We met our CAPITAL CAMPAIGN MATCHING GRANT FROM OTTO BREMER TRUST
Otto Bremer Trust (OBT) awarded Winona Volunteer Services (WVS) a direct grant of $100,000 supporting the Capital Campaign on September 25, 2023. Furthermore, Otto Bremer Trust is providing WVS the opportunity of an additional $150,000 grant with the condition WVS raise a one-to-one match.
We have successfully met this goal. Thank you for your support!! You did it for WVS!
Our Challenge Grant Goal: $150,000
This is just outstanding, and we must roll on to secure the remaining funds needed to meet our overall goal.
WVS needs your support and contribution of any size. Please donate and help us build the future of WVS. Thank you!
To create a new Winona Volunteer Services facility to better serve the community with dignity for the next 50 years.
Winona Volunteer Services has occupied the 60 year old building at 416 East Second Street since 1997 and the 52 year old building at 402 East Second Street since 2006. We have maintained these buildings and adapted them to suit our growing needs but we can’t go any further. With the purchase of the 65 year old building at 77 Laird Street, we have the opportunity to design a space between Laird and Chestnut Streets that will offer our services under one roof to those seeking help with basic needs.
Location
Our location is an asset. It is within walking distance from the court house and Winona County Services. We have referral relationships with at least 8 nearby churches. It is two streets away from the bus stop and passengers can request a deviation to stop at our building. We are in a neighborhood setting near the east end yet private enough for folks not to feel exposed by coming here.
Building Completion
Construction Progress
March 28
March 7
December 8
November 17
September 22
September 1
August 25
August 11
July 28
WHO WE ARE
2024 Winona Volunteer Services Board of Directors
Peter Bagshaw, President – Retired Human Resource Manager
Matt Esch, Vice President – Midtown Foods
Kevin Mahoney, Treasurer – Edward Jones
Julie Kosidowski, Secretary – Business Owner, Engrav’s Decorating
Heather Beier – Business Owner
Kristin Biesanz – Active Community Member
Morgan Gish – Coldwell Banker River Valley Realtors
Nick Larson – Community Development Specialist for the City of Winona
Jessie Rivers – Business Owner, Equestrian Center
Tiffany Schindeldecker – Business Owner, Gilmore Avenue Car Wash
Jolene Vaselaar – AVP, Retail Operations for Altra Federal Credit Union
Dan Weis – Retired Banker
Staff
Sandra Burke, Executive Director (2001)
Kay Peterson, Client Services Coordinator (2005)
Bev Speltz, Volunteer Coordinator (2009)
Jen Breitlow, Nutrition Educator (2019)
Amanda Moldenhauer, Community Health Worker (2021)
WVS AT A GLANCE
OUR SERVICES
Supplemental Food Shelf
Free food to income-eligible residents, open five days a week
- Average # of households served each month in 2021: 466
- Average # of pounds each household receives: 81
- Average # of volunteers it takes to open the food shelf per day: 6
- # of pounds of purchased in 2021: 220,487 (for $76,098)
- # of pounds rescued from local stores in 2021: 107,919 (Kwik Trip, Target, Midtown, WalMart, HyVee, Aldi, and Bluff Country Co-op)
“Bless you guys for what you do” – 2022 Food Shelf shopper
Home Delivered Meals
Lunchtime meals delivered by volunteers to qualifying residents
- Cost per meal for self-pay clients: $6.25
- Average # of individuals served per month in 2021: 114
- Number of individual volunteers who delivered in 2021: 80
- Number of businesses/organizations that delivered in 2021: 16
- Number of congregations that delivered in 2021: 11
“I really appreciate them. I could not make a meal like that. I would need too many oxygen breaks.” -Home Delivered Meals recipient in 2022
Coordinated Assistance Program
Centralized assistance and referral resource for struggling community members
- Number of church partners: 30+
- Number of vouchers issued in 2021: 552
- Number of intentional referrals made in 2021: 531
- Number of homeless ‘households’ we interacted with in July 2022: 32 Primary source of funding for vouchers: Winona Community Foundation
- Average # of volunteers it takes per day to support program: 6
“I’m thankful for the assistance you provided to get me back on my feet!” – Coordinated Assistance recipient who received rent help in 2022
Pathways Community Hub
New Community Connector support for critical or chronic cases
- Number of pathways closed (clients’ goals met) in first 12 months: 225
- Average # of individuals receiving one-on-one help each month: 20
“You’ve helped me start putting my life back together, and I couldn’t have managed it without you.” -2022 Community Connector client
Nutrition Education
Helping improve the nutritional wellbeing of Food Shelf shoppers
- Average # of different recipes shared each month in the Food Shelf: 18
- Average # of monthly informal nutritional conversations in the Food Shelf: 60
- Number of Food-Shelf specific cooking videos made by WVS for the public: 7
Groceries on the Go
Delivering groceries to eligible Winona residents who cannot get to the Food Shelf
- Number of households who received delivered groceries in 2021: 108
- Number of volunteers it takes each month to make this happen: 4
“Thank you, to all of you guys. Your help is a godsend.” – 2022 Groceries on the Go recipient
Nutrition Assistance Program for Seniors (NAPS)
Federally-funded boxes of basic nutritious food for qualifying seniors
- Number of boxes distributed in 2021: 391
