Left to right: Nancy Parcher (CHW Supervisor, La Crosse YMCA), Mykala Gousby (CHW/Case Manager II, Family Promise), Kelsey Hanson (Public Health Nurse Manager, Monroe County Health Department)
On August 15th, three local agencies presented at a statewide Community Health Worker Gathering in Stevens Point, WI. They spoke about the challenges of reaching underserved populations and how their collaborative efforts significantly impact local communities such as Norwalk, WI. Mykala Gousby from Family Promise of Monroe County has worked with Kelsey Hanson several times this year while providing free vaccines to harder-to-reach communities, such as Norwalk. While Kelsey is handling vaccines, Mykala is either handing out diapers and hygiene kits or simply providing outreach and counseling to families who may be experiencing or threatened by homelessness. They often combine efforts with Couleecap’s Community Harvest Food Panty in Norwalk, located in Scenic Bluff’s Community Health Centers at 200 W. North St. The efforts of these four agencies have effectively reached hundreds of people in need who either don’t know where to go for assistance or don’t have the means to get to an agency office across the county or during regular business hours.
In another effort this summer, Nancy Parcher of the La Crosse YMCA organized a meal program with Family Promise of Monroe County. The YMCA was eager to serve the people in Norwalk, but they did not have the connection to the community to organize the outreach. Family Promise was able to bridge that connection and make this effort successful. The timing couldn’t have been better, as several residents in the area had been without work this summer due to a local meat pack plant having to lay off several of its employees.
The YMCA participates in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program. These are both USDA Child Nutrition Programs administered in Wisconsin by the Department of Public Instruction. The USDA just came out this spring with a new meals-on-the-go program they can deliver multiple meals to eligible rural areas without needing to eat these meals on-site in a congregate setting. The National YMCA of the USA office works closely with the USDA, and nationally, YMCA’s serve over 54 million meals annually.
Locally, the YMCA Food Access programs serve 250,000 meals annually. In the summer, they provide meals at 33 sites. Their goal is to outreach and provide meals when school is out for the summer and there is less access to meals for kids 18 and under. They have expanded their mobile market food pantry to deliver monthly food boxes to eligible individuals and families. They utilize the USDA TEFAP program to support this effort.
Recently, the USDA wanted to visit the local YMCA because it has embraced its new meals-on-the-go program in two communities, Chaseburg and Norwalk. They serve 3000-3500 meals a week in these two areas alone, free to youth 18 and under. They also have many other food access programs partnered with our community and the USDA. They were excited to share their community's efforts with the USDA, YMCA of the USA, elected officials, community leaders, and other key partners.
In both cases, these great organizations are making waves on a state and national level, where they are being recognized for their innovative and collaborative efforts to expand reach and resources. Many agencies are starting to combine their efforts and expertise to accomplish their goals in serving our communities best. Monroe County and the Coulee region are setting the pace for genuine collaboration with organizations like Family Promise, YMCA, Coulee CAP, Scenic Bluffs, Monroe County Health Department, and many others who share an interest in the health and well-being of the people they serve.
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