Voices from the Valley: A podcast of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region

Libraries: Community Hubs for All

In an age of rapid technological advancement and ever-changing demographics, libraries are evolving to become more than just repositories of books. They have transformed into vibrant community hubs, catering to the diverse needs and interests of all residents in the Fox Valley region. Today, we’ll explore the remarkable role that libraries play in shaping our communities, fostering inclusion, and adapting to the changing times.

Learning for All

One of the fundamental principles driving these changes is the commitment to inclusivity. Libraries in the Fox Valley are striving to ensure that every member of the community can access their services, programs, and materials. Regardless of age, background, or interests, libraries are embracing the mission of serving all residents equally.

In this episode, we visit several libraries in the Fox Valley to find out how our libraries are curating collections that represent a wide array of voices and experiences.

Articles:

• Loop: Brillion Public Library expands its Spanish collection of books, resources
• Loop: Agency Funds Build Lasting Support for Friends of Appleton Public Library
• Loop: So many reasons to love our libraries
• Loop: Kimberly Public Library’s Storybook Garden: A Community Vision
• Loop: Legacy to help build New London’s new public library/STEM education center 
• Appleton Ready to Read: Outreach program brings early literacy to Hmong and Hispanic families
• Libraries in Bloom: Appleton Ready to Read

Learn More

• Appleton Public Library
• Neenah Public Library
• Menasha Public Library
• Brillion Public Library
• Valley VNA Senior Care

Featuring Colleen Rortvedt, Director, Appleton Public Library

Your hosts:

Amy Spreeman

Kyle Armstrong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Game Changers! Celebrating Special Olympics

 

In this episode, we’re talking about including and empowering our neighbors and family members with differing abilities and exploring the power of inclusion in our communities through Special Olympics. Our guests today include parents, coaches, volunteers, and of course the incredible athletes who inspire us all with their determination, courage, and sportsmanship. These game-changers are flourishing through organizations like Special Olympics and SOAR Fox Cities.

Special Olympics is a worldwide movement of more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries, where one can participate locally, but make a global impact. Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of Special Olympics, organized the first International Special Olympics Games at Soldier Field in Chicago, in the belief that the lessons these athletes learned through sports would translate into new competence and success in school, in the workplace, and in the community.

Today, Special Olympics Inc. is the world’s largest provider of fitness training, education and athletic competition — coupled with social, life, and leadership skill development opportunities — for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics Wisconsin, an accredited program of Special Olympics Inc., was founded in 1972 and is the largest sports program in Wisconsin for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

 

Local Podcasters Lift our Community

Today we’re doing an entire podcast episode about podcasts! Why do people like them so much, and how are organizations using this audio platform to tell their stories in a whole new way? And what do you need to do to start your own podcast? It’s easier than you might think! 

What is a podcast? It is simply an audio tool that people and organizations can use to tell their stories and inspire people to think, dream, engage and act.

Unlike radio, podcasts are not live. Recorded episodes can be downloaded from a streaming service.

Here are some interesting facts about podcasts:

• The average person spends seven+ hours per week listening to podcasts.
• Podcast listeners will account for 20.% of all internet users, which translates into 424.2 million listeners across the world.
• Did you know that men tend to listen to podcasts more than women do.

And - At least 33% of people who don’t listen to podcasts aren’t sure how to get started. Source: https://earthweb.com/podcast-statistics/

Learn more at  https://www.cffoxvalley.org/Local Podcasters Lifting Our Community Community

Art Making an Impact: Part2

Art truly does help shape a community in so many different ways. Performing arts in particular can provide a platform to celebrate traditions, customs, and stories, fostering a sense of identity and pride among community members. A community rich in arts can foster economic development too, and give tourists a reason to visit a venue and boost the vitality of the region. Today's episode is a second part of a 2-part series on arts making an impact in the Fox Valley. If you missed it, listen to Art Making an Impact: Part 1.

