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

On any given day there are an average of  350 people who are struggling with homelessness in the Fox Cities. We at the Community Foundation have been working with numerous nonprofit organizations in communities throughout the Fox Valley who are “boots on the ground” to help people who are experiencing homelessness, and they do this with the power of many people who support them through volunteerin...

Imagine your family starting life over in a new country where everything from the education to the language to the food and the people are different. In this episode, we continue our conversation about the challenges of resettling here in the Fox Valley from other countries, and we’re referencing our newest neighbors coming here from Afghanistan and starting a new life. (Listen to Part I: Welcomin...

In this episode we hear from Tami McLaughlin, executive director of World Relief Fox Valley about the resettlement of people from Afghanistan seeking refuge and starting a new life in our communities.  It’s difficult for us to imagine the trauma these newcomers had to experience in their country, and they didn’t plan on being uprooted and evacuated to the U.S. Now, the first of many have come here...

In this episode, and over the next several weeks, we’re going to explore a critical topic in our local communities: The affordable housing crisis. An increasing number of families are in a desperate search for an affordable, safe home to buy or rent, or to prevent eviction from their current home.  An estimated o ne of every three households in our region struggles to afford basic needs, like shel...

The Fox Valley region is full of walking and biking trails that connect our communities. But who uses them and are they accessible to all? And what should we be thinking about when it comes to making improvements so that more people can enjoy all that our communities have to offer? How do we begin talking about terms like, "Environmental Justice," and "Transportation Equity?" There are so many way...

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

With memory loss comes new challenges in caring for your loved one’s physical and emotional needs, and caring for your own. That’s often a missing piece in the caregiver’s journey.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 60% of these caregivers rank their emotional stress as high or very high and many are suffering from depression.  For Deb and George, the  unexpected journey has often been one...

In this episode we take you to the small community of Gresham Wisconsin, a town of fewer than 600 people. For the past 20 years, young people graduating from Gresham High School have been given an opportunity to pursue their dreams. And it’s all because people in Gresham and its surrounding neighbors have decided that its young people are worth investing in.  Listen to how an incredible community...

What does a Community Foundation do? In this first episode of Voices from the Valley, we share our story, and discuss: at 3:07 How the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region got its start in 1986 at 19:23 Our Story Today: What Voices from the Valley is all about Your hosts: Amy Spreeman, Marketing Technologist Carolyn Desrosiers, Community Engagement Manager Featured Voices Curt Detjen, Pr...

Welcome to Voices from the Valley, a podcast of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. What does a Community Foundation do? One of our roles in the Fox Valley Region is to connect people and organizations, bringing them together to learn and about big issues, problem solve, and also celebrate things we care about that enrich our quality of life. This podcast gives us a unique opportun...