Welcome everybody to Midday magazine for this Tuesday, November 19th, 2024.
Have your host, James here and we're joined by CEO of United Way of Southwood and Ames
Counties, Terry Johns.
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon, Terry.
How are you?
I'm doing well.
How about you?
I'm doing well.
I managed to remember my business at my serious hatchet.
I mean, tomorrow we can screw around like crazy, but we got to be all business today.
We'll get it all out of our system now so we can have some fun.
We do have fun.
No matter what, we'll get together, no matter what the time.
And especially talking about our United Way and all the great things that you guys do
over there.
I want to get into some campaign updates and talk about the ALS report that you brought
over.
If you don't mind, I was talking to a listener this week and they brought up a nice thing
I thought about our United Way and the events you guys host and have.
How much they look forward to them.
She was already talking about United Weekend this summer with the Raptors and this.
We just went on.
I actually was in a hurry and I was there for an extra five minutes because we were talking.
You can just pull up our website on your phone and be like, Oh, what's next on their calendar?
Right.
Oh, yeah, this event.
One of the things we talked about was the radio thon that we here at WFHR have gotten
to host with you guys for years.
And we weren't able to do it this year for a variety of things.
But one of the things that we found a silver lining is about it was that we could have
a chance to kind of reinvent this a little bit.
Yeah, for sure.
You know, and when it came to that, it brought up a kind of whole other conversation
with Terry and I about just events in general.
And what you all are looking for out of this because the United Way is completely about
what the community needs and wants.
Yeah, absolutely.
So we did make the decision to not move forward with radio thon for this year because
what you know, we need to, I think, you know, laying it all out there, right?
Like we've struggled.
We've struggled with filling that, you know, that amount of time.
I mean, we certainly have enough content, but is it what people want to hear about?
And then also, you know, the idea, the, the, probably original idea of a radio thon,
a telethon, a, you know, is that people call in and make a donation.
And so, you know, recent years, we just really haven't seen much of that.
And I think that's for a variety of reasons, most likely, maybe people are giving in a
different way, right?
Like they're, they might be giving through social media or, you know, through, through
Venmo PayPal, you know, any of those kinds of things mailing us a check.
But the reality is, is we just saw, you know, some, some lag there.
And, and, you know, and then you and I talked and we were like, yeah, let's, we'll take
a year off.
We'll regroup.
We'll see if it makes sense to bring it back.
And, you know, and certainly we always, we unite away.
I always welcome every opportunity to be talking about what we're doing and, and equating
people with that.
But, you know, I certainly would be curious and would be happy to take feedback from anybody,
you know, about what that might look like as it pertains to what the traditional, um,
radio-thon idea, you know, we're basically in the past.
We've just taken kind of the morning show time slot.
It wouldn't have to be that.
I mean, people say, you know, I might do it, but maybe in the afternoon, you know, whatever
it might be, but, but we certainly, you know, would be open to feedback if anybody wants
to get a hold of James or myself, you know, we'd, I'd be happy to take feedback that, that
people might have or things that you want to hear about, um, and, and, you know, maybe
also what might motivate you to, you know, what might move you to say, gosh, I have $10
I could donate to United Way because of what I heard or experienced during this time
frame.
I've seen a, uh, uh, I heard, I should say a rise in, uh, I would say even going back
to the pandemic of people wanting to donate through their check.
And I think that there's been an increase of that as well, um, and certainly as you can
tell when Terry joins us in the different things we talk about, the impact the United
Way makes.
I think we're seeing a lot less donations.
It is, it is the way, like you touched on the way that people are donating and we want,
uh, along those lines, want to be able to meet you where you are with these shows and
these ideas.
When you're bringing these ideas to us, also keep in mind, we got the afternoons now.
Uh, we didn't use to really have that.
And to your point about maybe a different time frame might work better and people are
more engaged or want to be, will be more engaged or something.
We're here four to six every Monday through Friday now.
So that's an option as well, doing something in the afternoons, um, really a lot, pretty
much.
Everything is on the table.
We, if it means we can help our United Way more.
We want to do it.
Uh, look at this is something that, uh, isn't just the United Way, but something that WFHR
is a part of and wants to help with in any way we can.
So yeah, reach out to Terry or I, um, and hit us up with your ideas, everybody.
