Door County Living - Philanthropy 2024

Purchase

OUTSTANDING ARTISTS SINCE 1969

OUTSTANDING ARTISTS SINCE 1969

cookbook,

Orchard Galleries’

Edgewood Orchard Galleries’ third benefit cookbook, An Artist’s Food for Joy, is our latest collection of artwork and favorite recipes from gallery artists, staff, family, and friends.

Copies

Over $40,000 has been raised from sales of this book. The total raised to date from sales of all three Edgewood cookbooks is over $265,000. The full $25 purchase price of each cookbook is donated to non-profit groups benefiting children.

Copies are also available at these Door County businesses: Edgewood Orchard Galleries, Bliss at the Marketplace, Cornucopia, Main Street Market, Grasse’s Grill, and Kick Ash Products.

Copies are also available at these Door County businesses: Edgewood Orchard Galleries, Bliss at the Marketplace, Cornucopia, Main Street Market, Grasse’s Grill, and Kick Ash Products.

It Matters Where You Bank

When you bank with Nicolet National Bank you contribute to the local economy and quality of life in Door County. Together, businesses are started, homes are built and families are guided through every stage of life. At Nicolet Bank, we believe we are only as good as the communities we serve. We give back to the community we love by supporting the arts, human services, economic development, education and more. Working together we can make our community the best it can be.

When you bank with Nicolet National Bank you contribute to the local economy and quality of life in Door County. Together, businesses are started, homes are built and families are guided through every stage of life. At Nicolet Bank, we believe we are only as good as the communities we serve. We give back to the community we love by supporting the arts, human services, economic development, education and more. Working together we can make our community the best it can be.

Proud to support Door County, because we work and live here too.

Proud to support Door County, because we work and live here too.

Artwork by Bethan Moran-Handzlik

Offering a Year-Round Calendar with Fine Art Workshops for Adults, Teens, & Children

The Door County Plein Air Festival

Family Art Days / School Visits

Professionally Curated Exhibitions Lectures and Gallery Talks

PeninsulaSchoolofArt.org

Philanthropists of the Year 12

The Founding Board of the Women’s Fund

Is Friendship the Key to Economic Mobility? 18

Golden Heart Awards 22

The Medicine Hiding in Plain Sight 24

Connected in Isolation 34

What we can learn from the islanders

Alone, Together 42

Social Media a Mixed Bag for Keeping Connected

The Solidifying Effect of Weak Ties 54

Causes to Celebrate 60

By the Numbers 67

Difference Makers

Paula Hedeen 31

Ashley Schanock 45

Cynthia Germain 49

John and Diane Ludwigsen 51

CONTRIBUTORS 9

GIVING GUIDE 68

GUIDE TO CHARITABLE FUNDS 80

Why We Live Here

Surrounded by water, the Door Peninsula is a natural beauty – rolling hills, majestic bluffs, open farmland, sprawling woods and beautiful beaches. It is also home to an eclectic mix of people – some families have lived here for generations, others have found their way here, some spend the entire year, some stay for a few months, some just stop by for a short visit. Locals, natives, transplants, visitors, whatever you want to call us – we collectively find ourselves part of a community.

Hellen Keller said:

“The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.”

Our community is filled with honest workers. People who serve our community – the barista who makes your coffee is also many times the person who notices when you need a few words of encouragement on a bad day; the carpenter who fixes your door and feeds your cat when you are away; the coworker who sees your pain and gives you a hug; the guy on his afternoon break from work who pauses to help you unload your van; and the retiree who asks about your day and then offers to help.

It is those small connections that best define who we are. It helps foster community and it connects us to one another.

We are the sum of all of us.

Why do we live here?

We care about one another. We go out of our way to help those we know well and those we barely know.

This is Door County. This is our home.

I hope you enjoy the stories inside our publication. I hope you are inspired.

We all do what we can. In Door County, we take care of one another.

Forward together,

on the cover

Art by Katie Hohmann.

David Eliot Publisher

Door County Medical Center has served the health care needs of the Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin area for over 75 years. The Medical Center offers a full range of services and specialties, including a skilled nursing facility for long-term care, and rehabilitation services. Key services include cardiac rehabilitation; cancer treatment; diagnostic imaging; physical, occupation & speech therapy (3 locations), respiratory care and rehabilitation; surgical/outpatient services; emergency/ urgent care services; a full-service sleep disorder facility and a birthing center.

Door County Medical Center Clinics, with four location in Algoma, Sturgeon Bay, Sister Bay and Washington Island, offers a full range of services to residents of, and visitors to, the Door County area. The clinics offer a broad range of primary and specialty care services in ear, nose and throat (ENT), family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedics, pediatrics, podiatry, pulmonary medicine, urology, and diabetes services (Sturgeon Bay).

ALGOMA

DCMC

Algoma

editor Myles Dannhausen Jr.

copy editor

Sally Collins

creative director

Katie Hohmann

design associate

Renee Puccini

sales managers

Jess Farley, Stephen Grutzmacher, Megan Schneider

courier

The Paper Boy, LLC

distribution experts

Jeff Andersen, Chris Eckland, Todd Jahnke, David Nielsen, Gavin Jahnke, Guy Fortin, Dan Farrell

office manager

Ben Pothast

assistant office manager Kait Shanks

chief technology officer

Nate Bell

contributors

Debra Fitzgerald, Tom Groenfeldt, Brett Kosmider, Kayla Larsen, Craig Sterrett, Sam Watson

publisher David Eliot

owners

David Eliot and Myles Dannhausen Jr.

Door County Living, Inc.

8142 Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202 920.839.2120

info@doorcountyliving.com doorcountypulse.com

Philanthropy Issue 2024 35,000 copies (18,243 mailed)

Door County Living, celebrating the culture and lifestyle of the Door peninsula, is published five times annually by Peninsula Publishing & Distribution, Inc., 8142 Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202.

To order a subscription, please mail a check for $25 to Door County Living, 8142 Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202. If you would like to advertise, please visit doorcountymarketing.com.

© 2024 Peninsula Publishing & Distribution, Inc.

All rights reserved. Door County Living is a Peninsula Publishing & Distribution, Inc. company. Locally owned. Locally minded.

CON TRIB UTORS

BRET BICOY, president and CEO of the Door County Community Foundation, writes a philanthropy column for the Peninsula Pulse

Writer, editor and libriarian SALLY COLLINS has been sharing stories of the peninsula since ‘08. Her first novel, ‘Muddled Cherries’ comes out in August.

Writer and editor MYLES

DANNHAUSEN JR. has been searching out stories for Door County Living since 2005.

TOM GROENFELDT of Sturgeon Bay writes about financial technology for Forbes.com and The Financial Brand in addition to writing profiles of Door County artists for the Peninsula Pulse

DEBRA FITZGERALD is the editor of the Peninsula Pulse. She lives an enchanted life north of Sturgeon Bay with her partner, Louis “Luther” Cole.

KATIE HOHMANN is the creative director and when she isn’t sitting at her desk, she’s standing at it. Her time spent outside of the office is spent painting, paddleboarding and laughing good company.

Photographer KAYLA LARSEN is a Door County native who has spent most of her years on the peninsula. After spending 25 years in the service industry, she now loves to capture images of the people and places in her community. She and her husband James live outside Sister Bay with their son Beau.

Filmmaker and photographer BRETT KOSMIDER’s recently released documentary Ridge and Swale explores Door County’s history of preservation and its ecological future. He’s a co-founder and filmmaker at Peninsula Filmworks.

Outdoors enthusiast CRAIG STERRETT of Egg Harbor has more than three decades of journalism experience and a passion for the links.

SAM WATSON is a reporter for the Peninsula Pulse. The 2022 UWMadison graduate lives in Sister Bay with her partner and two cats, Desmond and Penny. When she’s not writing, she likes to cook and watch horror movies.

Your continued support makes an impact on our community!

Gibraltar School District – Upham Woods Leadership Retreat for 6th Grade

The retreat gave teachers and students time to work through group dynamics and communication styles that can be difficult to address in the confines of a classroom and school schedule.

“HELP of Door County is so grateful to the Women’s Fund of Door County; because of their continuous support and the money granted towards our Transitional Living Program, we can help our clients with four months of rent.

The Transitional Living Program provides 100% of the first month’s rent, 75% of the 2nd month’s rent, 50% of the 3rd month’s rent, and 25% of the 4th month’s rent; during the four months, we provide ongoing case management, set up monthly targeted goals, work on financial stability and competency, and provide ongoing emotional support and resources for them.”

– Moriah Turk, Program Manager

Three female speakers engaged members in hands-on activities demonstrating how STEAM is used in everyday occupations. Speakers allowed members to see firsthand how women can work in a predominately male industry and make an impact in the world of STEAM.

Fostering Appreciation for the Arts

Funding for a new fence expanded outdoor play area for children. Quality, affordable childcare provides jobs for childcare workers and promotes economic opportunity so parents can work full time.

Music – Griffon String Quartet’s Youth Music Education Program

Midsummer’s Music nurtures interests in music to foster self-expression, bolsters confidence, and ensures inclusion of female perspectives.

NOW

Midsummer’s

PHILANTHROPISTS OF THE YEAR 8 women who changed giving on the peninsula

by MYLES DANNHAUSEN JR.

Jane Stevenson was interviewing a 19-year-old single mother in 2009 when any lingering doubts about the need for a fund for women’s initiatives in Door County faded away.

“This woman had two children, no partner,” Stevenson recalled. “I asked, ‘what do you dream of for yourself?’ And she didn’t know. She said ‘I guess I’m going to raise my kids and get by and that’s it.’ She couldn’t see anything broader for herself. And the same thing happened to her mother. She couldn’t dream.”

The interview was part of the research process that the eight members of what would become the Women’s Fund of Door County undertook to determine if and

what the need for women was on the peninsula. They interviewed area leaders in nonprofits, law enforcement, social services and businesses. They talked to girls and young women in the workforce. In conversations with many of those founding members, it was that research process that galvanized them to turn a long-simmering idea into a thriving reality.

For Sharon Lutsey, it was learning the depth of some of the issues facing the women of the peninsula.

“I did not understand the poverty, the number of women working three jobs to cobble together a living, the alcoholism that affects women tremendously,” Lutsey said. “I think a lot of us come here and know this as a beautiful place that we like to visit, but don’t understand those underlying issues. You don’t see them. It was an eye-opener to have those conversations.”

“It was very apparent that the communities of Door County needed to identify the skill sets young women and girls needed to be able to achieve their dreams and aspirations for a prosperous life,” the late BJ Cassidy told Bret Bicoy in 2019. “Many opportunities seemed to be out of reach for girls to be able to make a sustainable future.”

Cassidy, Lutsey, Stevenson, Sally O’Brien, Barb Perloff, Lolly Ratajczak, Vicki Wilson and Orlaine Gabert made up the leadership team of the “Building Her Future” effort that set out to raise $100,000 to support efforts to help women lead better lives in Door County. Fifteen years later, the fund has a $1.7 million endowment and the wide-ranging impact of their efforts has made them the first group honoree as the Door County Community

Sharon

Lolly Vikki

Sally

Orlaine B.J.

Barb Jane

Foundation’s Philanthropists of the Year. In announcing the honor, the foundation’s CEO Bret Bicoy credited them with “reimagining women’s philanthropy in Door County and inspiring a new group of donors to give back to our community as never before.”

Expanding Horizons

That group of mostly retired women had spent lifetimes watching young women and girls struggling for or being outright denied the same social, economic and leadership opportunities as their male counterparts.

For Gabert, her own experiences as a young woman stick with her to this day.

“When I was in high school I could be a secretary, a nurse, or a teacher,” recalled Gabert,. “I chose education. My sister chose a nurse. We never looked at engineering or computers, those weren’t careers we were told to look at.”

Stevenson said many of the women on the original board had gone through similar experiences, and that resonated.

“It’s about women having choices,” she said. “The choice to be at home with

(Above, sitting from left) Vicki Wilson, Lolly Ratajczak, and Orlaine Gabert. (Standing, from left) Jane Stevenson, BJ Cassidy, Sally O’brien, Jennifer Moeller, Pam Maloney, Nikki Hedeen and Sharon Lutsey. (Below, from left) BJ Cassidy, Sally O’brien, Lolly Ratajczak and Jane Stevenson.

their family or to be in the workforce and have opportunities. The most important thing is that the women just didn’t have a sense of self-respect and self-worth. For me, the work I had been doing through the years, seeing that women needed more support than they were getting. They didn’t feel they could develop themselves how they wanted.”

The Women’s Fund launched the Invest, Dream, Achieve program in 2018 to support young women as they further their education not only through financial support, but with counseling, networking and career coaching.

“We saw kids who were seeing their mom succeed, getting a better outlook on education,” Gabert said. “They were learning to plan their finances, plan their time and use it more wisely.”

Lutsey said that program is among the initiatives she’s proudest of.

“Anytime you can give a hand to someone who might not have had a chance to earn a better living, or get a job with benefits, it’s rewarding,” she said. “We really thought a lot about the dream, giving women an opportunity to dream.”

Longtime board member Karen Peterson said the original group of women was plowing through uncharted territory.

“We made some real inroads in awareness of womens’ and girls’ needs,” Peterson said. “We got big enough to help spotlight the child care situation, galvanizing significant amounts of time and money to make things better.”

Recent initiatives have included co-funding a community child care coordinator, support for area child care center expansions, and partnering with local businesses

to offset child care costs for employees.

A Reverberating Impact

Gabert said the team hoped they could make a difference beyond dollars and cents in a fund. “The overall hope was that we could make some societal change,” she said. “We wanted an opportunity to give women some chances.”

That impact is harder to measure, but one place you might start is representation in leadership positions. When the fund was started, there were just three women on the 20-member Door County Board of Supervisors. There was a smattering of women on local municipal boards, and every state and federal office representing Door County was held by men.

As of March there were seven women county supervisors and multiple municipalities have seen their first majority-women boards.

“Some of the women now in leadership positions used to be on our Women’s Fund board,” Lutsey said.

“You want societal change, but you need those baby steps to remove the

(From left) Sharon Lutsey, Barb Perloff, Vicki Wilson, BJ Cassidy, Orlaine Gabert and Sally O’brien at an early “Building Her Future” campaign meeting. Submitted.

barriers that women have,” Gabert said. “And eventually you get more women on the county board, in government, and running for judge. But the first thing you do is remove barriers.”

Those women have changed conversations about where funding goes and how policy is made. It’s no accident that child care, affordable housing, and mental health are bigger parts of the community conversation than ever before.

“There is definitely an empowering that the Women’s Fund has created,” Peterson said. “Across all ages and areas.”

Lauren Ward, elementary principal at Gibraltar School, said the Women’s Fund empowers because it listens.

“What’s so inspiring about the Women’s Fund is that they are highly engaged in both education and fundraising, but also extremely attuned to meeting the specific needs of women in Door County,” she said. “The board is continuously seeking and listening to what women and girls in the community need, and then creating programming which has a very real and significant impact on individual lives and families, which in turn supports the wider community as a whole.”

As it embarks on its 15th year, the Women’s Fund nears the end of its first generation of making a difference in the lives of women. It makes one think about the ripples yet to be felt. At the organization’s 2011 annual luncheon, keynote speaker Rebecca Ryan told me that it

was incumbent upon women to stake their claim to the roles they desired.

“Women have to assert themselves,” Ryan told me that day. “Then we need to communicate that to young girls. You need some type of a forum where their expectations can be shifted. Where women who have a dream beyond themselves can get together.”

That “Building Her Future” team started that shift, helping to support and empower more mentors and role models, and create space to dream.

“The original board – most of us were retired,” Lutsey said. “We had the time to evaluate how we wanted the Women’s Fund to evolve. Now many of the board members are full-time in the workforce with children. Their perspective is very important in how they look at granting. When they meet, where, what issues you want to address. That’s very healthy.”

(From left) Sally O’Brien, Jane Stevenson and BJ Cassidy. Submitted.

(From left) Sharon Lutsey, BJ Cassidy and Orlaine Gabert. Submitted.

Molly Schroeder speaks at the Women’s Fund Tales of Our Lives story slam. The event has become a popular annual event and a forum for women (and men) to tell their stories and the stories of women who have impacted their lives. Photo by Heidi Hodges.

Investing In Our Future Destination

Door County’s Community Investment Fund

The Community Investment Fund uses a portion of the room tax dollars paid by overnight visitors and reinvests those dollars to support local projects that enhance our community and improve the quality of life for people who live and work in Door County.

The community impact of funded projects includes public park expansions and improvements, historic preservation efforts, enhanced hiking trails, new bike trails, public transportation infrastructure and beach water quality awareness. Since Destination Door County created this fund in 2023, $1.2 million has been invested in 24 different local projects.

Door County-based 501(c)(3) public charities, 501(c)(6) organizations, and local units of government are all eligible and encouraged to apply. More information about the Community Investment Fund, including application materials, project eligibility requirements, and a complete list of previously funded projects, can be found at CommunityInvestmentFund.org.

Is Friendship the Key to Economic Mobility?

by BRET BICOY President and CEO, Door County Community Foundation

At the Door County Community Foundation, we spend a lot of time thinking and talking about the importance of community. Our fundamental belief is a simple one. The greater our ability to come together as a community, a community in which everyone is valued and involved, the better equipped we are to take collective action and overcome our shared challenges. Sociologists call this “bridging social capital.”

Unlike its counterpart, “bonding social capital,” which reinforces the ties within a homogeneous group, bridging social capital extends our connections to encompass groups that are different from our own. It fosters an inclusive network of relationships that transcends traditional social and economic divides. The importance of bridging social capital in building a robust and dynamic community cannot be overstated. It is a cornerstone for social cohesion and our willingness to work together toward common goals.

At the center of bridging social capital is its ability to connect disparate groups, facilitating understanding and cooperation among people from differing backgrounds. In a world often marred by stark divisions – be them economic, racial, or political – bridging social capital serves as a counterforce, promoting a sense of community and mutual respect. It is the social glue that binds diverse communities together, allowing for the exchange of ideas, resources, and support across traditional boundaries.

Over the last few decades, I’ve written countless columns arguing that the healthiest communities are those in which bridging social capital is abundant. Yet in the last few years, the ubiquity of social media and the power of big data have opened up a whole new world of research possibilities, offering fascinating new insights into the power of bridging social capital.

Dr. Raj Chetty of Harvard, Dr. Matthew Jackson of Stanford, and a dozen other researchers studied 72.2 million Facebook users and the 21 billion interlinking

friendships between them. The researchers readily admit that a “friendship” of Facebook does not directly translate into a robust real-world relationship, but it does document a connection between two people. Typically, the greater the interaction between two friends online, the stronger the real-world relationship truly is.

In their papers “Social Capital I: Measurement and Associations with Economic Mobility” and “Social Capital II: Determinants of Economic Connectedness,” Chetty, Jackson, et al demonstrate a remarkably robust causal link between a person’s friendships with people in a higher socioeconomic class and the level of upward economic mobility a person will experience in their lifetime. The researchers call this “economic connectedness.”

The notion that friendships can influence economic mobility might conflict with conventional wisdom which often emphasizes education, job opportunities, and family support as primary drivers. However, the research shows that friendships across socioeconomic

lines might just be the best predictor of upward economic mobility there is.

What the study tells us is if you took a poor kid whose parents only know other lowincome families and moved them into a community with a high-level of economic connectedness, that child will typically experience a 20% increase in income during adulthood. That’s essentially the same economic impact as if the child went to college.

When I first read the two studies my skeptical heart immediately concluded this has more to do with higher quality of schools in mixed-income neighborhoods. Yet the study controlled for those differences and found that school quality had only a negligible effect. I then thought perhaps this is driven by selection bias – the idea that parents who are more engaged in their children’s success will deliberately relocate to neighborhoods with greater economic connectivity. Once again, the researchers had considered

“The study tells us with a high-level of economic connectedness, that child will typically experience a 20% increase in income during adulthood. That’s essentially the same economic impact as if the child went to college.”

this possibility and found minimal impact.

Interestingly, the key factor is economic connectedness, not the level of wealth in a community. Zip codes in which there is both great wealth and isolated pockets of poverty offer little in the way of upward economic mobility unless it is also characterized by an abundant level of friendships bridging those class divides.

Friendships across socioeconomic lines expose people to diverse life experiences and broaden

horizons. For children from low-income backgrounds, these friendships can open doors to new opportunities – be it cultural experiences, educational possibilities, or professional networks. People also begin to learn and understand how to navigate the world in ways that might otherwise be inaccessible or unfamiliar. Bridging social capital nurtures aspirations, fosters opportunities, and provides pathways for upward mobility.

Further, cross-class friendships challenge and dismantle stereotypes and prejudices that might pervade socio-economic divides. By fostering understanding and empathy across economic lines, these friendships deconstruct the barriers that often keep communities segregated and mistrustful of one another. This mutual understanding is a cornerstone for building a more cohesive society where opportunities for advancement are not hindered by socioeconomic backgrounds.

cross-class friendships is that they are not unilateral. Children from middle and upperclass families also stand to gain significantly from these relationships. They offer an invaluable perspective on the realities of economic inequality, fostering a sense of empathy and greater social responsibility. These cross-class friendships nurture future generations of citizens and leaders who are then more committed to addressing systemic issues that perpetuate economic disparities.

Of course, there are challenges which accompany economic connectedness. Differences in lifestyle, parental expectations, and even leisure activities can create awkwardness or misunderstandings. Navigating these differences requires sensitivity, open communication, and a willingness to learn from one another. It’s here that the true depth and resilience of friendship is both tested and ultimately strengthened. Yet it’s worth the effort.

These friendships are more than just social connections. They are bridges to new possibilities, sources of mutual growth, and catalysts for societal change. As we look to build a community in which every child has a reasonable chance to succeed, fostering and valuing relationships that bridge socioeconomic divides must be a deliberate part of our collective work. In a world too often separated by economic lines, the simple, profound act of building a friendship across the divide is a profound step towards a community in which everyone can thrive.

