(DODGE COUNTY) Families across Dodge County will see more help with food, mental health support, childcare, and community programs thanks to $54,000 in new grants from the Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation.
The money will flow to 45 nonprofits working on everything from free community meals to youth mentorship to historical preservation. Foundation leaders say these groups are often the ones filling gaps that residents feel most in their daily lives — especially when it comes to basic needs and services.
“These nonprofits are the ones stepping in where needs are growing,” the Foundation said in its announcement. “We’re honored to support work that strengthens families and improves quality of life across the county.”
Several grants aim directly at easing food insecurity:
- Living Hope Food Pantry – $2,000 to provide 100 Thanksgiving and Christmas meals to local families.
- Beaver Dam Loaves and Fishes – $2,000 to continue offering free community meals.
- Mayville Open Door – $2,000 to support food-insecurity programs.
- The Gathering Source – $2,000 to help stock its pantry with fresh food and personal care items.
Other grants focus on keeping kids and families supported, including funds for child-care curriculum, youth mentorship through Big Brothers Big Sisters, and community service programs aimed at children and families.
A number of groups working on mental health and safety received support:
- Bo William Hartwig Foundation – $2,000 for mental health and suicide-prevention efforts.
- Bridges of Dodge County – $2,000 for peer-to-peer recovery programs.
- Start Healing Now – $1,000 to distribute Overdose Aid Kits.
- 5 Stones Dodge County – $500 to support human-trafficking prevention education.
- Beaver Dam Fire & Rescue – $1,000 to bolster its Cadet Program.
Students will also feel the impacts of this grant cycle:
- Beaver Dam Community Library – $500 to launch a “500 Books Before Middle School” program.
- Junior Achievement – $1,000 for Future Ready Dodge County.
- Randolph High School – $500 for the Future Health Professions HOSA chapter.
- St. Katharine Drexel School Foundation – $1,000 for new choral risers.
- Friends of Juneau Public Library – $1,000 for a children’s learning garden.
Youth theater, sports, and recreation groups also received funds, including the Beaver Dam Community Theatre, the Red Line Club of Beaver Dam, and Friesland Community Park.
Smaller towns and rural areas will see improvements, too. Grants will help repair historical society buildings, upgrade library spaces, expand parks, enhance public art, and strengthen environmental education programs at Marsh Haven Nature Center and Rock River Coalition.
The Foundation awards Community Fund grants twice a year, along with one annual Impact Grant Cycle and the Rural Vitality Grant Cycle. Together, these programs are designed to meet immediate needs while investing in long-term community wellbeing.
Anyone with questions about upcoming grant cycles can contact the Foundation at (920) 921-2215 or info@fdlareafoundation.com.
