The Wasatch Community Foundation has been serving the Heber Valley for 24 years. Director Jackie Misiak said the organization focuses on five different areas: health, education, recreation, arts and human services.
The foundation partners and collaborates with other nonprofits in the valley to identify gaps to fill. For example, Misiak said the foundation helps stock local food banks to make sure they’re never empty.
“They get a lot of donated food around the holidays, but what about August and July? There was a gap in the flow of food, yet there's no gap in the need,” she said. “So Wasatch Community Foundation’s human services pillar helped develop a program to leverage and coordinate neighborhoods in our community to take turns donating food.”
The foundation’s human services program also has programs to teach community members how to better manage their finances so they might not need to rely on a food bank.
However, Misiak said over the last year there has been a significant increase in needs as the community grows.
“In some cases, we see some of our partners and some of our organizations who provide services, they'll be fine for one year, but maybe the next year, they see an influx of people who have a need.”
The foundation also came to the rescue for some Wasatch High School students who wanted to join the Wasps’ mountain biking team, but couldn’t afford the required equipment. Misiak said the foundation’s youth recreation program purchased the gear and equipment the students needed.
The foundation also hosts an annual Children’s Health Clinic. Misiak said the program is held in conjunction with the Wasatch County Health Department every September to provide services to uninsured youth.
Doctors, dentists and other professional providers come together in one place so local kids can get hearing and dental checks, medical exams and health assessments.
“The key thing is the follow-up. So in this, you identify kids who have impacted molars, kids that need a little extra help for anxiety, or we've seen that where they need a heart exam,” Misiak said. “That follow-up work that's important to actually change their lives, is what Wasatch Community Foundation usually provides the funding to support those follow-up activities.”
The foundation has long relied on donor contributions to fund its efforts. However, to meet increasing needs, the foundation will hold its first fundraiser: a masquerade ball on Thursday, Oct. 10.
The ball is at the Homestead Resort in Midway and runs from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Misiak said masks are not required, but she encourages the community to dress up.
Tickets are $150. Misiak said all proceeds directly benefit the foundation’s programs. The goal is to raise $150,000.
