I was a stranger and you invited me in..."  Matthew 25:35 NIV

Director's Corner by Tammy Modic

Making a Difference As I sit here at my desk on the heels of my eight-year work anniversary with NATH-Frederick Place I think about whether I have made a difference. If I have made a difference, what evidence do I have of this difference? Here are a few ways I have come up with this morning. #1 I have a staff who sees me as a boss, leader, and mentor. #2 I was blessed to be at Frederick Place yesterday when a former resident, who called Frederick Place home in 2014, stopped to visit. He wanted us to know that he is still in Wausau and working at the same place for almost 4 years. He now has a car he can call his own. He told me that he could never come up with the right words to tell us how grateful he was that we were here for him. He had a couple of days off and needed to take a ride to tell us this. #3 I have a board of directors who respects and trusts me to carry out the mission and vision of NATH and represent them as the “Face of NATH." #4 I am blessed to be surrounded by so many partners of NATH-Frederick Place, whether they are volunteers, businesses, donors, friends on Facebook, or other non-profits. I am sure that there are other ways to show I make a difference, but none of them would exist today if the NATH Personnel Committee had not taken a chance on me eight years ago. Thank you to all who have touched my life in the past eight years. I could not have done it without all of you.

Upcoming Events

Get your advance tickets NOW! Come join us on November 7th Get a hot fresh pasty and a pint of Rhinelander Brew

Only 4 spots remaining to join us for this Budding Artist event.

Save the Date

Lambeau Field Workers Needed

Interested in going to Lambeau Field to help run a concession stand to benefit NATH - Frederick Place? We need volunteers to travel to Lambeau Field for home games, to work at concession stands. They are long days, lots of work, but worth getting a chance to see Lambeau Field. If interested, please go to our website www.nathnorthwoods.com . In the upper right hand corner you will see the Sign Up Genius Logo for fundraising events. Click on that logo to see when the games are and when we need help. If you decide to help, Tammy Modic will contact you to have you do some readings and take a quiz about food and alcohol sales. Youth age 14 or older may help, if accompanied by an adult. Dates Still Available: November 11 December 2, December 9, December 30 and then of course, when we make the playoffs, any home games that happen.

Partner's Corner

Brooke Sisel just had a birthday. Her request to all her friends and family was that they brought gifts that could be donated to the children at Frederick Place. The picture shows Brooke and her two friends Ellyse Younker and Alyssa Lamb with the gifts that were donated. What a special group of friends. Thank you Brooke for thinking of others and what they would like.

Thank you to Eric Haring for building Frederick Place some much needed permanent safety gates. They are amazing.

Thank you Culver's for another successful Share's Night. Picture shows Tammy Dye accepting a check from the store manager and owner.

