Community Outreach & Donations
Give Where You Live!
Our Give Where You Live donations program allows our owners and shoppers to "round up" to the nearest dollar for the nonprofit of the month each time they check out. These organizations are elected by VFC Owners through a yearly ballot. After the ballot concludes, the top-elected nonprofits get announced in the Winter Pea Soup Newsletter that comes out before/by December each year.
VFC Owners may nominate a local community organization with a 501c3 status to be listed on the annual ballot. Nominated organizations must have missions consistent with VFC’s mission and Co-op Principles. Political organizations are not included. Religious organizations that offer services, such as a food pantry, may be included as long as those services are open to all community members and not used for proselytizing. Organizations with a low vote count are removed from the ballot until they are re-nominated by a VFC Owner.
2020 Give Where You Live Recipient Schedule
January Living Faith Food Pantry Offers a choice program where each participant makes food selections within categories that best meets their personal needs and tastes. The pantry provides recipes and samples to help participants become familiar with the wide variety of produce that is seasonally available. They also offer many organically grown foods which substantially increases the variety of food distributed!
February Driftless Humane Society Stray animal care and adoption services. DHS is funded by memberships, donations, bequests and user fees.
March Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School An independent, joyful, holistic education for the head, heart, and hands. Providing a full Waldorf education, preschool thru grade 8, with an organic school garden and organic hot lunch program.
April Viroqua Farmers Market Hosts more than 50 vendors each week, all of whom are within a 100 mile radius of Viroqua. These farmers, growers, bakers, crafters and artists are eager to tell you all about the products and goods they produce. Open May through October.
May Vernon Trails Vernon Trails is a non-profit organization committed to developing and maintaining sustainable roadways and trails, while continuing to create access for human powered users.
June Community Hunger Solutions Dedicated to increasing access to healthy food by providing food pantries with surplus fresh produce from local farms.
July WDRT – Driftless Community Radio WDRT 91.9FM is a listener-supported and programmed, non-commercial, volunteer-run, educational radio station in the Driftless Region of southwest Wisconsin.
August Youth Initiative High School Holistic Waldorf education for grades 9-12. Emphasizes the development of student responsibility, initiative, and citizenship in all aspects of school life.
September Viroqua Farm to School Integrates fresh, local foods into the school lunch programs in area schools while teaching kids about healthy nutrition and the path of food from farm to fork.
October Cooperative Community Fund This Viroqua Food Co-op endowment fund enables the VFC to give out grants to nonprofits and/or cooperatives in our community.
November Bethel Butikk Food Pantry This community food pantry is sponsored by Bethel Home & Services, plus 18 local churches which provide food and monetary assistance to eligible families.
December Kickapoo Valley Reserve The KVR Educational Programs offer hands-on environmental learning opportunities that promote positive environmental values to people of all ages.
2019 Give Where You Live Recipient Schedule
January Living Faith Food Pantry
February Couleecap
March Vernon Trails
April Community Hunger Solutions
July WDRT – Driftless Community Radio
August Youth Initiative High School
September Viroqua Farm to School
October Cooperative Community Fund
November Bethel Butikk Food Pantry
December Kickapoo Valley Reserve The KVR Educational Programs offer hands-on environmental learning opportunities that promote positive environmental values to people of all ages.
2018 Give Where You Live Recipients
Thank you to our Co-op Owners for participating in the Give Where You Live Donations Program (formerly known as 1% Wednesday) by turning in your donations ballot. The following schedule is a list of the 2018 nonprofit recipients.
January 2018 The Ark
February 2018 AlterAtions and the CATsNIP Clinic
March 2018 Passages, Inc
April 2018 Driftless Humane Society
May 2018 Community Hunger Solutions
June 2018 McIntosh Memorial Library
July 2018 Vernon Trails
August 2018 Door of Hope
September 2018 Youth Initiative High School
October 2018 Cooperative Community Fund
November 2018 Bland-Bekkedal Center for Hospice Care
December 2018 WDRT – Driftless Community Radio