JONAH News

TF / TeamSummary of MeetingMental Health- Completed multiple Green Bandana Project trainings. Encouraged schools to get involved.- Discussed the community's needs for crisis services following the closure of HSHS hospitals.…

What stands out to you about JONAH? I moved to Eau Claire 3 years ago, and I was searching for an environmental organization home base to volunteer with--someplace that had…

By Susan Wolfgram, Co-Director Eau Claire Tenant-Landlord Resource Center  "I didn't even know that was in my lease!" EXACTLY. This is the most frequent comment we hear from tenants after…

By Matthew Conte, Wisconsin Farmers Union Organizer, member of EC Coalition and the WI Rural Coalition, and a JONAH Partner Wisconsin is renowned for its picturesque landscapes, charming small towns,…

By Sue Waits, Chair of the Environmental Task Force The JONAH Environmental Task Force encourages everyone to do what they can, as it is more important for 1000 people to…

On March 5, 2024, the JONAH Religious Leaders group offered a vigil to hold space for all who are grieving the closure of two local HSHS hospitals. Below are a…

By Lynn Buske, Chair of the Mental Health Task Force Chances are, by now you have heard of the Chippewa Valley Green Bandana Project (GBP) and might even have one…

By Mark Quam, Co-Chair of the JONAH Transportation Task Force On February 5, 2024, Eau Claire Transit observed Transit Equity Day in observance of Rosa Park’s birthday which took place…

By Dallas Crawford, JONAH Intern While each of the films shown during the Social Justice Film Festival deserve a detailed article and self-reflection, I would like to shed light on…

By Amy Hahn What is the postcard project? The postcard project is a collaborative interfaith effort to create community reflection on tough topics through art and share that collective voice…

JONAH has 3 new interns from the UWEC Social Work Department that we'd like you to meet! What stands out to you about JONAH?Dallas - The diversity of stories between…

Edited by Lynn Buske, JONAH Organizer Leaders aren’t born overnight, they are grown. It’s a journey. Becoming a leader means taking steps and trying things - acknowledging the feeling that…

Joining Our Neighbors, Advancing Hope's (JONAH) fundamental organizing principle is RELATIONSHIP. It can be challenging to organize around emotional social issues without understanding how to talk about them with those you…

Thanks to funding from our parent organization WISDOM, for the last year and a half or so, JONAH has been connecting with residents, congregations, organizations and leaders in rural communities…

Faith Leaders across multiple religions and beliefs come together to share their voices in support of the World Relief office in Eau Claire, WI, refugee resettlement work, and the idea…

By David Liners and Robert Karski, Photography by Eddee Daniel “We envision a world where the inherent rights of nature are respected and protected, and where the natural world is…

By Perla Martinez  What is your favorite thing about JONAH?   JONAH is the best of us. It invites us to be relational, authentic, and live out our faith values together…

Our Mental Health Task Force is working to keep our Green Bandana Project in people’s hearts and minds so it continues to work and grow. Here’s your reminder to WEAR…

By Kari Allen About the Conference On Saturday, October 21, a group of small town and rural leaders met for JONAH’s first Community Conference for Small Towns in the Chippewa…

Written by Lynn BuskeEdited by Perla Martinez-Beltran, Joyce Anderson, and Lidixe Montoya There is a lot going on in the world of immigration and around refugees these days. As a…

My name is Julia and I have been serving on the event planning committee of JONAH for a year and a half. My role in the annual JONAH fundraiser this…

Dear supporters of JONAH (and potential supporters) -  The work that JONAH does in the Chippewa Valley is essential, but it is also difficult, time-consuming, and sometimes seems to be…

You're invited to JONAH's 16th Annual Event!  This year, JONAH is having two separate activities on Sunday October 8, 2023, at the Brewing Projekt, in a fabulous and fun evening to set us up for success in…

I'm a recently retired massage therapist and former respiratory therapist and I was looking for new ways to serve my community. I'm married to my husband Tim, going on 34…

By Sue Waits, Environmental Task Force Chair The JONAH Environmental Task Force(ETF) is busy planning projects for 2024 around the two priorities of Waste Diversion and Biodiversity which are further…

By Cindy Currier The Village of Fairchild has developed their own task force as a result of JONAH’s connections and support. They are not officially a JONAH taskforce, but we…

In this column readers hear from area religious leaders, in their own voice and from their personal faith perspective, on social justice, how to make our community better, and other…

By Aidan Stotz Over the course of the past eight weeks, I have had the opportunity to engage with the topic of mental health and the disparities that exist in…

JONAH is proud to announce its second concert fundraiser and welcomes the band Dead Horses – which happens to be the favorite band of our organizer, Lynn Buske. Nik Foytik, a local talent,…

What is your favorite thing about JONAH?  I love that JONAH sees an issue in the community and collaborates with a wide variety of people and organizations to understand the…

By Lynn Buske, JONAH Organizer I want to share a story. One of mine. One I always thought wasn't much of a story, until I unpacked it recently with a…

By Ken Hood Last Monday, WISDOM’s Immigration Task Force, and members from the regional affiliates, met for a lively night of action over Zoom. We met for a virtual “Call…

By Mark Judkins Helpsmeet What constitutes Justice seems obvious to some of us, but what seems Just has evolved significantly over the centuries, and continues to do so today. Quakers…

