Western Wisconsin United Way Awards Community Impact Grants

Some Western Wisconsin nonprofits will receive a portion of community impact grant funding from United Way St. Croix and Red Cedar Valleys.

Following a merger last year, United Way St. Croix and Red Cedar Valleys began serving residents across six counties in Western Wisconsin. This week, the organization announced the approval of $180,000 in Community Impact Grants to 30 nonprofits across Burnett, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties.

The community impact grants aim to help “ALICE” families, or asset limited, income constrained, employed families. The designation covers families that do earn enough income to stay above the federal poverty line, but not enough to stay ahead on their bills. Because those families are above the federal poverty line, they have limited options for accessing financial assistance.

The community impact grants aim to improve health, education, and financial stability for Western Wisconsin residents in need. Among the organizations that will receive a portion of the grant funding are St. Croix County Public Health, the Burnett County Family Resource Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin, and Stepping Stones of Dunn County.

The funding comes at a critical time for some of those organizations. Just days ago, Stepping Stones of Dunn County announced plans to reduce its Food Pantry Services due to federal funding cuts and budget constraints. Other Western Wisconsin nonprofits have also struggled under the weight of increased costs. The Sojourner House in Eau Claire would have been forced to reduce their shelter services from year-round to six months without assistance from the City of Eau Claire and donations.