Westby Creamery Team Donates Over $34,000
Dec 06, 2021 (Westby, WI)
Over the last seven years, Westby Cooperative Creamery has donated over $34,000 to the Great Rivers United Way as part of its ongoing mission to support the community’s economic, social and environmental life. These dollars represent the cumulative donation of dozens of employees and the Creamery itself.
Each November employees are given the opportunity to donate dollars via a payroll deduction. They can gift a one-time deduction from their paycheck or can elect to have dollars taken from each paycheck. This simple election makes it very easy for employees to share resources with the United Way, which serves a seven-county region of Wisconsin and Minnesota that includes La Crosse, Vernon, Crawford, Monroe, Buffalo, Trempealeau, and Houston Counties.
The partnership began in 2015 when Ellen Olson, Westby Creamery’s human resources manager, joined the team. Olson was familiar with Great Rivers United Way from a previous employer and believed its mission and geographic coverage area aligned well with the Creamery. She presented the idea to the Creamery’s board of directors, who met with representatives from the United Way. “We felt it was important, not just from the employee side, but from our farmer-owner side as well,” Olson said. “Our farmer-owners live in all those counties.”
Great Rivers United Way supports more than 26 certified agencies and 52 programs by providing grants for projects that focus on education, income, health, and community basics, such as food, shelter, and safety. Each year over 100 United Way volunteers reviews the grant requests and select recipients. This ensures that every dollar donated addresses community needs and delivers measurable, lasting results.
The campaign was especially successful this year as employees exceeded their pledges from the previous year, and it was the second-highest pledge in Westby Creamery’s campaign history.
Donating has an added element of fun for the staff who, if they donated $52 or more, receive a United Way/Westby Creamery t-shirt and are entered into two drawings. Plus, Westby Creamery also contributes $1,000 to the campaign.
This partnership assures dollars are going to vetted programs that serve multiple community needs and continues Westby Creamery’s mission of supporting the community. To learn more about Great Rivers United Way visit www.gruw.org.
