More than a dozen nonprofits and programs in the New London area were recently awarded $105,000 in grants from the ThedaCare Medical Center-New London Quasi Endowment Fund.
The grant program helps support and enhance community health, health care outreach, education, patient care, rehabilitation and wellness services contributing to a better quality of life for people in the Wolf River Area. Communities include New London, Clintonville, Manawa, Hortonville, Marion, Weyauwega, Shiocton, Fremont and Embarrass.
“Providing much-needed support for these local organizations is well within our mission of working to improve the health and well-being of the communities in which we serve,” said Jenny Derks, Vice President of ThedaCare Medical Centers-New London and Waupaca. “These grant recipients are aiding our efforts by filling critical gaps of support needed in our communities – shelter, nutritious food, domestic violence services, mentorship, childcare supports and more.”
Fifteen organizations and programs were awarded grants for 2025. They include:
Harbor House Domestic & Sexual Violence Programs: Funds will support the organization’s 2025 Crisis and Shelter Program which assists domestic and/or sexual abuse victims in stabilizing their lives after victimization while also providing opportunities to restore a measure of safety and security for victims and their children.
Allen Mattson Wheelchair Ramp Foundation, Inc.: Funds will help support efforts to build and install wheelchair ramps for residents with mobility issues residing in the Clintonville School District.
Clintonville Community Meal: Funds will support the Clintonville Community Meal program. The program serves anyone in the community “a good, homecooked meal.” It also helps connect people in the community with services and social contacts.
Clintonville Goodfellows Association: Funds will support the association’s 2025 Kids Coat Distribution. The event provides winter coats, snow pants and boots to families in need living within the Clintonville and Marion school districts.
Clintonville Fire Department: Funds will help support improved emergency medical responder communication. That includes purchasing an additional mobile radio, associated antenna and wiring to install a device to improve capability to provide mobile communication when responding to rural medical emergencies.
Hope & Help Together: Funds will support the Hope and Help Together Driver Education Program. The initiative helps address the unique challenges faced by New London’s Haitian refugees and immigrants in obtaining their driver’s licenses.
Manawa Rural Ambulance Service: Funds will aid the purchase of an IV infusion pump for the organization’s ambulance. The pump is designed to help enhance safe medication administration while the ambulance is in transit.
Rawhide Youth Services: Funds will support the organization’s Community Counseling Program which is dedicated to addressing critical mental health challenges among Wisconsin’s youth.
Embarrass Volunteer Fire Department: Funds will support efforts to supply members of the department durable medical equipment (automated external defibrillators (AEDs), blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, splinting materials, etc.) and communications equipment such as pagers and portable radios.
Compassionate Connections Center: Funds will help support The Nutrition Mission, a weekend backpack program designed to help combat food insecurity. The program provides nutritious meals to students who qualify for free or reduced lunches, ensuring they have access to quality food over the weekends.
New London Area First Responders: Funds will aid training and operations costs.
Trinity Lutheran Church: Funds will help support Trinity’s Grab and Go Meals. The program provides free meals to New London-area residents in need.
New London Lions Club: Funds will go toward efforts to replace the organization’s vision camera used to perform screenings. The funds also will support vision exams and eyeglass purchases for individuals in need.
Project Backpack New London: Funds will support Project Backpack’s efforts to make sure students don’t go hungry over the weekends when food may be limited at home. Each Friday afternoon, or the last day of the school week, the program provides participating school children a backpack filled with healthy food and snacks. The child returns the empty backpack to their school to be restocked with food for the following Friday.
School District of New London: Funds will support a number of initiatives including:
- Purchase of additional AEDs: The devices will be housed in each district school as well as external areas the school district uses for extracurricular activities.
- Partnership with Cartwheel for mental health support: Cartwheel is a mental health resource that provides virtual support to students, families and staff in school districts nationwide.
- Little Bulldogs Community Connection-Positive Parenting Practices: A program designed to provide parents of children in the school district practical skills to help reinforce school expectations at home.
- New London High School Physical Education Program: Seeking to grow the school’s intramural program by expanding its offerings.
- Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) Girls Empowerment Program: The program offers female students a safe space where they learn about themselves and gain perspective about what their peers are also experiencing – self-esteem issues, stress, navigating social media, anxiety and finding a place to fit in.
The ThedaCare Foundation-New London Fundraising and Grants Committee reviews applications and awards grants once each year.
Applications for funding in 2026 will open in January. For more information, please contact the Foundation at NLQuasi@thedacare.org.
Visit this link for photos of the 2025 New London Quasi Endowment Fund recipients.