And we're looking forward to that in the topics that you want to hear about as well.
Yeah, absolutely.
And, and that is very important that we're, you know, meeting people where we're at, people
are hearing, hearing what they want to hear about.
Um, but I, I think to, you know, it was just prudent for us to say, okay, let's take
a step back, you know, and let's, and let's reevaluate and, and we do that with honestly
with pretty much all of the, the events that we do and, and, you know, just at some point
we reevaluate and say, okay, does this make sense?
What does it mean?
What does it look like?
And, and frankly, I mean, we could come someday of the week from four to six and just
talk about United Way.
And if it was no, um, you know, maybe it's an information phone, not a, not a money
phone, you know, but, but the reality is, I mean, at the end of the day, what we're looking
at at this time of the year is really how do we, how do we translate, you know, and
resonate with people so that what their hearing makes them want to donate to their community.
You out there, uh, know what it's like to have a budget.
Our nonprofits are no different.
They have to be smart about these things.
And, uh, whether it is a McDonald's, uh, you know, bringing the McRib back every once
in a while because if it was on the menu 24, seven, it wouldn't sell as well.
It wouldn't be so exciting.
Yeah.
Uh, these events are very similar.
You know, we, we, we, now we're going to get off on food days here.
We pull it away for a little bit, bring it back in.
It's a little more, you know, entertaining, exciting, what have you.
But it's also understandable.
I think it, it speaks to modern times, uh, that, you know, you, uh, at the United, you
guys at the United Way or any of our nonprofits have to be very calculated, very smart about
the things that they do because it really all hands on deck, uh, not only because it's
campaign season, but just the years that we have had here as communities.
You know this even better than I do.
We'll get into it a little more with the Alice report.
But it's all the more reason why during campaign season, Terry, um, it's, uh, we think and
we appreciate so much this community because they really show up.
Can we, uh, dive right into a campaign update from that?
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
So one of the really important things with timing, um, where we are at, you know, this
week is that our sweepstakes deadline is this Friday.
So it's a qualify for our, um, grand sweepstakes.
So we have $51,000 cash prizes.
These are donated by local companies.
This is no one's donation dollar.
Um, this is five companies and those are, um, aspirus, uh, Gunderson Mountain View Memorial
Hospital and clinics prevail bank Williams heating and plumbing and next home partners.
So those folks, each of those businesses has said, here's $1,000 to help you draw, you
know, new donors to the campaign or to encourage existing donors to up their donation a
little bit.
So the deadline for that is 4 p.m. this Friday.
So if you've been on the fence, you're thinking about it, you got something in the mail, you
got something at work, you got nothing, but you're hearing us talk right now.
And you, um, you can hop on our website and make a donation, but then you can qualify
for that drawing.
So that's just a super, um, fun thing that's out there.
We give those away before Christmas.
So I mean, what better, what better than that to get a little cash in your pocket before
the holiday?
Um, and again, that deadline is this Friday 4 p.m.
You need to give, um, $52, which is $1 a week is the commitment that we're asking, you
know, community members, new donors to give.
If you're an existing donor, if you increase by $26, you get double entry.
So it's, you know, it's just a fun little incentive, um, maybe a little bit of a motivator,
maybe not, but for some people, it certainly is.
So, um, you know, that level of participation is encouraged.
So to date through yesterday, um, we have recorded 60% of the campaign, um, which is, is
pretty awesome.
We're lagging a little bit behind last year.
However, the way that our, um, donor software works, I, you know, that might have just
been that, you know, let's say, um, a, a local, local business last year turned their
campaign in last Friday and Stephanie was able to process it.
And maybe this year, they're turning it in today.
So, you know, timing isn't necessarily considered in these numbers.
But the Tuesday before sweepstakes last year, um, we had 65% and the Tuesday before sweepstakes
this year, today, we're at 60%.
So we are, we are a little bit, um, behind, not behind in a way that I have a high level
of concern over or that I think is a crisis.
Um, but I do encourage you if you are again sitting on that, you know, mailing or your
pledge form from work or you've typically just been a donor by visiting the website,
you know, giving with your, with your credit card, maybe or something like that.
Um, you know, I really encourage you to do that qualified for the sweepstakes, but it
also will help us get our numbers, you know, better aligned.