- Average # of volunteers it takes to distribute these boxes each month: 21
Holiday Projects
Easter Dinner for the community & Christmas Ham Bags for Food Shelf shoppers
- Number of years Chartwells has provided the Easter meal: 18
- Number of volunteers WVS provides for Easter delivery in 2021: 25
- Number of meals delivered by volunteers in 2021: 263
- Number of years the Lions Club has supported the Ham Bags: 30
The Clothes Shop
Low-cost, high quality clothing for bargain hunters, the eco-friendly, & those in crisis
- Amount of revenue in 2021: $110,763
- Average price of an item in 2021: $1.99
- Number of clothing donations made in 2021: 7,277
- Average # of daily volunteers to operate the store: 6
- Amount of free clothing given to struggling residents in 2021: $1,433
- Number of times we filled our recycling partner’s truck in 2021 with unsold clothing: 5
“The store is well-organized and the volunteers are friendly and helpful”- Clothes Shop shopper in 2021
Volunteer Management
Recruit, track, engage and retain a strong volunteer work force to support our mission
- Number of volunteers engaged in our mission through September 2022: 400+
- Number of new volunteers in 2022 (through September): 38
- Total # of volunteer hours given in 2021: 14,641
- Value of these volunteer hours: $407,170
“We love volunteering (at WVS), donors appreciate and thank us for our dedication and commitment to the organization.” – Clothes Shop volunteer in 2022
“I was newly retired, and I believe in ‘feeding the hungry!” – Food Shelf volunteer 2021
VITA (Catholic Charities’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance)
IRS-Certified free tax prep & filing help for low-income, disabled, or limited English-speaking
- Number of years Catholic Charities has rented 77 Laird Street for this program: 3
- Single person income limit in 2021 to receive free tax prep: $38,000
- Number of Clients Served in the 2021 tax season: 1,077
- Total Dollars Refunded: $1,912,207
USE OF OUR SERVICES
2022 CLIENT DEMOGRAPHICS
CONSTRUCTION & FUNDING TIMELINE
FUNDING NEEDED
We are grateful to the 45 individuals and businesses that supported Winona Volunteer Services with gifts and pledges to us during the “quiet phase” of this fundraising effort. On Friday, April 18th, 2023, we kicked-off the final phase of our Capital Campaign and announced our goal to raise $1,100,000 in 120 days to complete this Capital Campaign building project.
This revitalization effort ensures our services are around for the next 50 years and beyond. Please help us get to our goal with a pledge towards this building project.
NEW FACILITY SCHEMATIC DESIGN
Wieser Brothers General Contractor Inc. is an industry leader in design/build services. A full-service general contractor, located in La Crescent, MN and established in 1994, Wieser Brothers partners closely with clients to meet current and future building needs. Trust, Partnership, and Excellence are the cornerstones of all Wieser Brothers projects.
NEWS & UPDATES
It’s Official! We’re Moving!
It’s official! Winona Volunteer Services is moving into the new building! Therefore, the Food Shelf and Office will be closed on Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1 to allow staff to move into the new building and set up a temporary food shelf.
The Home Delivered Meals program will not be affected by this closing.
Tuesday, April 2: The Office will re-open at 9 a.m. and the Food Shelf will re-open at 10 a.m. The temporary Food Shelf entrance will be on Laird Street, with parking available on Laird & 2nd Streets.
Please remember that anyone needing assistance when Winona Volunteer Services is not open is welcome to approach Law Enforcement at 201 W 3rd Street to ask for assistance.
The next phase of our construction project includes demolishing the old building, creating a new loading dock, finishing both the Food Shelf and Clothes Shop entrances and finally, paving a new parking lot. For additional details, including when we will be able to take clothing donations, keep checking our website and Facebook page.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call Sandra at 507.452.5591. Thank you for your patience.
WEATHER CLOSING on Friday January 12th, 2024
The Winona Volunteer Services Food Shelf will not open today at 2pm due to the winter storm warning issued for our area. Additionally, the Office will likely close down at 1pm.
The Food Shelf will be open at 10am on Monday January 15th and the Office will open at 9am.
With regard to HOME DELIVERED MEALS: we are delivering meals today However, we will not be delivering meals on Monday January 15th due to the EXPECTED subzero temperatures.
Sorry for any inconvenience and THANK YOU for understanding.
Holiday Hours
WVS is closed for the holiday season on:
- Friday December 22 (we are delivering home delivered meals)
- Monday December 25
- Tuesday December 26 &
- Monday January 1, 2024
10 Days of Giving
December 1st begins the 35th Anniversary of 10 Days of Giving, the largest food and cash drive for the Winona Volunteer Services Food Shelf.
This community wide food drive is possible because Merchants Bank and their employees commitment to help feed the hungry families of Winona County.
In the month of October, we had 944 visits to the food shelf and distributed 50,525 pounds of food.
Food Collection bins are around town at area businesses including Midtown Foods for non-perishable food donations. Or mail a monetary donation to Winona Volunteer Services 402 East 2nd Street Winona MN, 55987 or online at www.winonavs.org/donate.
