shaleena got to do her first presentation this year

For Wisconsin rabbits public schools. Oh, so that's in the P.A.C. in front of like 750 people

A bunch of kids so not nerve wrecking at all

Actually, it wasn't that bad. Yeah, I was very nervous in the beginning, but then once we were up

But it is but it is a little nerve wrecking, you know as you're as you're watching the the auditorium fill and this is the first day back for all staff

You know, so I mean it could be a little intimidating. What I love about it is I can say every year to the campaign chair

There that was your biggest one. Yeah, check

Yeah, yeah, oh good on you for doing that

And a very very well played by you Terry very well played

As we're wrapping up

Do you want to remind people that when it comes to those presentations that Terry is touching on there?

They can be longer. They can be shorter that you guys can work with them on time frame as far as how long you're going to take up and everything

Yeah, absolutely, and I just actually had a company that is a little bit more regional and they asked me today

This morning, you know, could you jump on a zoom with us because we do our staff meeting on zoom

I'm like, yep, we can do you know, we can I can do pretty much anything. Yeah, they're all try

Trust me on that. What everybody I've seen the only time is sometimes we get

Backed up on time, you know like like we get double books. Yeah, but I also always have you know, we might have

Shalina and I divide or we have a former campaign chair willing or I just have another staff member jumping right like our staff members should be as well

Verst on on what's happening as what Shalina or I might be so sometimes we do just double up because that's what works best for the companies

But if you are interested in a presentation and we also I'm also very willing to talk to like civic groups because we've had different clubs

You know the lines club the rubbery club say hey come talk to us or even even churches

A women's group or something like that, but you just get it get in touch with us and connect with Stephanie in our office

She um, she's the keeper of the calendar, but she certainly can schedule that I can schedule that if you know

You just zip me an email

We do have a form online that you can fill out. However is most convenient

I mean my goal is to have 10 avenues and you pick which one makes the most sense to you and then um and then we'll work it out from there

Keep in mind you can find out all more information register for some of these things and volunteer

By going to uwswac.org. That's uwswac.org

You can also call to call 211 and be reach

You can find the same information and register for these as well and follow the unitedway and social media share their posts

It's a great way to not only impact your community, but keep up to date on the great things they are doing over there

Thank you both so much for the time. I appreciate you. We'll talk again real soon

Sounds great. Thank you again

uwswac.org be sure to bookmark that web page everybody and keep on listening

We'll be back with more fun on midday magazine here at 97 5 FM 13 20 AM WF HR. We are locally grown radio