By Lynn Buske and Powerful JONAH Voices Giving public testimony is a powerful way to support an issue you care about, not only does it educate the elected official or…

By: Sue Waits In collaboration with Beaver Creek Reserve and the Eau Claire County Office of Recycling and Sustainability, the JONAH Environmental Task Force hosted an Earth Week Open House…

By Shannon Severud, JONAH intern       I recently attended a BRAIN Conference in Eau Claire where I heard two doctors- Dipesh Navsaria and JONAH's very own John Wagner- speak about the…

By: Ken Hood Out of all the attendees at the 2023 WISDOM Leadership Retreat, I think it’s safe to say that I had the furthest drive. The Green Lake Conference…

By: Jen Barnet I did not know her. She had been calling the church for years and I had been responding to her calls for help for, I’d say about…

Eau Claire Tenant-Landlord Resource (ECTLRC) Center Program Coordinator ~By Susan Wolfgram, Co-Director ECTLRC “Coming out of college, I worked full time at an animal shelter and held down fourother part-time…

April 24, 2023 The JONAH (Joining Our Neighbors, Advancing Hope) Mental Health Task Force (MHTF) is launching throughout the Chippewa Valley the Green Bandana Project (GBP)! We invite any person in the…

For more information on any of these activities, please contact the task force chairs directly! Our Transit Alliance continues to advocate for public transit needs as a part of conversations…

By: Bea Evans A spark of an idea ignited into a grassroots movement named Welcoming New Neighbors (WNN) a year ago.  In early February 2022, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin…

This month we would like to highlight Paul Savides. He is currently a Member of the Affordable Housing Task Force & Training Teams Group. Read on to see what he has…

By Shannon Severud- JONAH intern       As a mother to five children and a former foster mom to many more, children hold a special place in my heart.  My compassion for…

By Lynn Buske “The difference between mobilizing and organizing is relationship.” WISDOM’s Freddie Wilson said that in a training session recently (originator of the statement is unknown). I love that,…

For more information on any of these activities, please contact the task force chairs directly! Our Transit Alliance continues to advocate for public transit needs as a part of conversations around…

by the JONAH Mental Health Task Force After the shocking death by suicide of Sheriff Ron Cramer, many in our community had our eyes opened to the fact that mental…

This month we would like to highlight Jackie Christner. She is currently on the JONAH board and a member of the Mental Health Task Force and the Chippewa Valley Justice…

by Perla Martinez, JONAH Communications What is Immigration? “Immigration [is] the process through which individuals become permanent residents or citizens of another country (definition from https://www.britannica.com/topic/nation-state).” Seems like a simple…

by Christine Warloski I recently was involved in a community conversation that raised questions about the lines between ‘justice’ and ‘charity’.  In my faith tradition, as a Pastoral associate with…

by Paul Savides “The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope.…

By Don Mowry JONAH's work around the criminal legal system has been evolving since its merger with the Chippewa Valley Justice Action Team (which is the name we have taken…

"This month we would like to highlight Kelly Mahoney, she is a part of the Justice Action Team (a merger between JONAH and Clear Vision) which works on the intersectionality of poverty, mental…

The Buddhist View On Justice By Gabe Brummett My friend Lynn asked recently if I’d be able to write something about the Buddhist view of justice. It struck me because…

A Community Accomplishes What It Is Committed To By Susan Wolfgram, Co-Chair of the JONAH Affordable Housing Task Force November is Homelessness Awareness Month in Wisconsin. There can be no…

Many of our followers, no matter how long they’ve been part of JONAH, aren’t familiar with our organizing techniques and terminology simply because we don’t talk about them enough. This…

For more information on any of these activities, please contact the task force chairs directly! Our Transit Alliance task force continues to advocate for public transit needs as a part of conversations around…

By Ken Hood, Rural Organizer Below is a short update from our new Rural Outreach Team, and you can learn more about these new staff, Ken Hood and Kari Allen,…

By Mike Steuer, Executive Vice President I don't know exactly why I enjoyed this year's event, “Making It Happen,” more than past events. Maybe it was the long absence of…

This month we would like to highlight Susan Wolfgram who is on the JONAH Affordable Housing Task Force. She is a great organizer and we hope you get to know…

By Lynn Buske, JONAH Organizer Many of our followers, no matter how long they’ve been part of JONAH, aren’t familiar with our organizing techniques and terminology simply because we don’t…

Segdrick Farley is the new Fellow Organizer of EXPO of Wisconsin. He has decided to use his own experience to help others finding themselves in similar situations. He is a…

by Bob Lesniewski Seven years ago I started organizing Inter-Faith Prayer Services. “Peace and Unity For All People” Our Prayer Leaders are Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Baha’i and Quakers. Three…

Lori has worked as accounts and operations officer for Eversole Associates, International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium, Infinite Eversole-Specialty Crop Services, and the International Alliance for Phytobiomes Research for the past…

By Lynn Buske, JONAH Organizer Many of our followers, no matter how long they’ve been part of JONAH, aren’t familiar with our organizing techniques and terminology simply because we don’t talk…

As of 6.27.22 The JONAH Board and Committees has held several fundraisers, is working to improve sustaining membership experience, is finishing a huge update to our website, spoken at congregations and…