Bret Bicoy is President & CEO of the Door County Community Foundation. Contact him at bret@givedoorcounty.org.

A Celebration of Volunteerism

United Way of Door County hosted a celebration of volunteerism on April 19, 2023 for the 21st Golden Heart Awards at Stone Harbor Resort in Sturgeon Bay.

The awards – sponsored by Wisconsin Public Service – raise awareness of local nonprofit voluntary programs, and honor volunteers of all ages. The 2024 Golden Heart Awards will be honored on April 24, 2024. Here’s a look at the 2023 honorees.

Adult Volunteer: Rebecca DenHollander

Rebecca DenHollander is a Unity Hospice volunteer who is committed to making the community better by helping people in need at a very emotional and delicate time in their lives.

Arts & Culture Volunteer: The Northern Sky Tuesday Crew

The theater’s Tuesday Crew is a diverse group of volunteers with a wide range of talents and tools at their disposal to do whatever needs to be done around the theater.

Environmental Stewardship Award: Art Lutzke

Lutzke was honored as a Crossroads at Big Creek volunteer who is “always willing to help, happy to share his knowledge and serves as a fabulous role model for the young people who have the privilege of working with him.”

Group Volunteer: Door County Housing Partnership Board of Directors

The board of the housing partnership was honored for its work to create permanently affordable housing for local residents. (From right to left) Dianna Wallace, Amy Demain, Jerry Zaug, Sean Linnan, Mariah Goode and president Jim Honig (at podium). Not pictured: Steve Kase, Marissa Downs.

Youth Volunteer Award Scholarship: Bethany Paye, Simone Sandoval and Elsa Schoeneman

Bethany Paye of Southern Door School volunteered with her church and for her school’s pit orchestra, sang Christmas carols at local nursing homes, and assisted with youth volleyball camps, math meets, craft fairs and school dances.

Simone Sandoval of Sevastopol High School organized Parents’ Night Out, is a strong advocate for the Hispanic community and served as a youth apprentice at United Way of Door County.

Elsa Schoeneman of Sturgeon Bay High School volunteered at Door-Tran each morning before school, assists with the Door Community Child Development Center’s winter fundraiser, and regularly volunteers with her church and for a Milwaukee nonprofit that assists youth in poverty.

Lifetime of Service Award (The Karl May Award): Gerald E. Richter

Gerald E. Richter was a lifelong volunteer “who used his talents to help everyone he met,” and for particular organizations such as the Door County Maritime Museum.

(Clockwise from top left) Gerald Richter Family | Tuesday Crew Northern Sky Theater | Elsa Schoneman | Door County Housing Partnership | Simone Sandoval | Bethany Paye | Golden Heart Volunteer Awards Celebration | Art Lutzke | Rebecca DenHollander

All photos by Rachel Lukas.

The Medicine

Hiding in Plain Sight

How social connection and community can cure the sickness that ails

us

by DEBRA FITZGERALD and photos by KAYLA LARSEN

There is an epidemic of loneliness in the U.S.

That’s according to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who outlined the problem in 2023 with an 82-page report entitled, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.”

“Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health,” he wrote.

The report made headlines, though it could not have come as much of a surprise to many – as many as half of U.S. adults experience measurable levels of loneliness, according to Murthy’s statistics.

“We now know that loneliness is a common feeling that many people experience,” Murthy told the Associated Press in an interview. “It’s a feeling the body sends us when something we need for survival is missing.”

That “something,” Murthy advises, is social connection and community. When humans lack this survival necessity, measurable physical health consequences arise, according to the report: a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke, a 50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults.

Additionally, lacking social connection increases risk of premature death by more than 60% – comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

The report is not all doom and gloom. Murthy proposes social connection and community as the “medicine hiding in plain sight.”

He lays out a framework for a National Strategy to Advance Social Connection – something that has never been implemented before in the U.S. – and details recommendations for individuals, governments, workplaces, health systems and community organizations to increase

connection in their lives and communities and improve their physical and mental health.

Murthy wrote that we need to prioritize building social connections the same way we have prioritized addressing other critical public health issues, such as tobacco, obesity and substance use disorders.

“Together, we can build a country that’s healthier, more resilient, less lonely and more connected,” he said.

The Change Agent

Together, we can also build a Door County that’s healthier, more resilient, less lonely and more connected – and Paul Salm has been tasked with doing just that.

To many in the northern Door County communities, he’s the owner of Cornerstone Pub and Restaurant in Baileys Harbor, which he’s owned with his wife, Emily, since 2010. By day, he works

in the areas of human development and relationships for the University of Wisconsin-Extension.

“I am here because Door County recognizes the fact that social isolation is a pandemic,” Salm said. “We need to work toward solving that.”

He said the County of Door has prioritized social isolation as an issue and even if it hadn’t, he would have gone in that direction with his work. He said living close to Sister Bay, he sees its manifestation in everyday life.

“It stood out,” he said. “Social isolation stood out.”

That’s because social isolation manifests in different ways. It’s not just someone sitting at home alone on their couch indulging in their negative behaviors of – drugs, drinking, overeating or shopping online beyond a person’s financial means, for example.

When Salm was installed in his UW-Extension office at the County of Door’s administrative building in Sturgeon Bay, he started the requisite environmental scan to learn what was available for programming already that brought people together among Door County’s numerous public agencies, nonprofits, churches and school districts.

“I assessed what was there in order to understand what was missing,” he said.

He learned there’s a plethora of wonderful programming, but that programming is primarily in Sturgeon Bay.

“It’s a lack of meaningful and positive relationships in one’s life,” he said. “I believe we can surround ourselves with people and not get anything out of it, and not grow as a human.”

He said people often normalize negative behaviors as a group, until those behaviors begin to tear a person apart – all the negative behaviors that are seen in Door County.

“And everywhere,” he said. “But it’s really magnified here because we’re a small county and we’re surrounded half the year with so much opulent wealth. We forget we’re really poor; we’re a poor people.”

to Sturgeon Bay and get on a waiting list for a program.”

So he charges out into the community with his new training and programming knowledge and throws everything against the wall and – nothing sticks.

“So, I stopped,” he said. “I was miring. I had all this programming and nowhere to program. I decided: go to the communities that already exist. Introduce yourself for who you are. Stop talking, stop telling people what they need and listen to what they want.”

“They just don’t have the capacity to get into the rural areas,” he said. “When I went north [in Door County] to the churches and other organizations, they didn’t identify with those programs and didn’t even know they existed. And they certainly were not going to drive

He listened for six months then returned to the county and told them what was going on: people, especially older adults, were “starving” for community involvement, volunteer opportunities, substantive conversations and activities and continued education. And he knew the framework for all of that existed in Door County.

“We have all the beautiful nonprofit organizations doing beautiful things,” he said. “We’ve got

Paul Salm works with the Strong Bodies exercise group at Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church in Ellison Bay.

MAY 4, 2024

SPONSORED

unlimited potential to make this happen, we just don’t have a change agent –until I got plopped into that office in Sturgeon Bay and I swam around for six months and learned this.”

He said learning about the institutions and what they offer was the easy part. Translating those resources into the community that needs them was the trick. But he found that in the very people who wanted those resources the most.

“All of the older folks who want this programming are amazing and accomplished humans who have done amazing things throughout the course of their lives,” he said. “And still can, and are still able and guess what: they have time, and capacity.”

He has begun a Strong Bodies exercise program in Ellison Bay at Shepherd of the Bay, where some magic is already happening and a sense of belonging and place and connection is taking place. He’s also working with county departments – Public Health and the Aging and Disability Resource Center [ADRC] of Door County– to come up with what he called a “hit parade” event to create awareness of the celebration of growing older.

That part of what he’s doing is a bit more downhill – as he described it – thanks to the groups working

to engage that demographic.

“Groups are blossoming and getting organized and we’ll soon launch who they are and what they offer,” he said. “There’s a lot of synergy in that direction.”

The other target population isn’t so readily available – those who work in Door County’s thriving service industry. Salm is working with the County of Door, Destination Door County and the Door County Economic Development Corporation to focus on the mental health of that working population, with a goal of developing a more efficient and stable workforce.

need to get there is unknown at this time. This is what Salm does know.

“There are people who survive and thrive in the service industry,” he said. “So there are behaviors you can adopt to be successful. So how do you shake those out.”

Once he and the local partners develop focus-group questions to learn what kind of training is needed and how to deliver it, they’ll charge out into restaurants and bars to listen to the stories and establish some qualitative data.

Until then, his advice.

“So all of our ships can continue to rise,” he said.

What the serviceindustry workers

“If you have the opportunity to get into something that creates a sense of belonging and worth, that may just fill that void,” he said.

For the Strong Bodies group members, the sessions are as much about a social routine as they are about exercise.

Crowne Properties, located in the lobby of the historic Hillside Waterfront Hotel in Ephraim, is committed to Door County through ongoing community service and support.

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Researchers estimate a $7 to $12 return on every $1 invested in childcare!

Your favorite restaurant is only open three days a week instead of seven and you can’t get a reservation. Your eye doctor, dentist or hair stylist appointments are booked for months instead of days or weeks, the shops you liked to visit are closed.

Child Care affects all of us….visitors and residents. It’s a workforce issue, it’s a quality of life issue.

With your help the United Way Child Care Initiatives are making a difference - more providers, increased quality of care, and subsidies to make childcare more affordable for families.

We know that the quality of care that children receive in their earliest years influences the adults they later become. If you’re looking for an impactful opportunity, your gift to United Way’s Child Care Initiatives will make a difference today, and for years to come.

A Community Connector Paula Hedeen

by SAM WATSON and photos by BRETT KOSMIDER

For most people, volunteering is a side project, not a full-time endeavor.

But Paula Hedeen isn’t most people, according to those who have worked alongside her at Serenity Spring Senior Living at Scandia Village in Sister Bay.

“She’s a real-life Energizer Bunny,” said Kathy Wagner, a former director of nursing at Scandia. “When she gets on board with something, it’s going forward.”

Hedeen has spent 24 of her 68 years – over a third of her life –volunteering at Scandia. Her visits began after her mother moved there in 2000.

“I would go daily and I would help in the kitchen or fold clothes or run bingo, whatever they needed extra help with,” Hedeen said.

Her mother could already see the impact her daughter had on the facility before she died in 2002.

Hedeen joked that she didn’t often listen to her mother, but this request stuck with her. So she kept volunteering. Doing so was a natural continuation of a lifetime of similar work; for years, Hedeen would volunteer at the hospital of whatever town life brought her to. These experiences got her used to working in settings not everyone can handle.

“Many people cannot do that [work at a nursing home] because they’re not comfortable in these types of facilities,” Hedeen said. “I think because I see the need versus the suffering, I also see the joy in being older. I see the joy of people laughing at themselves because of their limitations. I see the friendships – it’s kind of like living in a college dorm room, going in and out visiting people.”

“There’s never a day that I go in there and I don’t come out happier. Not one day. When you have that, you know you found your purpose.”

“Right before she passed, she said ‘Honey, you must never leave here,’” Hedeen recalled. “She said, ‘They need you.’”

As well as helping with daily to-dos at Scandia, Hedeen worked on big-picture projects, serving on Scandia’s board, endowment committee and capital campaign committee, and co-chairing the Grand Scandia Golf Benefit, an annual fundraiser that raised

over $750,000 over 15 years. She and fellow volunteer Bob Lindahl repainted much of the facility together, and Lindahl remembered Hedeen regularly putting in eight- to ten-hour shifts.

Hedeen’s heavy involvement at Scandia has made her a familiar face to residents at the facility, according to Lindahl.

“They love Paula,” he said of the residents. “[If] you mention Paula’s name to residents who have been around here for a number of years, any of them would recognize it and have a smile on their face.”

Of the many tasks Hedeen has worked on during her volunteer career, giving residents end-oflife care is the duty Hedeen holds nearest to her heart. Providing this care means sitting with residents – some of whom don’t have family or friends in the area – as they die and comforting them during the transition.

When asked if doing this was difficult, Hedeen’s answer was a resounding “no.” She considers it both an honor and a spiritual experience. This attitude towards death makes it easier for Hedeen to talk to residents about it and be up front about one of the many roles Scandia plays.

“It is a place people go to die, but I tell [residents,] ‘This is the place

Photo by Dan Eggert

that you come to live your best life until you do,’” Hedeen said.

Hedeen’s help hasn’t gone unnoticed at Scandia. Far from it, her presence there is palpable, according to Lindahl and Wagner, making the atmosphere a little brighter for residents and staff members alike.

“When you left after having an interaction with Paula, you felt lighter,” Wagner said.

Hedeen described working at Scandia in much the same way.

“There’s never a day that I go in there and I don’t come out happier,” Hedeen said. “Not one day. When you have that, you know you found your purpose.”

Paula Hedeen has been volunteering at Serenity Spring Senior Living at Scandia Village for 24 years .

Connected in Isolation

What we can learn from the islanders

by CRAIG STERRETT

For the past 30 years, Trinity Lutheran Church on Washington Island has attracted between 50 and 60 people of all ages on winter and spring Wednesday nights.

It has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with fellowship.

People of all faiths (or of no faith) and income levels gather each week for a community supper of soup, bread and dessert. If they don’t show up one week, they’ll drop in

the next time, said Dave Small, who brings his children and notices that they comfortably mingle with islanders young and old.

“There might be 12 different types of homemade soups. People always bring extra,” said Kari Gordon, a member of the community center committee.

Soup and Bread is just one of the ways that residents of Washington Island stay connected in one of the most remote places in Wisconsin. A few hours driving around

Washington Island can give the impression that islanders might feel lonely and socially disconnected.

However, Town Clerk Alexandria McDonald said there’s plenty to do, and in some ways it takes extra effort to be alone on the island. For instance, when she was about to have her first baby, Ppeople I didn’t know were sending cards and buying gifts.”

Long before U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s 2023 declaration of a nationwide crisis of loneliness,

isolation and lack of connection, island residents went to work on the problem.Organizations, the school and businesses have set up some sort of activity almost every day of the week.

Gordon is also involved in efforts ranging from volunteering as choir leader for Music In The Schools, teaching Nordic Dance and helping to lead the August Scandinavian Festival.

Some major get-togethers started with little or no organization and caught on in a big way.

Former commercial fisherman and island resident Lee Franzen was ice fishing with a few friends about 20 years ago in West Harbor when he made a bowl of ceviche with vegetables, spices and a pike he’d just caught. Other people on the ice walked up to the shack, asked what the anglers were doing, and then joined them the next year for what became The Ice Party.

The event sprouted during the Lions Club’s week-long fishing derby, which is traced to the late 1970s, as did that same week’s Thursday Men’s Day all-day snowmobile ride that attracts dozens of riders and a Friday Women’s Day house-to-house luncheon.

As the Ice Party grew, founders deep-fried a turkey while fishing one year. Then came chicken wings and a trout boil. From there, the bring-your-own-bottle, ice-fishing, grill-out bash started drawing 200 people or more.

The gatherings on Detroit Harbor grew to include souvenir T-shirt sales and a fundraising jar for organizations such as the Washington Island Community Health Program.

Program director Christine Andersen said she drops in on The Ice Party most years, whether it’s on the ice or moved to terra ferma due to warm weather. Franzen said the party tends to be a bigger

attraction for ages 20-50, but families and seniors show up, too.

Andersen sees the overall health picture on the island and knows that not all residents get out of the house. Census figures show the median age on the island at 67.2.

“Some people don’t want to go out in the winter, especially the older people,” Andersen said. “They worry for their personal safety.”

Andersen has worked to expand a volunteer pool and efforts to check on people who may have become isolated.

Volunteer drivers deliver food from a Monday-Wednesday-Friday community lunch gathering to those who can’t come to the meal site.

“Participants are checked on three times a week by our drivers, and if there’s a concern, they bring it back to us and we follow up,” Andersen said. “They are kind of a lifeline.”

(Left) It takes a journey by ferry across Death’s Door to connect Washington Island residents to the rest of the world. The island’s 782 residents get creative to stave off loneliness in one of the most isolated communities in North America.

Photo by Brett Kosmider.

(Right) Allesandra Rolffs has immersed herself in the island life since moving from Milwaukee. File photo by Len Villano.

It’s All Happening at Co rner of the Past Museum!

Daily Docent-Led History Tours in Sister Bay

Tuesday–Friday

Explore 16 renovated historic buildings, 1875 Anderson family farmhouse with late 1800s furnishings and ar tifacts.

Open Tuesday–Friday, 10:30am–3pm, June 4–October 11

Admission: $10, Kids Free

"Sister Bay Stories" Series

Koessl Barn, Corner of the Past Museum, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

• TBD – June 18

• Hotel du Nord: Laura Lijewski – July 25

• Jungwir th’s: Mar y Jo Anderson – August 21

• Sister Bay Area Schools: Nyla Small – September 17

Christkindlmarkt Door County Annual Pre-Christmas Market

November 29-30 & December 1 • December 6-8 • December 13-15

‘Christmas Huts’ featuring local ar tisans German & Scandinavian food & drink by local restaurants doorcountychristmasmarket.com

Northern Door County’s Oldest Farmers Market

Sister Bay's Farmers Market on Saturday mornings of fers fresh locally -grown fruits and vegetables, flowers and prepared foods from local vendors. Ar tists and ar tisans demonstrate a wide variet y of craf ts. Saturdays • 9am – 1pm • June 15 – October 5

We Moved the 120-Year-old Little Sister Barn…

Watch our progress in the coming months as we adapt it into the Sister Bay Histor y Center! CONTACT US: sisterbayhistoricalsociety@gmail.com

10310

Not everyone qualifies for mobile meals. Neighbors tend to check on neighbors frequently, but that’s not necessarily a sure thing.

Still – in a community with only two ferries each way on some winter days and an official population of 782, which includes those who leave for a month or two – they have developed a culture of connection while also enjoying their alone time.

“Winter is sometimes called Friends Season up here,” said Alessandra Rolffs, who raises her two children, grows flowers and herbs, and helps to run Gathering Ground farm along with her husband, Russell, and several organization partners focused on sustainability, ecology and regenerative agriculture.

“In the summer you’re too busy to hang out,” said Rolffs, who helps with gardens, a farmers market, community garden, summer educational programs and classes for all ages on the farm. “We often have dinners in the winter with our other farmer friends, where we cook and share meals.”

Rolffs and other islanders frequent events they probably would not

attend if they lived in a city or even on the mainland.

Folks who can’t sing a lick come to karaoke at K.K. Fiske’s restaurant on Saturdays. Residents who don’t love trivial pursuits crowd K.K.’s trivia night on Fridays. And you don’t have to be a shark to play in pool league Fridays at Nelsen’s Hall.

“Your options are few so you have to do what’s available,” Rolffs said. “Say, a book club is not your thing or snowmobiling is not your thing? You have to figure out what can be your thing enough that you can enjoy it and enjoy the people.”

Rolffs said many islanders make extra efforts to stay connected.

“It’s recognized that it is quiet so you go out of your way to stop and chat when you’re in the grocery store or the library,” Rolffs said. “There’s ‘the island wave’. You make eye contact when you’re driving by.”

Washington Island gets some of the biggest and rowdiest spectator turnouts for Door County League baseball. School events, such as holiday student-senior lunches, fill the

cafeteria. The season’s three or four home basketball games – often Friday night and Saturday morning games with small-school teams on overnight trips – draw standingroom-only crowds and overfill the parking lot.

Both the public library and the Mosling Recreation Center/ community center – with its gym, pool and common areas where there’s always a jigsaw puzzle in the works – do double duty as locations for socializing.

Small noted that younger adults, especially those who come to the island for short-term jobs or newcomers with long-term jobs, have great difficulty finding places to rent and even more trouble affording a home purchase.

Census figures show Washington Island’s smallest age groups as 3040 and 40-50. Small said the motels that provide longer-term rentals tend to stay full, and there’s frankly not much designed specifically for people ages 20-40 to do – although many work out regularly at the fitness center.

Organizations, groups and businesses have staggered activities

Islanders’ games in the Door County League draw hundreds on summer Sundays, and connect people of all ages. Photo by Brett Kosmider.

The Ice Party can draw 200 people or more to the frozen lake for food, drinks and camaraderie in the heart of winter. Photo by Steve Waldron.

throughout the week. For Gordon and her 96-year-old mom Connie (Boshka) Sena, that means knitting on Mondays, joining one of the island’s several book clubs on Thursday, and more needlework on Tuesdays with a group that assembles a quilt for each new high school graduate.

Steve Waldron and his wife, Laura, seasonally lead the Art and Nature Center. He’s the lead naturalist and she’s the director.

Waldron said he believes “there’s a much stronger sense of community” on the island than elsewhere. For years, prior to developing a back problem Waldron and a rugged group of friends met weekly in

winter for rugged hikes. In short sections, they walked all the way around the island where the ice met the shoreline.

“Winter puts people back on their own resources,” said Waldron, who is working on children’s book illustrations and other projects.

“There isn’t a concert or a brilliant lecturer coming like I would be able to go to in Madison. It’s a creativity enhancer because you have to make things happen for yourself.”

Zuzka Krueger, the administrative assistant at the Washington Island School, enrollment 62 from kindergarten through 12th grade, said she doesn’t think it’s more difficult making and maintaining

Cultivating a Creative Community

The landscape, culture, and creative energy of Door County have attracted artists and art lovers for nearly a century From painters, sculptors, and musicians to actors, poets, and writers, the Door Peninsula has been home to countless creative types, including visionary and museum founder Gerhard CF Miller, and they’ve left more than their mark They’ve created a vibrant and robust art scene that continues to expand with each passing year The Miller Art Museum has, since its inception in 1975, served as a pillar of the artistic community, providing artists and worldwide audiences an accessible platform for the exploration, appreciation, and advancement of the visual arts We are grateful to our community our sustaining members, donors, volunteers, visual artists, patrons, community partners, and corporate and private exhibition sponsors who make our work possible We have much to celebrate and look forward to in the years ahead as we are a stronger organization because of you thank you!

social connections on the island than in cities or the Slovakian village where she grew up.

