Church Mutual to provide $100,000 in funding

Thanks to a major funding commitment from Church Mutual Insurance Company of Merrill, a new after school program will be available for Prairie River Middle School (PRMS) students starting this fall.
The Boys & Girls Club (BGC) of the Wausau Area has committed to working with Merrill Area Public Schools (MAPS) to launch the Boys & Girls Club of Merrill—Prairie River Pilot Program for the 2022-2023 school year, which could transition to a permanent site in 2023-2024.
Church Mutual will provide $100,000 in funding for the program over the next two years. Church Mutual President and CEO Rich Poirier is a strong supporter of the program and a member of the Wausau club’s Board.
“Church Mutual is proud to be the cornerstone investor in this program to benefit Merrill children and families,” Poirier said. “This investment underscores Church Mutual’s commitment to education and to the Merrill community. It seems especially appropriate to launch the program this year, when we are celebrating our 125th anniversary and our deep roots in Merrill, a city we proudly call home.”
Kim Larsen, Chief Operating Officer of the BGC Wausau Area, expressed thanks to Church Mutual and Poirier for the initial investment.
“We are grateful to Church Mutual Insurance Company for the significant founding investment to make the site possible,” Larsen said. “Rich (Poirier) has been one of the single biggest advocates of having a site in Merrill. He sees what this means for Merrill, including Church Mutual employees who have children in the district.”
Matt Jameson, Chief Executive Officer of the BGC Wausau Area, highlighted the necessity to obtain and grow continued investment and community support to permanently establish the school site at PRMS.
“I appreciate Rich’s belief and Church Mutual’s leadership on this pilot program,” Jameson said. “Getting the project launched this fall will allow investors to visit the site, see the impact, learn about the outcomes, and build long-term sustainable investment.”
The discussion of bringing the Boys & Girls Club to Merrill originated about a year ago with the Merrill community action groups, Aware and Active Citizens and the Youth Justice Collaborative Committee, who reached out to BGC Wausau Area. Those discussions connected the Club with now-retired MAPS Superintendent John Sample and led to the proposal for the program at PRMS.
“A lot of people in this community recognized we needed a place for our older students to go after school and be engaged,” Sample said. “We have a responsibility to our students. As a district, we recognized that need and wanted to get involved.”
The Boys & Girls Club of Merrill program will be a partnership between MAPS and the Boys &Girls Club. “This program provides our students with worthwhile activities and something to engage in, and allows for social and emotional growth,” Sample said. “I see the Boys & Girls Club as an extension of their school day.”
Serving grades 5-8, PRMS is an ideal site, Larsen noted, because a primary audience of Boys & Girls Clubs are middle school aged students. With the discontinuation of the After the Bell after school program at PRMS, the timing was right to pursue a pilot club within the school.
The Boys & Girls Club of Merrill—Prairie River Pilot Program will operate from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. on school days. Those are key hours after school when many parents are still at work, Larsen said.
At the PRMS site, the club will provide after school programming, including help with homework and hands-on learning activities. Through Boys & Girls Club, students learn citizenship and life skills, Larsen said.
“The Boys & Girls Club helps young people grow into adults by teaching them to make good choices, gain leadership skills, supporting academic success, encouraging healthy lifestyles, and developing career and workforce skills while giving them a creative outlet and an opportunity to build mentoring relationships with staff and volunteers,” she said. “It goes so far beyond what happens within the four walls of the facility. The benefits can be lasting and life changing.”
According to Larsen, the organization plans to begin hiring lead positions and youth development staff for the Merrill program as soon as possible to allow for opening at the start of the 2022-2023 school year.
“We are looking forward to continuing to build our partnership and collaboration with Merrill Area Public Schools, the students and families of Prairie River Middle School, and the Merrill community,” Larsen said.