We are incredibly thankful for the vibrant and diverse art programs that make our communities flourish. We hope you enjoy learning more about how art in the Fox Valley is breaking down barriers and making a difference for all!

Links to Featured Art Performance Organizations

Northeast Wisconsin Chinese Association
Summit Players Theatre
Kids from Wisconsin
Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra

More links:

• Brats, Beer & Beethoven
• N.E.W. Dragon Boat Festival
• Creating And Sharing Joy Through Art
• Waupaca Arts Hub
• Weaving The Community Together Through Art
• Local Art Showcase
• Local Art Woven Into The Fabric Of Community Foundation
• Art Making An Impact On At-Risk Youth Thanks To Generous Donors
• Summer Of Service Teaches Skills Through Art

Art Making an Impact!

Did you know that engaging children in arts activities can teach team-building skills and provide a positive and constructive outlet and build their self-confidence? Here at the Community Foundation, we are dedicated to supporting art activities that bring our communities together and provide creative opportunities for people of all ages.

Research shows arts-rich communities stimulate innovative thinking, recruit and retain residents, drive tourism and create an economic engine. But more than that, art has the ability to not only add beauty to our world, but to educate or spark new ideas we wouldn’t have had otherwise. It can inspire us to engage with people we don’t know. It even has the power to bridge the gaps between people from different cultures and languages. It truly helps us understand each other and opens doors for us to experience our common humanity in new ways. 

Links to our Artists

• Irineo Medina
• Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass
• Stacy Parish - Full Spirals Podcast

More links:

• Creating And Sharing Joy Through Art
• Waupaca Arts Hub
• Weaving The Community Together Through Art
• Local Art Showcase
• Local Art Woven Into The Fabric Of Community Foundation
• Art Making An Impact On At-Risk Youth Thanks To Generous Donors
• Summer Of Service Teaches Skills Through Art

Childcare Crisis

Finding quality childcare in Wisconsin is a challenge, with long waitlists. It's also expensive. Many parents say they are paying more than their monthly mortgage or rent to have their children cared for while they work. And for single parents, it's a difficult road to navigate.

If you don’t have young children in your life, you may be thinking this topic doesn’t apply to you – but it does! Nearly nine in 10 working parents say childcare costs them time and productivity at work, which may mean more work for others or jobs that don’t get done. At the national level, according to a study from ReadyNation, the childcare crisis is costing our country $122 Billion dollars a year, because of lost earnings, productivity and taxes. For our state, in 2018, 50% of Wisconsinites, and 70% of Wisconsinites in rural areas, lived in a childcare desert, which is an area where childcare is not available, or the number of children exceeds the number of slots. 

Childcare providers are not babysitters. They are trained professionals. But their poverty-level wages and minimal benefits contribute to high staff turnover in many centers, which affects availability and quality of care, and is the reason why many centers unfortunately are closing their doors. 

Industry experts and childcare providers say finding a solution to all of this will require the efforts of government, employers and families working together. Like most complex issues facing us, there is no single solution that will address the shortage of care, centers’ high operating costs, workers’ very low wages and the exorbitant prices families pay for care.  

So how do we as a community invest in solutions? We’re excited to tell you that a local task force, the Greater Fox Cities Childcare Alliance, is in talks right now specifically working on the provider compensation piece of the puzzle. In this episode we hear from the Alliance's Suzanne Brault. And we'll visit Joyful Beginnings Academy in Dale, just west of Appleton, where two moms have found a childcare solution that is attracting national news attention.

All the links in our Show Notes here:
 https://www.cffoxvalley.org/podcast/childcare-crisis/

Healthy Teen Minds

Do you know how our youth are doing, as far as mental health and wellness? How can we in the Fox Valley help our teens, and prevent the things that can lead to anxiety or even a crisis? The answers are complex, and challenging.

