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Your unsold garage sale items can help a local family! We’ll be open accepting donations on Friday, May 7th from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM and on Saturday, May 8th from 9:00 AM-2:00 PM. We accept gently used clothing and household goods that are then made available in our Community Store, free of charge, to area individuals and families who are experiencing financial insecurity. We’re located at 208 S Century Avenue in Waunakee.

If you have furniture that you would like to donate, please email a photo of the item(s) to wncteam@waunakeenc.org. We’ll then work to match it with a client who has a need for the item(s) and coordinate with you to get it from your home to the client’s. Since we don’t have storage space at our facility for large items such as furniture, please do not plan to drop it off at our building.

Items can also be donated during our regular hours in the weeks following Garage Sale Days:

Mondays and Fridays | 9:00 AM-4:00 PM

Wednesdays | 9:00 AM-7:00 PM

4th Saturday of the month | 9:00 AM-2:00 PM

We are excited to share that we will be hosting a COVID vaccine clinic here at Waunakee Neighborhood Connection on Wednesday, May 12^th for the first dose and Thursday, June 3^rd for the second dose. Appointment times are available between 4:00 and 7:00 PM. We’ll add earlier times if the late afternoon and evening appointments fill up.

To make an appointment, call us at (608)849-5740. Spanish-speaking clients can call Nikki, Spanish language interpreter, at (608)235-7525 to make an appointment.

The vaccine will be from Pfizer and will be administered by a pharmacist from Vaccine Mobile.

Everyone age 16 and older is eligible to receive the vaccine. You will only need to show a photo ID from your country of citizenship such as a driver’s license, passport, or state-issued ID to receive it. If you have a health insurance or Medicare card please bring that, also, though you need not have insurance to get the vaccine. Once you make an appointment, we will send you the consent form to complete. 

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Nos complace compartir que organizaremos una clínica de vacuna COVID aquí en Waunakee Neighborhood Connection el miércoles 12 de mayo para la primera dosis y el miércoles 2 de junio para la segunda dosis. Los horarios de las citas están disponibles entre las 4:00 y las 7:00 p.m. Agregaremos horarios más tempranos si las citas de la tarde y la noche se llenan.

Para programar una cita, llámenos al (608) 849-5740. Los clientes de habla hispana pueden llamar a Nikki, intérprete de español, al (608)235-7525 para hacer una cita.

La vacuna será de Pfizer y será administrada por un farmacéutico de Vaccine Mobile.

Todas las personas mayores de 16 años son elegibles para recibir la vacuna. Solo necesitará mostrar una identificación con foto de su país de ciudadanía; como una licencia de conducir, pasaporte o identificación emitida por el estado, para recibirla. Si tiene un seguro médico o una tarjeta de Medicare, tráigala también, aunque no es necesario que tenga seguro para recibir la vacuna. Una vez que programe una cita, le enviaremos el formulario de consentimiento para que lo complete.

We are open Mondays and Fridays from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM, Wednesdays from 9:00 AM-7:00 PM, and the 4th Saturday of the month from 9:00 AM-2:00 PM. We accept donations, welcome clients in for shopping, and have volunteer opportunities available during these hours. General COVID-related safety guidelines that we have in place include the following:

• Social distancing practices will be used throughout the office and store.
• Staff members, volunteers, clients, and donors who have been exposed in the past 14 days or are sick should not come to the building.
• Frequent handwashing and/or use of hand sanitizer is required.
• We will provide masks and gloves for those who need them.
• Cleaning supplies and disposable utensils and cups for the kitchenette will be provided.
• Everyone will be required to wear a face mask when in the building. The only exception is for staff when they are working in their private office and no one else is near them.
• Frequently touched surfaces including door handles, desks/counters, phones, light switches, faucets, kitchenette, coffee bar, and restrooms will be cleaned and disinfected regularly.
• Instructions on the proper use of face masks, gloves, and cleaning supplies will be provided.
• Staff members, volunteers, and clients who enter and leave the building will sign in and out in case this information is needed for contact tracing.

Store Donations

• Donors should place their items in the purple bins in the lobby. Ideally, only one donor should be in the area at a time. Others will be asked to wait outside for their turn.
• Items stay in the bins for at least 48 hours before being moved to the sorting room for processing.
• During open hours and as weather permits, the inside foyer door will be set to the “open” position to minimize contact with the door handle.

Staff

• Our team is working in the office on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; they may continue to work at home on Tuesday and Thursday.
• Any meetings with groups larger than 10 people, or fewer if there is no space that will allow for social distancing, will be held online.

Volunteers

• All volunteers must register for shifts online.
• We are limiting the number of volunteers allowed in the building at any one time to five – one in each of the following areas: Welcome Desk, Sorting Room, store, back office, and storage room (downstairs). Note: If family members live together, they can volunteer together in the same area.

Clients

• Clients who are older than 60, medically vulnerable, ill, or who have been exposed in the last 14 days can continue to request items for pick-up or delivery rather than coming in to shop.
• Any client who is not feeling well should remain at home and can request items be delivered to them.
• Clients can shop, by appointment, anytime during our open hours. Appointments for shopping can be made online or by calling us at (608)849-5740.
• Client families are asked to send only one family member for shopping, if possible. We realize there may be times when more than one family member needs to look for clothing or other items that only they can select, but we will encourage the families to keep the number low.
• Clients will be required to use hand sanitizer upon registration, before starting shopping.
• If a client touches an item for an extended period or tries on a piece of clothing or an accessory, it should be placed in a designated bin and will not be placed back out on the floor for 48 hours.

