Cooperative Agreement NH28CE002980

COMMUNITIES THAT CARE OF MARINETTE AND MENOMINEE COUNTIES - THE COMMUNITIES THAT CARE OF MARINETTE & MENOMINEE COUNTIES COALITION SERVES RESIDENTS OF TWO COUNTIES WITHIN TWO DIFFERENT STATES INCLUDING 12 SCHOOL DISTRICTS. MARINETTE COUNTY, WISCONSIN AND MENOMINEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN ARE BORDERING CITIES SEPARATED BY THE MENOMINEE RIVER. THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA INCLUDES 2,445 SQUARE MILES WITH A COMBINED POPULATION OF 63,356. OUR COMMUNITIES SPAN 75 MILES FROM THE SOUTHERNMOST COMMUNITY TO THE NORTHERNMOST WHICH MAKES US A RELATIVELY CONSERVATIVE, RURAL AREA WITH AN INDUSTRY-BASED ECONOMY. NINETY-SIX PERCENT OF OUR POPULATION IS CAUCASIAN AND PREDOMINANTLY ENGLISH SPEAKING. OTHER RACES INCLUDE A SMALL POPULATION OF AMERICAN INDIANS (6%), AFRICAN AMERICANS (2.4%) AND HISPANICS (4%) IN MENOMINEE COUNTY, AND A SMALL POPULATION OF HISPANICS (1.5%) IN MARINETTE COUNTY. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS ARE PRIMARILY CHRISTIAN, INCLUDING MANY CATHOLICS, LUTHERANS, BAPTISTS AND ASSEMBLY OF GOD FOLLOWERS. THE TOTAL YOUTH POPULATION (AGES 0-17) IN MENOMINEE COUNTY IS 4,181 AND IN MARINETTE COUNTY IS 7,762. THE TWO LARGEST CITIES WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA ARE MARINETTE, WI AND MENOMINEE, MI. ALTHOUGH THEY ARE SEPARATED BY THE MENOMINEE RIVER, THE TWO COMMUNITIES ARE CONSIDERED ONE. WE HAVE NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE TRI-COUNTY UNITED WAY, THE MARINETTE MENOMINEE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE M & M AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION THAT SERVICE BOTH COUNTIES. THE UNIQUENESS OF OUR COMMUNITY EVEN ALLOWS FOR ALL LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS TO WORK TOGETHER TO BETTER SERVE THE CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY. ACCORDING TO THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU IN 2018, MENOMINEE COUNTY REPORTS THAT 11.8% OF ITS RESIDENTS ARE CURRENTLY LIVING IN POVERTY WHICH IS ONLY SLIGHTLY BELOW THE STATE AVERAGE. MARINETTE COUNTY IS OVER THE STATE AVERAGE OF CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY AT 20% ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY HEALTH RANKINGS AND ROADMAPS WEBSITE WHICH CORRELATES WITH THE RECENTLY RISING UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN MARINETTE COUNTY, ACCORDING TO F IGURES RELEASED BY WISCONSIN?S DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN 2017. THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION AND MICHIGAN CENTER OF EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND INFORMATION REPORTS THAT DURING THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR, 41-64% OF THE STUDENT POPULATION AT THE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN MARINETTE AND MENOMINEE COUNTIES PARTICIPATED IN THE FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH PROGRAM.TO GROW UP IN MARINETTE OR MENOMINEE COUNTY IS TO BE RAISED IN AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH ALCOHOL AND OVERINDULGENCE ARE ACCEPTED AS NORMAL. ALCOHOL IS SERVED NOT JUST AT BARS AND RESTAURANTS, BUT ALSO COMMONLY AT GRADUATIONS, FAMILY GATHERINGS, HUNTING CAMPS, CHILDREN?S BIRTHDAY PARTIES, AND MORE. COMMONLY, YOUNG CHILDREN IN THIS AREA GROW UP OBSERVING ALCOHOL ABUSE QUITE FREQUENTLY, AND NATURALLY, MANY TEND TO ACCEPT IT AS NORMAL OR EVEN PARTAKE WITH PARENTS? CONSENT. THERE ARE MANY CONTRADICTING LAWS AND POLICIES SURROUNDING ALCOHOL AND OTHER SUBSTANCE USE WITHIN MINUTES OF EACH OTHER, IN TWO DIFFERENT STATES, AND HAS OUR CHILDREN GROWING UP IN A COMMUNITY WITH MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT SUBSTANCE USE IS ACTUALLY HARMFUL.THIS AREA HAS ALSO SEEN A SURGE IN HEROIN, COCAINE, AND OTHER NARCOTICS, MAKING THEIR WAY FROM AREAS SUCH AS CHICAGO AND MILWAUKEE; POSSIBLY FOR THE SAME GEOGRAPHIC REASONS THAT CAUSED THE AREA TO BE USED BY BOOTLEGGERS DURING PROHIBITION. DURING THE PROHIBITION ERA, MARINETTE COUNTY WAS USED BY BOOTLEGGERS AS A HIDEOUT OR GATEWAY TO OTHER NORTHERN COMMUNITIES. ALCOHOL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND ITS ABUSE, ARE UNFORTUNATELY EMBEDDED IN THE CULTURAL FABRIC OF THE AREA.