July 23, 2024
During a Board of Education meeting on July 17, WEA Member Benefits Foundation, Inc., granted $20,000 to the D.C. Everest Area School District to support their mental health initiatives and programs. The initial funding will help cover mental health counseling and therapy costs for uninsured or under-insured students, provide mental health professional development sessions for district staff, and support programs of the Marathon County School Counseling Consortium.
In addition, the Foundation and D.C. Everest will launch a local funder outreach effort in hopes that this grant will generate interest and participation from other corporate funders and philanthropic organizations in the community.
“We selected the D.C. Everest Area School District to help support and enhance its current strategic school-based mental health program and hope that it will spark engagement from other corporate entities and philanthropic groups within the community,” said Steve Goldberg, WEA Member Benefits Foundation Executive Director.
D.C. Everest is the ninth district in the Foundation’s statewide school mental health funding initiative, joining Appleton, Green Bay, Madison, Racine, Stevens Point, Sun Prairie, Watertown, and Wausau. The initiative has helped those districts raise over $1 million and reach more than 5,000 additional students with mental health services and support.
The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity created by WEA Member Benefits™, an organization that supports the financial goals of public school employees through their products and services. David Kijek, President and CEO of WEA Member Benefits, adds, “We are so heartened and inspired to see the impact that the partnerships between the Foundation, Wisconsin public school districts, and their communities have made for students. Investing in our children is an incredibly important commitment, and we encourage everyone interested to get involved.”