Local Nonprofits Turn Ideas Into Impact

August 28, 2024

By Lauren Journot, Impact Director

Local nonprofits crushing creative solutions

It’s no secret that local nonprofits rise to the occasion to meet needs across the region. Check out a handful of recent grantees meeting a variety of needs including safety, transportation, and community learning and support.

Chariots4Hope is providing a vehicle repair shop that offers repairs on a need-based sliding scale, ensuring transportation for those who need it most for income and life stability. Chariots4Hope had 31 applicants for their program last year, with 22 of those applicants representing families who owned a car in need of repair. Chariots4Hope partners with local agencies and nonprofits to help address the gap in vehicle repairs.

Gateway Area Council, BSA used the scouting curriculum, resources, and staff to provide one-day Outdoor Skills and Character camps throughout La Crosse County, targeting children in grades 2-6 and their families. Along with each camper, a family adult was invited to participate alongside the child. The pop-up camps were held at Camp Decorah, near Hamilton Elementary school in La Crosse, in the villages of Bangor and West Salem, and at Goose Island Park.

La Crosse Fire Department is aiming to reduce the risk of falls for the La Crosse area aging population by removing the tripping hazards posed by throw rugs. LCFD is preventing falls before they happen by incentivizing older adults to turn in their rugs, educating the population on how to reduce fall risks, and connecting the population to applicable resources. Participants turn in their small rugs (4 ft x 6 ft) at local coffee shops in exchange for a free cup of coffee or a coffee mug.

7 Rivers Cardiac Arrest Preparedness and Education provides free CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) education for all, with a specific dedication to those communities who may otherwise have less access due to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, language spoken, or rural location. 7R CAPE partners with Compress and Shock Foundation to provide onsite training at no cost to locations that house AEDs. They have identified Onalaska Food Pantry, Coulee Recovery, and Farmington First Responders as their locations.

HorseSense, Inc. is dedicated to enriching the lives of youth, adults, and military veterans with disabilities in the greater La Crosse area. Equine-Assisted Learning fosters personal growth, emotional healing, and skill development through the unique partnership between humans and horses. With their recent grant, HorseSense will be able to send three instructors through the EAL Certification Course as well as support the instructors through Equine-Assisted Learning Facilitator micro credentialing.