Giveback
One of our goals here at Serene Clean is to make sure we are continually giving back to our local community. As a small business, we recognize how important community giveback is, especially for charitable and non-profit organizations. That is why each month an employee here at Serene Clean gets to choose a local charity or non-profit organization to make a monetary donation to!
Our very first charitable donation was made in September of 2019 to Bruce’s Legacy. Bruce’s Legacy was founded by Keith Cormican, whose brother, Bruce, passed away during a dangerous body recovery in the strong current of the Black River. In honor of Bruce’s heroic efforts, Keith was an integral part of creating the Jackson County Dive Unit in 1996. Since its inception, Bruce’s Legacy has made search and recoveries all over the world, bringing much needed closure to the families of its victims.
Our second charitable donation was made to the Jackson County Animal Shelter, this happens to be one of our most popular organizations to donate to! What can we say, we LOVE animals! The Jackson County Animal Shelter takes in stray animals, brings them together with loving families, and reunites lost pets with their owners. The Shelter also encourages spaying and neutering to reduce overpopulation issues. The Shelter accepts multiple forms of donations from kitty litter, pet food, and toys. They also have several Volunteers that assist with feeding, bathing, walking and caring for the animals housed at the Shelter. The monetary donations to the Shelter are primarily used for facility utilities, maintenance, equipment and supplies to support the care of animals at the shelter.
Jackson County Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers is another organization that we have donated to! This is a faith-based organization providing services to older adults, disabled individuals and people with special needs. Not only do they deliver groceries, shovel snow, provide support for Respite Caregivers, transport clients to and from appointments, but their friendly volunteers visit and call folks who could just use some kind interaction.
Friends Sharing Food is a non-profit organization to which we donated to in December 2019. Friends Sharing Food is a volunteer organization that works to help reduce hunger in Jackson County families through three projects. Food for Kids places supplemental grocery bags in all Jackson County elementary schools at the end of each school week and during the summer months. They also stock food shelves at some area high schools and distributes perishable foods like produce, bakery, dairy and meat to anyone in need.
Network For Youth is another popular organization that we love to support here at Serene Clean! Network For Youth is an organization focused on meeting the needs of youth aging out of foster care; are homeless; or are without a family support system. Network For Youth also has a thrift store in which all proceeds go to support their mission!
We have multiple animal foster organizations around us, but Maneki-Neko Kitten Foster is located right here within Jackson County! We donated to them in February of 2020. Maneki-Neko Kitten Foster is a small private rescue that is trying to help combat the problem of rural cat overpopulation! They are expanding their trap-neuter-return outreach for outdoor and feral cats, while taking in younger kittens who can be properly socialized and adopted into indoor homes. The kittens are at an age where spaying and neutering is urgently needed. Having the kitten being fixed also makes them more adoptable!
Our staff recognize the importance of all our local Emergency Service Response Teams and Fire Departments. We have donated to both Alma Center First Response and also Hixton Volunteer Fire Department. The Alma Center First Response are the ones that show up first when 911 is called within the Alma Center area. They also volunteer extensively in the community at Strawberry Festival and at football games. All monetary donations for them are used to purchase much needed medical equipment, vehicle maintenance and utilities. The Hixton Volunteer Fire Department is an integral part to keeping the Hixton area safe, and they are always helping assist other local Fire Departments also. This Fire Department has one of the fastest response times of any other department. All volunteers are incredibly dedicated to providing a service which helps keep everyone safe!
Bolton Refuge is another popular organization which Serene Clean has donated to multiple times. We are so thrilled to have this organization within our community as it is very much needed. Bolton Refuge offers advocacy services and temporary housing for victims of abuse. Their free services offer hope and guidance to those who are escaping dangerous situations. They have multiple offices located within Alma, WI, Merrillan, WI and Eau Claire, WI.
One of our most recent donations was to the Black River Falls Youth Hockey Association. This Association provides a fantastic opportunity for our communities’ children to be active, learn valuable life skills and have fun! Outside of Hockey the Black River Falls Youth Hockey Association also hosts kickball tournaments, golf tournaments, and many other fundraising events to assist with costs!
Our latest donation was to the Alzheimer’s Association Wisconsin Chapter – an organization that is near and dear to too many people. The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Their mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. In Wisconsin alone, there are an estimated 120,000 people affected by this disease.
As we continue to grow, we have full intentions of continuing to provide more and more charitable donations to our local non-profit organizations. We are happy and proud to be in a position in which we can help these charities provide the services that are so dire for our community survival. As we expand our service area and open new branches along the way we are excited to be able to find more organizations that we haven’t donated to yet!