The quiet power of kindness
April 23, 2025
| By Lauren Journot, Impact Director |
Kindness begins with a gift; nonprofits turn it into action
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” – Plato
At La Crosse Area Community Foundation, we have the privilege of spreading kindness thanks to our generous donors and community members. There are programs in our community that are making a difference every day for individuals facing battles we can’t see. Whether providing a safe environment or supporting a marginalized culture, kindness makes a difference, and you made a difference.
Causeway Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, Inc. has a program called Oasis that provides respite for caregivers and programming for individuals with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other brain-related diagnoses. In a recent grant follow-up, Oasis received a moment of appreciation. At camp, a caregiver who was new to OASIS returned to pick up her husband and pulled the staff aside. She stared at them and then gave a hug and shared, “Today I was able to grocery shop in half an hour instead of an hour and a half! I didn’t know what to do with myself, so I drove to get a cup of coffee and parked in Riverside Park to enjoy the sun and felt at peace because I knew my husband was safe.”
Hintgen Elementary School participated in Read Your Heart Out, hosted by the La Crosse Public Education Foundation. Community members, fellow nonprofits, parents, and teachers joined Hintgen Elementary on February 28 for a day of activities focused on literacy and stories centering African American voices. The event coincided with National African American Parent Involvement Day and was a school-wide celebration.
The La Crosse County Caregiver Coalition exists in our community to create and promote knowledge and awareness of caregiving issues and improve the quality of life for caregivers and those they care for through advocacy, information and education, support, empowerment, and improved service delivery. They received a grant to support the Caring Better & Braver Conference, thus allowing caregivers to attend free of charge. The conference empowers caregivers through sessions on self-care, stress management, and navigating long-term care and end-of-life options.
Kindness matters, and because of our donors and community partners, individuals are having life-changing experiences through grant-funded programs supported by La Crosse Area Community Foundation.