Volunteer Professionals: The Difference-Makers Behind the Difference-Makers
Today is National Make a Difference Day, and we can think of no better way to celebrate than by honoring the Difference-Makers behind the Difference-Makers: Volunteer Professionals! They tirelessly create opportunities for connection and support of critical nonprofit work. Some coordinate volunteers full-time, others do it as part of a dozen other responsibilities. Our community […]
Volunteer Fox Cities Kicks Off Make A Difference Week, Sponsored by Miron Construction
Menasha, WI — Volunteer Fox Cities is thrilled to launch Make A Difference Week from Monday, October 20 through Saturday, October 25, 2025, culminating with the annual Make A Difference Day on October 25. Make A Difference Day, celebrated on the fourth Saturday of October, was started in 1992 by USA Weekend magazine and the […]
Bethesda Continues its Mission of Helping People with Disabilities
A Lutheran pastor started Bethesda Lutheran Communities more than 100 years ago after a father reached out to his church to get support for his two children with special needs after his wife died. Lutheran congregations and people with children in group homes began opening Bethesda Thrift Shops all across the nation. Today, the agency […]
RSVP Tutors Making a Difference in Chilton Schools, Community
When Alice Ruhland retired from the Piggly Wiggly in Kaukauna five years ago, she started looking for something to do. Today, she tutors kindergartners in reading at Chilton Elementary School on Thursdays. “I really like it,” she said. “It’s a good reason for me to get going. I love the kids – they are like […]
Sometimes, it’s the Little Things in Life that Make a Big Difference
David Hinds knows that even the simplest things in life can mean a lot to a 10 year-old boy from a single-parent home. He said CJ, his young mentee, loves to have dinner with Hinds and his wife and take their salt and pepper schnauzer, Holly, for a walk. “Sometimes it’s the dog walking him!” Hinds […]
RSVP Volunteer Keeps Vans Rolling for Veterans
At 81, RSVP member Cal Gardner is still driving – every day. He drives a shuttle at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center and the Housing Authority and recently began driving the Fox Valley Warming Shelter van, transporting the agency’s clients to downtown Appleton and other important destinations. And since the first of the year, he has […]
RSVP Volunteers Work to Save the Sight of Children
It’s amazing what a half-dozen RSVP volunteers can do. Since 2008, RSVP members Cathy and Jim Glasheen, Jim and Millie Mauthe, Phyllis Klahn and Anne Tischauser have provided free, sight-saving vision screenings for more than 3,000 preschoolers in Outagamie County on behalf of Prevent Blindness Wisconsin. They have referred 105 children for complete eye exams. […]
Volunteerism is Passed Down Through Generations
Volunteering is a family affair for Kathy Salm, who serves as board president and volunteer donation coordinator for the Center for Suicide Awareness. Her husband, Bob, is the emcee for the agency’s annual suicide awareness walk. Her daughter, Karen, posts items on the agency’s social media sites and Karen’s husband, Justin, designed and maintains the […]
Agency Aims to Bring Awareness to Suicide
One person dies by suicide every 13 minutes in the United States, according to Barb Bigalke, founder and executive director of the Center for Suicide Awareness. She also points out: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 24, just after traffic accidents. Twenty-two U.S. veterans die every day by […]
Adult Tutor Provides Community Connection
Helping Latinos who are struggling with communication is one of Tom Stenklyft’s passions. The process brings him back to his roots. His grandparents emigrated from Sweden and in her later years as a widow, his grandmother lived with his family. He recalls her broken English and the difficulty she had with pronouncing the letter “j.” […]