So we know where we're at and we know, we know what we need to do, um, what we need to do
next.
Uh, it's, it's really laid out for you perfectly on the website of how to donate, but
you mentioned, uh, other ways, is there other ways people can donate, uh, and find out
about that?
Yeah.
So you can, um, you can certainly stop by our office and you could drop off a checker
cash, um, giving with your, you know, with any kind of mobile app or with your wallet,
your mobile wallet, um, giving with a credit card debit card, that can all be done online.
It also can be done in the building.
So I mean, I'm not just, I don't discourage visitors.
Sure.
So, so sometimes it's a convenience thing, um, because we are open till 4 p.m.
So sometimes, you know, folks just can't get there before then.
Um, and then I'll, I guess the other big thing is if you are at a workplace that offers
payroll deduction, right, like that's a pretty, um, pretty easy way.
If you just have, you know, you maybe don't necessarily notice $5 a paycheck, right?
Mm-hmm.
You know, that, that is used because it's just maybe one less trip to the vending machine
or, or whatever, um, or, you know what, maybe you do notice it, but you're like, hey,
it's worth me sacrificing that $5 because I know that I'm helping my, you know, I know
that I'm helping my community.
Maybe it is something that you can feel a little bit or that you're, you're consciously
aware of.
Um, but so, so many, not all, but many workplaces do offer the opportunity for payroll deduction.
If you're in a situation where that's not offered or maybe you are retired, um, we do
also offer a, there's a bill me option where, where you could pick a day, because sometimes
we'll have folks say, well, I want to give $500, but I'd like to be billed on February
1st.
So then Stephanie will bill that, you know, depending upon however, whatever their personal
finance situation is, um, the other thing that we can offer up to quarterly is an ACH
withdrawal.
So you could say, well, I want, you know, $20 to just automatically be drawn out of my,
um, checking account.
And then we just work with our local bank, um, you know, get your banking information
and, and make that work through the, through the bank.
So honestly, I mean, we try to give every option humanly possible.
I mean, our, I know that our credit card system, um, will take like Apple Pay, you know,
if you came in and wanted to use that.
So we, we really, we really try, I'm certain there is some way to pay that we're not doing
it.
I mean, that's like, we don't take Bitcoin.
Like I don't know, but, um, good on you, but you know, something else that's been, been
really popular is qualified distributions through people's IRA.
Yeah.
So, you know, once you reach a certain age and you have mandatory distribution, or even
if you're not of that age yet, you can do all of your charitable giving through a qualified
distribution from your IRA, which then is, uh, doesn't affect your income for the year.
So you don't have to like withdraw it, then give it to us.
It can come to us directly from your Vanguard account or your, you know, whoever you have
your retirement.
Um, and so that can be done directly from that company.
So that's a, an awesome feature that's, you know, I have no idea how long it maybe has
been around a long time, but it's really just kind of gained some legs, maybe in the
last maybe like four or five years, yeah, where we're seeing quite a bit of it.
You know, it maybe's been happening on the East and West Coast for our whole food, but,
um, but it is something that's gained popularity because especially for, for people who have
the ability and the capacity and it's not everyone.
So I'm not trying to imply that, but, but you know, if someone has the ability to give
us, let's say they say, well, we're going to donate $500 a month.
So we're going to donate $6,000 a year, but if that $6,000 can come out of that IRA and
not affect their income for the year, then they can, you know, so it leaves some room.
So, so there's, you know, there's lots of different ways that, that you can give, um,
if you're not sure or what's the best fit for you, you absolutely can give us a call.
Um, Stephanie is the one who most likely will answer the phone, um, and she is well versed
in all of these things.
And you know what?
If there's something you want to do and we haven't done it or we don't know how we'll,
we'll figure it out.
We'll make our way through it.
It's not, you know, if that's not a problem.
You're talking to a real person when you're calling over there.
So you're going to be able to have options and be able to talk it out with them.
And, uh, not everybody, you know, this is such an important thing for my mom to do every
year.
But not everybody has a, they don't live with a human calculator like my father.
So if you have questions or things, you know, please reach out to the staff and they'll
help you figure this out.
Yep.
And some people just say, you know what?
