On Nonprofit Partnership: Together, We Reach Those Most in Need

An elderly woman recovering from surgery, a veteran at home without food and someone made homeless by COVID-19, all getting help through a vital nonprofit partnership

The coronavirus pandemic is surrounding all of us, yet each person and family are impacted in different ways. We continue our committed partnerships with other community organizations to support the increasing needs locally.

Operation Community Cares is one of those vital partnerships. OCC is an emergency response nonprofit organization that kicked off support in early April to help during the pandemic. 

“Not in COVID times, we will be in the shadows,” said Executive Director Will Nething.  “We only consolidate resources in emergency situations, such as pandemics, when people are not allowed to travel, or when disasters occur.”

Will personally handles some product distributions, and has seen difficult and unique scenarios creating imperative need for hygiene supplies.

For example, a woman in her 80s had recently had a surgery and doesn’t have any local family. With the huge shortage of toilet paper early on, she resorted to using cut up sheets and towels to wipe for about a week, unable to get to the store.

“When she called the number for age and disability, we did an instant delivery for food and also wipes and Depends from Jake’s Diapers,” Will said.

With unemployment backlogged, not just locally, many people in Northeast Wisconsin qualify for more needs because they aren’t getting unemployment and they hadn’t been paid for over a month, he said. Hygiene items are a highly needed item. 

Hygiene supplies and other support from Jake’s Diapers and OCC also helped a veteran in his 60s, stranded at home with not a crumb of food left on his shelves for days, Will said; and an individual who became homeless due to the impact of COVID-19 was given supplies needed to stay healthy.

Overall, OCC and Jake’s Diapers partnership has helped more than 1,100 people – and that is just since the organization started distribution on April 6, weeks after many were already at home and out of work. 

The partnership is in part funded by a grant from Brown County United Way, to provide non-diaper, non-food products such as period products, adult-care essentials, shampoo, conditioner, lotion. baby wash, toilet paper, cleaning wipes, and baby wipes. Fundraising is also ongoing. If you find you are financially able, please consider donating to our fund to help those families most at risk to be negatively impacted by COVID-19.