The Loop

What is specific about Nancy Heykes’ service as a lifelong volunteer is that she is willing to help everyone from any group. “She gives generously, cares genuinely and does everything from the heart,” one person said as part of the nomination for the Walter L. Rugland Community Service Award. Nancy will be honored with that […]

When the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra and the newVoices choir take to the stage at Lawrence University Chapel April 28, some of the audience members most informed about the John Rutter compositions “Requiem” and “The Gift of Life” they’ll be performing may also be among the youngest people there. They will have had the benefit […]

For the Wittmann clan, a dairy farm near Brillion was the place childhood memories took shape. That also was where grandma and grandpa – Alfred and Anna Wittmann – lived and taught subtle life lessons. One of the important ones concerned giving back. To honor those lessons, the couple’s 16 grandchildren established the Alfred and […]

By Curt Detjen President/CEO While much attention has been focused on how the larger standard deduction for tax filers in 2018 will remove an important incentive for charitable giving, there are still some good tax-advantageous options available. Talk with your financial or legal advisor before proceeding with any of these, and consider: Donor advised fund: […]

To read the comments of Cheri Duchrow’s nominator for a Celebrating Volunteers award you would think volunteering is more natural to her than breathing. She tells others, “Every moment and every person that stands in front of you is a volunteer opportunity to help or mentor someone to make a difference and change someone’s life.”  […]

Jim and Sue Spierings know the help cancer patients need because they’ve been there. Jim was diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer in 2007 at age 50. After successful treatment at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, the family created the Spierings Cancer Foundation to help other families. Their main fund-raiser, Rock Cancer, held on the […]

Rachel Miserlian has a dizzying number of volunteer involvements, but she doesn’t stop there. She also is a dedicated recruiter of volunteers at Neenah High School, encouraging her classmates to join volunteer groups that address social needs, or creating new organizations where none exist. That double dose of volunteer drive earned her the 2018 Youth […]

Bob DeKoch’s most valuable contribution as a leader doesn’t involve solving problems for people who come to him for help. His particular talent is in helping people see within themselves the means to solve the problem. That’s why Bob will be presented with the 2018 Paul and Elaine Groth Mentoring Award, sponsored by the Mielke […]

As if working a full-time job coordinating the arts needs of all of the students in the Appleton Area School District wasn’t enough t0 test the limits of anybody’s energy, Renee Ulman spends her free time volunteering with numerous nonprofit arts groups. Renee’s official title is Fine Arts Coordinator for the Appleton Area School District. […]

A “Garage for Good” owned by two Fox Valley domestic abuse shelters is not only changing the lives of its customers and employees, it is treading new ground in state law. Harbor House Domestic Abuse Programs of Appleton and the Christine Ann Center in Oshkosh opened a car repair business and training program called JumpStart, […]