Jess Noelck 608.665.7861
jess.noelck@cunamutual.com
Rick Uhlmann 608.665.8940
rick.uhlmann@cunamutual.com
Cuna Mutual Foundation: 2012 goal: change the community conversation
Partnerships, Contributions Aid Philanthropic Organizations in Madison Area
MADISON, Wis. – The CUNA Mutual Foundation is working to change the community conversation around domestic abuse, mental health, access to health care, and other issues in 2012. CUNA Mutual Group’s charitable arm plans to address the root causes of these issues through strategic partnerships and grants.
“We want to change the way people talk about issues affecting local quality of life,” said Steve Goldberg, CUNA Mutual Foundation executive director. “To do this, we will support efforts that get to the bottom of the issue.”
The CUNA Mutual Foundation is providing not only grant money but strategic direction to address the root causes of community issues in order to prevent them from happening, rather than just alleviating the current situation. To make this happen, the foundation has partnered with the following organizations:
•Access CommunityHealthCenter to expand the South Madison Clinic to reach an additional 4,000 people. The clinic expansion will house medical, dental and behavioral health services under one roof in this challenged neighborhood. Patient visits across the five AccessCommunityHealthCenter locations have increased three-fold in the past six years, demonstrating a real need for the clinic’s services. The CUNA Mutual Foundation pledged an initial $50,000 for the clinic’s expansion.
•Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) to build a new facility that will double the capacity to serve victims of domestic violence. Previous facilities were located at undisclosed locations to protect the victims from potential attack. With the new facility located in a more public location, DAIS is taking domestic violence out of the shadows and bringing it forth as an issue that affects the whole community. The CUNA Mutual Foundation pledged an initial $50,000 for the new facility on Fordem Avenue.
•Journey Mental Health Center to provide mental health first-aid training. This is designed to change the community conversation around mental illness by helping recognize early signs of mental illness and substance abuse, especially among young people. The training is intended to help ease the stigma of mental health and encourage graduates to act quickly to prevent problems from escalating. The course will be offered twice a month to train approximately 250 people each year. The CUNA Mutual Foundation helped Journey launch its Mental Health First Aid initiative with a $5,000 grant.
•Madison Central Library to fund support services for the city’s most vulnerable populations, including the homeless, disabled, low-income, homebound elderly, and those in temporary housing. The new Central Library represents a shift within the public library paradigm; modern libraries play an expanding public service role and are resources that are free and open to everyone in the community. The new, $30 million facility will be a model urban library that not only provides educational information and resources, but is designed to be a community center, program catalyst, and regional destination. The CUNA Mutual Foundation donated $50,000 to the project.
“Our goal is to encourage the greater Madison area to look at these issues with a different perspective, to see them in a new way,” Goldberg said. “And we’re confident we can make this happen.”
In total, CUNA Mutual Group and its Foundation donated more than $1 million to the greater Madison community in 2011 through scholarships, sponsorships and grants.
To learn more, review the CUNA Mutual Foundation’s 2011 Corporate Philanthropy Report or “like” the Foundation on Facebook.
CUNA Mutual Group insurance, retirement and investment products provide financial security and protection to credit unions and their members worldwide. With more than 75 years of true market commitment, CUNA Mutual Group’s vision is unwavering: To be a trusted business partner who delivers service excellence through customer-focused products and market-driven insight. More information on the company is available on the company’s website at www.cunamutual.com.
CUNA Mutual Group is the marketing name for CUNA Mutual Holding Company, a mutual insurance holding company, its subsidiaries and affiliates. Life, accident, health and annuity insurance products are issued by CMFG Life Insurance Company. Property and casualty insurance products are issued by CUMIS Insurance Society, Inc. Each insurer is solely responsible for the financial obligations under the policies and contracts it issues. Corporate headquarters are located in Madison, Wis.