There is no doubt our teens are in crisis – with pressures our older generations can’t even imagine, because it really is a new world – and Covid made it worse. According to the latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, we're seeing the continuation of a decade-long trend: The number of students reporting they feel “sad and hopeless” was up again, now at 34 percent statewide. Students reporting significant anxiety has increased to 52 percent. Meanwhile, 18 percent of all students surveyed seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months, the highest rate since 2003.    

But there is some good news: Local efforts to strengthen the mental wellness of our students are beginning to have a positive impact – and that’s where our Voices from the Valley podcast episode will focus. We sat down with Wendy Harris, who coordinates a program called Healthy Teen Minds, an initiative of The N.E.W. Mental Health Connection, now called The Connection. And we visited Appleton North High School, to see how its "Sources of Strength" model, implemented at schools in several Fox Valley districts, is helping teens feel included and less isolated.

More links at:  https://www.cffoxvalley.org/podcast/healthy-teen-minds/ 

Mental Health: A Path Forward

Did you know that from 2010-2018, the suicide rate in Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago counties increased by 66 percent? And among those at greatest risk are middle-aged men, individuals in certain professions (like farming, construction and law enforcement, for example), veterans, members of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color), and LGBTQ+ community members.

 

In response to this alarming community crisis, Northeast Wisconsin Mental Health Connection launched Project Zero, a suicide prevention initiative supported by the Community Foundation, and conducted a local 2021 Mind Your Wellness Survey, that was designed to collect population-level data on several mental health and suicide-related indicators. A total of 1,259 adults from Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago counties took the survey during the pandemic.

 

The Connection has just released a new report on recommendations aimed at improving adult mental health of adults in the Fox Valley. Outlined in the report, titled Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Recommendations, are more than 40 recommendations that can serve as a road map for many nonprofits, businesses and individuals to support and and advocate for new projects, strategic plans, and priorities. Go here to learn how you can impact the community.

 

The survey results identified many risk factors that contribute to poor mental health in adults, including having an annual household income of less than $50,000, feeling isolated, spending several hours of non-work time per day on screens, and inadequate sleep. The resulting recommendations are organized into three themes: basic needs, access to care, and social connection.

Show notes at   https://www.cffoxvalley.org/podcast/mental-health-a-path-forward/  

Healthy Smiles for All

Dental care is critical to a person's overall health, especially in children. But the pandemic and financial constraints have been barriers to families trying to access proper care, causing decreases in visits. Organizations like volunteer-driven Tri-County Dental help fill the gaps and meet thousands of students where they’re at, offering preventive care to avoid emergencies and keep students healthy and able to focus in school. 

It’s estimated that there are over 85,000 people in the tri-county area of Northeast Wisconsin who cannot afford even limited oral health care. And according to the Dental Association, about a third of all children in the state of Wisconsin have untreated tooth decay. The dental community wanted to do something about that. For the past two decades, volunteer dentists and dental hygienists have been offering their services free of charge through the Tri-County Community Dental Clinic.

Roughly 90 dentists from throughout the area volunteer to work at Tri-County. There are paid fellowships for new dentists who recently graduated to get experience for a one-year term. There are income and insurance requirements to be eligible to go to the clinic. Co-pays for regular visits never cost more than $35. But for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, care is completely free.

Show Notes at  https://www.cffoxvalley.org/podcast/healthy-smiles-for-all-23/ 

Understanding Autism

What is it like to learn your child has autism? And how do you find resources to give your child the best opportunities for learning and for experiencing all the joys and challenges life has in store?

In this episode we take some time to consider how we think about Autism, a developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates, thinks, and interacts with others and the world around them. People with autism experience the world differently. You may have heard the term, “Autism Spectrum,” to describe the diverse range of symptoms and abilities that are unique to everyone. 

We visit Shawano, Wisconsin, where a non-profit called Bridge the Gap for Autism is making a huge impact. It is a nationally recognized organization that has helped hundreds of children and adults with autism through a unique approach.

And we go to Black Creek Elementary in the Seymour School district, where students with Autism are using technology that is a real game-changer.

More at https://www.cffoxvalley.org/podcast/understanding-autism/