WHAT WE DO

Crossroads at Big Creek offers education, conducts research and restoration, and provides outdoor experiences on their three preserves to inspire environmental stewardship in learners of all ages and backgrounds. With the help of this grant, Crossroads will focus on engaging highly qualified women to provide programming in one of the STEM disciplines. These programs will educate and inspire confidence in young women while dispelling gender-based biases and stereotypes in STEM professions.

Door County Medical Center is the only full-service hospital in Door County. Furthermore, the hospital's Birthing Center is the only place that provides screened, pasteurized donor milk and in-service training on the use of Haakaa breast pumps in Door County. This grant supports the donor milk program and provides a Haakaa Pump to 100 women who deliver at Door County Medical Center.

The Door Peninsula Astronomical Society promotes public education in astronomy, encourages observational participation, and provides outreach programs in the Leif Everson Observatory located in the Astronomy Campus at Crossroads. This grant invests in the return of a female intern who previously revitalized the society from a small hobby club with 42 members to a vibrant and growing community exceeding 80 members. The intern position will develop long-lasting protocols for future volunteers and deliver custom-created planetarium shows for special events and groups that reach more than 1,000 throughout the year. As a young woman in STEM, she will be a role model for others in a field that is underrepresented by women.

HELP of Door County is the only domestic violence agency in Door County. HELP provides intervention services for those who experience abuse and educational, preventative services for all community members. HELP's Safe Home and Transitional Living Programs allow those affected by domestic violence to have a safe place to stay in crisis and a long-term solution for safe, independent living.

Midsummer's Music's Griffon String Quartet enriches the lives of children and adults through concerts, workshops, and music education. By supporting private lessons, Boys & Girls Club program lessons, instruments and repairs, and school presentations, this grant provides opportunities for area girls through cognitive and emotional growth, empowerment, and leadership experiences.

Money Management Counselors has a 28-year history of empowering the Door County community through financial counseling. Through the "Taking Back the P.O.W.E.R. of Financial Control" program, participants will focus on reclaiming financial empowerment to break the cycle of financial hardship. Historically, Money Management Counselors' programs have served significantly more women than men and this is anticipated to continue.

In 2023, Northern Sky initiated a program called NOVA, Nurturing Original Voices and Artists. It is the theater's next-generation New Works development and incubation initiative with the goal of expanding creative opportunity for BIPOC, women, and next-generation writers in the New Works process. The NOVA program will nurture new voices and broaden the scope of storytelling at Northern Sky Theater.

Sunshine Resources provides various services and programs paving a path to independence for individuals with disabilities. This grant allows the organization to start an exercise program to improve the overall health of program participants, over half of whom are women.

Door County's parents, especially mothers, are struggling to meet the needs of their young children. United Way's Door County Partnership for Children and Families provides diapers, wipes, and formula to mothers that are unable to pay the high price for these items. While engaged with the Partnership regarding these items, the Community Connector provides resources and referrals to benefit families long-term.