Waunakee Neighborhood Connection

Welcome to Waunakee Neighborhood Connection (WNC) for the 2010-2011 school year. Whether a returning client or coming to WNC for the first time, we will do our best to serve and assist you as we are able. The following contains information about our mission, services, policies and procedures.   Download copies in  English or Espanol here.

2010-2011 WNC Policies & Procedures

Waunakee Neighborhood Connection (WNC) Mission:  To help improve and create a difference in the lives of our Greater Waunakee Area Neighbors by making connections to distribute resources to those in need in a manner which blesses and enhances our entire community.

To ensure we are able to accomplish this mission and serve all of you with respect, fairness, compassion, kindness and confidentially, the following policies and procedures are in place and need to be followed by all clients.

1) Residency
To receive services from WNC, clients must either live in the Waunakee School District which includes parts of the surrounding communities of Westport, Dane, Springfield, Vienna, Windsor and Madison, or live in the village of Dane. Upon registering, clients may be asked to provide proof of residency. Registering for our services and programs is simple. A WNC volunteer will work with you to fill out a registration form which will provide us with your contact information as well as household member information.

2) Frequency & Days for Shopping                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  You are eligible to visit the WNC Store for the purpose of shopping one time a month, and only on specific “Client Shopping Days”. During the school year, client shopping days are usually the first Monday evening (5-7pm), the third Wednesday (10am-1pm), and the last Monday (8:30am-12:30pm). However, these change due to holidays, school closings, and volunteer scheduling. Please read your calendar in your client newsletter (received every 2-3 months) or the calendar on our website to find shopping days for the current month. All client shopping days are marked in yellow on the calendar. Please do NOT come to shop on volunteer days.

Items at the WNC Store that you can receive free of charge include: clothing, diapers, laundry soap, toys, books, bedding and other items we may have received from donors. By limiting your visits to the store for the purposes of shopping to one visit per month, we ensure that every client has plenty of items to choose from every time they visit. It also guarantees we have enough volunteers available to serve you during your visit.

3) Parking at Store
We need to keep parking close to the store reserved for our elderly and disabled clients. When coming to shop at the Store, please park at the end of the building. You may drop-off family members, who need assistance at the door before parking. You may also pull back up next to the store when loading larger items from the store. There are no exceptions. If not followed, you will be asked to move your vehicle.

4) Check-in At Every Store Visit
When you get to the store, and BEFORE you start shopping, you must check-in with the volunteer at the desk. Even if there is a line, please wait your turn instead of starting to shop. We need to check you in properly to ensure we get your updated information, and you receive the appropriate form for shopping. Please remind the person checking you in if someone in your household is having a birthday during the current month.  

5) Keeping Information Current
It is critical that you keep your information current with WNC at all times. This allows us to be able to operate effectively when trying to serve you. Please make sure to update the following information:

a. Contact Information - without accurate addresses, phone numbers and/or email addresses, we are unable to contact you to help you when you need it. Please contact us whenever this information changes.

b. Needs List - We maintain a needs list for each client, for items you need that are not at the store such as furniture or appliances. Please ensure your needs list is updated each time you check-in at the WNC Store. You may write down any new needs on the back of your store form. If you receive a previously requested item or no longer need it, please update your “needs list” to reflect as such. This is important because we work diligently with our donors to find the items on your needs list. It causes extra work when you don’t keep your needs list updated.

When a WNC volunteer contacts you about receiving your needs list item, you must pick it up at the Store within two weeks. If we do not hear from you within two weeks, your item will no longer be available and you will no longer be eligible to receive that item for up to a year. Don’t forget to keep your contact information current with us – you could miss out on items you really need!

c. Birth dates - we use the birthdates you provide for you and your family members to verify your eligibility to receive a birthday gift at a specific Store visit and to send birthday cards.

During the month of you or your family member’s birthday, stop by the Store to pick a birthday present from our supply of new items. Your birthday gift can only be picked up during your birthday month so watch the calendar for open Store hours that month.

d. Number of Children in Diapers – please let us know if you have more children or if your children no longer need diapers, so that we can ensure that we have diapers for everyone when you need them.

6) Limited Quantity Items
We will continue to give laundry soap and toiletries every other month (i.e. September is a toiletry and October is laundry soap). Remember that you must be at the store during the month they are given out. You cannot store up a credit or receive quantities for months missed. Please note the quantities you are limited to below. Our inventory of the items below is dependent on donations. There is no guarantee we will have stock available at the time you shop.

a. Toiletries – 1 item (ex: toilet paper, tooth paste, soap, shampoo) 6 times a year
b. Laundry Soap – 1 container 6 times a year
c. Diapers - 1 package per child per month – based on the number of children in diapers living in your household at time of registration. When the number of children in diapers changes in your family, please provide updated information at the Store so appropriate quantities can be provided to you. You cannot receive diapers for children not living in your household (i.e. grandchildren who come to visit, etc.).
d. Bedding - 2 comforters/4 sheet sets per year per family.