“We only have each other,” Krueger said. “It’s a small place. You have what you have.”

Doug De Laporte, owner of Nelsen’s Hall, says there’s enough to do if you don’t need constant entertainment or a lot of different stores and restaurants.

“If you’re going to live up here in the winter, you have to be comfortable with yourself and your family,” said De Laporte. “If you’re going to live up here, you have to like it. And I like it.”

To learn more about the museum, how you can support its future, or to inform us of your intent to include the Miller Art Museum in your estate plans, please contact Elizabeth MeissnerGigstead, executive director, at 920 746 0707 or egigstead@millerartmuseum org The museum is located at 107 S 4th Ave inside the Door County Library in the heart of historic downtown Sturgeon Bay

We invite you to create. To reflect. To inspire. To focus. To engage. To connect.

Welcome to Write On’s Writing Center — in the heart of Door County.

On Juddville Road, just off Highway 42, is a place for writers, readers, and word adventurers of all ages to gather and to explore, to teach and to learn. It’s a quiet retreat with a welcoming library and cozy chairs. It’s a hive of activity for book clubs and events. It’s our Writer’s Walk — winding paths through 59 acres of verdant woods lined with birches and wildflowers.

Discover everything Write On has to offer. Just drop in for some quiet time to write, become a member, or attend a workshop, conference, or other event.

It is all made possible by our generous donors whose support brings the joy and magic of creating and sharing writing to so many. We are so very grateful.

“After this experience, I am

On,

Alone, Together

by SAM WATSON

If you’re a regular on Facebook, Instagram or any other platform, you’ll know that social media is many-faceted. It’s a means to keep in touch with loved ones, and it’s a collection of countless arguments. It’s a way to connect with people from across the country or planet, and it’s a way to tune out people in our own communities.

To Sturgeon Bay High School counselor Jennifer O’Handley, who has watched the rise of social media through her 19 years of counseling, it’s a tool. Like any other tool, whether it’s helpful or harmful – or in this case, whether it connects or divides us – is up to the user.

“I don’t think it’s as straightforward as we would like,” O’Handley said.

The Good

Though Door County is well-known for its close-knit community, that community can be a homogeneous one, especially when it comes to race and age. Because of that, some use social media to connect with people beyond the peninsula who understand their experiences, said Cami Peggar, United Way of Door County’s Community Impact Coordinator of Health.

“We don’t have an extremely diverse population here; we’re in the Midwest,” Peggar said. “So for a lot of people who are minorities or have

interests that you can’t find an outlet for around here, social media is a great tool.”

Another group that can benefit from social media – and one that makes up a significant chunk of Door County’s population – is the elderly. Despite a common belief that seniors simply don’t use social media, many retirees on the peninsula do so to keep in touch with friends and family elsewhere, said Cynthia Germain, president of Do Good Door County, a non-profit that promotes healthy aging.

“There are a lot of positives for those who can overcome technology barriers,” Germain said.

And social media isn’t just useful

Facebook groups made by and for Door County locals are any indication, it can help people make connections within the community, too.

This is especially true for teenagers, many of whom use social media to make face-toface plans and find out about events and extracurricular opportunities, O’Handley said. Through digital interaction, they can learn more about each other from a distance, making it easier for some to find commonalities and make friends in-person.

“If you don’t have some of those social media

platforms, you do miss out on things,” O’Handley said.

The Bad Social media is a constant for the high schoolers O’Handley works with, but it doesn’t necessarily make them more socially connected. Rather, O’Handley thinks feeling isolated is more common for students today than those whose highschool careers preceded the rise of social media.

“Research shows it [social media use] has a significant impact on mental health and your overall well-being, and I certainly see a lot of students with anxiety and depression,” though this could also be because teens now have the words to express their experiences, O’Handley said.

who don’t,” Germain said.

The Way Forward

She’s seen social media cause social concerns as well as mentalhealth ones. While cyberbullying is a definite issue, a subtler but more constant concern is the threat of being recorded, according to O’Handley.

“We’ve seen it on the news – the first thing that people do when something happens is get out their phones and start recording,” O’Handley said. “I can’t even imagine living my childhood that way, [where] every potentially embarrassing thing I’ve ever done is being recorded.”

Social media can cause problems at the other end of the age spectrum, too, especially for elderly adults who don’t have a solid grasp on how to use it; watching others plug in effortlessly while struggling to do so oneself can feel isolating, Germain said. And online scams,

Whether one considers social media a means of connection or a roadblock to it – or, perhaps most realistically, a mix of both – one thing is certain.

“Social media is not going anywhere,” Peggar said. “A lot of our youth have grown up with it. It’s going to be in their lives forever.”

That’s why the United Way of Door County recently began working with the National Association for Media Literacy Education to compile information about social media use for parents and schools. The United Way of Door County’s goal is to help parents and teachers guide young people towards healthy relationships with social media.

Germain has a longer-term vision for social media use in Door County; she’d like to see

powerful,” Germain wrote in a blog post on Do Good Door County’s website. “A group of older adults in a specific geographic area comes together to form a ‘village’ that operates as a non-profit, member-driven organization.”

Such an organization would require lots of communication, which Germain thinks could be bolstered through robust social media networks.

Still, distributing information through other channels would be essential for those who aren’t as tech-savvy, Germain said. And just as social media can’t be a community’s only source of information, it can’t be its sole source for connection.

“Social media is just a tool,” Germain said. “It’s a powerful tool to get connected, but the most powerful connection is face-toface.”

At the Y, we know we aren’t simply in the community, but a part of it, and when we strengthen others we strengthen ourselves. This is Y.

At the YMCA...

• Parents find a safe, nurturing environment for their children to stay active, be engaged, and learn positive values.

• Children and teens play and develop self-confidence while feeling accepted and supported.

• Adults connect with friends, pursue interests, and learn how to live healthier.

• All people are supported on their health and wellness journey.

• People from all backgrounds and walks of life come together to volunteer and help strengthen their community.

The Door County Y - a non-profit organization that strengthens the foundations of our community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

Mom with a Mission Ashley Schanock

by MYLES DANNHAUSEN JR . and photos by BRETT KOSMIDER

When Ashley Schanock lived in Chicago she was used to seeing a wide range of great playgrounds for kids. But after she and her husband, David, moved to Sturgeon Bay in 2016 and had their first daughter, Ellie, in 2018, she realized that facilities in Sturgeon Bay were sparse.

“When I moved here and had a baby I was really disappointed with the lack of playground equipment for all ages,” she said. “We didn’t even have a baby swing at Otumba. I would complain about it, and my husband said ‘You

can keep complaining, or you can do something’.”

So she did something, cooking up a plan to build a new playground for Otumba Park that would have equipment for kids of all ages and abilities. With the backing of Destination Sturgeon Bay and its then-director, Pam Seiler, she began a fundraising campaign to raise over $500,000 to build the best playground in the area at the park, where the city had just completed a revamp of the beach.

“Never try to stop a mom on a mission,” Seiler

said. “Ashley recognized that there are better things like this out there and why can’t we have them. She saw the beauty of having ageappropriate equipment. It’s one of those things that if you live up here, you don’t notice it because you’ve never had it before, so sometimes it takes the eyes of someone from the outside.”

With the blessing of the city to move forward, Schanock and Ellie picked out equipment and designed the park. Within just six months she had raised the money to build it.

“Ashley was just tenacious in the way she went forward with it,” Seiler siad. “She was a rock star.”

Key funders included John Baumgartner, Roen Salvage and the Mary and Romaine Schanock Foundation. In June of 2023 city leaders joined Ashley and her daughters, Ellie (6) and Olivia (3), to cut the ribbon on the park.

“I was just looking for a way to play with my daughter and meet other families, to create a central meeting place,” Schanock said. “For moms, it can be so isolating. You’re often the primary caretaker. It can be lonely and like you’re on an island. Now it’s really exciting to go there because almost any day we go we run into friends from school and other parents who are going through similar experiences.”

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Björklunden vid Sjön

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Photo: Rob Kopecky

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EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS…

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Our Net Zero campus is designed for the future with wind, solar, and protected forests.

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Björklunden is a valuable resource and place of learning for Door County residents, visitors, and the Lawrence University communities. Your support will help achieve our sustainable future. lawrence.edu/supportbjork lawrence.edu/bjork

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Björklunden, Lawrence University’s north campus is located one mile south from Baileys Harbor on Hwy 57 at 7590 Boynton Lane. 920-839-2216

Björklunden, Lawrence University’s north campus is located one mile south from Baileys Harbor on Hwy 57 at 7590 Boynton Lane. 920-839-2216

Björklunden, Lawrence University’s north campus is located one mile south from Baileys Harbor on Hwy 57 at 7590 Boynton Lane. 920-839-2216

Photo: Rob Kopecky

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Advocate for the Aging Cynthia Germain

by SAM WATSON

Isolation is not a problem with a one-size-fits-all solution. Rather, keeping a community connected requires meeting various demographic groups where they are and addressing their unique needs.

In Door County, one of the largest demographic groups are those 65 and up, who make up nearly a third of the peninsula’s population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Despite this, the county has limited resources for its aging population, lacking home-care options and the workforce needed to support them, said Do Good Door County (DGDC) founder and president Cynthia Germain.

That’s why, since Germain founded the non-profit organization in 2021, DGDC has been working to ensure residents can remain at home and active in their communities as they age.

One of DGDC’s initial steps towards this goal was to get an overview of the county’s concerns in regards to aging. That meant collaborating with St. Norbert College to conduct a survey about what resources residents want as they age – and, perhaps even more importantly, meeting with those residents face-to-face to discuss their thoughts

and the results of the survey, which were revealed in late 2022.

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

To do so, Germain led a series of forums from Sturgeon Bay to Washington Island in November 2022. The number-one issue discussed during these forums was communication, with residents saying they didn’t have a central place to get information they needed. Other issues participants brought up were a lack of affordable housing for hospital and assistedliving workers; accessibility issues in downtown areas; and gaps in necessary health services like dental care and mental-health resources.

This overview of the county’s concerns gave Germain a better grasp on the work set out for her organization. But much of this work is long-term, and DGDC wants to connect Door County’s elderly population in the short term, too.

One way it does so is through events like Classics at the Cinema, a series of classic movies like Some Like It Hot and Singing in the Rain screened at the Sturgeon Bay Cinema through spring 2024. Another one of DGDC’s efforts to help local seniors stay active in the larger community is MatchUp Door County, a recently-launched program designed to connect older adults with employment opportunities that are personally tailored to their needs and experiences.

While getting older is inevitable, the isolation that can accompany the process isn’t. Door County may be aging, but with the help of organizations like DGDC – and leaders like Germain – it’s not doing so alone.

Interested in learning more about Do Good Door County? Visit dogooddoorcounty.org.

Cynthia Germain. Photo submitted.

Cynthia Germain leads an aging-in-place forum in Baileys Harbor. Photo by Sam Watson.

Making Riding Ageless Diane and John Ludwigsen

by MYLES DANNHAUSEN JR

John Ludwigsen was on a bike ride in Prairie du Sac in 2021 when he passed someone riding a trishaw bike. He was so intrigued he turned around to ask what it was. That curiosity turned into a passion that is getting hundreds of people outside and connected to their neighbors.

The trishaw was from a program called Cycling Without Age, a national nonprofit that gives rides to people who wouldn’t be able to ride on their own, and John immediately turned his attention to starting a chapter in Door County.

“The idea is just to get people outside, breathing fresh air,” Ludwigsen said. “Some of the

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

been outside or off their property in months.”

John’s wife, Diane, jumped right on board and by 2022 they were offering rides on specialty electric trishaw bikes. In two years they’ve given rides to more than 600 people and partnered with Scandia Village, Pine Crest Village, Bayview Senior Care, Door County Medical Center and the Sunshine House. Some rides cruise around the neighborhood near those centers, but they also offer rides in Peninsula State Park and on the Ahnapee Trail, and their passengers often span generations.

“We hear a lot of feedback from sons and daughters who tell us how

Now they say they have capacity to offer rides to a much wider audience, with three trishaws available.

“I have visions of giving a lot of rides beyond the care centers,” Diane said. “There are people living alone, or who have limited mobility and this could be so great for them. I could see a day where you have a group of trishaws going out and making a day of it.”

A grant allowed them to buy a specialized Van Raam VeloPlus trishaw that has a hoist to hold a wheelchair. And John said they’ll now buy park passes for people to join them for a ride in one of the parks.

“I know there’s just got to be so many more people who can benefit from this,” he said. “It’s great to do the rides anywhere, but I’d love to get more people to take rides in the park. When you get them here – and a lot of these folks have never been in the park or haven’t been here in years – it’s just amazing how they react to it.”

Lynn Corriveau and her daughter Mary (seated on trishaw) catch up with Sue Raye, who used to be their neighbor on North Bay Road. Lynne and Sue now live in different segments of Scandia Village in Sister Bay. Photo by Myles Dannhausen Jr.

Photo by Brett Kosmider.

The Strengthening Effect of Weak Ties

by TOM GROENFELDT

Chris Evenson stops by Kick Coffee in Sturgeon Bay every morning for his coffee fix.

“Like Cheers, everybody knows your name,” said Evenson, the owner of Evenson Laundry in Sturgeon Bay.

Or not. Evenson said a cheery hello to a couple in their 60s, then admitted “I don’t know their names, although I see them a couple of times a month.”

Social scientists call these weak ties, casual friendships or familiar

strangers, and say they play an important, if often underappreciated role in our lives.

An April article in The New York Times described these as “the people at the dog park, the bank teller, the regular waiter – these casual relationships may be ‘weak ties,’ but they’re also a key to wellbeing.”

Eric Krawczyk became the Door County Public Health Manager at the end of 2022. He said loneliness is on the minds of those in his field.

“How can we get services out to the northern part of the county, we are looking at housing issues, child care – the contributing factors that determine the overall health for Door County,” he said. “The average age is 53.6 and loneliness is something we will need to focus on as people get older.”

But loneliness is a problem for younger people, as well. Forty percent of Sturgeon Bay High School students say they don’t have a best friend.

Coffee klatches, either scheduled or by happenstance, provide vital social connections. Photo by Kayla Larsen.

“Their best friend is their phone, not a face to face relationship,” Krawczyk said.

Community Benefits

A burly figure with a big beard, Evenson has no trouble getting recognized. In summer when there’s a line of visitors at the counter, a barista will fill his unvoiced order and hand him his coffee without making him wait – a perk for a year-round customer. Coffee shops provide an efficient start to the day, said Kathryn Shepard, who owns Kick Coffee.

With its location on Third Avenue, the city’s historical business street, Kick attracts a steady flow of business and easily fills its sidewalk chairs and tables in the summer. Some people come in two or three times a day, she added.

“People spend so much time staring at computer screens and their phones – they need human

dog hanging out at the city’s large Shiloh Road Bark Park was a way to make friends when she moved here from Chicago in 2013. When her poodles Gucci and Prada died, she swore she wasn’t getting another dog.

“In about three months, I was so miserable,” Landman said. “I would go to the park with treats just so I

interaction,” Shepard said. Now and again customers have told her she is their therapist. “Technology can speed things up, but our brains are still hardwired to people and nature.”

“The interactions are shorter than in a bar,” Shepard said. “At a coffee shop you pick up your cup of coffee, get your interaction and move on to the rest of your day, while at a bar you may linger for two or three drinks. A coffee shop is not a resting place but a transition, and the beverage is a stimulant rather than a depressant.”

Dog parks are another place to enjoy casual acquaintances that can evolve into friendships, or not. Regulars admit that while they know the names of the dogs they see at the park, they might be a bit hazy about the names of their owners.

Alisa Landman, an abstract painter in Sturgeon Bay, says having a

could interact with other people’s dogs. But it just isn’t the same when you don’t have your own dog.”

Now she has Sara, a standard poodle.

“We know everybody’s dogs, but it can take a while before the peoples’ names sink in,” Landman said. “Our group has gone from acquaintances to some real friendships.”

Jim Sommers made his place in Sand Bay in the Town of Nasewaupee a full-time home in 2018 after he retired, got divorced and left Eagle, Wisconsin behind.

Tonya Felhofer leads a Saturday morning class at the Door County YMCA in Sturgeon Bay. Photo by Rachel Lukas.

A song circle gathers at Shiny Moon Cafe in Fish Creek. Photo by Kayla Larsen.

He takes his standard poodle, Coco, to the Bark Park, which was different from other dog parks he had visited.

“Others were mainly about exercise for the dog,” Sommer said. “This one was socialization for dog owners, which was great because I didn’t know a whole lot of people. We had a common interest, so I got to know some people up there.”

The Bark Park group has grown to 317 members and has its own Facebook page, where members exchange information and photos, often about dogs, of course.

“I’m not going to church, nor to bars,” Sommers added, echoing a point about the decline of institutions and regularly scheduled activities that have been a feature of America for centuries.

When Linda Berns retired 20 years ago and moved to Sturgeon Bay from Sister Bay, the dog park was a part of her integration into her new community. She knows Landman from seeing her at the park each morning.

“It’s not a close friendship but that’s ok – you don’t have to have intimate conversations with everybody,” Berns said.

More than a workout

The Door County YMCA started realizing that its mission had become more about community in 2018, said Tonya Felhofer, its CEO.

“We had been designed to direct people to our resources and then became aware people were using the Y in a different way – to connect,” Felhofer said. People were looking to the Y for more than swim and gym, especially in winter. The Y saw a role in serving people who might walk around the track once and then sit for coffee.”

“We have a fairly transient community and in winter we have snowbirds, but we still have people who aren’t going south and they are lonely,” Felhofer said. “We started having mahjong groups and Together Tuesdays where we put on coffee and light breakfast items, and then we did Wednesdays, and we realized we were onto

A gathering at the Shiloh Road Dog Park in Sturgeon Bay. Photo by Tom Groenfeldt.

(Left) Tonya Felhofer. Photo by Rachel Lukas.

Players catch up before taking the ice at the Teresa K. Hilander Community Ice Rink in Sister Bay. Photo by Kayla Larsen.

something. People were looking for community. We had an aging population that was getting lonely, people who have lost spouses, and people who retired here and realized they had lived a busy life and this is really quiet at this time of year.”

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“We spent time calling members and checking in, especially on seniors,” Felhofer said. “Our staff does a good job of knowing who people are and their situation – do they need something dropped off? They touched base and were ready to talk about anything.”

They also started virtual classes and provided tech support for Zoom. Coming out of the pandemic, the Y took a fresh look at its renovation plans.

“We took a step back and realized there is more here,” Felhofer. “How do we provide spaces that are welcoming, inclusive? How do we encourage people to sit around and hang out, knowing that when they

leave the Y they might not have a conversation with anyone until the next day?”

One step was to put a sitting area out front, knowing that some people were not going to walk further into the building. It attracts seniors and also young parents who drop their kids off for classes and want to hang out and have coffee.

Unlike ADRC, the Y is crossgenerational, added Felhofer, looking from her office to the lobby where four older men were talking.

“We have a class for preschoolers and in a few minutes those men will be inundated with four-yearolds and their young moms,” she said. “Working parents can come and hang out while waiting for their kids. And we’ve made sure to have lots of places where people can plug in computers so they can be connected to work through our wifi. We have comfy seating and a fireplace – fire and water. People like to sit by the fire and chat. We are a convener and a connector.”

Casting Lines

Melissa Resch, an artist who also works remotely for the Wisconsin Department of Health, has found community while fishing at the George K. Pinney County Park at the quarry just north of Sturgeon Bay.

There she met Colleen Luedtke, a 52-year-old special ed teacher from Milwaukee who said she’s not a church-goer or barfly. She has a standing invitation from a friend in Door County, and finds ample time to fish.

“When you are down at the pier fishing, people let their guard down a little bit, they are more relaxed and people tend to talk,” said Luedtke. “I have people I have been fishing with for 15 years on the same dock. It’s kind of a magical place. You are all fishing and enjoying that, so it is easy to make small talk and build friendships. After a while you get to know their families. It’s about a shared experience.”

Kathryn Shepherd. Photo by Tom Groenfeldt.

Like many bars and restaurants on the peninsula, the Sister Bay Bowl is a gathering spot for young and old. Photo by Kayla Larsen.

Friends from Main Street Market gather to take a photo with The BoDeans. Photo by Suzi Hass.

Door County students watch Dinosaur World Live’s performance as part of DCA’s Passport Program.

Photo by Vinni Chomeau.

Gibraltar School fourth graders participate in a workshop by The Fourth Wall as part of DCA’s Passport Program. Photo by Vinni Chomeau.

Causes to

The Fish Creek Hairpin Run drew its largest turnout in several years, bringing in 1,076 finishers in July 2023. Funds from the run supported Friends of Gibraltar, an organization that provides enrichment programming home of the DOCO Child Development Center in January.

MYLES DANNHAUSEN JR.

G.G. Paschke is honored as Fyr Bal Chieftain at Ephraim’s annual community celebration in June. The honor recognizes a person who has given back to the village throughout their life.

The Gibraltar/ Washington Island baseball team presented a check for $2,000 and $500 in Piggly Wiggly gift cards to Stephanie Lasnoski on Dec. 22, 2023. The team raised money and also made donations to the family of Phoenix Hatch and a Washington Island Family. Submitted.

TAD DUKEHART

The Algoma community came together in May 2023 to fill in a paint-bynumber mural on the south wall of the Algoma Book Corner. Yonder artists Don Krumpos and Erin LaBonte involved students from Algoma Venture Academy in every step of the muralmaking process.

RACHEL LUKAS

Causes to Celebrate

Students in Justin Burress’s third and fourth grade classroom at Gibraltar School install one of two Beach Borrow Bins they built at Ephraim Beach. Families can leave behind beach toys in the bins for other children to use, free of charge. A second bin was installed at Anclam Beach. Submitted.

