Saturday, October 5, 2024
By John Faucher
The Compassionate Connections Center and Fox Communities Credit Union unveiled a new Community Partner Annex building in Clintonville Friday, June 28.
The newly built annex is located behind the CCC’s office building at 143 S. Main St. It was officially named the Fox Communities Credit Union Partner Annex Friday.
The Compassionate Connections Center is a local non-profit organization that provides resources and basic needs in the community of Clintonville.
The center and its growing partnership of organizations have served an increasing number of individuals and families since opening three years ago.
The center started out its mission at 26A 10th St. in Clintonville and recently relocated to the 143 S. Main location.
“In just three short years since opening our doors we quickly outgrew our space and we added so many partners to our organization to help expand services that we needed a bigger space to continue our outreach and continue to grow our impact,” said Leah Wojnowiak, Executive Director of Compassionate Connections Center.
“In time, more and more partner organizations began walking through our doors to help collaborate with us and provide essential services,” said Wojnowiak.
Just a few examples she cited included, Theda Care Rural Health began providing wellness visits, Cap services provided mental health navigation, Waupaca County Health provided vaccines, health resources, car seat safety checks and Head Start provided early childhood screenings.
“Providing the space for these essential services quickly became a challenge in our small space and we often had to get creative,” said Wojnowiak.
They’ve used tents, borrowed space from the fire department, local churches and Fox Valley Technical College to do some of the center’s programming.
Since opening, the center’s backpack program skyrocketed from 50 students to 250 students. A recent back-to-school clothing drive served 800 students with new clothing.
“We soon realized that our limited space was holding back our mission and our potential for continued growth and collaboration. We began to dream of a space where we could house all of our programs and partners under one roof and today that dream has become a reality,” Wojnowiak said at Friday’s event.
“The journey to this moment has been filled with the dedication and collaboration of many.
Your support and belief in our mission have not only made today’s celebration possible, but have also set the stage for countless lives to be positively impacted for years to come.
This annex represents more than just a building. It embodies our shared commitment to compassion and community,” she said.
The annex will act as a year-round centralized hub for CCC’s partners where essential supplies, resources and materials will be housed for clients to utilize. It also provides the CCC with the ability to host both its, and its partner’s events, without needing to rely on other locations to do so.
She said the partnerships work side by side with the center’s programs to actively fight the threat of poverty in the community by offering support and teaching valuable skills to individuals who need it.
Heather Wessley, director of Community Engagement at Fox Communities Credit Union, said the fact that Fox Communities Credit Union could step up to help provide this new annex for the Clintonville Community is special.
“At Fox Communities Credit Union, we believe in building stronger communities and we are proud to partner with an organization that shares our commitment to dignity, respect, and opportunity for all,” said Wessley.
