A healthy community is one where everyone has the care they need to thrive, at every stage of life. Marshfield Area United Way takes action as a community to improve health and well-being for all. United is the Way we can help ensure that all our neighbors – from newborns to retirees – have access to nutritious food, medical/health care, and personalized support to live their healthiest lives. 

Two years ago, a couple was living out of a small, broken-down pickup truck during the harshest part of winter, sharing the limited space with their dog and cat while facing freezing temperatures and an uncertain future. Through a United Way scholarship, Home Delivered Meals met them where they were literally. Each day, volunteers delivered warm, nourishing meals directly to their vehicle. They offered not just food, but comfort, dignity, consistency, and a reminder that someone cared. 

While they initially declined other assistance, those meals became a lifeline, and they slowly became open to compassionate support from another United Way partner program. Then their circumstances began to change. They transitioned into a local hotel, marking the first step toward safety and stability. 

Today, they continue to live independently in a modest Marshfield rental home while receiving specialized meals that support the gentleman’s dietary needs and overall health.  What began as a meal delivered to a truck in the bitter cold has grown into a stable household in our community. This story reminds us that sustained support can change lives not just for a day, but for years to come.

Meet “Anna”: Steady Support Can Change Lives

In middle school, Anna started counseling. Life at home was hard, and she carried a lot more than most kids her age. Stress showed up in her body and her days: worry that wouldn’t quit, headaches, and moments when it all felt like too much.
Through it all, Anna kept showing up. She showed up to her sessions, even during a stretch when she didn’t have a stable place to live. She showed up to school, where she kept her grades strong. And she showed up for the people she loved, including a guardian she grieved when they passed away.
Over the years, Anna worked through some very heavy things with the help of her caring counselor. It wasn’t quick or easy. But it made a difference.
Anna’s hard work is paying off in a big way:
  • She graduated high school with honors.
  • She earned a scholarship worth more than $100,000 to attend a private university.
  • She’s the first person in her family to graduate from high school and the first to go on to college.
  • She’s doing all of this while working two jobs to cover her own basic needs.
Anna is kind, determined, and sharp as a tack. She already looks out for other young people, and she plans to build a career helping others the way she was helped.
Why this matters to our community
Anna’s story is one of grit, but she didn’t do it alone. Counseling gave her a safe place to heal and a steady adult in her corner while everything else in her life was shifting.
Anna’s counseling services were made possible in part by funding from Marshfield Area United Way. When neighbors donate to United Way, that money helps young people like Anna get the care they need, right here in our own community. It helps keep children in school, keep a family together, and give a hard situation a better ending.
If you’ve ever given to United Way, thank you. Anna’s story is one of the things your gift makes possible. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to learn how a donation stays local and helps people in your community.