Sixteen Indigenous poetry fellows from 12 tribal nations gathered in Door County in spring 2023 for the second annual Indigenous Nations Poets (In-Na-Po) retreat. Founded by former Wisconsin poet laureate Kimberly Blaeser (Anishinaabe), In-Na-Po is a new organization dedicated to mentoring emerging Indigenous writers. Indigenous Nations Poets Facebook

The opening day for Sturgeon Bay’s Otumba Park Playground in June 2023 drew a large crowd of kids to test out the new, ADA-accessible equipment. Ashley Schanock raised the $500,000 necessary to make the project a reality. RACHEL LUKAS

Celebra te Celebrate

Causes to Celebrate

A catastrophic fire at Rowleys Bay Resort in September forced the MS Society

Deb Davis nears the finish line of

Cause effort at the 2023 Door County Half Marathon in Peninsula State Park. Runners get a free registration to the race when they raise at least $250 for a local charity. The program has raised more than $200,000 for charities since its inception. RACHEL LUKAS

Claudia Scimeca of ARTicipation Studio and Gallery joined local musician Cathy Grier to host a fundraiser event in September of 2023 to support Peninsula Pulse reporter Sam Watson as she recovered from a major car accident that left her seriously injured.

RACHEL LUKAS

Jeff

of

(From left) Bryan and Ann Bernschein join Ann’s grandmother, Miriam Erickson, at the Horseshoe Bay Farms Cherry Camp Reunion in August. Erickson’s husband Howard was the farm’s property manager for many years. CARMEN LANG

Lutsey of the Climate Change Coalition

Door County leads students at Northern Door Children’s Center in a tree planting in November. Children helped plant 54 trees left over from the Big Plant around the center’s playground. Submitted.

The family-friendly, circus-themed Northern Door Pride celebration drew a packed house at the Sister Bay Village Hall in June.

RACHEL LUKAS

Causes to Celebrate

Children race onto the equipment at the grand reopening of Kendall Park playground in Baileys Harbor in December of 2023. Local parent Kari Baumann spearheaded planning and fundraising for the $540,000 accessible playground named for her late sister.

Door County residents gathered at Graham Park in Sturgeon Bay on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023 for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, raising awareness and funds in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia. Nearly 10% of individuals in Door County ages 65 and over live with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The 2024 walk takes place Saturday, Sept. 14 at Martin Park in conjunction with Sunflower Fest. Submitted.

MYLES DANNHAUSEN JR.

My Team Triumph teams race from the starting line of the Door County Half Marathon

Causes to Celebrate

Donald and Carol Kress accept the Door County Community Foundation’s 2023 Philanthropists of the Year during a banquet at Gordon Lodge.

by Rachel Lukas.

Runners take off in the 30th annual Washington Island Rec Run. Anonymous donors matched every registration with a $30 donation, helping the event raise $13,700 for the Washington Island Recreation Center. Photo submitted by Carolyn Foss.

Hundreds of people descended on Sawyer Farms in Egg Harbor for a community pig roast to raise money for the restoration of the Door County Bookmobile in August of 2023. The event raised $32,000 for the Bookmobile, which will hit the road again in the summer of 2024. Submitted.

Photo

Two student-designed sculptures were unveiled at Southern Door

Ellie Helm brought love, joy, compassion, encouragement and support to others facing hardships of their own. She made it clear to those in need that they were not alone; Ellie was in their corner. To ensure her legacy of helping others lives on, her family has established a foundation in Ellie's name to support the causes and programs she was so passionate about.

We support programs that Bring meaningful connections to the elderly and mentally challenged

Promote awareness of depression and provide programs to improve mental health

Prevent suicide among young adults

Promote kindness & acceptance in our schools

The Ellie Helm Foundation is a component fund of the Door County Community Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. SINCE 2018 WE HAVE GIVEN OVER $200,000

Donations may be sent to: The Ellie

For more information please visit elliehelmfoundation.org

BY THE NUMBERS

The Loneliness Epidemic

The loneliness epidemic has ramifications that extend far beyond social and family activity. Loneliness has drastic consequences for people’s health and economic prospects.

15 The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day

26Percentage increased risk for premature death by those suffering from loneliness

50Percent increase in risk for developing dementia for those suffering from chronic loneliness and social isolation

30Percentage of Americans who say they don’t belong to or practice a particular religious faith, up from 5 percent in the early 1990s

47

Percentage of Americans who belong to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 70 percent in 1999

40million

Number of Americans who used to attend church but no longer do

$6.7 billion

Excess Medicare spending each year attributed to social isolation due to increased hospital and nursing facility spending

$154 billion

Estimated cost of stress-related absenteeism due to loneliness

30Percentage of Americans who felt they could reliably trust other Americans in 2016, down from 45 percent in 1972

20Minutes per day people said they engaged with friends socially inperson per day in 2020, down from 60 minutes per day in 2003

40Minutes per day that young people ages 15 to 24 said they engaged with friends socially in-person per day in 2020, down from 150 minutes per day in 2003

29Percentage of households that are single-person households, up from 13 percent in 1960

6Hours per day that Americans spend on digital media

Sources: Office of the U.S. Surgeon General (2023). Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (2023); New York Times; The Great Dechurching

Thor Johnson

GIVING GUIDE

TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS IN DOOR COUNTY

Door County is a special place. There is a spirit that keeps us here – or draws us back each year. It’s no surprise then that this special place is home to so many dedicated individuals working tirelessly to sustain our unparalleled quality of life. This comprehensive list of over 350 local charities, associations, and citizen groups was carefully compiled to connect passionate people with the local causes that truly matter.

The list was compiled through a good-faith search of tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service and a review of other publicly available documents. Of course, given the difficulty of maintaining such a comprehensive database, it is inevitable that there will be the occasional oversight. If you discover one, please accept our sincerest apologies and send additions and corrections to webmaster@givedoorcounty.org.

TAX-EXEMPT CLASSIFICATION

Although there are many Door County organizations that are “tax-exempt” under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, not all of them are considered charitable by the IRS. Generally speaking, a contribution to an organization classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity earns the maximum tax deduction allowed by law. The tax deductibility to other types of 501(c) organizations varies depending on a number of factors. Please contact the organizations directly to confirm their tax status and the deductibility of any gift you may choose to make. Visit the IRS website at irs.gov to see a complete explanation of the different types of exempt organizations.

ARTS ORGANIZATIONS

Art and Nature Center 1799 Main Road

Washington Island, WI 54246 wianc.org

Birch Creek Music Center, Inc. PO Box 230

Egg Harbor, WI 54209 (920) 868-3763 birchcreek.org

Door Community

Auditorium

3926 Hwy 42 PO Box 397

Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-2728 dcauditorium.org

Door County Folk Alliance Ltd PO Box 276

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 dcfolk.com

Door Shakespeare, Inc.

10038 Hwy 57

Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 839-1500 doorshakespeare.com

Francis Hardy Gallery, Inc. of Door County PO Box 394

Ephraim, WI 54211 (920) 854-2210 thehardy.org

Gunderson Denardo Foundation W2996 Gibraltar Road Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 839-2925

Isadoora Theatre Company (920) 495-5940 isadooratheatrecompany. com

Island Players, Inc. PO Box 160

Washington Island, WI 54246 islandplayers.org

Midsummer’s Music Ltd. 10568 Country Walk Lane, Unit 43

Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-7088 midsummersmusic.com

Midwest Institute for Theater Arts of Oshkosh 11158 N. Sand Bay Lane Sister Bay, WI 54234

Miller Art Center Foundation, Inc.

107 S. 4th Ave.

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-8450

Northern Sky Theater 9058 County Road A Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 854-6117 northernskytheater.com

Peninsula Arts Association PO Box 21 Baileys Harbor, WI 54202 peninsulaartsassociation.com

Peninsula School of Art 3900 Cty F PO Box 304

Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-3455

peninsulaschoolofart.org

Peninsula Belgian and American Club, Inc. belgianamerican.org

The Peninsula Singers PO Box 611 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 thepeninsulasingers.org

Peninsula Music Festival, Inc. PO Box 340

Ephraim, WI 54211 (920) 854-4060 musicfestival.com

Peninsula Players Theatre Foundation, Inc. W4351 Peninsula Players Road Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-3287 peninsulaplayers.com

Peninsula Symphonic Band, Inc. PO Box 84 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 peninsulasymphonicband.org

Rogue Theater PO Box 782 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 818-0816 roguetheater.org

Third Avenue

PlayWorks, Inc. PO Box 843 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-1760 thirdavenueplayworks.com

Endowment Trust PO Box 340 Ephraim, WI 54211 (920) 854-4060

Too Much Fun Productions DBA: Fishstock 2996 Maple Grove Road E. Fish Creek, WI 54212 (414) 659-1521

fishstockmusic.com

Washington Island Art Association, Inc. PO Box 16 Washington Island, WI 54246 washingtonislandarts.com

Washington Island Music Festival  PO Box 235 Washington Island, WI 54246 (406) 239-6802 washingtonislandmusic festival.com

Wilson and Carol Trueblood Performing Arts Center PO Box 136 Washington Island, WI 54246 (920) 847-2528 truebloodpac.com

BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS

Baileys Harbor Community Association 8061 Hwy 57 PO Box 31 Baileys Harbor, WI 54202 (920) 839-2366

doorcounty.com/ baileys-harbor

Clark Lake Advancement Association, Inc. c/o Robert Kufrin, 5558 Quiet Cove Lane, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 clarklakewi.com

Door County Bar Association, Inc. c/o Richard Hauser PO Box 89 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6505

Door County Deputy Sheriffs Association 1201 S. Duluth Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Door County Farm Bureau Cooperative 3030 Park Dr. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-9206

Door County Home

Builders, Inc. PO Box 112 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 493-3242 dchba.org

Door County North PO Box 10 Ellison Bay, WI 54210 (920) 854-4450 doorcountynorth.org

Door County Realtors Association PO Box 684 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-9651 dcbr.org

Door County Service Club Coalition of Sturgeon Bay

c/o Door County Community Foundation

222 N. Third Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-1786

Destination Door County 1015 Green Bay Road PO Box 406 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-4456 doorcounty.com

Egg Harbor Business Association PO Box 33 Egg Harbor, WI 54209 (920) 868-3717

eggharbordoorcounty.org

Ephraim Business Council PO Box 203 Ephraim, WI 54211 (920) 854-4989

ephraim-doorcounty.com

Fish Creek Civic Association 4097 Hwy 42 PO Box 74 Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-2316 visitfishcreek.com

Glidden Drive

Association, Inc.

PO Box 261

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Jacksonport Advancement Corporation

6706 Memorial Dr.

Egg Harbor, WI 54209 (920) 823-2800

Jacksonport Area Business Association

c/o Bob Geitner 6275 Hwy 57 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

jacksonport.net

Joint Professional Law Enforcement Association of Door County, Inc.

c/o Tammy Sternard 1201 S. Duluth Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Little Sturgeon Area Property Owners Association, Inc. PO Box 421 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 824-5007

Little Sturgeon Business Owners Association

c/o Becky Hirthe 3605 Cty CC Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Sister Bay Advancement Association, Inc.

PO Box 351 Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-3230 cometosisterbay.com

Southeast Jacksonport Neighborhood Association, Inc.

c/o Eric Wickstrom

6706 Memorial Dr. Egg Harbor, WI 54209

Sturgeon Bay Area Advancement Corp

c/o Peter Krauss PO Box 212 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Destination Sturgeon Bay 36 S. 3rd Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6246 sturgeonbay.net

Washington Island Chamber of Commerce

2206 W. Harbor Road Washington Island, WI 54246 (920) 847-2179 washingtonisland-wi.com

Washington Island Electric Co-op, Inc. 1157 Main Road Washington Island, WI 54246 (920) 847-2541

Washington Island Town Mutual Insurance Company 1246 Main Road Washington Island, WI 54246 (920) 847-2041

Wisconsin Harbor Towns Association

c/o Stephen A Kase 324 N. 12th Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 wisconsinharbortowns.net

CHURCHES

Bahais of Gibraltar Town 9633 Cty A Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-9698

Bay View Lutheran Church 340 W. Maple Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-4705

Bethany Lutheran Parsonage

3051 Cedar St. Ephraim, WI 54211 (920) 854-4065

Bethel Baptist Church 852 Europe Bay Road Ellison Bay, WI 54210 (920) 854-4490

Calvary United Methodist Church 4650 Cty E Egg Harbor, WI 54209 (920) 868-3112 calvaryzionumc.org

Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church 9986 Hwy 57 Baileys Harbor, WI 54202 (920) 743-5155

Christian Science Society 212 S. 7th Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-8582

Christ the King

Episcopal Church

512 Michigan St.

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-3286

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

660 N. 18th Avenue Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-4797

Church of the Atonement 9390 Cottage Row Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-2700

Church of the Precious Blood 9696 Cty C Brussels, WI 54204 (920) 824-5061

Community Church of Fish Creek

P.O. Box 70 9420 Cottage Row Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-3811 P www.ccfishcreek.org

501 c(3) Public Charity

Corpus Christi Catholic Church

25 N. Elgin Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-4716

Door Bible Baptist Church 1607 S. Stevenson Pier Road Sturgeon Bay WI 54235

Door County Family Fellowship-TNT Ministries, Inc.

3821 Gibraltar Road Fish Creek, WI 54212

Door of Life Christian Church 2731 Hwy 42 Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 421-1525 dooroflife.org

Emanuel Lutheran Church 8612 Cty Road D Forestville, WI 54213

Emanuel Lutheran Church of Kolberg 8612 Cty Road D Forestville, WI 54213 (920) 743-6683

Ephraim Moravian Church 9970 Moravia Ephraim, WI 54211 (920) 854-2804

Episcopal Church of Christ the KIng and Holy Nativity PO Box 828 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-3286

Family Educational Broadcasting Corporation of Door County Wisconsin 1715 Michigan St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6065

Family Worship Center

Assembly of God 1715 Michigan Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6065

First Baptist Church 2622 S. Bay Shore Dr. Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-2544

First Baptist Church of Sturgeon Bay 610 N. 5th Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-5058

Friends Community Church 204 W. Maple St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-2714

Full Gospel Churches

International 4285 Cherry Road Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Hainesville Lutheran Church PO Box 259 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-9806

hainesvillelc.com

Holy Name of Mary Rectory 7491 Cty H Maplewood, WI 54226 (920) 856-6123

Holy Nativity

Episcopal Church 3434 Cty V Jacksonport, WI 54235 (920) 743-3286

Holy Trinity Eastern Orthodox Mission Sister Bay, WI 54234 (900) 622-8000

Hope United Church of Christ 141 S. 12th Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-2701

hopechurchdc.org

House of Praise Ministries c/o Rev Rodney Johnson PO Box 56 Brussels, WI 54204

Immanuel Lutheran Church 7973 Hwy 57 PO Box 115 Baileys Harbor, WI 54202 (920) 839-2224

Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends 204 W. Maple St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 iaym.org

Jacksonport United Methodist Church 6154 Cave Point Dr. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 868-3112 jacksonportmethodist.org

Lighthouse Gospel Fellowship Ltd 11339 Homestead Dr. Ellison Bay, WI 54210

Living Word Full Gospel Fellowship, Inc. 83 W. Maple St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Prince of Peace

Lutheran Church 1756 Michigan St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-7750

Saints Peter & Paul Church 4767 E. Dunn Road Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-4842

Salem Lutheran Church 3339 Cty MM Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6683

Seventh Day Adventist Church 9402 Hill St. Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-3925

Seventh Day Adventist Church 6121 Gordon Road Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-9511

Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church PO Box 27 Ellison Bay, WI 54210 shepherdofthebay.org

Sister Bay Moravian Church 10924 Old Stage Road

Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-4080

St. Francis & St. Mary’s Catholic Parish 9716 Cemetery Road Brussels, WI 54204 (920) 825-7555

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church 4911 Brauer Road

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-5343

St. Joseph Catholic Church 526 Louisiana Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-2062

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 2336 Canterbury Lane PO Box 559 Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-9600

St. Mary’s of the Lake Catholic Church 8013 Hwy 57 Baileys Harbor, WI 54202 (920) 839-2041

St. Paul Lutheran Church W4167 Juddville Road Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-2826

St. Peters Lutheran Church PO Box 85 Forestville, WI 54213

Stella Maris Catholic Parish

Egg Harbor Location: 7710 Hwy 42

Baileys Harbor Location: 8013 Hwy 57

Fish Creek Location: 4019 Hwy 42

Jacksonport Location: 6236 Hwy 57

Sister Bay Location: 2410 S. Bay Shore Road (920) 868-3241

stellamarisparish.com

Stewards of Grace Ministries 10821 Stage Road Brussels, WI 54204

Sturgeon Bay Community Church PO Box 703

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-9587

Learn more about Open Door Pride!

e Flag Initiative at's My Pride Community Events

Sandy Brown Award Scholarship

7630 Logerquist Road

theorchardefca.org

10762 N. Bay Shore Dr. Sister Bay, WI 54234

Trinity Lutheran Church 1765 Town Line Road Washington Island, WI 54246

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County 10341 Hwy 42, Ephraim PO Box 859 Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-7559 uufdc.org

United Methodist Church of Sturgeon Bay 836 Michigan St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-3241 sturgeonbay methodist.org

White Star Church 2481 Cty C Brussels, WI 54204 (920) 388-2622

Zion Lutheran Church 6710 Cty T Egg Harbor, WI 54209 (920) 743-5153

American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, Local 1658 c/o Cheryl Burmeister 151 Leeward St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-2240

American Legion Archie Lackshire Post 72 692 Tacoma Beach Road Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 823-2109

American Legion 0402 PO Box 143 Washington Island, WI 54246

American Legion 0527 Billy Weiss Post 956 N. Spring Road Sister Bay, WI 54234 legion.org

American Legion Auxiliary 2206 W. Harbor Road Washington Island, WI 54246

American Legion Auxiliary PO Box 305 Forestville, WI 54213 legion-aux.org

American Veterans (AM VETS) of World War II

Door County Economic Development Corporation

185 E. Walnut St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-3113 doorcounty business.com

Ellison Bay Service Club, Inc. PO Box 181 Ellison Bay, WI 54210 (920) 421-1754

Ephraim Men’s Club PO Box 204 Ephraim, WI 54211

Free & Accepted Mason of Wisconsin 31 S. 3rd Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 493-3727 wisc-freemasonry. org

Friends of EphraimGibraltar Airport c/o Timothy Halbrook PO Box 61 Fish Creek, WI 54212 friendsofephraim gibraltarairport.com

Friends of Washington Island PO Box 222 Washington Island, WI 54246 (920) 847-2030

8th Annual Pride Festival Saturday, June 29, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Martin Park in Sturgeon Bay Music, Vendors, Art Activities, Family Fun, & More!

Zion United Methodist 8781 Cty F Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-3112

CIVIC GROUPS AND SERVICE CLUBS

Altrusa International of Door County, Inc. PO Box 523 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 altrusaofdoor county.org

American Association of University Women c/o Peggy Odegaard 337 N. 16th Dr. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Korea and Vietnam PO Box 183 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Brussels Union Gardener Fire Department Inc. 9952 Cty N Brussels, WI 54204 (920) 493-7110

Catholic Daughters of America 1058 Ct Pere Marquette 1714 Memorial Dr. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Catholic Order of Foresters 1963 Cty C Brussels, WI 54204 catholicforester.org

Catholic Order of Foresters 9462 Cty D Forestville, WI 54213 catholicforester.org

Catholic Order of Foresters 25 N. Elgin Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 catholicforester.org

Door County Dairy Promotion Committee 421 Nebraska St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Independent Order of Odd Fellows 214 N. Fulton Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 ioof.org

International Association of Fire Fighters c/o Mike E. Smith 605 Kentucky Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 iaff.org

International Association of Lions Clubs PO Box 81 Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-7968 lionsclubs.org

International Association of Lions Clubs Jim Noll 1579 Ledge Road Brussels, WI 54204 lionsclubs.org

International Association of Lions Clubs c/o Robert Erickson  788 Egg Harbor Road Egg Harbor, WI 54209 lionsclubs.org

International Association of Lions Clubs

c/o Ann Schmitz PO Box 126 Forestville WI 54213

Lionsclubs.org

International Association of Lions Clubs

137 N. 10th Place Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

lionsclubs.org

International Association of Lions Clubs PO Box 164 Washington Island, WI 54246

Jacksonport Women’s Club 3365 Cty V Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Kiwanis Club of Sturgeon Bay

c/o Mike Wagner 4543 E. Shorewood Point Road Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 559-0055

kiwanis.org

Knights of Columbus 692 Tacoma Beach Road Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-1010

kofc.org

Knights of Columbus 2478 Msgr Broens PO Box 533 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-1375 kofc.org

Knights of Columbus 4896

Our Lady of the Bays 8357 Cty F

Baileys Harbor, WI 54202 kofc.org

Knights of Columbus 6444 Our Lady of Good Help Council 1003 Pleasant Ridge Road Brussels, WI 54204

kofc.org

Leadership Door County, Inc. PO Box 874

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 leadershipdoorcounty.com

League of Women Voters of Door County PO Box 306 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

lwvdoorcounty.org

Lions International

Egg Harbor PO Box 143 Egg Harbor, WI 54209 (920) 854-2142

lionsclubs.org

Memorial to Door County Fallen Veterans, Inc. PO Box 9 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

doorcountyveterans.com

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association c/o Marilyn Grose 214 Fulton Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 narfe.org

National Association of Letter Carriers

c/o Imogene R. Peters

1245 Rhode Island St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

nalc.org

National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution 4840 Country View Road Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (202) 879-3343

dar.org

Northern Door First Responders PO Box 287

Sister Bay, WI 54234

Optimist International c/o William Baudhuin 55 S. Third Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 optimist.org

Order of the Eastern Star of the State of Wisconsin 31 S. Third Avenue. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 easternstar.org

Pioneer Fire Company, Inc.

