- The partnership unites community members and resources to provide supplementary weekend food to Kettle Moraine School District students.
- Menasha and Neenah mayors declared May 21st as ‘Menasha Corporation Day’ in honor of ongoing community support.
OCONOMOWOC, Wis. — May 2024 — ORBIS® Corporation, an international leader in reusable packaging, partners with Blessings in a Backpack of Waukesha County (BIAB) to provide weekend nutrition to students at Magee Elementary School who may lack access to nutritious food on the weekends. While the students are provided meals on the free and reduced lunch programs at school during the week, they often lack resources on Saturday and Sunday. Lack of nutrition can result in physical health problems, shortened attention spans, lower IQs and poorer grade achievements.
This school year, Blessings in a Backpack Waukesha County Chapter is working to feed over 3,400 children at 42 schools in Waukesha, Oconomowoc, Sussex, Hartland Lakeside, Kettle Moraine and Menomonee Falls districts.
As more than 11,000 children struggle with hunger on the weekends in Waukesha County alone, ORBIS hopes its lead sponsorship of Magee Elementary will increase awareness and inspire other businesses and community members to get involved, ultimately decreasing the number of hungry children to zero.
“ORBIS has been working with Blessings in a Backpack Waukesha County Chapter since 2015″
“ORBIS has been working with Blessings in a Backpack Waukesha County Chapter since 2015, and with our headquarters being in Waukesha County, this cause hits close to home for a lot of our people,” said Norm Kukuk, president at ORBIS and board member of Blessings in a Backpack of Waukesha County. “It’s been inspiring to see ORBIS employees unite around this cause, donating their time and expertise, and we hope our support can empower others to give back to their own communities.”
As a leader in the movement to end childhood hunger, Blessings in a Backpack offers many ways to get involved, including partnerships, event sponsorships, corporate employee engagement events and volunteer opportunities to help feed children in our community.
“Corporate partnerships are critical in sustaining the Blessings in a Backpack program of feeding kids on the weekend. When we receive support from a company like ORBIS, it makes an immense impact in the community,” said Susan Reed, managing director at Blessings in a Backpack of Waukesha County. “The consequences of food insecurity are more than just a growling stomach, so whether it’s involvement through donations or partnerships with our chapter, it makes all the difference.”
It takes $5 to feed one child for one weekend and $175 for the entire school year. To learn more about how you can support Blessings in a Backpack Waukesha County Chapter, visit https://waukesha.blessingsinabackpack.org/.
Menasha Corporation Awards $6 Million in Grants to Nonprofit Organizations in its 175th Anniversary Year
Also in the news, Menasha Corporation, parent company of ORBIS, recently celebrated its 175th anniversary with an announcement it will grant $6 million to nonprofits in 2024, of which nearly $4 million will be donated to organizations in the Fox Valley where Menasha Corporation was founded. Chris Drees, Menasha Corporation President and CEO, announced the Fox Valley grant recipients on May 21, 2024, which included declarations by Menasha Mayor Austin Hammond and Neenah Mayor Jane Lang to proclaim May 21 as ‘Menasha Corporation Day’ for both cities.
“Giving back is deeply rooted in Menasha Corporation’s legacy. It’s a philosophy that began with the extraordinary generosity of our founder, Elisha D. Smith,” Drees said. “Today, a fundamental tenet of our shareholders and our company is to continue that tradition of philanthropy. In our 175th year of business, we couldn’t think of a more fitting and worthy celebratory activity than to honor our milestone by supporting our community.”
Through the company’s philanthropic arm, Menasha Corporation Foundation, the following Fox Valley organizations were chosen as grant recipients:
- Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services
- Elisha D. Smith Public Library
- Trout Museum of Art
- Jefferson Park in Menasha
The four grant recipients support causes that fall in the following four areas where Menasha Corporation Foundation focuses its support: Safe & Healthy Citizens, An Educated Society, Community Betterment, and Environmental Sustainability.
The remaining donation dollars will be distributed across all of Menasha Corporation’s locations in the United States and includes $350,000 in honor of the company’s anniversary and approximately $2 million in typical annual donations.
“We are incredibly honored to be recognized by both cities of Menasha and Neenah with the proclamations presented today,” Drees said. “Our roots are here in the Fox Valley. Our partnership with Menasha and Neenah enriches our community. These proclamations demonstrate our commitment to supporting these two communities for years to come.”
Awarded Manufacturer of the Year in 2024 by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, Menasha Corporation is the third oldest continuously operating company in Wisconsin and the 76th oldest family business in America. Today, it employs more than 7,800 people in 108 facilities throughout North America and Europe. Headquartered in Neenah, Menasha Corporation employs more than 1,500 employees in 12 facilities throughout the state of Wisconsin.
See the full overview of ORBIS Corporation’s reusable packaging systems.
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
