The History of Be Well Waupaca County

Be Well Waupaca County (originally Living the Waupaca Way) began as a response to a growing concern: obesity had surfaced as a top community health priority in the Waupaca County Community Health Needs Assessment, conducted every three years. The ThedaCare Waupaca Community Health Action Team (CHAT) approved obesity as a priority and chose it as the focus of the 2015 "Plunge.”

Learn more about ThedaCare’s CHAT here.

The 2015 Obesity Plunge included:

• A presentation by an internal medicine physician

• Grocery store scavenger hunt

• Local farm tour

• Asset and gap mapping

• Formation of an action group

Community members identified several key challenges:

• Lack of knowledge on what is healthy

• Can’t make people eat healthy

• People don’t know how to prepare healthy food so avoid it

• Soda machines are everywhere

• Ability to buy unhealthy foods in government programs

• Misconception about cost of eating healthy

• Rewarding with unhealthy foods

• Lack of access to healthy fresh foods in the winter

• Healthy food that’s fast – how to prepare

• EBT machines at Farmer’s Markets

During this time, the group grew into the Living the Waupaca Way Coalition. The Coalition’s focus was developing community events and initiatives including:

• Superhero Fun Run

• Community Garden 

• Waupaca Farmers Market 

• Development of Waupaca County Hunger Network 

• Holiday Food Bundles 

• Nutritious Choices at Community Events

In 2023, the coalition expanded its focus to include social connection and belonging, merging with the You Belong action team, which had emerged following the Social Connections CHAT Plunge in 2019.
To reflect and accomplish its broader mission, the coalition re-organized and officially adopted the name Be Well Waupaca County.

Due to its growth and increasing complexity, the Waupaca Farmers Market, formerly a Be Well subcommittee, transitioned into an independent nonprofit organization, enabling both groups to better serve the community. 

The Connecting Waupaca County Communities (CWCC) committee, a subgroup of Be Well Waupaca County, hosted its first-ever Resource Fair. 

The event featured 34 organizations offering a wide range of services, along with fresh produce distribution, free family photos, haircuts, and vaccination clinics. This resource fair provided vital access to health and social services for many families in our rural county who might not otherwise be aware of available supports. The positive feedback highlighted the event’s impact and value, and CWCC looks forward to building on this success to connect even more community members with the resources they need in future fairs. 

The Waupaca County Hunger Network, a subcommittee of Be Well, also hosted their first Food Justice Exhibit at the Waupaca Library. With nearly 11% of Waupaca County residents experiencing food insecurity and 19.5% of children in Wisconsin affected statewide, the exhibit provided important information and resources to help community members understand the issue and explore ways to contribute to lasting solutions. 

• Established our first official board and held our inaugural board meeting

• Secured nonprofit status as a 501(c)(3)!