421 Michigan St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Rotary Club of Door County North Baileys Harbor, WI 54202

Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay Breakfast, Inc. PO Box 81 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay, Inc. PO Box 81 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 854-2142

sturgeonbayrotary.org

Sister Bay and Liberty Grove Firefighters Association, Inc. PO Box 287 Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-4021

sblgfd.com

Sons of Norway PO Box 231 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 sofn.com

Southern Door Fire Dept, Inc. PO Box 158 Forestville, WI 54213 (920) 856-6264

Sturgeon Bay Breakfast Rotary Charitable Trust PO BOX 81 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-5272

Sturgeon Bay Optimist Door County Foundation PO Box 9 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Sturgeon Bay Rotary Club Charitable Trust PO Box 9 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-5551

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

6572 Memorial Dr. Egg Harbor, WI 54209 thrivent.com

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

160 S. Madison Avenue Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

United States Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association 4520 Weber Road Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 uscgcpoa.org

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8337 United States Dept of Wis PO Box 201 Ellison Bay, WI 54210 (920) 746-0357 vfw.org

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3088

United States Dept of Wis c/o Raymond Hogan 902 Alabama Place Apt 3 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-8709 vfw.org

Lakeshore CAP has been committed to serving Door County residents for over 40 years; from basic needs such as food and shelter to mental health and educational support. Thank you, donors and volunteers for supporting our work.

Lakeshore CAP has been committed to serving Door County residents for over 40 years; from basic needs such as food and shelter to mental health and educational support. Thank you, donors and Lives.

• Cradle to Career

• Door County Food Pantry

• GED/HSED

• Home Buyer • JAK’s Place • Skills Enhancement • Supportive Housing / Rental Assistance

GENERAL ADMISSION HOURS 11am-4pm RAPTOR CHATS all day and up close with resident birds!

Open Saturdays June 15 - August 31 plus ... FridayJuly 5 & Sunday Sept 1

Door County Food Pantry

Thank you for your continued support!

(920) 746-0142

Cradle to Career GED/HSED Home Buyer JAK's Place Lakeshore CAP, Inc. 131 South 3rd Ave • PO Box 791 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235-0791

Phone: (920) 743-0192

Veterans of Foreign Wars

United States Dept of Wis 112 Woodcrest Road Sister Bay, WI 54234 vfwwi.org

Washington Island Fire and Rescue, Inc. PO Box 250 Washington Island, WI 54246

Wisconsin Jaycees, Inc. PO Box 284 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 sturgeonbayjaycees.com

EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Björklunden vid Sjön

Lawrence University of Wisconsin PO Box 10 Baileys Harbor, WI 54202 (920) 839-2216 lawrence.edu/dept/bjork/ Bordui Foundation PO Box 9 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Catholic Schools of Door County, Inc. PO Box 541 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Clearing Endowment Trust PO Box 65 Ellison Bay, WI 54210 (920) 854-4088

theclearing.org

Clearing Folk School PO Box 65 Ellison Bay, WI 54210 (920) 854-4088

theclearing.org

Door County Library Foundation, Inc.

107 S. 4th Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6578

Door Peninsula Astronomical Society 2041 Michigan St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 doorastronomy.org

Education Association of Gibraltar Area 3924 Hwy 42 PO Box 670 Fish Creek, WI 54212

Friends of Door County Libraries Association 107 S. 4th Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 Gibraltar Area Educational Endowment Fund c/o DCCF

222 N. Third Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-1786

Literacy Door County, Inc. PO Box 473 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

NWTC Education Foundation

2740 W. Mason St. PO Box 19042

Green Bay, WI 54303 (920) 498-5444

Philanthropic Educational Organization

P.E.O. Executive Office/ Treasurer’s Dept.

Helen Schreiber Allen Scholarship #8347

3700 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA 50312

Sevastopol Alumni Benefit c/o Gary Welch 4553 Hwy 57

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Sevastopol Education Association 4550 Hwy 57 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Southern Door Community Foundation 9131 Morris Lane Brussels, WI 54204 sdcommunity.wix. com/sdcf-try-2

Southern Door Education Foundation 8240 Hwy 57 Brussels, WI 54204 sdeducationfoundation.org

St. John Bosco Catholic School, Inc.

730 W Maple St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-4144

Sturgeon Bay Education Foundation c/o Wendy Kase PO Box 191 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-5242

Thomas J. Webb Scholarship Trust 3931 Bay Shore Dr. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6926

Washington Island Education Association 888 Main Road

Washington Island, WI 54246

Write On, Door County 4177 Juddville Road PO Box 457 Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-1457 writeondoorcounty.org

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS

Climate Change Coalition PO Box 334 Baileys Harbor, WI 54202 (715) 330-4660 climatechange doorcounty.com

Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. PO Box 608

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-5895 crossroadsatbigcreek.org

Door County Environmental Council, Inc.

10579 Country Walk Drive

Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 743-6003 dcec-wi.org

Door County Land Trust 217 N. 4th Ave.

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-1359

Door County Quality

Market Animal Sale 1419 Rhode Island Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Friends of Peninsula State Park, Inc. PO Box 502

Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-6256 peninsulafriends.org

Friends of Potawatomi State Park, Inc.

3740 Park Dr.

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-2890 runwild.org

Friends of the Door County Park System, Inc.

c/o Park Directors Office PO Box 228 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 co.door.wi.gov

Friends of Toft Point, Inc. c/o Charlotte Lukes 3962 Hillside Road

Egg Harbor, WI 54209

Friends of Whitefish Dunes

3275 Clark Lake Road

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 823-2400

thefriendsofwhitefish dunes.org

Lakeshore Natural

Resource Partnership c/o Jim Kettler PO Box 62 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 304-1919 lnrp.org

The Nature Conservancy 342 Louisiana St. Sturgeon Bay WI 54235 nature.org/wisconsin Newport Wilderness Society, Inc. PO Box 187 Ellison Bay, WI 54210 (920) 854-2500 newportwilderness society.org

Open Door Bird Sanctuary 4114 Cty I Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 opendoorbirdsanctuary.org

Ridges Sanctuary PO Box 152 Baileys Harbor, WI 54202 (920) 839-2802 ridgessanctuary.org

Sustain Door, Inc.

308 S. 12th Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-9792 sustaindoor.org

The Green Fund 222 N. Third Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-1786

Whitetails Unlimited, Inc. PO Box 720 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6777 whitetailsunlimited.com

Wild Ones of Door County Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 824-5193 wildones.org

Wisconsin Humane Society Door County Campus 3475 Park Dr. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-1111 doorcountyhumane society.org

GRANTING FOUNDATIONS

100+ Women Who Care Door County c/o DCCF 222 N. Third Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 100WWCDoorCounty.org

Cliff and Clara Herlache Foundation c/o DCCF 222 N. Third Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-1786 doorcountycommunity foundation.org

Door County Charities, Inc. c/o Richard Heardon Jr. 5335 Horseshoe Bay Road Egg Harbor, WI 54209 (800) 761-7070 doorcountycharities.com

Door County Community Foundation, Inc. 222 N. Third Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-1786 givedoorcounty.org

Ellsworth and Carla Peterson Charitable Foundation 3797 Bayshore Drive Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-4501

Goldammer Family Foundation, Inc. PO Box 10 Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-2226

Hedeen Foundation, Inc. 218 N. 14th Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-7225

PJ Hedeen & Children Foundation, Inc. 4716 Martin Road Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6500

Raibrook Foundation, Inc.

30 N. 18th Ave. Suite 4 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-2995

raibrookfoundation.com

Robert A. and Lynn I. Doneff Foundation, Inc. 7833 Dock Road

Egg Harbor, WI 54209 (920) 684-6940

Rosemann Family Foundation, Inc. 11473 Beach Road

Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-5934

Tatman Foundation c/o Julia Chomeau PO Box 497 Ephraim, WI 54211

United Way of Door County, Inc.

57 N. 3rd Ave. Lower Level PO Box 223 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-9645

unitedwaydc.org

Women’s Fund of Door County c/o DCCF

222 N. Third Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 womensfundof doorcounty.org

HEALTH-CARE ORGANIZATIONS

Coventry Care

10547 Koessl Lane

Sister Bay, WI 54234

Door County Bridges

2622 S. Bay Shore Dr. Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-2544

dcbridges.org

Door County Medical Center

323 S. 18th Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-5566

dcmedical.org

Door County Medical Center Foundation, Inc. PO Box 230 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-1071

dcmedical.org/Giving

Island Memorial Medical Fund, Inc.

581 Silver Birch Lane Washington Island, WI 54246

Prevent Suicide

Door County Nathan Wilson Coalition PO Box 491 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 495-2383

preventsuididedc.org

Sue Baldwin Fund PO Box 383

Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 839-1114

suebaldwinfund.com

Unity Hospice

30 N. 18th Ave.

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-6440

unityhospice.org

Washington Island Community Health Program PO Box 277

Washington Island, WI 54246 (920) 847-2108

HISTORIC PRESERVATIONISTS

Citizens for Our Bridge, Inc. PO Box 653

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 steelbridgesongfest.org

Door County Historical Society PO Box 71 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc.

120 N. Madison Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-5958

dcmm.org

Egg Harbor Historical Society, Inc.

PO Box 264

Egg Harbor, WI 54209 (920) 868-3297

Ephraim Foundation Heritage Fund, Inc.

PO Box 165

Ephraim, WI 54211 (920) 854-9688

ephraim.org

Ephraim Historical Foundation, Inc. PO Box 165 Ephraim, WI 54211 (920) 854-9688

Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands PO Box 61 Washington Island, WI 54246 (715) 823-6873

Gibraltar Historical Association PO Box 323 Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-2091 historicnoblehouse.org

Horseshoe Bay Farms, Inc. c/o DCCF 222 N. Third Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 horseshoebayfarms.org

Jacksonport Historical Society, Inc.

4768 Hwy 57 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6415

jacksonporthistorical society.org

Liberty Grove

Historical Society

PO Box 94

Ellison Bay, WI 54210 (920) 839-5022

libertygrovehistorical.org

Namur Belgian Heritage Foundation, Inc. c/o Stephen A. Kase

30 N. 18th Ave.

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-8381

Northeastern Wisconsin

Antique Power Association Incorporated 5005 Country View Road

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Sister Bay Historical Society, Inc. PO Box 34

Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-7680

sisterbayhistory.org

Sturgeon Bay Historical Society, Inc. PO Box 827

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 493-0572

Washington Island Farm Museum, Inc. PO Box 127 Washington Island, WI 54246 (920) 847-2156

Washington Island Heritage Conservancy Corp. 1391 Main Road

Washington Island, WI 54246

HUMAN AND SOCIALSERVICE CHARITIES

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeastern Wisconsin 1345 W. Mason St. Green Bay, WI 54303 (920) 498-2227

bbbsnew.org

Boys & Girls Club of Door County PO Box 579

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 818-1046

Christ Child Society of Door County PO Box 572

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 823-2200

Community Resource Program of Door County, Inc.

dba Feed My People/ Clothe My People

204 N. 14th Ave. PO Box 741

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-9053

Door CANcer, Inc.

PO Box 423

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

doorcancer.com

Door Community Child Development Center 5617 Gordon Rd, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Door County Habitat for Humanity

410 N. 14th Ave.

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-2869

Door-Tran

1009 Egg Harbor Road PO Box 181

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-9999

Family Services of Northeastern Wisconsin, Inc.

Healthy Families (920) 746-9040

Sexual Assault Center of Door County (920) 746-8996

57 N. 12th Ave. Suite 110 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 familyservicesnew.org

Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.

1112 N. Adams St. Suite 101 Green Bay, WI 54301 (888) 747-6945

gsnwgl.org

GO BO Foundation c/o DCCF

222 N. Third Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

HELP of Door County, Inc. 219 Green Bay Road Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-8785 helpofdoorcounty.org

Hispanic Resource Center of Door and Kewaunee Counties, Inc. 1618 Texas Place Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 559-1878

Jak’s Place 1623 Rhode Island St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 818-0525

lakeshorecap.com

Lac Baie Girl Scout Council Inc. Camping Trust PO Box 9 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-5486

Lakeshore CAP

131 S. Third Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-0192

lakeshorecap.org

Legal Aid Society of Door County, Inc.

131 S. 3rd Ave. PO Box 846 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-3934

Literacy Door County, Inc. PO Box 473 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-8185 literacydoorcounty.org

Lutheran Counseling and Family Services of Wisconsin

1756 Michigan St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Money Management Counselors

57 N. 12th Ave. Suite 104 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-1862 moneymanagement counselors.com

Neighbor to Neighbor: Volunteer Care Givers of Door County, Inc. PO Box 626 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-7800

Northern Door

Children’s Center

10520 Judith Blazer Dr.

Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-4244

northerndoorchildrens center.org

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Inc. PO Box 213

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 421-8814

pflagdoorcounty.org

Senior Citizens Agency of Northern Door, Inc.

290 Smith Dr.

Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-9669

Sunshine Resources, Inc.

55 W. Yew St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-7943

We Are HOPE, Inc.

1300 Egg Harbor Road Suite 124, Cherry Point Mall

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-7273 wearehopeinc.org

RECREATIONAL GROUPS

Cycling Without Age

Door County PO Box 282

Ellison Bay, WI 54210 (920) 421-2204

cwadoorcounty.com

Door County Master Gardeners Association, Inc. PO Box 485

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 dcmga.org

Door County Rod & Gun Club, Inc. PO Box 463

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 doorcountyrodand gunclub.com

Door County Scottie Rally, Inc. PO Box 337 Baileys Harbor, WI 54202 (920) 493-5878

Door County Skate, Inc. 1026 Michigan St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Door County Snowmobile Trails Association, Inc. c/o Steve Sohns 2833 Maple Grove East Fish Creek, WI 54212

Northern Sky Theater’s One Act of Kindness Society

Northern Sky’s One Act of Kindness Society celebrates those who have chosen to create a lasting legacy by including Northern Sky in their will, trust, or estate plan. The phrase “one act of kindness” comes from the title of a song in Boxcar, by Laurie Flanigan Hegge and James Valcq. The song insists that one act of kindness often ripples out into many others, opening “doors that were shut” by reminding us “there is good in the world.”

Jim Caldwell created one such ripple when he named Northern Sky in his estate plans. When Jim passed away in 2018, we asked his wife, Susan, how Jim would like to be recognized for his generous gift. Susan said, “Well, Jim’s the kind of guy who would love to have his name on all the practical stuff.” And so now we have the Jim Caldwell Production Building as part of our creative campus where we keep all the “practical stuff” that allows us to make theater magic. Susan Caldwell, now a member of Northern Sky’s Board of Directors, would like to encourage others to join Jim in our One Act of Kindness Society.

To notify us of your plans, or to learn more about what including Northern Sky in your estate plans might look like, please contact Holly Feldman at holly@northernskytheater.com or 920-633-3228.

Door County Soccer Association

415 N. 12th Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

jtevers@hotmail.com

Door County Toy Library 107 S. 4th Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6578

Door County YMCA, Inc. 1900 Michigan St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 doorcountyymca.org (920) 743-4949

Door Devils Motorcycle Club, Inc. c/o Tim Gauphier PO Box 804 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 495-4003 doordevilsmc.com

Ephraim Yacht Club PO Box 331 Ephraim, WI 54211 (920) 854-7107 eyc.org

Kewaunee Door County Salmon Tournament, Inc. PO Box 555 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 883-9792 kdsalmon.com

Northern Door Volleyball Association Incorporated PO Box 454 Fish Creek, WI 54212

• Advocacy, Crisis Intervention and Emotional Support

• Safe Homes & Transitional Living Program

• Legal Advocacy

• Support Groups

• Community Outreach and Education

Need Help? Call (920) 743-8818

Mission Statement: The mission of HELP of Door County is to eliminate domestic abuse through prevention and intervention services, and to advocate for social change. Vision Statement: We desire a world free of violence, that recognizes the uniqueness and capabilities of all persons; where all people have access to resources; where all people respect each other and appreciate differences.

Services

• Youth Leadership: FYRE (Forging Youth Relationship Education), Flame & Sparks

• Older Adult, Youth, & Family Supportive Services

• Visitation & Exchange Program

• Domestic Violence Intervention Program for those that have caused harm

219 Green Bay Rd. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 Crisis Hotline: (920) 743-8818 • Business: (920) 743-8785

• Check us out online on Facebook, Instagram, and our website: https://helpofdoorcounty.org

The Village Model

Assures that all residents of Door County can age in the way they want, in the place they want, and be a part of the community that they love.

It is our vision to empower the connections in the community to support a welcoming, safe and accessible culture, enabling people to fully engage living in Door County.

Age-Friendly Community

The Age-Friendly Community is a recognized e ort by the World Health Organization and AARP. The initiative encourages active aging, social participation, and a high quality of life for seniors. The initiative includes various aspects such as accessible public spaces, transportation, housing, healthcare, social engagement, and community services. DGDC is actively pursuing collaborations to all corners of Door County.

The Village Model is a proven community e ort to assure that older adults have access to services, activities and support to help them stay in their home and engage in their community through a formalized volunteer network. DGDC envisions Door County becoming one “Village” while recognizing the unique needs for each area.

MatchUp

Do Good Door County has launched the MatchUp program, connecting older adults with vetted and trained employers, o ering older adults in Door County fulfilling part-time employment opportunities. DGDC believes this is one of the best ways to o er important social opportunities and support our local economy.

Open Door Pride

PO Box 792

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

opendoorpride.org

Peninsula Flyers Inc.

Chapter 630 PO Box 524

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Peninsula Golf Association, Inc.

PO Box 275

Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 854-5791

peninsulagolf.org

Peninsula Gun Club, Inc. 3702 Juddville Road Fish Creek, WI 54212 (920) 868-3509

peninsulagunclub.com

Soccer Association for Youth 1711 Utah St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 doorsoccer.com

Southern Door Snow Travelers, Inc.

c/o Stanley Laviolette RR4

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Stock Horse of Wisconsin, Inc.

c/o Brandon Schopf PO Box 866

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 495-2280 stockhorseofwisconsin.com

Sturgeon Bay Girls Front Court Club

c/o John R. Asher

180 E. Redwood St.

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Sturgeon Bay Open Bass Tournament, Inc.

PO Box 242

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 sbobt.org

Sturgeon Bay Sevastopol Wrestling Club, Inc.

c/o Gary Shefchik 1105 S. 19th Place

Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club

600 Nautical Dr. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6934

sturgeonbayyachtclub.com

Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club Sail Training Foundation, Inc.

600 Nautical Dr. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

stugeonbayyachtclub. com

Trillium Quilt Guild c/o Laurie Moegenburg 11110 Ironwood Road

Sister Bay, WI 54234

United States Bowling Congress, Inc.

c/o David Homan 6727 Hwy 42 Egg Harbor, WI 54209 bowl.com

United States Power Squadrons 1609 Texas Place Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 usps.org

Washington Island Community Foundation PO Box 68

Washington Island, WI 54246

Washington Island Sportsman and Conservation Club, Inc. PO Box 100

Washington Island, WI 54246

DOOR COUNTY

ESTATE-PLANNING ATTORNEYS

Blazkovec, Blazkovec & Downey

James A. Downey

409 Steele Street P.O. Box 98 Algoma, WI 54201 (920) 487-5571

Dahl Law Firm, Ltd.

Collin J. Dahl 10589 Highland Road Suite 4

Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-7100

MEETING DATES: APRIL 22, 2024

JULY 22, 2024

OCTOBER 28, 2024

JANUARY 27, 2025

APRIL 28, 2025

Hoyerman Law Office

Richard Hoyerman 10568 Country Walk Lane Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-6070

Pinkert Law Firm, LLP

Richard Hauser Amy Sullivan 454 Kentucky St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-6505 and 350 Sunset Dr. Sister Bay, WI 54234 (920) 854-2616

Pribyl Law Office S.C. Matthew J. Pribyl 30 N. 18th Ave. Building 10A Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-8485 doorcountylaw.com

Nina Martel Law Office SC Nina H. Martel 508 Jefferson St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-4475

Ross Estate Planning

Robert Ross 55 S. 3rd Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-9117

Stephen P. Johnson Law Offices

Stephen Johnson 54 E. Oak St. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 743-2129

ARE YOU FINANCIALLY CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO BE PHILANTHROPIC?

- Do I have excess capacity to give?

ARE YOU FINANCIALLY CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO BE PHILANTHROPIC?

John Woerfel, CFP® Wealth Management Advisor

john.woerfel@nm.com 920-393-9585

johnwoerfel.nm.com

John Woerfel, CFP® Wealth Management Advisor john.woerfel@nm.com 920-393-9585

johnwoerfel.nm.com

- Do I have excess capacity to give?

- What risks can I mitigate in my current plan?

- What tax benefits am I missing?

- What risks can I mitigate in my current plan?

- What tax benefits am I missing?

As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional John can bring clarity to these questions.

As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional John can bring clarity to these questions.

07-1016 © 2024 Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM) (life and disability Insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include: Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, and member of FINRA and SIPC. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and trust services), a federal savings bank. Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with “advisor” in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services. NM and its subsidiaries are in Milwaukee, WI.  Financial Representatives do not render tax advice. Consult with a tax professional for tax advice that is specific to your situation.To view detailed disclosures regarding individual representatives, view their information at http://johnwoerfel.nm.com.

07-1016 © 2024 Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM) (life and disability Insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include: Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, and member of FINRA and SIPC. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and trust services), a federal savings bank. Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with “advisor” in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services. NM and its subsidiaries are in Milwaukee, WI.  Financial Representatives do not render tax advice. Consult with a tax professional for tax advice that is specific to your situation.To view detailed disclosures regarding individual representatives, view their information at http://johnwoerfel.nm.com.

GUIDE TO CHARITABLE FUNDS

at the Door County Community Foundation

Themission of the Door County Community Foundation is to inspire people to give back to sustain and advance the community we love. We do that by serving as a conduit for giving. We’re a charity whose purpose is to make giving simpler, easier, and more tax efficient so you can be as generous as possible to the charities and causes you care about.

We’ve published this Guide to Charitable Funds as a resource to help you with your giving. For a more complete listing of the nearly 400 non-profit and civic groups in Door County, visit us online at www.GiveDoorCounty.org – or just give us a call at (920) 746-1786.

Help us inspire people to give back to sustain and advance the community we love.

