The Power of Partnership to Help Children and Families Thrive

“Partnership magnifies the power of our impact.”

Those are the words of Wellpoint Care Network President and CEO Ann Leinfelder Grove.

“When you engage a couple of people from a community organization who then invite a couple more of their colleagues or friends, you start to see this ripple effect of serving the community. It’s the power of more — more people can have more impact.”

And when you’re working to create a world where children and families have a clearer path to their fullest potential, the more partners the better.

Just one example of those invaluable partners for Wellpoint Care Network is the Elmbrook Rotary Club.

“Wellpoint Care is in our 175th year of service to the community,” added Leinfelder Grove. “Although the way that we’ve served children and families has changed and evolved over those 17 decades, our mission has stayed the same: Seeing a world where children and families can thrive and restoring the connections that make that possible. Elmbrook Rotary has followed alongside us throughout our evolution.”

The partnership dates back more than 30 years. The local Rotarians would provide guidance and connection to those in residential care. As they learned more about our work and the importance of Trauma Informed Care, they became involved as board members providing valuable insight. Nowadays, they continue to volunteer at several events each and every year.

“The more we learned, the more we wanted to do,” said Jack Nelson, Rotarian and Wellpoint Care Network Board member. “A lot of service clubs just hand over money and that’s the extent of the relationship. But our club is very different. We want to build relationships where we can have boots on the ground, where we are doing things hand-in-hand with the not-for-profit. We want to be a true partner.”

To honor this long-standing partnership and the immense impact it’s had on the community, Nelson and the Elmbrook Rotary Club voted to make Leinfelder Grove a Paul Harris Fellow.

“It honors people who understand the distinction of service above self,” said Nelson. “In the Rotary world, it’s people who are giving beyond just the check-writing. It’s somebody who really cares about the community and is willing to show up in multi-facets to make sure it’s a better place. As Ann gets ready for retirement after more than 30 years of leadership, we wanted to recognize her for really seeing the value of a strong relationship with a service club in the area.”

“Because of my long-time involvement with Elmbrook Rotary, I know and appreciate their values and goals: trying to make the world a better place,” said Leinfelder Grove. “So, this was a big honor. It’s also very meaningful to me because my dad had many years of serving as a Rotarian in La Crosse. At a point in his tenure as a Rotarian, he was named a Paul Harris Fellow for his contributions to that community. As a kid, you don’t really know much about these things, but as I got older, I understood what a well-earned honor that was for him. My dad passed five years ago, so this acknowledgment is very special.”

As Leinfelder Grove prepares to step away as President and CEO and Reggie Newson steps in, the partnership formed between Wellpoint Care and Elmbrook Rotary will only continue to grow stronger.

“As soon as we met Reggie, we let him know that the Elmbrook Rotary is a source of ongoing support,” said Nelson. “Financial support, personal support, volunteer support — anyway we can help Wellpoint Care be a source of normalcy in the very traumatic world that we exist in.”

If you share in our pursuit of communities where every child and family can thrive and would like to talk about ways to partner, please email [email protected].