Day Meeting Minutes - 08/29/23 

• Jenny just got back from Washington DC with work. Her husband got to attend with her. They did a fair share of sight-seeing. They walked more in the last week than she has walked all year round. The conference was motivational. Additionally, it’s Meg, her daughter’s birthday. She will be in town this week to celebrate. It’s her 21st birthday. 

• Amy’s son turned 15 years old yesterday. He took his temporary drivers test. He is legal! 

• It is Andy’s 14th Anniversary. He brought treats to celebrate. 

• Emily is back at a noon meeting. She has been attending night meetings. Emily is now working for Janine Fixmar at Agency Insurance. 

• Beth has taken three test runs in her new travel van. Take a tour after if you’d like. 

• Janine is happy Emily Watson is now working for her at Agency Insurance. Fort School started up today. Her son is back in school! Janine is very excited to see Beth’s van. It’s her dream to travel in a van! 

• Brian gave a happy buck to his 33 year-old son who is in the air force. He announced that he will be a grandfather for the 7th time.

• Rotary Board Meeting was at City Hall this morning. Next week Dan Sanft will be sharing the budget. 

• September 9th is the Pyramid City 5K. The planning is going well. Please get the word out and share social media posts. All funds are being donated to Sunrise Reach Food Pantry. 

• September 20th is Highway 89 Cleanup. 

• Music in the Mills is occurring on Saturday 23rd. Please sell 5 tickets each per member. Sell the tickets, then pick them up with Eli. We really just need to get people at the Beer Tent. The bands that are booked are AMAZING. We will have speakers, food, music, and informationals throughout the day. Here is the link to the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/224524633405687. There will be a BBQ, Hot Dogs, and hopefully more food trucks. There will be Tyranena Brewing Company beer, non-alcoholic beverages, and plenty of options for all. We want to keep vendors local so that we are supporting the community. Jen is creating a google drive so that we have an organized list of volunteers. 

  • Suggestions/Questions

    • Maybe Legion Sliders? 

    • Will there be more options than just beer? Likely not as it gets more complicated.

Stephanie Curtis : Watertown Family Connections 

Watertown Family Connections (WFC), formerly the Watertown Family Center, is a community-based family resource center that is a welcoming hub of support, services, and opportunities for families with children ages birth-5. We’ve been serving families in Dodge and Jefferson Counties since 1994. Our programs and services are free of charge.

Stephanie has been there for 18 years, but this organization has been around for around 30 years. When she started 18 years ago, they had play groups and organized activities. Since they have grown. She is excited to share their journey. 

Mission: Build relationships, educational experiences and connections to resources that ensure all young children and families in our community thrive.

Five years ago the Watertown Community Health Foundation approached the board and asked if they were ready to grow and change. The Watertown Public Library was to be renovated for more community space. They had the opportunity to move to the Library and grow. They became an official 501c3. They created a resource center within their center. 

They began strategic planning and changed their vision statement. They also looked into their core values and determined how to better align their program with these values. 

Vision Statement: All young children grow up to be healthy, happy, independent and resilient.

They have Parenting Support (Parent Workshops, Parent Support Groups, and more)

They have Access to Resources  (Enhanced Informational Referral, Language Resources, Grant Opportunities, and more).

They have Child Development Activities (Playgroups, Family Fun Days, Child Enhancement Activities, and more). This is especially important for helping to understand child development in troubled children. Helping parents to understand the development of children, helps to combat abuse in the household. 

Their resource network coordinator did a lot of research on local opportunities. They reach out to those who may be in need to fill out paperwork, find potential funds, and more. This is the first program of its kind in Wisconsin. 

When she started at the Program, their doors were about ready to close. There was much turnover, five part-time employees. When beginning, she looked at the Program as a business rather than a non-profit. She began writing grants and researching opportunities. They grew their budget from $70,000 to $300,000. A huge game-changer was the Watertown Community Health Foundation.

They are very focused on making connections with families. All cultures celebrated, and they work hard to build trust with families who do not speak English as their first language. 

The Five Strengths: Protective Factors:

• Helping kids understand feelings
• Parenting as children grow
• Connecting with others
• Building inner strength
• Knowing how to find help

Big Picture Goals 

• They are continuing to help families learn about The Five Strengths and Protective Factors. If parents are resilient, their kids will be resilient as well.

https://www.watertownfamilyconnections.com/about-us/