Board of Directors

Jeff Ottum, Chair of Sturgeon Bay

Retired Senior Vice President Human Resources, Schreiber Foods, Inc.

Jim Vander Heiden, Vice Chair of Egg Harbor

Retired Vice President/Principal, HGA Architects and Engineers

Sharon Lutsey, Secretary of Egg Harbor Waseda Farms

Stephen O’Hearn, Treasurer of Sister Bay Retired, Partner and Global Insurance Leader, PwC

Sally O’Brien, Past Chair of Clark Lake

Retired Director of Benefits, Kimberly-Clark

Inge Alverson Bacon of Sevastopol Certified Public Accountant

Fred Anderson of Sister Bay Owner, Ashbrooke Hotel, Egg Harbor

Rob Davis of Ephraim Retired

Professional Staff

Bret Bicoy President & CEO

Jessica Holland VP of Philanthropic Services

Kacie Mueller Philanthropic Services Officer

John Herlache of Sturgeon Bay Retired Surgeon

Roger Johnson of Sister Bay Retired Psychologist, Kaiser Permanente

John McGinnis of Sturgeon Bay Retired Executive, Energy Industry

Keith Mutchler of Sevastopol Retired, Paper and Packaging Manufacturing

Barb Sajna of Baileys Harbor Retired Episcopal Priest

Donna Scattergood, RN, PhD of Sister Bay

Serial Entrepreneur/Holistic Nursing and Functional Medicine, Healthcare Organizational Behavior Consultant, Educator

Vicki Wilson of Sturgeon Bay President-Founder, Door County Coffee

Dick Egan, Emeritus Director of Clark Lake Chairman Emeritus, Little Rapids Corporation

Julie Haen Senior Business Officer

Jean Gothberg Business Officer

Heidi Copiskey Administrative Assistant

Total Assets as of January 1, 2023:

$45,100,294.74

COMMUNITY PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES

The Door County Community Foundation’s Board of Directors has launched and/or endorsed several community efforts that operate as a project or initiative of the Community Foundation. Please consider supporting these important initiatives. Visit them online to learn more.

Baileys Harbor Open Space Preservation Fund www.BaileysHarborOpenSpace.org

Alumni Door County www.AlumniDoorCounty.org

Mental Health Support Fund www.LittleEddieBigCup.org

Willie’s Cornerstone Foundation www.WilliesCornerstone.org

Door County Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Foundation www.SafeDoorCounty.org

Door County Civility Project www.DoorCountyCivilityProject.org

DDC State Parks Challenge Funds www.DoorCountyStateParks.org

Door County Food Pantry Coalition www.FeedDoorCounty.org

SERVICE CLUBS AND CIVIC GROUPS

100+ Women Who Care Door County Charitable Fund www.100WWCDoorCounty.org

Order of the Eastern Star Honor Chapter #1 of the State of Wisconsin Charitable Fund www.sturgeonbayoes.com

Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay Charitable Trust Fund www.sturgeonbayrotaryclub.org

Jacksonport Women’s Club Charitable Fund

Rotary Club of Door County North Charitable Fund www.doorcountynorthrotaryclub.com

Henry S. Baird #174 F. & A.M. Charitable Fund www.HSBaird.com

Sturgeon Bay Breakfast Rotary Charitable Fund www.facebook.com/sbbreakfastrotary

Community Opportunity Investment Network www.InvestDoorCounty.org

Northern Door Children’s Center Essential Campaign www.EssentialDoorCounty.org

GO BO! Foundation www.GoBoFoundation.org

The Ellie Helm Foundation www.EllieHelmFoundation.org

Door County Granary Fund www.SturgeonBayHistoricalSociety.org/ Granary

Door County Scholarship Network www.DoorCountyScholarships.org

Workforce Housing Lending Corporation www.BuildDoorCounty.org

Muse Overture Initiative Campaign Fund

Scholarships Awarded

to Students Attending the Following Universities:

Augsburg University

Bellin College

Carroll University

Concordia University of Wisconsin

Fox Valley Technical College

Harvard College

Illinois Institute of Technology

Iowa State University

Lakeland University

Lawrence University

Luther College

Madison Area Technical College

Michigan Technological University

Minnesota State University, Mankato

New Mexico Tech

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

Ripon College

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

South Dakota State University

Inspiring people to give back to sustain and advance the community we love.

St. Norbert College

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

University of Mary

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

University of Notre Dame

University of Vermont

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse

University of Wisconsin - Madison

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary

Yale University

115 Club Ltd.

350.Org

Abington Friends School

ACLU Foundation

Aging & Disability Resource Center of Door County

Algoma School District

The ALS Association, National Office

Altrusa Club of Door County Foundation, Inc.

Alzheimer’s Association Greater Wisconsin

Alzheimer’s Research Foundation

American Association of University Women

American Cancer Society

American Chemical Society

American Heart Association

American Lung Association in WI

American Museum of Natural History

American Red Cross

American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania

Amnesty International USA

Amundsen High School

Arm in Arm

Art and Nature Center

ArtBeet Inc.

Arthritis Foundation

Auricle Productions

Back Roads Church

Baileys Harbor Historical Society

Bay View Lutheran Church

Bethany Kids

Bible Study Fellowship

Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin

Educational Foundation Inc

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeastern Wisconsin

Birch Creek Music Performance Center, Inc.

Boys & Girls Club of Door County

Bradley University

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU

School of Law

Bright Focus Foundation

Brussels Wisconsin Lions Foundation Inc.

Burning Limb Foundation

Calvary and Zion United Methodist Church

Camp Manito-wish YMCA

Camp Zion

Campus Crusade for Christ Inc.

Capital Harmony Works

Carleton College

Carroll University

Carthage College

Casa Alba Melanie Hispanic Community Resource Center

CASA of Brown County, Inc.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee

Catholic Extension

Catholic Foundation

Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay

Catholic Relief Services

Center for Family Services

Centurion Ministries Development Dept

Chapel Heights United Methodist Church

Christ Child Society

Christ Church Episcopal

Christ the King Lutheran Church

Church of Atonement

City of Sturgeon Bay Municipal Services

Civic 4, LLC

Clean Water Action Council of NE Wisconsin

Grants Awarded from All Funds at the Foundation:

The Community’s Garden

Concordia University

Cool Effect Inc.

Corpus Christi Catholic Church

Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc.

Cycling Without Age

D & R Greenway Land Trust

Destination Sturgeon Bay Diabetes Foundation Inc.

Doctors Without Borders

Door Cancer, Inc.

Door Community Auditorium

Door Community Child Development Center

Door County Charities, Inc.

Door County Economic Development

Door County Environmental Council Inc

Door County Fire Chiefs Inc

Door County Habitat for Humanity

Door County Historical Society Inc.

Door County Housing Partnership, Inc.

Door County Land Trust

Door County Learning in Retirement

Door County Library Foundation, Inc.

Door County Maritime Museum

Door County Master Gardeners Association Inc

Door County Medical Center Foundation

Door County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary

Door County Secret Santa

Door County Sheriff’s Department

Door County Toys for Kids

Door County YMCA

Door Kinetic Arts, Inc.

Door Peninsula Astronomical Society Fund

Door Shakespeare, Inc.

Door-Tran Inc.

Ducks Unlimited

East Maplewood Beavers 4-H Club

Easter Seals Wisconsin

Egg Harbor Historical Society

Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church

Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Environmental Defense Fund

Ephraim Fire-Rescue Association, Inc.

Ephraim Historical Foundation, Inc.

Ephraim Men’s Club

Ephraim Moravian Church

Faith Hope & Love

Family Promise of Waukesha County

Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin

Father Flanagan’s Boys Home

Feed & Clothe My People of Door County

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin

First Baptist Church

FISC Consumer Credit Counseling of Door County Inc

Florida Studio Theatre

Food for the Poor

Food Systems for the Future Institute

Francis Hardy Center for the Arts

Friends of PBS Wisconsin

Friends of Peninsula State Park

Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands

Friends of Princeton Open Space

Friends of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Friends of the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge

Friends of the Pavilion, Inc.

Friends of Toft Point, Inc.

Friends of Wisconsin Public Television, Inc.

The Fuller Center for Housing, INC.

Gathering Ground

Gathering Waters Conservancy

Georgetown University

Giants of the Earth Heritage Center

Grand Circle Foundation

Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative

Greater Delafield Community Fund

Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, Inc.

Greater Green Bay YMCA Inc

Green Bay Botanical Garden

Guest House of Milwaukee

H S Baird #174 Masonic Lodge

Habitat for Humanity

Hawai‘i Community Foundation

Heifer International

HELP of Door County, Inc.

Hope United Church of Christ of Sturgeon Bay

Hopeful Horizons

Horseshoe Bay Farms Inc

The Humane Society of the United States

Ice Age Trail Alliance

IEEE Foundation

Immanuel Lutheran Church

Interlochen Center for the Arts

JA Worldwide

Kahilu Theatre Foundation

Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation

Kirkwood Historical Society

Knock Publishing Company

Lakeland University

Lakeshore CAP, Inc.

Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership

Land Trust Alliance

Laurel House

Lawrence University

League of Women Voters Education Fund

The League of Women Voters of Door County

Literacy Door County

Lutheran Social Services

Maryknoll Lay Missioners

Mental Health America Lakeshore Inc.

Mercer Street Friends

The Michael J. Fox Foundation

Midsummer’s Music Ltd

Miller Art Center Foundation, Inc.

Miller Art Museum

Milwaukee Area Technical College Foundation-Milwaukee PBS

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre

Milwaukee Rescue Mission

Modern Day Missions

Money Management Counselors

Mote Marine Laboratory

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Mount Calvary Lutheran Church

Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

Mukwonago High School Athletics Booster Club

Museum of Wisconsin Art

Music on the Hill

Namur Belgian Heritage Center

National Audubon Society

National Geographic Society

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

National Organization for Women Foundation Inc.

National Park Foundation

National Parks Conservation Association

Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy - Wisconsin

The Naval Institute Foundation Inc.

Neighbor to Neighbor

New York Public Radio WQXR, WNYC, NJPR, NYPR

New York Times Communities Fund

Newark School of the Arts

Northern Door Children’s Center

Northern Sky Theater

Northwoods Wildlife Center, Inc.

Norway House

Norwegian American Historical Association

Notre Dame de la Baie Academy

Ocean Conservancy

Open Door Bird Sanctuary

Open Door Pride

Open Wings Learning Community

Our Daily Bread Food Pantry

Our Savior’s United Methodist Church

OXFAM America

Parker School

Parkinson’s Foundation Inc

PATH of Door County

Peninsula Music Festival, Inc.

Peninsula Players Theatre, Inc.

Peninsula School of Art

Peninsula Symphonic Band

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

PFLAG Door County

Philadelphia Orchestra Association

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin

Preachers Aid Society and Benefit Fund

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

ProHealth Care Foundation, Inc.

Purdue Foundation

RBC Ministries

Ready Readers

Reins Inc.

The Ridges Sanctuary, Inc.

Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Rogue Theater Inc

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin

Rotary Foundation of Rotary International

Sahuarita Food Bank & Community Resource Center

Saint John’s Communities Inc.

The Salvation Army

Salvation Army New Jersey Division

The Salvation Army Philadelphia Corps.

Samaritans Purse International Relief

Scandia Village - Good Samaritan Society

Schwab Charitable

Sevastopol Education Foundation Inc

Sevastopol School

Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church

Shriner’s Hospital for Children

Sierra Club Foundation

Sister Bay Historical Society

Sister Bay Lions Club Foundation, Inc.

Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Firefighters Assoc.

Sisters of St Francis of the Holy Cross

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

Skylight Music Theatre

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Smithsonian Institution

Southern Door County School District

Southwest Florida Community Foundation

Special Olympics

St Anthony on the Lake

St John Bosco Catholic School

St Joseph’s Catholic Church

St Jude Children’s Research Hospital Inc

St Pauls Lutheran Church

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

St. Peters Lutheran Church

Sturgeon Bay School District

Sturgeon Bay United Methodist Church

Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club Sail Training

Foundation

Sue Baldwin Fund

Sunshine Community Compost

Sunshine House, Inc.

Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

Swarthmore College

Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Foundation Inc. GMRP

Third Avenue Playhouse

Town of Baileys Harbor

Town of Gibraltar

Town of Jacksonport Fire Department

Trenton Area Soup Kitchen

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

Trinity Lutheran Church

Tufts University, The Friedman School of Nutrition Science

Tunnels to Towers Foundation

Ukraine Partnership Foundation

Unbound

Unicef

Union Congregational United Church of Christ

Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County

United Service Organizations, Inc. (USO)

United Way of Door County

Unity Hospice

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Foundation

University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Foundation

University of Wisconsin Foundation

University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Foundation

University of Wisconsin Superior Foundation

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

University of Wisconsin-Madison

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Urbanite Theatre Inc.

The UWO Fox Cities Foundation Inc.

Village of Egg Harbor

Village of Sister Bay

W. M. Keck Observatory

Wartburg College

Washington Island Community Health Program

Washington Island Foundation

Washington Island Government

Washington Island Music Festival

Washington Island Players

Washington National Cathedral

Washington University

We Are Hope, Inc.

WI Humane Society

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

Wild Ones Door Peninsula Chapter

Willet Hauser Company, LLC

Wisconsin Eastern Star Foundation

Wisconsin Parkinson’s Association

Wisconsin Public Radio

Wisconsin Public Television

Wisconsin Special Olympics

Workforce Housing Lending Corporation

World Central Kitchen, Inc.

World Food Program USA

World Wildlife Fund

Wounded Warrior Project

Write On Door County, Inc.

WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio

The Clearing Folk School

College Possible

Colorado College

Gibraltar Area Schools

Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes Inc.

Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star

Newport Wilderness Society

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

Northeastern Wisconsin Antique Power Association Inc.

Stella Maris Parish

Sturgeon Bay Girls Front Court Club Inc

Sturgeon Bay Historical Society

Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church

Yes Prep Public Schools Inc.

YMCA of the North

Zion Lutheran Church

CHARITABLE FUNDS SUPPORTING CAUSES IN DOOR COUNTY

Discretionary Endowment Funds offer you the best of both worlds – the opportunity to choose a broad area that interests you (such as children, the arts, or the environment) while relying on the Door County Community Foundation’s volunteer boards and committees to identify the organizations that will make the greatest impact on that issue. Your gift is endowed and will provide a permanent source of income to be granted to those organizations that are truly making a difference in Door County. We can even create a new Fund named in your honor or in memory of a loved one. Please consider donating today, or in your estate plans, to a Discretionary Endowment Fund.

For Good Forever Fund

www.GiveDoorCounty.org

We simply cannot know what issues or opportunities the future will bring, but we can be confident that the Community Foundation will be there to address it because of the For Good Forever Fund – the general unrestricted endowment for Door County. We’re here For Good. And we’re here Forever. This permanent pool of money is a flexible resource to fund our sustainability and advancement grants, invest in community projects, and support future programs of the Community Foundation.

Women’s Fund of Door County

www.WomensFundDoorCounty.org

The Women’s Fund of Door County builds, enriches, and nurtures the lives of women and girls through collective wisdom and philanthropy. The Women’s Fund invests in educational opportunities for women and girls and supports arts programs which enrich their souls. It makes grants to promote healthy activities for young girls and to provide support for seniors. It supports efforts to improve women’s health and invests in initiatives that promote equality. Because when she thrives, we all prosper.

Community Investment Fund

www.CommunityInvestmentFund.org

The Community Investment Fund, created in partnership with Destination Door County, uses a portion of the room tax dollars paid by visitors to offer grants to projects that meaningfully improve the quality of life for those who live and work in Door County. The unique granting program illustrates how tourism can build a better life for the residents of Door County.

Healthy Water Door County

www.HealthyWaterDoorCounty.org

Door County’s unique geography makes our water vulnerable. As a peninsula situated on the Niagara Escarpment, our thin soil layer, combined with the vertical and horizontal fracturing common in our bedrock, makes protecting our water a priority. The mission of Healthy Water Door County is to protect our community’s human, environmental, and economic health by guarding against threats to our water.

Inspiring people to give back to sustain and advance the community we love.

Door County Green Fund

www.DoorCountyGreenFund.org

Door County is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. From our lakeshore to the wetlands, our orchards to the meadows, the open spaces and our rural roads – there is something about the beauty of this place that keeps us here or calls us back each year. The Green Fund supports land acquisition projects in our community and also invests in environmental education, funds land preservation, eradicates invasive species, and supports other types of “green” projects.

Door County Arts Fund

www.GiveDoorCounty.org/arts

The “arts” describe a broad range of creative activities that can stimulate thought and inspire the soul. Therein lies the purpose of the Community Foundation’s Arts Fund. The Community Foundation supports creative charitable activities in Door County that use the arts to enrich the community and touch the lives of the people of Door County.

Door County Education Fund

www.GiveDoorCounty.org/education

Education must go beyond traditional schooling and formal education. It should include informal modes of learning and extend beyond traditional settings. It must be integrated into the home and throughout the community – and education is not limited to children. The Community Foundation believes that learning is a lifelong pursuit – and nurtures its incorporation into the many aspects of life in Door County.

Door County Health and Human Needs Fund

www.GiveDoorCounty.org/health

It’s difficult to appreciate the incredible beauty and quality of life here in Door County if the very basic needs of your life are not being met. The Community Foundation supports charities that are working to aid those who live in the shadows of society – those whose health or human service needs are not being adequately addressed.

Door County Historic Preservation Fund

www.GiveDoorCounty.org/history

People have been coming to Door County for generations, each bringing their unique culture and traditions to our community. Working in partnership with the Clifford and Clara Herlache Heritage Foundation, the Community Foundation’s Historic Preservation Fund supports the appreciation, enhancement, and preservation of historical landmarks and the cultural heritage of Door County, Wisconsin.

Door County Children & Youth Fund

www.GiveDoorCounty.org/children

If the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams, then there is no greater gift to a child than to nurture their ability to believe in their own potential and promise. The Community Foundation supports charities that are working to ensure a brighter future for the community’s children – whether it be alleviating their burdens today or helping them realize the opportunities of tomorrow.

CHARITABLE FUNDS SUPPORTING

INDIVIDUAL

CHARITIES

Many charities entrust the administration of their endowments and other funds to the Door County Community Foundation. It’s a safe and responsible way to manage endowed gifts, long-term assets, and operational reserves. The non-profit community also counts on the Community Foundation’s planned giving expertise to facilitate gifts into their funds. By aggregating these assets under the umbrella of the Community Foundation, economies of scale allow for a far more diversified investment portfolio and lower investment fees than any of the charities could achieve on their own.

As a donor, the Community Foundation makes it easy for you to leave a gift in your estate plans (or make a gift today) to as many of these charitable funds as you’d like. Simply name the Door County Community Foundation, Inc. as a beneficiary in your estate plans and designate the specific charitable fund (or multiple funds if you’d like) that should benefit from your generosity. If a charity you care about doesn’t have a fund at the Community Foundation, you can create one for them with your gift, or we can simply pass along your generosity to the charity directly. Our goal is to make it easy for you to give back to sustain and advance the community we love.

All contributions will be used consistent with the terms and conditions of the fund to which it was directed (if applicable). For more information, please contact us.

Since 1876, Bayside Cemetery has been a spiritual place, possessing a quiet dignity that honors and celebrates the lives of our loved ones. The Cemetery’s tranquil grounds offer not only finely sculpted monuments, but also an abundance of Mother Nature’s artistic handiwork. The natural beauty of these 27 acres imparts a serene feeling in all those who walk in this peaceful park-like setting.

Bayside Cemetery Association

Bayside Cemetery Charitable Fund

Bayside Cemetery provides families with comprehensive cemetery services of the highest quality. Just north of the Sturgeon Bay city limits, beautiful grave sites and professionally maintained grounds distinguish Bayside as one of the finest cemeteries in Door County.

The Bayside Cemetery Charitable Fund provides an opportunity for the community to support the maintenance of the chapel, grounds, and other facilities of this historic cemetery.

Belgian Heritage Center Fund www.belgianheritagecenter.org (920) 825-7319

Building for Tomorrow Fund Lifetime for Education Fund Now & Forever Fund Scholarships Forever Fund www.birchcreek.org (920) 868-3763

Starting in the 1850s, groups of Belgians left the economic hardship of their homeland and ventured to northeast Wisconsin for better opportunity. Here, they faced the hardships of creating a new home in a harsh woodland. The Belgian Heritage Center aims to share the legacy of those more than 15,000 immigrants and their descendants who greatly influenced the culture of rural Door, Kewaunee and Brown Counties with a farming landscape and customs which included the Walloon language, unique architecture, ethnic Belgian foods and more.

Located in the heart of a rural district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Belgian Heritage Center offers programs, festivals, events, tours, traditional and interactive exhibits, as well as resources for genealogical and historical research. Oral history videos preserve stories in English and Walloon from Belgian descendants who have kept the language alive in Northeastern Wisconsin for more than 150 years.

Birch Creek Music Performance Center is a residential summer music academy. Founded in 1976, Birch Creek provides dedicated student musicians advanced training, mentorship, and the opportunity to perform publicly alongside top music professionals from the United States and abroad.

Four two-week academic sessions are offered in Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music; Symphony and Big Band Jazz. The Birch Creek “difference” is its student-to-faculty ratio of 2:1, ensuring personalized attention. To fulfill its mission, Birch Creek produces more than 70 summer concerts tied to its academic programs. World-class faculty artists and students showcase their talents before appreciative public audiences who have come to expect only the best from Birch Creek. Since its inception with an inaugural class of 12 students, 7,000 students have studied and performed at Birch Creek.

Inspiring people to give back to sustain and advance the community we love.

