One Heartland (Milwaukee office, 500 W. Silver Spring Drive, Suite K-200, Glendale), founded by Neil Willenson in 1993 when he was a UW-Madison student, works with youth and families that are socially isolated and facing significant health issues. Its eight camp programs located across the nation serve children and families challenged by HIV/AIDS, homelessness, transitional living and Type 2 diabetes, as well as youth that identify as LGBTQ. One specific camp available is the OneFutures Youth Retreat and Conference, in which 16- to 22-year-olds impacted by HIV/AIDS are paired with mentors to co-create life goals and an effective plan to reach those goals. The camps are provided at low or no cost to campers and families, and are made possible by the 400 dedicated year-round volunteers and 12 year-round staff members.
“Volunteers are One Heartland’s backbone and we are always trying to expand our volunteer opportunities,” says Patrick Kindler, executive director of One Heartland. “There is no way we could do what we do without their help in programming, fundraising, public relations, marketing and everything else. Milwaukee has been a big supporter of One Heartland. We love the state of Wisconsin—it’s our home.”
Currently the nonprofit is seeking gift cards from Target, Walmart or any similar stores, and art supplies. Updated volunteer opportunities will be available on the website in November and camp registration starts in December. For more information about One Heartland, visit oneheartland.org or call 414-272-1118.
