By Bruce Urben, President
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s April 2020 Volunteer Newsletter edition.
April in Wisconsin! Sixty degrees and sunny one day, 35 degrees with rain and accumulating snow the next. It’s not like it’s unexpected (remember April, 2018 with 30 inches of snow?), but give us a break. The COVID-19 outbreak and the stay at home order has all of us a little on edge. Those of us that are working as essential businesses are working harder than ever… and then those of us that aren’t working at all wish we could be. We are all hoping and wondering what our new “normal” will look like and when it will be.
Life as a non-profit conservation organization became much more difficult on March 17th. Events were cancelled or postponed, and face to face contact discouraged. Your WWA has regrouped and we’ve put a number of measures in place to try to help us weather this storm.
But, we need your help… Yes, our volunteers are again being asked for help to keep your organization functioning and meeting our mission.
Yes, with your dollars, but also with your time and talents to keep the organization going.
Staff and WWA’s leadership have new responsibilities now that we’re living in a reality that was nowhere in our vocabulary just over a month ago. Instead of getting ready for banquets, golf outings or shoots, we now must spend our time applying for and responding to applications for Federal SBA assistance, grants and forgivable loans. This leaves us with less time for our planned activities in habitat, education and legislation.
Bruce Ross, our Executive Director has, in the past newsletters, highlighted areas where we need help in a variety of projects – it is currently a more critical need! From assistance in our social communication portals to contacting potential sponsors, leading work-groups to distribute wood duck boxes, drawing prizes and/or developing new fundraising alternatives; now more than ever we need your help! Please take a look at the volunteer needs list options and get back to us with your interests if you can.
The next six weeks will be telling for all non-profits. I know and have seen our volunteers’ networking potential and, as always, am encouraged by your hands-on get-it-done approach. Not the, “you should do this or that”, but “I can do this and that right now!”
Help support WWA & have the chance to win this Sig Sauer!
How else can you help? Watch our website (wisducks.org) or constant contact emails for on-line raffle opportunities; when you shop Amazon, be sure to log in to Amazon smile to leverage a portion of your sales to come back to WWA. Wisconsin Outdoor News is offering a $5 rebate directly to WWA for each new subscription purchased – seems we all are reading a little more now. If you haven’t become a sustaining member, consider it if you can, for as little as $10 a month. Purchase some of our merchandise at our on-line store including our new Orvis branded apparel, WWA’s Wild Game cookbook or pre-event tickets.
You should know that WWA’s leadership is doing everything we can to weather this storm known as COVID-19. With your help, we will come out of this a stronger and more efficient organization, and we can again meet in person and shake your hand for what we have accomplished together.
Thank you for what you have done for WWA and a bigger THANK YOU for what you “Can Do”!