Boys & Girls Club of Door County Fund www.bgcdoorcounty.org (920) 818-1046

Crossroads at Big Creek Endowment Fund www.crossroadsatbigcreek.org (920) 746-5895

Door County 4-H Leaders Foundation (920) 746-2260

Door CANcer, Inc. Fund www.doorcancer.com (920) 743-8492

Door Community Auditorium Fund www.dcauditorium.org (920) 868-2728

Door County Folk Alliance

Door County Folk Alliance Endowment Fund www.dcfolk.com

The Boys & Girls Club of Door County is dedicated to providing all kids a rich and meaningful childhood by immersing them in all that Door County has to offer. Our essential programs focus on Academic Success, Art & Culture, the OutDoors and our Community Table Project which addresses food security for families in need. The Boys & Girls Club is shaping the lives of our future generation with meaningful programs and activities that are year-round and throughout the Door.

The Boys & Girls Club is an essential asset to Door County where kids make memories and learn how to be responsible, productive and compassionate adults thereby creating a legacy of giving back to our community.

Once marketed as “an ideal place for a gas station,” Crossroads at Big Creek is a 200-acre nature preserve and learning center located within the city limits of Sturgeon Bay.

Crossroads’ mission is to inspire environmental stewardship through education, research, land restoration and outdoor recreation.

Support from the community helps us improve habitat for wildlife and people and allows our hiking and skiing trails to be open every day, all day at no charge for families, school groups and individuals.

4-H is the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization. The 4-H movement is committed to providing youth development opportunities and promoting positive change for young people. 4-H programming aims to engage youth in activities to increase their leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills. In Door County, the 4-H program is dedicated to providing Door County youth with opportunities to develop these skills and be involved with their community.

DOOR CANcer Inc. is a community based volunteer organization dedicated to help Door County families with cancer in times of financial need. They hope to alleviate some of the suffering through a financial aid program that is aimed to help families who are finding it a serious drain, not only in the areas of medical care but in other areas of their lives. DOOR CANcer assists with utility bills, food, gas, insurance, phone, and any other household expenses but does not cover any medical or doctor bills.

DOOR CANcer has given over a million dollars in assistance and it is because of the generosity of many people.

Door Community Auditorium (DCA) is Door County’s year-round, indoor venue for the performing arts, exhibits and community events presented by a diverse mix of professionals, regional performers and student artists. Recently, our stage has been graced by Lyle Lovett, Keb’ Mo’, Melissa Etheridge, Ira Glass, Ziggy Marley, Charlie Daniels and Joan Baez.

DCA is recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization and is supported by Door County visitors and residents alike through ticket sales, sponsorship, advertising, membership and volunteer labor. Annually, over 220 performances, events, rehearsals and school assemblies take place within DCA’s walls.

DCA is home to the Peninsula Music Festival which draws professional musicians from all over the country to perform nine symphonic concerts each August. The musicians, hailing from some of the country’s top orchestras, are conducted by Maestro Victor Yamplosky.

In 1995 a group of folk musicians and dance enthusiasts, led by Cy Rosenthal of Sturgeon Bay, came together to play music and hold barn dances, bringing together multiple generations for fun and fellowship. Cy saw local folk bands as a way for musicians to play together, support each other, and improve their skills. Cy died in 2010, but the all-volunteer organization he founded continues his goal of building community through music and dance.

The central activity of the alliance is a series of monthly barn dances – all open to the public – with live music provided by the Alliance band, Sugar on the Floor. The Alliance coordinates regular music “sessions” to provide local folk musicians with opportunities to learn new music and hone their skills, as well as supplying music and dance for community and special events. Donations to the Door County Folk Alliance are used to pay for dance callers, rental of the dance hall, the organization’s insurance, equipment, outreach and educational materials.

Door County Habitat for Humanity Assurance Fund

www.doorhabitat.org (920) 743-2869

Door County Historical Society Endowment Fund

www.doorcountyhistoricalsociety.org (920) 421-2332

Door County Housing Partnership

Door County Housing Partnership Charitable Fund www.DoorCountyHousingTrust.org (920) 421-5090

Door County Land Trust Conservation Action Fund www.DoorCountyLandTrust.org (920) 746-1359

Door County Library Foundation, Inc. Fund www.doorcountylibrary.org (920) 743-6578

Since 1994, the mission of Door County Habitat for Humanity has been to provide a hand-up to help others acquire and own decent and affordable housing. We work with future homeowners to build new simple, safe, and decent homes to increase the inventory of affordable homes in Door County. We also work with existing homeowners to complete repairs they would otherwise be unable to afford or complete on their own. Our projects are done in partnership with the homeowners as they are required to both contribute time during the project and pay for material costs with a mortgage for home builds and a payment plan for home repairs. Door County Habitat for Humanity provides a hand-up, not a hand-out to current and future homeowners.

Founded in 1926, the Door County Historical Society (DCHS) keeps history alive for future generations. The Society operates two interpretive sites: Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in Peninsula State Park and the Heritage Village at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay, and hosts several historical programs throughout the year.

Since 1960, the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse consisted of the keeper’s house and tower, oil house, privy, summer kitchen, and barn. The Society will begin another restoration effort to replace the barn and summer kitchen.

Heritage Village at Big Creek demonstrates the story of Door County settlers, their lives and sense of community. The Village includes buildings from the era post-Civil War to pre-World War I including a school, church, granary, blacksmith shop, general store, fish house, privy, period homes, a Norwegian Homestead, and a tool museum.

The Door County Housing Partnership is an independent, nonprofit organization focused on providing permanently affordable home ownership opportunities for working households living year-round in Door County. We use a shared equity home ownership model, and work with the community to provide the subsidy that bridges the gap between what working families can afford and what it costs to purchase a decent home. Our homes are priced to be affordable to the working families that stable communities need, representing teachers, nurses, social workers, and municipal workers, to name a few. The DCHP’s unique approach allows us to create housing solutions that will stay affordable for generations.

Founded in 1986, the Door County Land Trust is dedicated to protecting Door County’s exceptional lands and waters...forever. The Land Trust’s work ensures that life thrives on the Door Peninsula, its islands, and surrounding waters. The Land Trust protects more than 9,400 acres which are home to rare and threatened plant and animal species. Through a county-wide network of nature preserves and nearly 30 miles of public hiking trails, these protected lands are a resource for people to experience, research, and connect with the most scenic and ecologically important landscapes that grace Door County. But there is more work to be done!

The Door County Land Trust Conservation Action Fund is the operational backbone of the Door County Land Trust, a nationally accredited and highly respected, not-for-profit, member-supported, local land conservation organization. Your contribution to the Door County Land Trust Conservation Action Fund, enables the Land Trust to apply your donation to the highest and greatest needs in land protection and stewardship throughout Door County.

The Door County Library is an integral, physical, and virtual gateway to access information, ideas, knowledge, and enrichment. Its eight locations provide a welcoming atmosphere and skillfully connect people with the resources they seek.

The libraries provide materials in a variety of media: books, newspapers, magazines, online databases, music, and films. Year-round informational programs for adults and youth foster learning and reading. Public access computers and free wireless connections are available at all eight locations.

The Door County Library Foundation supports the Door County libraries in a variety of ways, making its vision possible with funding for important community learning projects. For example, it has recently funded the digitization of almost 100 years of the Advocate and other early newspapers of Door County.

to give back to sustain and advance the community we love.

Door-Tran Operating Fund www.door-tran.org (920) 743-9999

East Shore Industries Endowment Fund www.eastshoreindustries.com (920) 487-3541

www.eggharborwi.com

Ellie’s Fund Endowment www.elliesfund.org (920) 497-8463

Door-Tran is a non-profit organization located in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin that is dedicated to connecting people to transportation services that are affordable, available and accessible. As an aging community it is important that there are options to keep people in their homes as long as possible. They provide volunteer transportation, half-price travel and fuel vouchers, no-interest vehicle purchase and repair loans, vehicle repair grants, referrals, and other services. Staff also offers transportation information and planning services in-person, by phone, online and in print through the Transportation Resource Guide.

Door-Tran partners with many transportation providers to ensure resources are shared and more trips are provided efficiently. They lead a 60-member Transportation Resource Improvement Partner (TRIP) committee and partner with over 40 volunteers to transport people to where they need to go. Funding from the Door County Community Foundation and others helps Door-Tran to continue its much-needed mission.

For over 50 years, ESI has served individuals with disabilities to obtain their personal independence and employment goals. ESI offers unique programs and services designed to meet the specific needs of each client.  From employment opportunities to day services, the programs and services at ESI focus on developing life skills and fostering independence, allowing each individual the opportunity to contribute to his or her own well-being and the community in which they live.

Support from the community goes directly back into the programs and services offered to the individuals served. Together we are making a difference and changing lives.

The mission of the Egg Harbor Historical Society is “to make Egg Harbor history come alive for future generations through the collection, preservation, and sharing of the heritage of Egg Harbor.” Individuals and families have generously donated materials and oral histories for archiving and sharing. The Society’s immediate goals are two-fold: the digitization of these materials for storage and retrieval, and the restoration of Door County’s original bookmobile as a “history-mobile.” The history-mobile restoration is a long-term and expensive effort, but, as part of the mission of sharing Egg Harbor’s heritage, will facilitate bringing history to wherever people gather, in addition to the on-site displays and programs at the Kress Community Center in Egg Harbor.

Although she was just shy of two years old, Ellie was an incredible source of happiness for all who knew her. She was such a blessing to her family that they felt an obligation to carry on her legacy by spreading joy into the lives of others. That was the impetus for the creation of Ellie’s Fund, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. The Fund provides grants to worthy projects to benefit the people of Northeast Wisconsin.

First, it provides assistance and opportunities to young people in Ellie’s memory. Whether it be providing enrichment activities or meeting human needs, Ellie’s Fund hopes to help. Second, celebrating Ellie’s love for the outdoors, Ellie’s Fund provides assistance to initiatives which celebrate and preserve the remarkable natural beauty of Northeast Wisconsin.

The Ephraim Yacht Club’s mission is to provide outreach programs, equipment, facilities, and funding for sailing education, training, and competition to help students learn the life skills and values important in being productive and active members of the community.

The Ephraim Yacht Club (EYC) was founded in 1906 and operates one of the oldest and largest sailing schools in the Midwest. EYC’s U.S. Sailing certified staff provides instruction to students from youngsters all the way up through senior citizens. Lessons are held mornings and afternoons, and races are held evenings and weekends so students can test and demonstrate their skills. Students learn teamwork and independence by sailing small and large boats. Instructors emphasize proper behavior, sportsmanship, racing etiquette and a Corinthian spirit during all activities. Since 1906, thousands of students have learned the sport of sailing at EYC as well as skills and behavior that will benefit them and their communities the rest of their lives.

Ephraim Yacht Club

Charitable Fund • Endowment Fund

Aaron R. Moore Sailing Scholarship Fund

Egg Harbor Historical Society Endowment Fund

Friends of the Pavilion Charitable Fund kresspavilion.org/donate (414) 640-1240

For Now and for the Future Fund

Peninsula State Park Research Grant Fund www.peninsulafriends.org   (920) 868-6256

The Friends of Potawatomi State Park Endowment Fund www.RunWild.org (920) 746-2890

Gathering Ground Charitable Fund www. gatheringgroundwi.org

The Friends of the Pavilion raises funds to strengthen and support the Kress Pavilion and Egg Harbor Community center located in the heart of Door County. This year-round facility hosts free and low-cost programming for all ages.

Since it opened in 2018, the facility has hosted over 500 free and open-to-the-public programs and nearly 200 non-profit fundraisers. It is also home to the Egg Harbor Seed Library, Egg Harbor Branch of the Door County Library and Egg Harbor Historical Society. Funds raised by the Friends of the Pavilion help to support the building’s programs and continue to offer a space for the Egg Harbor library and Egg Harbor Historical Society.

Although tax dollars and private event rentals are the main source of revenue, the extra funding from the Door County Community Foundation account will support the level of services we offer to all of Door County in perpetuity.

The Friends of Peninsula State Park support the interpretive, historical, educational, and visitor service programs of Peninsula State Park. Over 1.2 million people visit the 3,776-acre park each year. All funds raised go directly to providing park enhancements. The Friends are in the process of raising $700,000 for phase I of new mountain bike trails at the park, and $125,000 for expanded parking at the Nature Center. Past projects supported by the Friends include raising $750,000 towards the rebuilding of Eagle Tower, $360,000 for an addition to the Nature Center, $75,000 for the Nature Center amphitheater with accessible walkways, and $120,000 for an all-inclusive playground at Nicolet Beach. Proceeds from merchandise sales are used to fund a summer naturalist position and to defray the cost of removing invasive plants.

The Friends of Potawatomi State Park, Inc. is a nonprofit organization formed to raise the funds needed to maintain and improve Sturgeon Bay’s largest park programs and equipment. Projects that the Friends Group have accomplished include raising the funds to build the accessible fishing pier, upgrades and improvements on both the campground and the picnic shelters, new fire rings, new benches in the Park Amphitheater, maintenance of the playground areas and equipment, planting flowers in both the Park Office and campground flower beds, park and trail clean up, invasive species monitoring and control, assisting Park staff in maintaining the ski trails, and fully funding the Park Naturalist. Currently, they are fundraising for an accessible kayak launch and plan to apply for funds to construct an open-air shelter at the old Potawatomi Ski Hill site.

Gathering Ground blends agriculture and conservation on its 40-acre working and teaching farm. With a vision for thriving communities connected to the environment and their food through work and play, we focus on sustainable farming practices with our diverse fruit and nut orchards, vineyards, and grazing sheep. We promote biodiversity, community composting, and support our local farms through our farmers market.

Gathering Ground offers an educational internship, Ground School, for young people interested in agriculture, conservation, and environmentalism, as well as programs for all ages, including our annual Dinner in the Vineyard, a celebration of local food and drink among our vines. The Grounds are open for walking tours and picnics. Join us in Planting for the Future!

Gibraltar Area School District

Gibraltar Area Educational Endowment Fund (920) 868-3284 x231

The purpose of the Gibraltar Area Educational Endowment Fund is to provide a source of funding for Gibraltar Area School District. The intent of establishing this Fund was to provide an avenue for donors to make a tax deductible contribution to the district. Funds can then be used to support playground upgrades, technology upgrades, and grants that support the innovative, creative, entrepreneurial ideas of teachers. Funding can also be used to assist children and families in the district that are experiencing difficulty purchasing things like coats, hats, mittens, eyeglasses and school lunches. This list is not all inclusive, and consideration is given to where the funds are needed most.

As budgets get tighter and costs continue to increase, the need for a Fund such as this becomes extremely important. There is a need for this type of Fund to fill the gaps not provided by traditional funding.

Gibraltar Historical Association Endowment Fund

Gibraltar Historical Association Flagship Fund

Gibraltar Historical Association Operating Fund www.historicnoble.org (920) 868-2091

Francis Hardy Center for the Arts Fund www.thehardy.org (920) 854-2210

Domestic Abuse Transitional Living Fund

Eliminating Domestic Abuse Endowment Endowment Fund Established by Connie & Bob Erickson

Thelma Windhauser Endowment Fund

Katie McConkey Memorial Fund www.helpofdoorcounty.org (920) 743-8785

Hope United Church of Christ Fund Hope Memorial Gardens Foundation www.hopechurchdc.org (920) 743-2701

Horseshoe Bay Farms Preservation Fund www.PreserveHorseshoeBay.org

The Gibraltar Historical Association was established in 1984 to collect, research and preserve objects and archival materials which directly reflect or illustrate Gibraltar Township history; to pass on from person to person, to advance history, and to educate residents and visitors about this history; and continue to work towards preservation of historical buildings and green space in the community of Fish Creek, Wisconsin.

The GHA maintains the Alexander Noble house built in 1875, the oldest frame residence in Fish Creek and completely restored and maintained as a functioning museum and an audio tour of 23 historic buildings in our town to share with visitors and residents alike

Preserving the past by operating a museum, providing historic walks, scheduling seasonal events and presenting a Gibraltar Talks series helps keep our mission alive. GHA is a 501(c)(3) and relies on memberships, donations, grants and fundraising to continue its work.

Established in 1962 in honor of Francis Howe Hardy, Ephraim’s historic Hardy Gallery is solely dedicated to supporting Door County’s extensive and vibrant visual art community.

Hardy envisioned the existence of a gallery that would support the development of a growing Door County art community, fostering its growth, and furthering the understanding and appreciation of the visual arts and most importantly, the artists of the Door Peninsula. Upon his passing in 1960, Hardy’s vision became a reality thanks to his wife Helen’s energy and financial contributions.

Today, the Hardy Gallery, as it is still affectionately known, has programs and initiatives that address the needs of the local artist community, creative enrichment of local youth, and is focused more than ever on Hardy’s original vision of educating the public and promoting the visual arts and artists of the Door County Peninsula.

Since 1979, HELP of Door County has provided programs serving victims of domestic abuse –working to improve the well-being and dignity of individuals, families and intimate relationships. HELP works to reduce the incidence of violence and conflict within relationships by providing free and confidential victim services including: Crisis Intervention, Safe Homes, Legal Advocacy, Women’s Support Groups, Community Outreach (including workshops, training and speaking engagements), Prison Outreach, Older Adult Victim Services, Transitional Living Program, Violence Intervention Services, Visitation and Exchange, and Youth Advocacy.

Beyond Hope Church and its current vision, the Hope UCC Endowment Fund is today, tomorrow, and forever.

The Hope UCC Endowment Fund grants support to our community, both locally and worldwide. It has been used to support the “All Hands In” Destination Imagination team as it raised awareness of the GO BO! Foundation Family Assistance Program. The Endowment has provided care packages to local soldiers serving abroad and helped support conversational English language classes in Door County. It has supported food assistance programs, installed a hearing loop in its sanctuary, and refurbished the Hope Library.

Five percent of the total is granted annually while the balance is invested. Community needs today do not end when we move on. In your will, as a beneficiary of your retirement plans, life insurance, other accounts, or trusts – give back for today, tomorrow, and forever.

In 2018, a group of citizens joined together to save Horseshoe Bay Farms. Led by Lori and David Nicholas, Horseshoe Bay Farms became a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission to act as a responsible steward through preservation, rehabilitation, and activation of historic Horseshoe Bay Farms to secure its future for generations to come. With a dedicated and passionate board, a comprehensive Master Plan, and the hiring of its first Executive Director, Horseshoe Bay Farms, Inc is positioned for success well into the future. Our partnership with the Door County Community Foundation only strengthens our goals of serving our community while carrying the spirit of innovation and honoring the legacy of Horseshoe Bay Farms. With this partnership, Horseshoe Bay Farms is now open to the public for historic and educational tours, provides experiences for youth, and has begun the rehabilitation of its historic buildings.

Isadoora Theatre Endowment Fund www.isadoora.com (920) 495-2777

Legal Aid Society of Door County Endowment Fund www.legalaiddoorcounty.org (920) 743-3934

Miller Art Center Foundation, Inc. Fund www.millerartmuseum.org (920) 746-7124

Isadoora was founded in 2002 as a company where anyone from the community could gain experience producing, directing, and acting in theatrical productions not typically accessible to amateurs. Our alumni have gone on to professional roles with Northern Sky Theater, Door Shakespeare, Peninsula Players, and Stage Door Theatre Co.

From humble beginnings as friends gathering to read scripts, to fully staged, high-quality production of deeply emotional shows such as Wit and Painting Churches. Funny and heartwarming offerings like She Loves Me and Striking 12. Provocative perspectives in Side Man, Waiting for Lefty, and The Laramie Project Examinations of the darker side of human nature with Assassins,Why Torture Is Wrong and The People Who Love Them. To large-scale productions like Chicago, Isadoora has gone to theatrical places over the course of twelve years that few small, non-professional companies dare to go.

Legal Aid Society of Door County was founded in 1989 by a group of local attorneys and human service providers who recognized that there was a growing number of unrepresented, low-income clients who could not afford family law services.

The mission of LASDC is to coordinate and improve access to civil legal services for low-income individuals in Door County. Most of these services are provided by volunteer attorneys. LAS operates as a screening and referral organization for potential clients who face legal issues that involve family law, landlord-tenant disputes, benefit entitlements, and other civil matters. The organization contracts with a local attorney who provides intake, screening and referral of eligible applicants at the Sturgeon Bay office. Legal Aid Society is an unusual nonprofit organization, in that the majority of administrative cost and much of the client service are provided by volunteer efforts.

Nestled in the heart of Sturgeon Bay, the Miller Art Museum stands as a beacon of cultural enrichment and artistic exploration. Established in 1975, this dynamic institution has been a cornerstone of the local community, fostering creativity and appreciation for the visual arts. With a diverse collection of more than 1,500 works spanning historical to contemporary along with regularly changing exhibitions, visitors are treated to a compelling and diverse array of art. From powerful exhibitions highlighting regional and national talent to thought-provoking exhibits that explore the depths, joys, and complexities of our world, the museum offers something for art enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds. Beyond its exhibits, the Museum presents an array of educational programs, tours, performances, and events, engaging visitors in experiences that deepen their understanding and appreciation for art. With a commitment to excellence and accessibility, the Miller Art Museum continues to foster connections between artists and community through the creation of opportunities to explore, appreciate, and advance the visual arts.

Midsummer’s Music Ltd. Endowment Trust Fund www.midsummersmusic.com (920) 854-7088

NEW Audubon Society Endowment Fund www.newiaudubon.org

For over 30 years, Midsummer’s Music, Ltd. has brought world-class musicians to Door County to develop, enthuse and educate audiences of all ages. By creating the most powerful experiences highly professional performers can generate, Midsummer emphasizes chamber music’s strongest assets: intimacy, vitality, quality, variety, and portability. The Griffon String Quartet, presented by Midsummer’s, is a groundbreaking project geared to enrich the lives of children and adults throughout Northeastern Wisconsin through concerts, instruction, health and wellness programs, and community-embedded presentations. Midsummer’s Music and the Griffon perform virtually and in person. Venues include galleries, churches, schools, museums, hospitals, memory cafes, and private homes. Concertgoers hear classics, lesser-known composers, and world-premiers of commissioned works. Each concert is an exceptional experience! Concert ticket prices cover a small portion of our annual expenses, making tax-deductible donations and other forms of support critical to the organization’s sustainability. Join us and experience the magic of Midsummer’s Music, Northeastern Wisconsin’s only full-time, year-round professional musical organization.

