GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – With Shopko closing their doors across the country it also means the end of the organization’s charitable arm, the Shopko Foundation.
Much like an “everything must go” sign posted outside of a closing store, the same principle applies to the foundation, which is completely emptying the bank of their remaining $2.5 million dollars.
But to understand the impact of the foundation, it goes way beyond just dollars and cents, according to foundation manager Michelle Hansen.
“The Toys for Tots collections, the Coats for Kids, the Red Kettle,” she explains.
The foundation always took pride in being a true community partner and along with that came the financial contributions.
Hansen wears two hats as Shopko Public Relations Manager and manager for the foundation, which has put her in a tough spot this week having to deliver the final contribution to so many organizations that the foundation has supported going back decades.
For her, it at least provides some closure to provide one last gift and hopefully keep the momentum moving forward for so many organizations in the area.
“It’s really been a bitter-sweet week for me,” she explains. “I’m really honored that we’re able to leave them with a little gift to hopefully continue making an impact in the community.”
The connections between the Shopko Foundation and numerous community organizations run deep, which makes every last encounter a special one.
“To be able to see them and support them one last time has been really great,” she says.
A lot of different community organizations depended on the Shopko Foundation and their contributions, which now leaves many with a feeling of uncertainty going forward.
Hansen hopes that some business(es) in the community will step up to the plate and do their best to mitigate the loss that many will feel.
“We hope that other hometown stores step-up and are able to give them some funding that they need to continue to do the great work that they do,” she explains.
The Salvation Army of Greater Green Bay falls into that category as a community organization that has thoroughly benefited, both financially and in other ways, from the Shopko Foundation.
Nan Pahl, Director of Social Services at the Salvation Army of Greater Green Bay, says it might not be one business that can replace the foundation alone, but rather the hope is that multiple different sources increase their charitable efforts in order to replace what is being lost.
“Who might step up to meet that challenge?” she asks. “Not only for our agency, but for all the other non-profits and education systems that Shopko benefited.”
In fact, the relationship between the Shopko Foundation and the Greater Green Bay Salvation Army is one that goes back quite some time.
“We’ve had a thirty-year history with them for coats for kids,” Pahl says. “We started in the early 2000s working with them on our Tools for School program.”
For Pahl, it’s those programs and the willingness to engage as a community partner, which really separated the foundation from any other charitable extension of a business.
“They’ve been an integral part of our Christmas distribution doing a toy match for the Toys for Tots campaign,” explains Pahl.
And despite the loss of a major partner, she says their services will continue in full force, no matter who they now will have to look towards for help.
“For the sake of our clients, for the sake of our students, these programs will continue,” explains Pahl.
The Salvation Army received a final $25,000 check from the foundation on Thursday, which serves as a ceremonial good-bye.
For their organization, and so many others throughout the community, it’s a much-appreciated gesture as they empty the bank back into the area.
“I know they are connecting with forty different, either non-profit agencies or school systems, and that is a huge impact,” she says.