‌

Tribute Corner

In Loving Memory Dave Jonesi In Honor of  Audrey Thurn Grace Koskey

Faces of NATH by Susan Statezny

Shelter line stretchin’ ‘round the corner                           The Ghost of Tom Joad by Bruce Springsteen For those of you not familiar with Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath , Tom Joad is the main character of this literary masterpiece about life during the Great Depression. I chose words from Springsteen’s song about a haunting tale of homelessness as a lead in because it is fitting for the subject, I haven’t used a Bruce quote in awhile, and I watch too much Rachel Maddow. Hang in there. I promise you will understand my opening as you read on, just as I eventually realize where Rachel is headed after a seemingly nonsensical opening to her show. Frederick Place does not have long line of people waiting to get inside, but we do have a waiting list. Prior to even being put on our list a prospective resident must pass a background check which includes sex offender registries. If their name pops up on a registry or they have committed a violent crime within the past 3-5 years, they are denied entrance. Prospective residents must also pass a breathalyzer and a drug test. Once someone becomes an official resident, there are rules and guidelines all must follow. Many of our rules involve insuring all residents live in a safe, sober and healthy atmosphere. The other rules we have in place are tools to weed out those serious about wanting help vs. those looking for a place to crash for 90 days. That may sound a tad heartless when considering the cold winters we experience, but they are a necessary evil during all seasons. When I’ve struggled with telling someone they need to leave, I think of a lecture I was blessed to attend when I was in treatment. At the time one in ten people were waiting to sit in the chair I was in. The counselor asked us to think about that and come up with a reason why we deserved that spot more than the countless others in need of help. It was her way of stressing how grateful we should be to have our butt in that chair. Her words motivated the serious individuals to take recovery seriously and do the necessary work. I tend to view our rules in much the same way. I hope you will as well. If you choose the behavior you choose the consequence We have always had a disciplinary procedure that consisted of a write-up for unacceptable behavior. Under that method a resident was allowed three write-ups, and if they got to four they were shown the door. That procedure was recently changed when the staff came together and felt it was time for the residents to play a definitive role in their future at Frederick Place. The result of our ongoing brainstorming was the creation of a point system. Every resident starts at zero points. If a resident reaches ten points they are asked to leave. This policy is explained to a new resident during the intake process. A detailed handout reiterating this policy is given to them, and they are required to sign paperwork acknowledging that these two events occured. A resident can ask staff at any time how many points they have, so there is no excuse for not knowing their point status. With this method the onus is on them, and they can make choices that do or don’t affect their stay. We currently have 30 rules/guidelines that have point values. That may sound excessive, but there is a reason for every rule. Some of our rules are in place to protect everyone at 204 West Frederick St., and some are meant to help residents become self-sufficient in an incredibly short amount of time. What follows is shared to give others an understanding of the “why” a resident might be asked to leave. In the beginning we vowed to the founders of NATH and the community that Frederick Place would adhere to a strict zero tolerance policy. Violating any component of this policy is an automatic ten point, two hours to pack, don’t let the door hit you on the way out, event. Zero tolerance generally refers to alcohol and/or drugs. Residents cannot have alcohol, recreational drugs, or prescription drugs on their person or in their room. They cannot be under the influence of any substance within the walls of the house or on the property. If we suspect (or are told by another resident) that someone is under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, they are given a breathalyzer (the only acceptable result is 0.00) and/or urine analysis drug screen, aka UA, which they must pass. If they do not pass, their stay is terminated. We also do random testing on a schedule known only to staff. If they do not pass one or both of these tests their stay is terminated. Another ten point “there’s the door” incident is soliciting/purchasing/smuggling in urine, either from another resident or an outside source, in order to pass a drug test. Other situations that fall under this policy are possessing a weapon, engaging in threatening or abusive behavior (physical or verbal), sexual harassment in any form, and theft. As we often have children in the house, if a resident is caught watching/downloading pornography on the community computer, they will be asked to leave. If a resident chooses to smoke or vape in the house they are shown the door. This is primarily a safety issue, but it is also a respect issue. Everytime the fire alarm goes off the fire department and our security system provider become involved needlessly. We have quite a few rules pertaining to prescription and over the counter medications. Residents are required to turn in all medications, prescribed and over the counter, so that they may be locked in our med cabinet. The consequences of a child accidentally ingesting a medication left laying around, in a purse or jacket pocket, could be devastating. This policy also protects residents from themselves. There is a multitude of prescription meds that have the potential to be abused. For that reason we have a medication log with a separate page for each drug a person is on. Staff and the resident must initial every time a medication is taken. This decreases the potential for abuse and also helps insure they are taking the meds as prescribed by their health care provider. To take too many of some of these meds, either inadvertently or purposely, could have disastrous results. To not take prescribed meds because a resident doesn’t feel they need to or just doesn’t want to, could cause withdrawal or drastic changes in behavior that might affect their stay. We also will not tolerate the use of foul, racial, ethnic, misogynistic, disrespectful language or religious intolerance. Uttering negative things about the Packers also merits a point addition. An immediate termination of stay is not the result of any of these actions but we feel these events warrant a resident receiving three or five points. The other category of rules has to do with our “hand up” rather than “hand out” philosophy. The maximum amount of time a resident can stay with us is 90 days. Now that may sound like a long time, but in reality it is often not enough time to accomplish the goals to find work and housing they formulated with their case manager. We are here to offer suggestions and guidance, but we will not do the work for them. Therefore, it is mandatory that they turn in a search sheet once a week to document their progress towards achieving these goals. We have a daily schedule in place that fosters routine. To cultivate a sense of pride and responsibility, residents are assigned house duties and must keep their room/dorm area clean. Every morning by 8 am residents must check-in with staff and share their plans for the day. In the evening they must be in their room/dorm by 11 pm. They cannot reach their goals if they are up until all hours of the night and sleeping in every day. The majority of residents have had no problem following the rules. They are the ones who hit the ground running to achieve their goals. This does mean they are instantaneously successful, but it does attest to their desire for a hand up and not a hand out. While we all understand the “why” of our rules, we occasionally struggle with enforcing those that result in an immediate termination of stay - but enforce we must. I think we would all agree that the most difficult type of individuals to kick out are those who relapse after being sober for a time and have made great strides towards achieving their goals. We try to always keep in mind that the individual made the choice to do or not do something that affected their stay. I get peace of mind by remembering that lecture from long ago as I wait for the next new resident to take that open chair and decide their destiny.