I'm, I'm just going to write your check.
You know, it's just whatever is comfortable and works into people's budgets and they're,
and they're, um, you know, I guess, sure, we're giving strategy for like, right?
How, how that works, um, within their household.
And keep in mind, as Terry has mentioned before as well, uh, you can designate this to the
Southwood County or Adams County, if you like, uh, you can be as specific as you'd like
with this.
Uh, just reach out to another way to find out more.
We're speaking with Terry John CEO of your United Way of Southwood and the Amps Counties.
And Terry, one of the things we wanted to wrap up on was talking a little bit about the
else report.
Yeah.
So I just, you know, I think sometimes I'm here and I'm talking about, you know, especially
this some of the year.
Give us money.
But, you know, that's the reality, right?
Like we are raising funds now to fund programs here in Southwood County and Adams County.
We're raising that money now and those distributions start happening on January 1st.
And so we are helping to fund programs.
We have several of our own initiatives that we are focused on, um, but all are targeting
the same population.
So when we think about, you know, we use language like social determinants of health and, um,
you know, community needs and priorities and that kind of thing.
But really ultimately, who are we serving?
Where are the dollars going and what does that impact look like?
One thing I can tell you is 100% of your donation stays in the community you want it to
go to.
Um, there, and there's no, you know, there, there's really no deviation from that.
So, so if you give a hundred dollars, a hundred dollars stays here in Southwood County.
Unless you tell us, you know, something different, but, but the question, you know, sometimes
that maybe we gloss over because we're so well first in it is just really who are we,
you know, who are we serving?
Who is our target population for service?
Um, so we have a report that we are in our fifth iteration.
It's, it runs every two years, um, commissioned actually by United Way of Wisconsin.
Um, and, and they work with United Way of Northern New Jersey, um, who uses Rutgers
University.
I think a lot of people have heard of Rutgers, you know, so they use Rutgers for all of
the research.
Um, one of the better research facilities in the world.
Yeah, for sure.
So, I mean, I think that it lends to the credibility of the, of the report.
And so, and a big ten team for us and that, and that don't miss that.
I know.
I agree.
That's probably where I first heard about it too.
You know, um, so Alice for us, those stands for, it's an acronym, okay, but, but it stands
for asset limited income constrained employed, right?
So limited assets, limited income, but working.
So you know, we've maybe heard something similar referred to as under employed or living
paycheck to paycheck or, I mean, it can always be labeled.
We're trying to not label it by labeling it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, you know what I mean?
But it's easier to use a name, right?
So to say Alice population, not under employed, nothing that implies less.
Yes.
And, and, and there's a respect that comes with that with this and, and also a much better
definition than, you know, check to check or something like that.
This really explains what we're talking about here much better.
And so it is, you know, but it is, we know that families, households, individuals,
even individual struggle, right?
Like it's, you, you can't just, you can't imply that because someone is maybe not married
or what, you know, they are an individual and they're working, but they still may be working
a low wage job.
I mean, there, there are still, there are still struggles.
So in, our, I'm sorry, in Wood County, we have 35% of the population is at or below what
is determined as the Alice threshold.
So if you're into statistics and you kind of like to know the, the nuts and bolts behind
numbers, these, this information, the full report, which is like, I don't know, hundred
pages.
That can be referenced, you know, that can be found at our website where you have interest,
right?
And so we have the full report, but then we also have these snapshots.
So it's, it's a two-pager, and they're available for actually every county in the state.
And you can find those with the report.
We have links on our site, just, you know, basic to our two counties, right?
So we say Wood County, Adams County, because we want people to have quick access to the
information that they want.
But in, in Wood County, it's 35% of the households, and in Adams County, it's 44% of the households.
But you know, ultimately, are struggling or are on the tipping point of struggle, right?
So, so maybe doing just fine, one crisis away from hardship, or maybe just, again, go
along just fine and never experience any kind of hardship, or maybe they literally struggle
every single week, right?
And so, so, you know, thinking about as a community, how do we, how do we embrace that?
How do we make life better, rising tide, raises all ships, right?
So, so if we make, you know, if the community is better for all, the community, think about
that.
The community is then better for all.
Yeah.
So, that even includes you and I, right?
Our children, our grandchildren are, because, because as a community, we made life better
for someone else.