If Someone Who Has Been in the Building Becomes Sick If a staff member, volunteer, client, or donor who has been in the building is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, the following procedures will be followed:

• The impacted individual will have to remain at home until they meet the requirements to discontinue home isolation per CDC recommendations and/or the guidance of their health care provider.
• We will close off any areas that were used by for a prolonged period of time by the individual. After 24 hours, the area will be cleaned and disinfected. Surfaces will be cleaned with soap and water prior to disinfecting. The individual(s) cleaning the area will wear gloves and a face mask.
• We will notify others who may have come in contact with the person of their possible exposure, but maintain confidentiality of the person who is ill.
• Those who may have had contact with the person who do not have symptoms should remain at home and practice social distancing for 14 days.
• We will provide all necessary information to the county public health department for contact tracing, as required.
• We will evaluate staffing and open hours should an illness or exposure leave us too short-handed to remain open.

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All of these procedures will be monitored, evaluated, and updated as guidelines and recommendations from the CDC and state/county public health departments are modified.

Client Services Specialist (Spanish-speaking)

To better serve our Spanish-speaking clients, Waunakee Neighborhood Connection is adding to our team a client services specialist who is fluent in both Spanish and English. The staff member in this position will provide case management and oversee programs and services for Neighborhood Connection’s Spanish-speaking clients. They will also serve as the organization’s representative in relevant coalitions and organizations.

Waunakee Neighborhood Connection is a social service agency that supports individuals and families in the Waunakee school district and Village & Town of Dane who are experiencing financial insecurity. Programs include a Community Store (free), case management & referrals, vehicle repair assistance, Build-a-Bed, scholarships, and holiday programs. Our office is a fast-paced and fun environment that involves regular interaction with clients, volunteers, and community donors. We have COVID safety restrictions in place for onsite interactions and accommodations for remote interactions.

Requirements for the position include having both speaking and writing fluency in Spanish and English; having a bachelor’s degree in human services or social work preferred, OR a combination of training, education and/or experience that can be demonstrated to result in possession of knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the duties of this position; and having two years of applicable experience including social work, case management, social services coordination, community outreach, or a similar field.

This is a part-time position that will average 10-15 hours per week. The compensation range is $22-$24 per hour. Hours are somewhat flexible with some Wednesday evening and Saturday hours required to work with clients when our Community Store is open.

The full job description is available here.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Lisa Humenik, executive director, at lhumenik@waunakeenc.org or by mail to 208 S Century Ave, Waunakee, WI 53597. Application deadline is March 7, 2021.

Due to continuing increases in the number of COVID-19 cases in our area, Waunakee Neighborhood Connection will be implementing a limited operations plan for December and early January.

Current procedures that will continue
Anyone who is experiencing symptoms or who has been exposed should not enter the building.

Anyone entering the building must be wearing a mask and keep it on through the duration of their time in the building. The only exception is for staff members working in their private office with the door closed.

Volunteers and clients must sign in and out on the Daily Visitor Tracking form.

Staff members will continue to be present in the building on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays. The building will be open 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. Staff may work from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

We will continue to accept donations for the Community Store. Donations can be dropped off in the building lobby and will be held for 48 hours before being sorted.

The building will be cleaned at least twice a week and high-touch surfaces will be disinfected regularly by staff and volunteers.

Changes to procedures
We will suspend accepting furniture donations as those involve going in and out of donor and client homes.

We will allow up to four volunteers in the building at any one time, and only if their work does not require them to encroach upon the space being used by another staff member or volunteer. The areas where volunteers may work include the Welcome Desk, Sorting Room, Store, Storage Room, and Data Entry office. Two volunteers who live in the same household may work in the same area but will still count as two volunteers in the building.

Clients will be encouraged to call or email to request items, then arrange for curbside pick-up. In cases where staff determines that a client needs to come into the Store to select items, only one client at a time will be allowed to shop in the Store and only during times that there are no volunteers working in the Store.

The building will be closed to clients and donations on Friday, December 11, and December 19 through January 10.

A limited number of volunteers will be scheduled for special events (Adopt-a-Family and Christmas Meal). Strict social distancing will be adhered to during these events.

Inventory will take place the week of January 4-8. No more than four volunteers will be scheduled for any one shift and strict social distancing will be maintained.

We will regularly re-evaluate this plan and make adjustments, as needed, based on current conditions.

Kicking off the holiday season with a FUNdraiser to support our vital programs

Though we can’t gather this year for our traditional Horrible Holiday Sweater Shuffle 5K, we can still pull out the sweaters, celebrate, and have a great time as we help those in our community who are experiencing financial insecurity.
This year has brought a dramatic increase in the number of families served by the many community volunteers at Waunakee Neighborhood Connection. We are nearing 200 households, comprised of almost 700 individuals, registered for our programs. Each family’s level of need has also risen as many of them deal with job loss, reductions in hours, and health concerns. This growth in demand for our services, coupled with having to cancel our two biggest fundraising events this year, makes it vitally important that we bring in adequate funds to keep serving the community. The Horrible Holiday Sweater Celebration gives you the opportunity to make that happen!

How do we participate?
The Horrible Holiday Sweater Celebration is a virtual event in which you can donate online personally and then set up your own fundraising page to get donations from others in your social, school, or professional circles. You can customize your page with your own photos or video of you and your family, friends, or colleagues (safely, of course) having fun while wearing your favorite ugly holiday sweater, socks, and/or mask. Get as creative with this as you would like! You can also add your own story of why you’re participating and include a special thank you message to those who give. Then, share it on all of your email and social media platforms starting this coming Saturday, November 28th – the traditional day of our Shuffle – through Tuesday, December 1st, which is Giving Tuesday.
You can set up your page as soon as you’d like. We’ll start sharing photos and stories from participants and donors though social media on Saturday when the Celebration officially begins!

Register and set up your fundraising page here.

Questions? Contact us at wncteam@waunakeenc.org or (608)849-5740.