Ways you can become a NATH Partner and donate

Introducing the new Humble Partner Program PayPal Giving Fund

Humble Bundle is a distribution platform selling games, ebooks, software, and other digital content. Since Humble's founding in 2010, our mission has been to support charity ("Humble") while providing awesome content to customers at great prices ("Bundle"). We started by offering only game bundles, but have branched out to include an online storefront, a monthly subscription service, a publishing initiative, and lots more. As a leading retailer of digital games and eBooks, Humble Bundle offers its customers the opportunity to support a charity with every purchase they make. Using Humble Bundle’s existing Choose Your Own Charity feature during checkout, customers can choose to benefit your charity with any purchase they make on the  Humble Store  or selected  Bundles . To help raise even more funds for good causes, Humble Bundle are also introducing the Humble Partner program for charities .  www.humblebundle.com/store?partner=149112&charity=149112

A New Way to Donate

We’ve joined the Buzz Points network! Buzz Points has partnered with Ripco Credit Union or Park City Credit Union to give their cardholders a free rewards program.  Here’s how it works: Ripco Credit Union or Park City Credit Union Cardholders earn points for every dollar they spend using their enrolled debit or credit card. When enough points are accrued, they can be redeemed for rewards to local or national  businesses. Points can also be redeemed as a monetary donation to local charities on the Buzz Point network. If you’re a cardholder of either establishment, it’s now easier than ever to donate to a local cause. When your ready to redeem your points, our organization will be listed in the Buzz Points online and mobile Rewards Directory. Please consider donating in this manner to NATH.  If you debit or credit card is not registered go to  https://www.buzzpoints.com/

Thrivent Making a Difference

Are you a member of Thrivent? Apply for your Thrivent action Team to assist NATH. Go to Thrivent.com/action team to get started. Here are some questions you may see when applying. What is the need you and your volunteer team want to tackle? How will your volunteer team spread generosity in your community? When will your project take place? How will you use your $250 seed money to make a bigger impact? Once you submit your application, it’s typically review within a few days. When you project is approved, you will get to customize a hand packed Thrivent action kit based on what your team needs, including promotional banner, Live Generously T-shirts, step by step guides, invitations, thank you notes and a $250 Community Impact Card to use as seed money to get your project off the ground. Some of the ways you could help NATH/Frederick Place, would be as a sponsor for Summer Raffle, Anniversary Benefit, Harvest Hoedown, Soup for Shelters, Golf Scramble or by preparing a meal or two for the house residents. Any contributions are greatly appreciated.

Amazon Smile When you shop online!

Click to visit Amazon Smile

Thank you to all who use Amazon Smiles to Help NATH when you shop What is AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at  smile.amazon.com , you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as  Amazon.com , with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support. How do I shop at AmazonSmile? To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to  smile.amazon.com  from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to  smile.amazon.com  to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonS mile.

NATH Wish List

Click to print Wish List

OCTOBER MEAL PROVIDERS

Each month many partners in the community donate meals to Frederick Place. This month NATH and Frederick Place thank the following individuals and groups.  Ascension Carly Ratliff Christina Synder Elizabeth Kowieski & family Erin Johnson & family First Congregational United Church of Christ – Rhinelander Pastor John & confirmation class Human Service Center Pioneer Lake Lutheran Church Montessori School Nancy Swenson Mary Mangerson Immanuel Lutheran Church Orrin Nativity Nurses Rhinelander Café and Pub Valarie Laabs The Table – St. Augustine Episcopal Church - Rhinelander Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church – Rhinelander Xylina Graf & family

Open Meal Dates Check out our new Sign Up Genius to see the most accurate open meal dates. Meal Partners

Click to print Open Meal Calendar

Website   NATH   Frederick Place  Volunteer   Contact

Donate Today

NATH 204 W Frederick St Rhinelander, WI 54501 Phone : 715-369-9777 ‌ ‌