Tomah Health Foundation Helps Hungry Families

 Tomah Health Community Foundation vice president Jeremy Haldeman (left), and Foundation president Brian Eirschele (center), presented a ceremonial check to Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin media and public relations manager Kris Tazelaar on December 5th, 2023.

TOMAH, WI, December 6th, 2023 – The Tomah Health Community Foundation is helping get healthy food to struggling families in Monroe County. Foundation officials donated $2,500 to the Second Harvest Foodbank’s FoodShare Wisconsin program during an event at Tomah Health Dec. 5.

“Food is such an important part of our lives, good food in particular,” foundation president Brian Eirschele said of the donation. “There’s a need for good food, which is essential to good diets and good health. We’re just fortunate that Second Harvest has people who are interested in taking care of us.”

Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin media and public relations manager Kris Tazelaar said the foundation’s donation will support the Foodbank’s FoodShare program. “The way that Second Harvest works in 16 counties here in southwestern Wisconsin is through the generosity of groups just like the Tomah Health Foundation,” said Tazelaar. “They are making a huge difference in the Monroe County community and through Second Harvest we are able to provide much needed food to those families who are struggling with hunger right here in our community.”

It is the 10th year that the Foundation has supported Second Harvest. “We are just incredibly grateful for our long-standing relationship with the Tomah Health Community Foundation, and together we are really making a difference,” said Tazelaar.

Formerly known as food stamps, Second Harvest Foodbank’s FoodShare program allows eligible residents to receive a debit card that is loaded with FoodShare benefits that can be used at most grocery stores.

“Our FoodShare outreach is going to help folks understand what the program is, what are some of the eligibility requirements and what are some of the benefits that they could expect if they were to apply,” explained Tazelaar. “Most importantly, it actually helps people actually apply for the program because until they apply, they can’t get some of those benefits that can really make a difference in their lives.”

He added that while the FoodShare program helps ensure potentially eligible participants learn how to obtain benefits; it also meets community needs. In fiscal year 2023, Second Harvest assisted with the submission of 38 FoodShare Wisconsin applications in Monroe County, which generated 19,156 meals for food insecure Monroe County residents. The program also created $102,659 in economic impact in Monroe County.

“FoodShare numbers and application numbers, obviously fluctuate from year to year and they’re a little bit down now. But I think that’s for a lot of reasons,” said Tazelaar. “It’s a matter of us being able to get out there and reach more people to let them know about the benefits and let them know about the application process. The more people we can talk to, the more people will understand the benefits of the program.”

Second Harvest serves residents in Adams, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Lafayette, Monroe, Richland, Rock, Sauk and Vernon counties. Residents can learn if they are eligible for the program by visiting GetAQuestCard.org or by calling the FoodShare Help Line at 1-877-366-3635.

“There’s no shame in asking for help and FoodShare can make such a huge difference in the lives of those who do use it to really make ends meet,” said Tazelaar. “The true long-term goal is to end hunger.”

To learn more, visit https://www.secondharvestmadison.org/foodshare-program/.

“What is a legacy?” asks Alexander Hamilton in the hit musical about his life. “It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.” As a relentless advocate for his vision of America, he sings these words while realizing that he may no longer be around to influence decisions. I come back to these lines over and over. They make me hope that, in the face of enormous challenges facing the community today, I too can have an impact.  

If you think you need to be as good with language as Hamilton to plan your legacy, think again! Second Harvest is partnering with FreeWill to make it easier than ever to plan your legacy. Like it sounds, FreeWill will walk you through the process of making a real will, online, for free. They make it easy to plan a bequest to Second Harvest or other local nonprofits – though it is of course not required!

Mike Wilson, our Chief Administrative Officer, used FreeWill to put Second Harvest in his will. “Besides my role at Second Harvest,  I volunteered as a temporary Finance Manager in the aftermath of natural disasters,” Mike shared. “My job was to maintain accountability for the many resources that get distributed in an emergency. When I deployed to Louisiana for two weeks to support Hurricane Ida relief, I was encouraged to make a will. Going into an active disaster area, anything could happen. I had a lot to do to prepare for my deployment, but using FreeWill made it easy to check this item off my list. And since I see the great work that Second Harvest does every day, including them in my will was an easy decision.”

When making your gift, you’ll have the opportunity to direct it to one of our endowment funds if you choose. We invest endowment funds for the long term and use the interest to further our mission. If you want your gift to have an impact for the longest possible time, this is the way to do that! You can choose to support our general operations. Or, by giving to the Thea Ashkenase Endowment Fund for Food For Thought, your gift will support children’s nutrition via school pantries. Read more about Thea and how we became part of her legacy. Or, you can get in touch with us if there’s something specific you want to support! 

Maybe you’ve already made a will, though – good for you! If you’ve designated a gift to Second Harvest some other way, we’d love it if you would let us know! We want to be able to say thank you for considering our work as part of your legacy. 

By giving to Second Harvest in your estate plan, you become part of a special group of donors who have invested in a future of nutrition security and food equity. The problem of nutrition insecurity is bigger than any one of us can tackle alone. But many people and organizations working together make a big difference. That difference is measured in the thousands of meals per day that we provide, and also in the strong systems that we co-create with local partners.

In the musical, Hamilton goes on to say “I wrote some notes in a great unfinished symphony/someone will sing for me.” Whether talking about a song or a garden, he reminds us that great work does not happen alone. Sometimes complicated problems outlast us. That’s why we must give future generations the tools and resources to continue the work. I hope you will consider joining the many supporters who have made a bequest to Second Harvest in their estate plans.