The Northeastern Wisconsin Audubon Society was incorporated in 1954 and is one of more than 500 local chapters of the National Audubon Society. We have over 800 national and local member families that live in the seven counties and 55 communities we serve throughout northeast Wisconsin. The Board of Directors, members and volunteers work to support bird conservation, research, education, and habitat protection across this region of the state. This includes projects such as the Oneida Bird Monitoring Program, Project SOAR (Snowy Owl Airport Rescue), and research in understanding the movement of red-shouldered hawks in our area through radio telemetry.

Open Door Bird Sanctuary Future Development Fund www.opendoorbirdsanctuary.org (920) 493-2473

Peninsula Players Theatre Endowment Fund www.PeninsulaPlayers.com (920) 868-3287

Peninsula School of Art Youth and Community Outreach Fund www.peninsulaschoolofart.org (920) 868-3455

The Richard Mauthe Center for Faith, Spirituality & Social Justice Endowment Fund www.mcenter.org (920) 465-5133

Rogue Theater Endowment Fund www.roguetheater.org (920) 818-0816

The Open Door Bird Sanctuary raises avian awareness and inspires coexistence with the natural world of Door County, and wherever you call home. Founded in 2010 and situated on 33 acres, it’s the only facility of its kind in the area. A unique combination of environmental and wildlife education features live birds of prey both on and off site. Our Raptor residents are unable to be released into the wild and call ODBS their forever home.

The facilities consist of outdoor aviaries, multiple program areas, a Nature Center, and Bird Care Center, used by both birds and staff/volunteers. Contributions to our fund will help with the continued development of our Master Plan which includes a walk-through songbird aviary, large pavilion, advanced show area, Visitor Center and a second avian building.

Peninsula Players Theatre, founded in 1935, is America’s oldest professional resident summer theater located in a unique setting along the cedar-lined shores of Green Bay. The theater’s mission is to support, without reservation, the most exciting theater company possible; to preserve the Theatre in a Garden’s natural beauty; to provide artists the freedom, tools, and facilities they require to entertain, uplift, and inform our audiences; to foster future generations of theater professionals through the internship program; and to maintain fiscal policies that ensure the future security of the theater.

A contribution to the Peninsula Players Endowment Fund helps protect the theater’s past, while securing its future. Your gift will support a tradition of theatrical excellence and fundamental programming such as the internship program, educational workshops, free public seminars and staged readings. Help ensure the future of Peninsula Players Theatre for generations to come.

For 50 years, Peninsula School of Art has served the community through exceptional learning experiences in the visual arts. It provides workshops with nationally recognized artist-teachers; visual arts classes for children; educationally-themed exhibitions featuring the works of national, regional, and local artists; and free community outreach programs for over 3000 children and families.

The Youth and Community Outreach Fund provides critical support for free, accessible arts programming, including: ceramics arts education to 500 school age children; monthly Family Art Days; a participatory exhibition for 300 school children with no access to arts education in their schools; and partnership programs with local community organization and schools, like the Girl Scouts, Boys & Girls Club of Door County, Habitat for Humanity, the Hardy Gallery, Northern Door Adult Day Care Services and many others to bring art to underserved populations and new audiences.

The Richard Mauthe Center for Faith, Spirituality and Social Justice is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus, but independent from the university system. Its mission is to provide opportunities for the UWGB community to explore faith, nurture their spiritual lives, and serve others.

Every year the Mauthe Center touches the lives of students by putting together events that inspire respect and peace, and promote justice. The purpose of its Endowment Fund is to ensure that the legacy of Rev. Richard Mauthe continues to flourish. Today, it is invigorated to work with the next generation of authentic leaders to write a new chapter – defined by an effort to find innovative ways to continue to transform the lives of students and community members we serve.

Rogue Theater is Door County’s only year-round community theater, bringing quality productions to many locations throughout the county. Since 2013, the company has brought theater productions to many locations in Door County, including town halls, restaurants, churches, and schools. They also provide educational programs and theater camps for youth and young adults. Their vision is to have a space where all forms of entertainment and art can come together; including community and professional theater, music, dance and visual arts. With a new location in Sturgeon Bay, Rogue Theater is committed to creating an art center that can be used by the community for a multitude of events. Rogue Theater is currently renting the DC Arts Center in Sturgeon Bay. It is an 80-seat theater, including lobby, backstage area, dressing rooms, and storage. Rogue Theater’s capital campaign continues to fundraise to make this venue their permanent home, along with adding a set design area.

Sevastopol Education Foundation, Inc.

Sevastopol Education Foundation www.facebook.com/SevastopolEdFoundation sevastopoledfoundation@gmail.com

History Center Building Fund

Endowment Fund • Operating Reserve Fund www.sisterbayhistory.org/museum/ (920) 421-0285

Athletes & Athletic Facilities Fund

Auditorium & Performing Arts Fund

Bleacher Reserve Fund • Booster Fund • Eagle Fund Education Committee Reserve

Endowment Fund • Library & Technology Fund Science & Agriculture Fund • Softball Fund Football Fund • Volleyball Fund www.southerndoorcommunityfoundation.org (920) 825-7373

Sunshine House, Inc. Fund www.sunshinehouseinc.org (920) 743-7943

The purpose of the Rushes Wilderness Foundation is to maintain, improve and provide access to the Rushes Wilderness Area while preserving its natural beauty. The Rushes Wilderness area is the 100-acre nature preserve adjacent to the Rushes on Kangaroo Lake.

Over the years the many volunteers and supporters of the Rushes Wilderness Foundation have accomplished this by; Maintaining and improving nearly five miles of trails in the preserve, planting and maintaining the Butterfly prairie, building the gazebo, planting and caring for memorial trees, maintaining the boardwalks, providing benches throughout the preserve, building and maintaining the observation deck, improved the area by removing invasive species.

This fund was started thanks to the generosity of long time Rushes owners Ruth and William Merkey.

The mission of the Sevastopol Education Foundation is to enrich the experiences of children for a stronger community! To provide support to the students, teachers, staff and programs of Sevastopol School.

Sevastopol Education Foundation, separate from the school, is a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax deductible. By supporting Sevastopol Education Foundation Inc. (SEF) you are providing a foundation for many to thrive. Schools need reliable revenues separate from restricted public funding in order to keep pace with advances in technology and to provide an innovative high quality educational learning environment. SEF is only able to carry out its mission of enhancing the Sevastopol Schools through the generous support of individuals, businesses and organizations. Teachers, Parents, Coaches or others may request money for projects, equipment or donations from SEF by writing Grants within Focus Areas.

The Sister Bay Historical Society is building for the future with current fundraising for its new History Center, next door to its Corner of the Past and Old Anderson House Museum. Located at intersection of Hwy 57 and Fieldcrest Rd. The 1875 Anderson family farmhouse is completely renovated, featuring late 1800s furnishings and artifacts. The authentic, historically-restored farm buildings are all from Sister Bay-area residents. Features a barn, granary, machine shop, log cabins, migrant’s cabin, summer kitchen, sawmill, blacksmith’s barn, and early tourist cottages. Machine Shop photo gallery has enlarged images dating back to early settlers, the fire of 1912, berthed steamships, early logging, ice cutting. Knowledgeable, docent-led tours (with Discovery Pen audio for independent exploring) are enlightening and fun. Admission: $10 Adults, Children FREE. Opening Day: Memorial Day weekend, then open Tues–Sat, 10 am–4 pm, June-July-Aug-Sept. Closed in winter. Reserve your family’s tickets online: doorcountytickets. com.

The goal of the Southern Door Community Foundation is to build its community and surrounding communities by providing financial support to the Southern Door School District to provide students with the opportunities to be productive members of their community. The foundation can also assist other supporting organizations of the school by providing a safe and responsible way to manage funds and activities.

Each Endowment Fund allows a donor to target their gift to the issues most important to them. The Endowment Funds of the Southern Door Community Foundation include: the Eagle Fund, the Auditorium and Performing Arts Fund, the Athletes and Athletic Facilities Fund, the Science, Agriculture and Industrial Arts Fund, the Library and Technology Fund and the Southern Door Athletic Boosters Fund.

Sunshine Resources of Door County is a diverse community service provider with a mission to support meaningful lives and independence of our community members with physical and developmental disabilities. Since 1971 we have provided day service programming, employment services, life skill classes and socialization to promote inclusion. We also offer Senior Adult Day services for families needing support with loved ones living with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and dementia. Our Sunflower Cottage is also open to seniors looking for socialization and companionship.

As a community resource, we also provide a full transportation service to all participants to ensure the barrier of transportation does not prevent participation.

SRDC also operates a full production facility and a resale store that provides job skill experience to prepare participants for the workforce. Our Employment Services program also includes resume building, interview preparation and job matching, and job placement to ensure the highest opportunity for success.

to give back to sustain and advance the community we love.

Ruth and William Merkey Fund

Third Avenue PlayWorks is Door County’s premiere year-round, professional theatre, located in historic downtown Sturgeon Bay. Having just completed a $2.5 million renovation of our building, our mission is to explore, share, and celebrate our humanity through the power of wide-ranging and intimate theatre. We see a future where TAP is a center for cultural production and community connection, where everyone, no matter their background (cultural, ethnic, socio-economic, gender expression, etc.), is welcomed and affirmed in cutting edge theatre art. We hold fast to the Wisconsin Idea, and will not rest until we have a meaningful impact on everyone in our state. We hold fast to the Wisconsin Idea and strive to be among the leading arts organizations in the Upper Midwest.

United Way of Door County, Inc. Fund www.unitedwaydc.com (920) 746-9645

Molly’s Fund

Door County Humane Society Charitable Fund

www.wihumane.org (920) 746-1111

Door County Connection Fund www.wpr.org (888) 909-4163

United Way of Door County forges strong partnerships, focuses resources on what matters, and creates measurable results. Its vision is of a community where: family and community wellness are promoted; childcare and early education are available to working families; basic needs such as food, shelter, transportation, and clothing are met; the lives of special segments of the population including elderly, disabled, and mentally ill are enhanced; healthcare is available to all; and youth are provided with opportunities for positive development.

Its aim is to use its expertise to add value by assessing community needs; collaborating with and ensuring accountability of partner organizations; and identifying and raising funds. It is a leader in Door County by facilitating, promoting, and ensuring the availability of services that meet the needs of the community as an effective and efficient conduit for philanthropic resources.

The Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) is a private nonprofit organization whose mission is to build a community where people value animals and treat them with respect and kindness.

Founded in 1879, the Wisconsin Humane Society has been saving the lives of animals in need for more than 140 years. WHS is a 501(c)(3) organization and operates animal shelters in Door, Brown, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, and Racine Counties. WHS annually serves 40,000 animals, receives no general government funding, and is not part of any national umbrella organization.

The WHS Door County Campus provides safe haven for lost and homeless pets while working to reunite them with their owners or place them with a new loving family. All animals in their adoption program have as long as it takes to find a new home. WHS relies entirely on the generous donations of individual donors.

Since 1917, Wisconsin Public Radio has been a pioneer in radio broadcasting, providing strong, independent and meaningful public radio in Wisconsin. Educating, informing and entertaining have been at the core of WPR’s mission since its inception. Today WPR’s 34 radio stations, seven regional bureaus, three networks, website, online streams, and user-friendly apps serve local, regional, and statewide audiences.

WPR’s commitment to community engagement inspires programming that reflects the people and issues that impact Wisconsin. From thought-provoking discussions, to local and statewide news, to classical, folk and world music, WPR presents the highest quality programming available. Major gifts for specific projects as well as endowment gifts for long-term support also play an important role in funding one of Wisconsin’s most valuable assets.

The mission of Write On, Door County is to facilitate and promote writing in Door County by nurturing the work of writers, supporting readers and audiences, and developing opportunities that encourage broad participation. Everyone has a story to tell.

Connecting people and connecting communities through writing, reading, and sharing stories is the core of its mission. Write On, Door County serves writers and readers of all ages and at all levels of development. It serves year-round and seasonal residents as well as visitors. Free peer critique groups support writers just starting out. Monthly book discussions connect readers. Classes with published authors help writers advance to the next level of their career. Author events bring together readers and writers in a relaxed setting. These programs take place in a variety of settings, including the Writing Center in Juddville and all places in between, from Southern Door to Washington Island. Write On’s Writing Center is a gathering space and resource center for all writers.

At the Door County Community Foundation, we help build and strengthen community. We bring people and organizations together that want to make a difference in our world.

The Community Foundation makes philanthropy easy. We help individuals and families establish a customized charitable Fund without being burdened by the regulatory requirements, tax liabilities and administrative and fiduciary hassles associated with setting up a private foundation. Our donors can self-direct their contributions to specific charities, invest in broader areas of interest, or provide unrestricted gifts to a Discretionary Fund to address emerging community needs.

As a 501(c)(3) public charity, our donors qualify for the maximum tax deduction as allowed by law.

Since our founding in 1999, the charities of Door County have benefitted from more than $38 million that has been disbursed from the family of charitable Funds at the Door County Community Foundation. Our assets have grown to $55 million today, with more than $9 million in contributions and pledges last year alone.

Give today or through your estate plan. Give however it’s right for you.

Just remember to Give Door County.

Simplify Your Giving with a Donor Advised Fund

I am deeply committed to philanthropy, with a specific focus on advancing women’s causes, addressing children’s issues, promoting education, and championing sustainability. I am able to actively engage with the community through the Door County Community Foundation, gaining a firsthand understanding of our community’s needs. What sets the Community Foundation apart is its personalized approach, which strengthens my connection to the causes I support. Every interaction with the Foundation is more than a mere transaction; it feels like entering a comforting and familiar environment where I am surrounded by a sense of family. The Foundation’s professional staff, well-versed in the causes closest to my heart, instills confidence in me. I trust them to guide me in making informed decisions in the realm of philanthropy.

– Sharon Lutsey

Sharon Lutsey, a Green Bay native, grew up in a bustling household with her father running his own business, while her mother devoted herself to being a stay-at-home mom. As the eldest of six children, Sharon was given early responsibilities, including rotating chores which instilled a robust work ethic that continues throughout her life today. Sharon’s parents set a meaningful example by generously dedicating their time and talents to local organizations their children were involved in, such as hockey and the Girl Scouts.

After graduating from West High School, Sharon pursued a degree in education at UW-Stevens Point and spent four years teaching kindergarten before opting to stay home with her four children-Matthew, Nicholas, Jeffrey and Andrew. Despite leaving the classroom, Sharon remained committed to education by serving on the Green Bay School Board for 11 years, The Weidner Board for 13 years, including a term as President, and

the Libertas Board – an in-house program for addiction – for 13 years. Sharon actively volunteered for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Green Bay and played a key role in founding the Women’s Fund of Door County, where she also served on the Board for 12 years. Additionally, she participated in various committees in Green Bay, focusing on the city’s growth and development. She currently sits on the board of the Door County Community Foundation.

While visiting friends in Door County, Sharon was drawn to all that this beautiful place could offer. She knew this is where she wanted to spend her free time with her family and 25 years ago, in the mid80’s, the Lutseys purchased a cottage in Egg Harbor. They moved here full time and started Waseda Farms to have access to organic beef without exposure to harmful chemicals, antibiotics, or growth hormones. This led to Sharon’s love of gardening and inspired the organic gardens at the family-owned farm that is still thriving today.

“It is a true pleasure and honor to be part of all that makes this community a special place to work and live,” says Sharon. “Thank you to all the volunteers and people I have worked with throughout this incredible journey. It is by our example that our children and grandchildren will continue our giving for the future.”

Sharon’s philanthropy and generosity continues in Door County as she engages with the Door County Community Foundation, appreciating its personal touch and the opportunities to address all the local needs. Philanthropically, Sharon supports a wide array of non-profits, utilizing a Donor Advised Fund as the ideal vehicle for fulfilling her charitable intentions. Donor Advised Funds operate much like a private foundation, but without the administrative burdens, high operating costs or required tax filings. If you have a range of community interests, you may find that it’s an ideal vehicle for fulfilling your charitable wishes.

Give to Your Future Through a Discretionary Fund

In 1948, Jim Hansen’s parents acquired a small cottage near Robert LaSalle County Park. He marked his third birthday there, initiating a tradition that continued for many years as he spent numerous summers in Door County. By the time he reached his teenage years, Jim was taking dates to Peninsula Players, creating cherished memories.

Barbara Fulton, a native of the East Coast, was born in Philadelphia and grew up in South Jersey. It was there that she embarked on her teaching career. She made a significant move to the Chicago area, where she eventually accepted a position on a 6th grade teaching team alongside a gentleman named Jim Hansen. Within a span of two years, their professional collaboration blossomed into a personal union; and Jim and Barb were married. Opting not to have biological children, they extended their love by adopting two siblings, David and John, aged 8 and 6, respectively, creating a supportive family.

Upon tying the knot, Jim and Barb purchased a humble cottage just south of Stoney Creek (not far from Jim’s

Door County has been deeply woven into the tapestry of our lives. Consequently, we want to give back to the place that has nurtured us so well. Because we believe in providing for the future, the idea of our estate benefiting Door County indefinitely through a Fund at the Community Foundation strongly appealed to us. The organizations we have included in our estate plans have significantly enriched our lives, and we trust they will continue to contribute to the well-being of this cherished community.

– Jim and Barb Hansen

family cottage), establishing a weekend retreat in Door County that spanned 28 years. This routine nurtured a profound bond for them with the community, allowing them to experience the delights of Northern Sky and Birch Creek, enjoy performances at Door Shakespeare and Peninsula Players, savor live music, cultivate gardens, and indulge in the fun of boating, fishing, and golfing. Their active involvement made them integral members of the county.

In 2000, as they bid farewell to their professional lives, Jim and Barb transitioned into full-time residents of Door County, solidifying their commitment to the community that had become an intrinsic part of their identity. Jim and Barb have been active members of Hope Church for two decades, embodying a loyalty to their community. Additionally, Barb contributed her efforts to the Women’s Fund of Door County by serving on its board, furthering their dedication to philanthropy and community involvement.

The Hansens’ great love for Door County has only deepened since

becoming full-time residents. “The greatest thing my parents ever did for me was to buy the cottage in Southern Door because my whole life has revolved around it,” says Jim. Including the Door County Community Foundation in their Estate Plans is an easy way for the Hansens to transfer assets to charity and support the community they care about after they are gone. In doing so, Jim and Barb can leave a lasting legacy for Door County while enjoying the assets needed to maintain their current lifestyle.

Including the Door County Community Foundation in your estate plans is a straightforward way to transfer assets to charity. Through a gift in your estate plans, you can support general causes, create a scholarship in your family’s name, or, as the Hansens did, give back to specific charities. Plus, you can distribute some or all of your assets tax-free. Your gift – and all future earnings from your gift – can become a permanent source of community capital, giving back literally forever. A fund at the Community Foundation is an exceptional tool for giving to charity through your estate plan.

Create a Philanthropic Legacy in Your Estate Plans

They possessed a remarkable openness and compassion, genuinely interested in others without a hint of judgment,” said Robert Davis, Bob and Nancy’s eldest son. “Despite our comfortable lifestyle, they firmly believed it didn’t make us superior to anyone else. And they lived that truth by regularly giving back to the community both financially and through volunteering. The Nancy and Robert Davis Charitable Fund now perpetuates that legacy by supporting projects and initiatives in the community that meant so much to them.

Robert Davis Sr., affectionately known as Bob, was born on April Fool’s Day in 1925. His family’s Door County connection dates back to his grandfather’s days working with the Goodrich Steamship based out of Chicago. Bob’s father, Warren, spent childhood Julys in Ephraim, eventually building the family cottage when Bob was just 4 years old.

Nancy Wilterding, born on All Saints Day in 1927, grew up in Menasha, WI. Her family began visiting Door County in the ‘30s, camping at Peninsula State Park. Bob and Nancy’s paths intertwined when he took Nancy’s sister, Gretchen, on a date. Described as love at first sight, Bob and Nancy married in June 1951 and raised five children Rob, Martha, Cole, Sarah, and Laura, as well as foster daughter, Sabina.

Bob, a Carleton College graduate, joined The United Educators, his father’s publishing company, working until retirement. In 1965 Bob and Nancy Davis built a cottage in Ephraim, and eventually began spending summers here rather than in Lake Bluff, Il. During

their 40 years in Lake Bluff Bob was an active leader of the community, including village mayor and founder of the Lake Forest Rotary Club.

A passionate sailor and Ephraim Yacht Club member, Bob’s love for the water expanded to hiking in Door County. Both actively involved in various organizations, Bob and Nancy joyfully gave their time and raised funds for projects close to their hearts. Upon retirement, Bob continued his philanthropy behind the scenes, always acknowledging Nancy’s crucial role in their accomplishments. Bob was also actively involved in Rotary, the Ephraim Historical Foundation, The Clearing, and the Door County Land Trust. Nancy actively supported the Ephraim Historical Foundation as a docent and through her work on the Buildings and Grounds Committee. She was involved with PEO and taught classes at The Clearing. Bob and Nancy were honored as the 2015 Door County Philanthropists of the Year.

In 2017, Bob passed away at 92, followed by Nancy in 2020 at 93. Yet, their legacy lives on through the Nancy

and Robert Davis Charitable Fund, established to perpetually support the organizations they held dear. While some donors prefer to remain anonymous, the Nancy and Robert Davis Charitable Fund was created to honor and publicly celebrate their family’s legacy literally forever.

Through a gift in your estate plans, you can give back to specific charities, support general causes or even create a scholarship in your family’s name. A Fund at the Community Foundation is an exceptional tool for giving to charity through your estate plan.

The Community Foundation is regularly asked to attend joint meetings with attorneys, accountants and investment professionals all of whom are serving the same client. We’d be honored to serve you as your philanthropic advisor.

– Rob Davis, Son of the Late Bob and Nancy Davis