Grant Stories

Over $4,500 granted to area non-profits from the Winneconne Area Community Foundation

Lack of access to the internet is a major issue for not only students in the Winneconne Community School District, but for residents as well.

For some residents living in the outlying areas of the district, internet is simply not provided or the internet speed is too slow to support the school work students need to accomplish from home.

Society is developing a dependency on internet access to manage the business of daily life and the Winneconne Public Library is taking a step towards eliminating the barrier of internet access for residents.

Thanks to a grant from the Winneconne Area Community Foundation, the Winneconne Public Library will be purchasing 10 mobile hotspot devices. These devices connect to the internet via cellular data, and then transmit that connection to nearby devices that can connect to the hotspot’s Wi-Fi using the password. Five devices will be available for public library patrons to rent for two-week periods and the remaining five devices will be loaned to the school district during the school year. These will then be available to the public when school is not in session.

The grant will also help fund the unlimited data plan needed for the mobile hotspots. The Library will use the Sprint data network which sufficiently covers the outlying locations of the Winneconne Public Library’s service area that are problematic for broadband services to reach.

Four other libraries in the Winnefox Library System have already started to offer this service to their patrons. Omro currently has two units, Neenah and Menasha each have twenty, and Ripon has three. All are currently checked out and have multiple holds on them. The need for this service is evident and thanks to the grant from the Winneconne Area Community Foundation, many people will be able to benefit from the new mobile hotspots.

Along with the Winneconne Public Library, the following organizations received grant support through the Winneconne Area Community Foundation Fund and the Winneconne Basic Needs Fund:

• Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services – Domestic Violence Education and Outreach – This grant will education approximately 100-200 adults on domestic violence and the resources available through Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services, Inc.

• Winneconne Area Assistance Center – Holiday Meal Program – To purchase food and trimmings for Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets given to every family/client served.

The Winneconne Area Community Foundation benefits charitable organizations in the Winneconne Community School District, which includes Larsen, Winchester, Poygan and Buttes des Morts. An affiliate of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, donors enjoy maximum tax benefits.