In the News

This is the 17th year for WSAW/WZAW's annual fund raiser and food drive for The Neighbors' Place, Salvation Army and other food pantries.

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) -- The Neighbor's Place food pantry’s annual "Empty Bowls" fundraiser filled Wausau West High School Saturday.

WAUSAU, Wis. (WZAW) -- Empty Bowls is an annual event to fight hunger in communities across the country and right here in our own back yard. It's happening this Saturday, November 23.

WAUSAU, Wis. (WAOW)– The Wausau Police Department Benefit Association made a donation to a local food pantry.

Ask Tom Rau, soon to retire from his 18-year stint as director of The Neighbors’ Place, what the most challenging things have been about the job and his voice trails off. Ask about the most rewarding things and prepare to kiss 10 minutes goodbye.

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) -- People in Wausau got their hands dirty building pottery Saturday at the Boys and Girls Club of the Wausau Area.

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW)-- CommUnity fest brought hundreds to Marathon Park today in support of the Neighbor's Place food pantry.

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) -- A community center that fulfills various needs in the Wausau area is reminding people the items they collect must be gently used. According to a post on the the Neighbors' Place Facebook page, Monday morning staff arrived to find a large pile of dirty and broken furniture at their loading dock.

Wausau, Wis. (WSAW) -- A decades long partnership between the postal service along with The Salvation Army and the Neighbors Place is back for its 27th year. The food drive is called Stamp Out Hunger. It is the country's largest one day food drive. It's on happening on May 11th.

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) -- The Family Radio Network's 27th annual 'help for the Homeless' Hygiene Drive is now underway, and you can help families in Marathon Co. by donating different personal care products. Starting Sunday, the drive kicks off to collect hygiene items to be distributed to different Marathon Co. programs that help families in need.

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) -- Walter John Chilsen was a decorated lieutenant with the United States Army Air Force during World War II, the first news anchor and news director of NewsChannel 7, a six-term state senator, a husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather.

"$97,540," says Todd Nicklaus from the River Valley Bank, announcing the total to bring the 2018 edition of Share Your Holidays to a close. That beats last year's previous record of $95-thousand dollars.

WAUSAU, Wis (WSAW) -- On Saturday the Neighbors’ Place, a non-profit food pantry and food bank, held its annual Empty Bowls fundraising event at Wausau West High School. “We live in a very generous community,” stated Tom Rau, Executive Director of the Neighbors’ Place. “Today’s fundraiser has been outstanding. We had a tremendous turnout.” More than 100 people participated in the silent auctions and raffles. All of the proceeds raised will go to support the food pantry and food bank at the Neighbor’s Place.

MARATHON COUNTY, Wis. (WSAW) -- It's an unseen problem in many of our communities, homelessness and hunger. The United Way of Marathon County is helping to change that. On Friday the United Way of Marathon County gave community leaders a bus tour of local shelters and food pantries to highlight the importance of these resources and inform the community about what is out there for help.

Two high school volleyball teams faced off in a non-conference charity game Thursday night. DC Everest hosted Newman Catholic to raise money for the Neighbors’ Place. It was the second annual Volley For Our Neighbors event. Last year the event raised over $6,000. Organizers say the results were very unexpected and exciting.

As she gets ready to start college in the fall, we sit down and talk with Peyton Medick, the founder of Peyton's Promise. A major charity force in Marathon County, which collected tons of food for food banks over the last ten years. She was just eight years old when it all began. This is what she told us. "As an 8 year old my family and I were sitting in our living room watching the news and there was a story about a little boy and he did not know what the three meals of the day were. We did a little food drive at my elementary school that collected about 300-bags of food."