The Loop

Hello! My name is Julie Pahnke and I am Appleton Education Foundation’s new Grants and Scholarships Manager. This is a newly created role where I’ll manage and further develop the Appleton Education Foundation’s growing grant and scholarship programs. It is a pleasure to be working with the wonderful, talented and dedicated team members that make […]

Appleton grew from trade and industry, thrived in tandem with the rise of Lawrence University, and has been transformed by music and activism. Coming soon: The newest installment in PBS Wisconsin’s history series, Wisconsin Hometown Stories: Appleton tells the story of a city built by the power of the Fox River and reinvented by generations […]

In this episode we’re discussing the number of refugees from other countries who have recently resettled here in the Fox Valley. What is life like for them, and how can our communities be welcoming to our new neighbors? Most of them come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. Two years ago, […]

Hello! My name is Stacie Hazlett-Rothe (she/her), and I’m thrilled to join the Women’s Fund for the Fox Valley Region team as the Communication and Outreach Specialist. In my role, I’ll be responsible for our external communication efforts, developing marketing materials, event planning and supporting my fellow team members in their roles. My passion for […]

Tracey Koenig’s 25-year career at Heckrodt Wetland Reserve started largely because the Menasha nature center was close by. That was a happy bit of serendipity for the visitors, staff and wildlife at the 91-acre nature center in Menasha. Tracey and her husband moved from Texas to a house near Heckrodt early in 1998. She had […]

As economic times get tough, more people are asking how they can make the biggest difference right in their own backyard. Indeed, local giving is a topic that has even made its way into the opinions of the mainstream media, causing many charitably inclined people to pay more attention to the impact their dollars have […]

Walt Zerrenner makes the Fox Cities a better place to live. Walt and his late wife Aline (pictured above) attended the first Memory Café at the Appleton Atlas Coffee Mill in 2012. They had such a positive experience that Walt joined the Fox Valley Memory Project (FVMP) Executive Coordinating Committee. Walt and the committee worked […]

A new Fox Cities and Greater Outagamie County Regional Housing Strategy was developed in 2022 as the result of a study done in our communities. Over the next decade, our region needs roughly 11-thousand to nearly 18 thousand new dwelling units just to keep up with the estimated population growth. In this Voices from the […]

A lifelong Calumet County resident has stepped forward to support the upcoming Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity’s Rock the Block event in Chilton. The Empowering Rural Communities fund within the Chilton Area Community Foundation – one of our five regional affiliates – granted $300,000 towards the initiative and is encouraging community members to match […]

MS. Two letters that mean so much to so many. Two letters that stand for a silent illness, in which no two journeys are the same.  Two letters that bring days filled with ever-changing symptoms, fatigue and uncertainty.  Two letters that lead you to doctor visits, infusion appointments, scans and therapies.  This is what Multiple […]