The Loop

When Sherwood residents Marlene and Carl Boucher began asking their grandchildren to choose gifts from Food for the Poor holiday catalog, they saw the spark of philanthropy ignite within the kids.  “They gave so much thought to what they were going to do,” Marlene says.   The Bouchers decided to expand upon the idea, having each grandchild — […]

The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region fosters opportunities for the community to invest in itself. They do this by creating and managing a variety of charitable funds — more than 1,700 altogether — which provide grants to more than 1,300 nonprofit organizations every year. Since joining the board of directors last year, I’ve […]

“I don’t want to be tens of thousands of dollars in debt,” says Alex Aschenbrener, a Gresham High School student, looking ahead to his future. Now he doesn’t have to be. In this episode we revisit the fascinating story of how one small town in our area, Gresham Wis., is making dreams come true for […]

Hi! I’m Terri St. Lawrence and am so excited to be part of the Women’s Fund for the Fox Valley Region as the Development Manager. I come to you with positive energy and a desire to be part of a team that puts its community first. My role allows me to engage with individuals who […]

The Community Foundation awarded $24.2 million in grants from charitable funds under its administration to 966 nonprofit organizations during the last six months of 2021. Since its founding in 1986, the Community Foundation has awarded $412.9 million in grants. Its 1,780 charitable funds under management total $564.7 million in assets.  “The donors we serve are […]

The Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity recently held our 18th Rock the Block event, which was in Kaukauna Uptown West. Over 150 volunteers came together to revitalize the neighborhood through more than 20 different projects including residential homes, businesses, and community parks. In Kaukauna, nearly 36% of families qualify as ALICE (Asset Limited, […]

The growing need for emotional support is urgent, especially during the past two years. In this episode we’re going to talk about a program in the Fox Valley called e-CPR, and, like CPR, it can be a lifesaver. E-CPR is a community education workshop that teaches people how to support another person experiencing an emotional […]

Moments of crisis are difficult, transformative experiences. Due to the nature of their work, law enforcement officers are regularly tasked with assisting victims through these extremely difficult situations. Too often those victims include children.    The REACH-A-Child initiative provides a valuable tool to help children during times of crisis. Whether the children are in an automobile […]

During pride month last year in The Loop, I discussed my journey and the struggles I faced being gay. I shared that this struggle is the reason I personally have volunteered so much of my time to coordinate N.E.W. Pride Alive for the past eight years. Rainbow Over Wisconsin, a grassroots nonprofit organization for which […]

Pursuing advanced education, particularly in the technical vocations, has been a lifelong passion for James (Jim) Popp. Jim grew up on a dairy farm in Bonduel, and after graduating high school in 1957, he found work at a plywood factory. But he soon realized his dreams required additional education. He first pursued a chemist career […]