Health and Human Services – $71,600

Athens Caring Circle | $15,000 for Food Pantry Expansion
This program will transform food access in western Marathon County through the launch of a permanent weekly food pantry in Athens, Wisconsin. Funding will support full-time staffing and essential equipment for the organization’s new Pine Street facility, allowing the pantry to expand from monthly pop-up distributions to a fully operational community resource hub. The pantry will provide fresh produce, dairy, meat, hygiene supplies, and wraparound support services in a dignified, choice-based setting. Athens Caring Circle projects serving 2,200–2,500 individuals annually, addressing a critical gap in rural food access for families facing food insecurity across Marathon and neighboring counties.

Immigrant Hope – Forest Lakes | $25,000 for Wausau Immigrant Empowerment and Legal Access Project
This program will establish a permanent Immigration Hope–Forest Lakes office in Wausau to expand access to affordable immigration legal services, citizenship education, and coordinated community support for immigrant families across Marathon County. Funding will support staffing, training, equipment, and operational infrastructure needed to transition from a limited mobile service model to a full-time, community-based legal services hub. The project aims to serve at least 300 individuals annually through legal consultations, immigration casework, and citizenship classes while strengthening partnerships with local organizations including HOLA, New Beginnings, ECDC, and First United Methodist Church. By reducing barriers related to cost, transportation, and access to trusted legal providers, the project seeks to improve legal stability, family reunification, work authorization, and long-term community integration for underserved immigrant populations in central Wisconsin.

Mosinee Fire Department | $8,000 for Clean and Decontaminated PPE
This grant will fund a specialized turnout gear drying cabinet to improve firefighter health, safety, and emergency readiness. Occupational cancer is now the leading cause of line-of-duty firefighter deaths, and proper cleaning and drying of protective gear is critical to reducing exposure to harmful contaminants. The new drying cabinet would allow up to six sets of turnout gear to dry safely in approximately 90 minutes, compared to the current 48-hour air-drying process. This investment will encourage more consistent gear decontamination, reduce downtime for firefighters, improve emergency response capacity, and help ensure firefighters remain healthy and prepared to serve the community as call volumes continue to grow.ne Partners

Stable Hands, Inc. | $5,300 for Caregiver Support Group with Equine Partners
This program will provide caregivers with free, trauma-informed support sessions that use ground-based interactions with horses, guided reflection, mindfulness practices, and peer connection to reduce stress, caregiver fatigue, and isolation. Designed to serve at least 100 caregivers across Central Wisconsin, the program addresses a growing community need for accessible respite and emotional support for individuals caring for loved ones. Grant funding will help establish and evaluate a sustainable, evidence-based model while supporting facilitator training, equine care, outreach, and program accessibility. Through this work, Stable Hands aims to strengthen caregiver well-being, resilience, and long-term capacity to care for others.

Wausau Area Mobile Meals, Inc. | $10,300 for Strengthening Meal Delivery Capacity Through Operational Modernization
This program modernize the technology and volunteer coordination systems that sustain its nearly 50-year mission of delivering nutritious meals and personal connection to seniors, individuals with disabilities, and neighbors recovering at home. Serving approximately 200 clients each weekday across the greater Wausau area, the organization relies heavily on volunteers and outdated systems to manage routes, scheduling, and client information. Funding will support the implementation of Orchard Stack meal delivery software, updated office technology, and expanded volunteer coordination capacity to improve efficiency, strengthen volunteer support, and prepare for continued growth in community need. These investments will help ensure clients continue receiving dependable meals, social connection, and the support needed to remain safely and independently at home.

Riverside Fire Department | $8,000 for Ventilators
This grant will contribute to replacing outdated ventilators with modern, prehospital-specific equipment designed for emergency medical response. The district’s current ventilators, originally distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic, are now beyond their service life and experiencing increasing maintenance and performance issues. New ventilators will provide more reliable respiratory support for patients experiencing critical medical emergencies, including respiratory failure and cardiac events, while improving patient comfort and reducing the need for more invasive interventions. Smaller, lighter, and specifically engineered for field use, the upgraded equipment will enhance emergency response efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and support EMS personnel facing ongoing staffing challenges. With an expected lifespan of approximately 10 years, this investment will strengthen emergency medical care for the community well into the future.