175 Years of Service. A Future We Build Together.

175 years of service brings gratitude and a responsibility to move the work forward.

As we close Wellpoint Care Network’s 175th anniversary celebration, I am grateful for the generations who have shaped our story and energized by the possibilities ahead. This milestone invites us to ask: What will we do with the part of that story that belongs to us?

Throughout this year, we have celebrated a history rooted in responding to the needs of children and families. Generations of associates, foster parents, volunteers, donors and community partners have carried that commitment forward. Our legacy lives in their service and in the lives they have helped change.

We saw that spirit through Load the Locker, led by our child welfare leaders with support from our associates and community. With a goal of collecting 1,075 pounds of food, supporters contributed over 3,500.

Our Back to School Bash brought that same commitment to life. Working alongside our partner organizations, we distributed more than 3,000 backpacks to help children start the school year prepared and confident. Each backpack represented something practical and personal: one more child ready to learn and one less expense for a family to manage.

Our associates, volunteers, donors and participating organizations made that impact possible by bringing their time, resources and care together. Beyond the backpacks and school supplies, the day connected families with community resources and demonstrated what we can accomplish around a shared purpose.

More Anniversary Impact

• Gave away 500 tickets for We Are The Drum
• Brought together 83 leaders to discuss one of our communities most pressing issues: Housing
• Provided 1,148 free mental health screenings
• Brought Trauma Informed Care training to more than 100 school nutrition staff
• Distributed more than 45,000 pounds of food through monthly Resource Fair

That same spirit is shaping our future.

As we look toward 2027, we are building on our campus’s potential as a community hub. Our vision is for this campus to make it easier for families to find support, connect with opportunity and move forward.

For a parent balancing work, a child’s needs and their own well-being, finding support can mean navigating several organizations, locations and systems. Bringing partners together creates opportunities to make those connections easier, strengthen coordination and respond more fully to what a family needs.

Our strategic partners and community allies including UMOS, Outreach Community Health Center, Employ Milwaukee, The Lincoln Center, the Coalition for Children and Families, and Milwaukee Diaper Mission are an important part of this work. Each organization brings distinct expertise, relationships and resources. Together, we can strengthen connections to services and opportunities that help children, individuals and families thrive.

Sharing space is a starting point. The deeper work is building trust, coordinating efforts and following through. The promise of a community hub will be realized through what people experience when they come here: a welcoming connection, a clearer path to support and people committed to helping them.

In 2027, our focus is clear: invest in our people, strengthen our services and deepen the partnerships that help families move forward.

That means supporting the associates who make our work possible, listening carefully to families and partners and encouraging ideas that help us solve problems more effectively. It also means being thoughtful stewards of the resources entrusted to us and holding ourselves accountable for meaningful results.

We will continue exploring how our campus can serve the community for generations to come. That work calls for imagination, partnership and disciplined planning, grounded in a clear purpose: strengthening families and helping build healthy, hopeful communities.

To everyone who has been part of our 175th anniversary year, thank you. Whether you contributed school supplies, helped distribute backpacks, supported a family, volunteered your time or brought your organization into partnership with us, you helped move this work forward.

I believe in our people. I believe in the strength of this community. And I am proud to lead Wellpoint Care alongside our dedicated associates and partners.