7) Taking Items for Your Household Only
When shopping, please only take items for members of your household. If you have family or friends in need in the Waunakee area that are not in your household, please have them come in and register to get the items they need. This ensures that all clients get an opportunity to shop.

8) Checking-Out at the Store
The following things need to be done at the end of your shopping visit each month.

a. Provide your store form to the volunteer at the desk who will review your form to make sure that we can read your needs list items, that you understood the form and found a place to mark all of your items, and finally that you provided us quantities of the items you took. Please remember to put numbers or tick marks beside the items you took and not check marks or “X’s”. We will ask you to change the check marks and “X”‘s to numbers.

Please do not try to hide items or skip out on filling quantities. We are NOT using this information to monitor you. This information is only seen by our data entry volunteer, and then is used without names to provide important statistics for donors and when we apply for grants to get funding to keep WNC going. We know this feels like “extra paperwork” and that you do not see the benefit directly, but let us assure you that for WNC to continue to serve you, we need your help in this area to get the funding we need to stay open.

 b.  Remind the volunteer if you or someone in your family has a birthday during the month and collect a special birthday gift.

c.  Collect either a container of laundry soap or a toiletry and diapers, if applicable.

9) Kindness & Courtesy at the Store
While at the Store, please treat everyone with kindness and respect. Also, please help us keep the aisles clean and easy to walk through, something especially critical for our elderly and handicapped clients. If your children want to play with the toys when they come, that is fine. We ask that you help your children pick up after themselves before you leave the store.

10) No Reselling or Redistribution of Items
Under no circumstance is reselling or redistribution of items received from WNC allowed. This is unfair to those who really need the items that you took and discourages our donors from continuing to help us. Anyone found abusing this policy will be immediately banned from using any WNC services.

11) Volunteering Encouraged
We are strongly recommending that you/your family volunteer 15 hours over the course of this year (September 2010-August 2011). This is a wonderful way for you to give back to WNC for all the many programs which we provide to you throughout the year – including the free Store! Each month as you come in to shop at the Store, a list will be available for you/your family to sign up for volunteer opportunities. These will include: working at the Store, maintaining the Store bathroom, school supply projects, Super Bowl – selling raffle tickets/helping at event, delivering furniture, working a shift at WaunaFest, etc.

12) Client Newsletters & Email Addresses
The client newsletter is sent out every 3 months and contains critical information on changes to these policies, upcoming special programs, and current calendars. It is important that you take the time to read the entire newsletter each time it comes out to ensure you don’t miss out on important information, registration deadlines or program opportunities. Please note, that for those who participate in the Christmas and Easter meal programs, you will receive your newsletter in those meals and will NOT be mailed a separate copy. Please look for your newsletter in your meal and keep track of it. If you misplace your newsletter, you can find another copy on our website or pick up another copy at the store.

Starting this year, all clients who have email addresses will receive their newsletters via email ONLY. This is to help in reducing printing and mailing costs. If you do not have an email address and would like to get one free, there are numerous free email providers such as Yahoo, Gmail, and others. You can also use the computers at the Waunakee Library to access the Internet.

You can benefit by keeping your email current with us too! We use the client email list to notify clients of any special or time critical items that we receive.

13) Contacting Us and Respect of Volunteers
All of our volunteers love to serve and help you. In addition to volunteering at WNC, they need time for their own families, work and lives. We ask that you please recognize and respect their private time at home. Please do not use any personal email address or phone number you may have for WNC volunteers.

To contact us, please email us at moc.cneekanuawnull@ofni or call us at (608) 849-5740. The WNC phone is located at the store and has voice mail capabilities. We promise to respond to your questions and requests as soon as we can. If you have general questions, such as Store hours, before you contact us, please review the store calendar in your current newsletter or visit our website at www.WaunakeeNeighborhoodConnection.com .

If you are in need of services WNC does not provide, please use the WNC Resources Directory provided to you to find and reach the appropriate community, county or state service. If you have an emergency need for services, please dial 2-1-1 to reach the United Way Contact Program. The 2-1-1 operators have emergency contact information for many organizations including WNC.

We appreciate your cooperation in following these policies and procedures. Doing so will ensure that WNC is providing you and our community with the best possible service for years to come.