JUDA — As the weather grows colder, the Monroe Woman’s Club Christmas Stocking Fund’s plight to collect looms, and many people, businesses and groups around the area are preparing what, or how much they’ll be able to give during the holiday season.
Grande Cheese, just outside of Juda, is no exception. Although the group runs different fundraisers throughout the year, for as long as anyone can remember, Grande has always made the Monroe Woman’s Club Christmas Stocking Fund their annual — and biggest — holiday fundraiser.
For more than a decade, a group at Grande has worked diligently, starting early, to include some of their 270 employees and others into making a large donation to the group.
Terri Burgess, facility systems coordinator at Grande for more than 11 years, said the group has participated in the Toy Drive for the project for at least 15 years. Since the number of toys donated each year changes, Burgess heads up a small group of people who come up with ideas to raise cash for them. And each year, they manage to increase their donation from the last.
“It’s our culture,” Burgess said. “It’s a part of the mission to be a part of something greater than ourselves.”
She’s referring to the mission and culture statements of Grande Cheese, which lets employees know that they’re part of a bigger purpose.
There were years that the Toy Drive brought in dozens of toys, but other years didn’t bring as many. Burgess said it was at that time when they began starting different kinds of raffles and auctions to provide a monetary donation to the group.
As the years passed, the ideas grew and changed. They began collecting baskets — raffling them silent auction style where associates have a chance to bid on them. It was a nice boost to add to the Toy Drive donations, Burgess said.
When the group was asked to gather this year to brainstorm ideas for the project, Jeni Voegeli, a facility support specialist who has worked at Grande about a year, attended, along with Faye Meiners, a lab tech who has worked there nearly nine years.
Meiners volunteers at her local church pantry, and agrees that Grande’s culture is about helping others – wherever and whenever that’s possible. It’s encouraging for employees to not only be a part of that at work, but even outside of there.
“There are various departments in Grande,” Meiners said, noting that many of the groups will reach out and even physically help at places like Habitat for Humanity, Breakfast on the Farm and Make a Wish events.
The Christmas Stocking Fund is an annual effort of the Monroe Woman’s Club. The club collects money and other donations and distributes toys and vouchers for shoes, coats and boots to children in need in the Monroe school district.
Every year, the Christmas Stocking benefits hundreds of families. Names of families in need are offered confidentially by school officials, counselors and area churches. The effort requires a multitude of volunteers who shop for families, bake cookies and pack and deliver items. Families receive food boxes delivered before Christmas.
To donate to the Christmas Stocking Fund, send contributions to 901 16th Ave., Monroe, WI 53566. All contributions are used locally to fund the program.
When it was time to choose a place to work, Voegeli said a large reason she came to Grande was because of the mission of being a part of giving to others.
“We’re not just taking — we’re also giving back,” Voegeli said. “We’re like a big family.”
This time of year is when they begin to work toward a goal of topping the previous year’s giving. An added bonus around the holidays, Burgess said, is that The Grande Foundation will match dollars raised.
“It behooves us to do more of a cash donation,” Burgess said. Last year, they were able to give $5,200 to the Woman’s Club Christmas Stocking Project.
Together ideas flow — mini fundraisers within the company — to eventually pass back to the Woman’s Club. They make pizzas and sell them to associates or anyone passing through. Last year they held a chili dinner along with the basket auctions.
This year, the group is planning to try out Penny Wars this year, a fundraising competition to earn points on the denomination of coins collected by employee teams. They may even hold a bake sale with a smaller raffle item.
Grande Cheese has a charity fund called Raindrops and Roses, something that started before Burgess was there, she said, but it allows the factory to give back to all of the requests they receive annually asking for help during fundraising events.
“Being involved in the community and helping them in any way we can is important,” Burgess said. “We want to help out as much as we can.”
Last year, Burgess said they donated more than $13,000 to different local organizations. They are often asked for a cheese basket, because it’s easy for them to give, but they like being able to give monetarily for some of the requests, too, Burgess said.
Pam Drafall, toy drive coordinator for The Woman’s Club Christmas Stocking Fund said that so far, things are going smoothly with the fundraising. Many businesses already have toy drive boxes waiting inside and others are planning to add one after Thanksgiving. She said they just collected their first round of toys to place at the Behring Senior Center for “shoppers” to choose toys for the needy.
“This community, I have to say, is just so giving,” Drafall said. “It’s just phenomenal.”
Drafall said some businesses are even thinking of themed parties, and are asking for a toy related to it, to increase the toys donated. She feels strongly about the Christmas Stocking Fund in particular, since all of the toys go directly to local children and their families.
Along with the toy drive, the Christmas Stocking Fund also contributes meals to the needy, coupons to older children for winter gear and provides meals and personal items to shut ins.
“It’s neat to see a whole community come together to do good for other people,” she said.
