Tri-County United Way’s new fundraiser gives back

UP NORTH – After pulling back during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tri-County United Way is launching a new program to give a break to those who donate.

Employees and others who give $1 a week, or $52 a year, will receive a coupon book with discounts at area businesses valued at over $600, Executive Director Kevin Malnor said. Participating businesses cover the cost of redemption, but won’t pay a fee to put their coupon in the book, he said.

Malnor sees it as a win-win for businesses, donors and the nonprofit.

“This is part of my sustainability campaign,” he said, “I want to make sure the agency will be serving the three counties for a long time after I move on.”
Malnor, a retired sales and marketing executive who lives in the Wausaukee area, started in the part-time role of executive director in September of 2022 after the organization had a tough time during COVID-19.

“There was a point where we were almost questioning whether this United Way organization in the area was going to continue,” said the nonprofit’s Board President Larry Wall, who lives in Daggett Township in Menominee County, Mich. Tri-County United Way serves Marinette, Menominee and Oconto counties.

Some people talked about having Brown County United Way take over the tri-county agency, but it wouldn’t have the same interest in the area, Wall said. “I didn’t want to be the board president that had Tri-County United Way close,” he said.

Instead of hiring someone with preconceived ideas on how United Way should run, Wall said the board decided to do what a business would do. It hired a sales and marketing expert.

Malnor brought a strong background in sales and marketing and fresh ideas for fundraising, Wall said.

Instead of asking for monetary gifts, Wall said the agency is helping businesses gain new business by participating in the coupon book, which is expected to be available in early to mid 2025.

“It wasn’t the one-way street of, ‘Give us some money and feel good about it,’” Wall said. “There’s a win in there for the business also. You can get some new customers,” he said. Wall thinks the program will grow over time.

With Malnor as executive director, “We’re more focused again,” Wall said.
They hope to build the board of directors to 12 people from nine currently. “We’re taking one step at a time and working with United Way Wisconsin,” Malnor said.

While in years past, Tri-County United Way aimed to provide support to community organizations with many different missions, Wall said this year it is focusing on the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter.

It’s also hoping to provide more support into Oconto County, said Wall, who joined the organization in 1999. The organization primarily served the tri-city area of Menominee, Marinette and Peshtigo, he said. “That’s one of the things I wanted to change. We were ignoring Oconto County. Oconto County was barely mentioned. The true purpose of the organization was to cover the three counties,” Wall said.

Tri-County is in the process of rebuilding after COVID-19, he said. “The former executive director had left in March of 2022, and they went through a couple of directors during that COVID-19 period. That was very difficult on Tri-County United Way,” Malnor said. According to financial documents, the organization received $117,00 in 2022 contributions, down from $197,670 in 2021 and $350,718 in 2020, while its assets held steady at around $295,000.

Besides Wall, Tri-County board members include Vice President James Bastien, Treasurer Steve Martin, Secretary Andrea Hallfrisch, Stephanie Nault, Kristine Heidewald, Jennifer Ary, Megan Peterson and Taylor Kolaski. Melanie Stahl works part-time as Tri-County’s office manager.

Tri-County United Way also plans to give impact grants to area agencies. “We tend to focus on youth, food insecurity and programs for the elderly,” he said. “One of the big priorities is connecting people in need with the resources available.”

The Dial 211 call center United Way operates is available 24 hours a day. People can call for any reason to find a local agency available. Since 2018, Dial 211 in the tri-county area has made about 7,000 referrals, Malnor said. “If you don’t have food and shelter, nothing else matters. You’ve got to have some place to eat and sleep,” he said.

Just over one-third of households in the tri-county area are asset-constrained low-income wage earners (ALICE), while 10% have incomes at or below the federal poverty line, Malnor said. The total ALICE survival budget is $23,500 to $25,500 for singles and $57,000 to $59,900 for households of four, according to information Malnor provided. But Tri-County United Way also provides assistance and referrals to people outside the income guidelines.

Some people are working two or three jobs but still at risk of becoming homeless if they were to lose a job, Malnor said. “We tend to be really rural, and there aren’t a lot of good paying jobs in these counties,” he added.

To help people achieve financial savings, Tri-County United Way offers a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program providing free tax preparation for low-income residents through a partnership with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. The local organization also facilitates an Emergency Food & Shelter Program receiving federal funds. It also offers a prescription discount program. Besides these regular United Way programs, the nonprofit provided support to 17 social service agencies last year, including food pantries, senior services, Rainbow House Domestic Abuse Services, Communities that Care and the Healthy Youth Coalition.

Meals on Wheels programs are available in many communities, he said, and other social service agencies provide assistance with housing and health care. With inflation, many elderly people on fixed incomes can’t afford transportation to and from medical appointments or enough food.

United Way is working on creating a way to provide public transportation in Oconto County, Wall said. “That’s been an issue for as long as I can remember for seniors,” Wall said.

Michigan offers a bus service for seniors, and a taxi service provides transportation in Marinette and Peshtigo, Wall said, but smaller municipalities like Wausaukee and Oconto Falls aren’t served. “How do you do it in a rural area? Can you afford to pick up at their door, or do they have to make it into town?” he asked. Wall said he’s looking outside the box for transportation ideas, such as ways to use school bus transportation for elderly services.

While a taxi service may offer transportation in Marinette and Peshtigo, smaller municipalities like Wausaukee and Oconto Falls aren’t served, Wall said.
Housing also is a priority issue for Tri-County United Way, Wall said. The State of Michigan has a program to end homelessness, he said. It involves addressing barriers to income and adequate health care. The National Low Income Housing Coalition has identified a substantial need for affordable housing in Michigan, according to a government website.

“We’re fortunate to have a couple of homeless shelters in the area of Menominee and Marinette. There isn’t an adequate transition from homelessness to stable housing, whether it be rental or owning a home,” he said.

The housing issue runs deeper than lack of funding for affordable rentals, he said. It involves helping those in need find suitable employment. “It falls back on the educational system. Are we preparing the students properly to function in society?” Wall said.

Tri-County United Way also has supported financial literacy. “Some young people don’t know how to balance a checkbook,” he said. According to Wall, others don’t know how to manage their money. “They make good money, but they’re broke,” he said. He believes inflation prompted people to watch their money more closely, but it hasn’t helped them progress.

Wall would like the schools to teach young people what it takes to get ahead. “Part of it is motivation. I see too many people say, ‘I deserve this job. I deserve this money.’”

Wall, who owns ProTec Home Inspection, said volunteering with Habitat for Humanity led him to United Way over 20 years ago. Housing has continued to be important to the organization. “Housing is an immediate thing if you’re on the street,” Wall said.