So this is really where the focus is, right?
Like, so, so an example, let's say housing assistance, eviction prevention, or rental
assistance.
So, if, if United Way, we helped to fund a rental assistance program in both counties
that we serve.
And so, if by helping someone with their mortgage rent for, maybe it's, you know, two, three
months, it takes a while for people to get back on their feet.
Maybe it's four months.
But if that allows them to course correct, and, and get some, you know, get, get connected
to good resources, role models, mentors, you know, somebody that can help them on the
road to financial stability, I mean, think about the impact of that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, it's, it's quite remarkable.
So, I mean, that's, that's where we're focusing.
That's the, um, the segment of our community that, that our minds are always on.
Like, how do we, how do we make this better?
Not everyone who falls in, in that segment of the community wants assistance.
Some people desperately need assistance.
So we are, you know, we're trying to be in the places through the programs we fund,
where, where this population is.
What if I told you that through a donation, you could impact multiple levels of your
community, that you could have a domino effect on your community and a positive, that even
in just taking this case, and you help an individual or a family like this, and that, they
get on their feet and all the sudden that community, that family, not just one person
that family, but multiple people in that family, are able to work.
Maybe a teenager doing a job, maybe both parents are working, or something like that.
Those are taxpayers.
Those are people that, and be, maybe they become taxpayers in the community if they
weren't already, they're, they're doing even more in that regard, which lowers your taxes
as a community, which makes a better community as far as being able to put more into your
community, your roads, your infrastructure, your schools, all these things.
Everything is connected.
Everything adds up.
And when you're able to do this, whether it's a dollar or whatever you're donating, you're
impacting this.
Absolutely.
And that's that, that kind of feel good, it's, it's a one time or a monthly thing that
you get to feel every day all the time, feeling that impact.
And knowing that you're helping out community members, you're helping out people that, look,
let's be honest about this.
We're Midwesterners.
We don't share this stuff usually.
We don't talk about these things that much in an individual basis.
So it's on us to look out for each other and know that about each other and be like,
hey, I'm going to help.
No matter what, not knowing whether I know the people that are not, I'm helping.
I'm helping.
Strangers helping strangers.
And the best way to connect people to resources is to use our 211 program.
So, you know, that's where all of, all of the programs are, but there's also a reality,
you know, certain programs are really good at, you know, partner programs, if I was
saying, well, okay, it would seem that you also, you know, could use some assistance in
this area or that area.
And you know, all of this could have spiraled from maybe a car repair, right?
Because there, because the car repair was $800.
And I didn't have, you know, I had no emergency fund or I didn't have that $800.
So I had to short change other things.
So that's part of the process, too, is understanding what the understanding, the true impact of
what a $1,000 emergency fund can mean for stability.
And so, you know, helping, helping people understand that as well.
So it's, it's, you know, this is, this is very remarkable and rewarding work.
And it's, it's a fabulous way to impact the community, but the only way we can do it
and make it happen is when we have donations from, you know, other members of the community.
It's just, I mean, we've been here 84 years.
This is the beauty of how the, you know, the, the United Way model, its community, helping
community.
And then we're also able to uplift, you know, we think about just a couple of partners,
right?
Like you think about the Boys and Girls Club, the Family Center, I'm nursing community
action, the food pantry, you know, United Way is also supplementing the, the dollars
for those programs.
I mean, think about added cost of food.
Well, there's a, there's an added need.
Think about added cost of shelter.
There's an added need.
So, you know, it's just a, it's a great way to be part of something so much larger than
yourself.
And, and the, the benefits are, you know, almost immeasurable.
We know there's a lot of like mine, did people out there.
It's, it's always refreshing to hear how like hard it there is out there.
Pete, sure.
And to want to get a part of this, be a part of the United Way's campaign.
Get in on this.
You're still a time to be a part of the, of the campaign, the, uh, uh, uh, rap, sweet
sates as well and everything.
Go to you, uswac.org, you, uswac.org and be sure to follow them on social media and share
what they're doing on your pages.
You never know who might see it.
Terry, thank you so much for everything.
We appreciate you.
Thank you.
We'll have more midday magazine coming up for you right here on 97 5 FM 13 20 AM W F H R
locally grown radio.
