By Amber Leifheit

Marshfield Area Community Foundation Executive Director

At the end of every year, I, like many people, like to review the past year and set goals for the upcoming year. Concerning the Marshfield Area Community Foundation, I am pleased with our past year and excited for what 2016 will bring.

The Marshfield Area Community Foundation has grown over the past year and now has over $12.6 million in assets. We gave out over $942,000 in grants to local nonprofits and received more than $2 million in contributions and pledges.

We added 17 new funds during 2015 that benefited Wildwood Zoo, Habitat for Humanity, local education and arts, Marilyn Hardacre Park, and much more.

We have seen many of the projects we are involved in come to fruition. Hardacre Park was inaugurated and is now open for the public to enjoy. This park will feature music in conjunction with Main Street Marshfield and is a great addition to our downtown. It honors a wonderful woman, Marilyn Hardacre, who has done so much for our community here in Marshfield.

The Adler Family Kodiak Bear Exhibit opened at Wildwood Zoo, and the Kodiak bear cubs have been performing for the large crowds of visitors to the park. The exhibit is state-of-the-art, and this species of bears is very rare. Even Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, tweeted that he stopped in to see Munsey and Boda. The Everett Roehl Marshfield Public Library and Community Center broke ground and are progressing with each day.

We have seen an increase in needs in our community. Our Vital Signs report showed a decrease in the median income in Marshfield with the number of children living in poverty and the number of people needing assistance increasing. Our Keep Kids Warm Program gave out over 400 coats to school-aged children in the Marshfield area. The Nutrition On Weekends program at United Way continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

As our new year begins, it is with great hope and renewed optimism for our community. Marshfield and the surrounding area have a reputation for being a caring community and one that is very generous in assisting those who need a helping hand.

The mission of the Marshfield Area Community Foundation is to “connect people who care with causes that matter to enrich the quality of life in the Marshfield area.” You can help us help others. Please consider becoming part of the many good things happening at your Marshfield Area Community Foundation.

For more information, visit marshfieldareacommunityfoundation.org.