By Anna Krejci
News-Chronicle
Without Green Bay Packers Foundation grant money, troubled youths might see less of their families, people with no insurance might not have out-patient alcohol and drug rehabilitation services, and families fighting cancer would have less information on how to do it.
The Green Bay Packers Foundation awarded more than $105,000 to 51 service groups in Wisconsin on Tuesday at the Jackie Nitschke Center, 630 Cherry St. One benefactor, Rawhide Boys Ranch in New London, received a $2,500 grant that will help the ranch purchase a van, enabling boys to visit with their families, shop for food and clothes and to get to community-service work sites.
"The vans help get them more socialized by bringing them back into the community," said John Dery, Rawhide's executive director.
Rawhide Boys Ranch has been based on creating a family-like atmosphere for the boys who live there. Ten boys live together in houses, usually for eight-month stints.
The vans, according to Dery, have taken boys to do work for Habitat for Humanity and disabled children.
Since 1986 the Packer Foundation has awarded more than $1 million to service organizations.
"It is so important for the Packer organization to give back to the community," said John Jones, Packers' executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Carl Kuehne, chairman of the Green Bay Packers Foundation Committee, said choosing the recipients was challenging, but outlined criteria by which they are chosen.
"Recipient organizations have a broad community outreach and are established organizations," he said.
Kuehne said the foundation tries to help lesser-known organizations as well. Twenty-eight grants were awarded to organizations in Brown County and another 23 to organizations throughout the state. Kristeen Labutzke, President and founder of The Breast Cancer Family Foundation, a grant recipient, said she was excited to receive the grant.
"The money will be used to help our educational program," she said.
Ron Metzler, President of the Jackie Nitschke Center Board, thanked the foundation before representatives of 21 other recipient organizations and members of the media.
"The Green Bay Packers are more than just entertainment we see on Sundays," Metzler said.
The Packers Foundation was one of several organizations that supported the remodeling of the Nitschke Center's Pine Street outpatient-services location, he said. Metzler said the center served 65,000 people a year, but now serves 300 more a year, making new space for the center necessary.
Judy Glenz, the center's director, said the $5,000 grant paid for part of the remodeling, which included new carpeting, chairs and conference rooms.
Furthermore, Glenz said the grant contributes to the center's goal of providing low-cost service for clients with no insurance.
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