OUR COMMUNITY
Community Feature Archives
Learn about the events, nonprofits, and projects from our past community features. To read our current community feature, click here.
April 2023: Hmong Heritage Month
April is Hmong Heritage Month! To celebrate the depth and breadth of Hmong culture and history in Eau Claire and globally, please consider attending one of the many remarkable events below.
The Eau Claire Hmong Heritage Month logo was designed by Peevxwm Lauj.
April 10: Meet and Greet Event (Critical Hmong Studies Resource Center)
4–6 p.m. | Room 2138 of Vicki Lord Larson Hall (UW-Eau Claire)
April 13: Mason Her Qeej Performance (NCUR Conference)
4:30–5:30 p.m. | Schofield Auditorium of Schofield Hall (UW-Eau Claire)
April 21 & 22: Los Tsev (Home): Cia Siab, WI (special exhibit)
12–5:30 p.m. | L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library
This showcase comes from a grassroots collective of Hmong American scholars, advocates, organizers, artists, and community members from across the state of Wisconsin. For more information about this exhibit, please visit https://lephillips.librarycalendar.com/event/los-tsev-home-cia-siab-wi-special-exhibit.
April 24: ECASD Hmong Club’s Hmong Heritage Month Event
5–8 p.m. | North High School
“Please join us… to celebrate and learn more about Hmong culture and appreciation of Hmong Youth Community.”
April 26: Hmong Banquet
5–7 p.m. | Dakota and Alumni rooms of Davies Center (UW-Eau Claire)
April 28: Hmong Heritage Month Gala
5–11 p.m. | The Lismore Hotel
Hosted by Black & Brown Womyn Power Coalition, the gala aims “to bring together communities in the Chippewa Valley area to build and create relationships with Hmong families and each other, [to] honor the achievements of the collective Hmong community, and to celebrate the diversity that the Hmong culture brings to this area.” See https://www.facebook.com/blackandbrownwomynpowercoalition/photos/a.371226440304507/1372552803505194/ or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hmoob-heritage-month-gala-tickets-577746263627 for more information.
April 26: Hmong Banquet
5–7 p.m. | Dakota and Alumni rooms of Davies Center (UW-Eau Claire)
April 28: Hmong Heritage Month Gala
5–11 p.m. | The Lismore Hotel
Hosted by Black & Brown Womyn Power Coalition, the gala aims “to bring together communities in the Chippewa Valley area to build and create relationships with Hmong families and each other, [to] honor the achievements of the collective Hmong community, and to celebrate the diversity that the Hmong culture brings to this area.” See https://www.facebook.com/blackandbrownwomynpowercoalition/photos/a.371226440304507/1372552803505194/ or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hmoob-heritage-month-gala-tickets-577746263627 for more information.
April 29: Hmonger Games (UW-Eau Claire Hmong Living Community)
UW-Eau Claire
You can find information about Hmong Heritage Month events at UW-Eau Claire at https://www.uwec.edu/news/news/uw-eau-claire-schedules-hmong-heritage-month-events-5679/.
March 2023: Black History Month Gala
In honor of Black History Month, Pablo Foundation sponsored the inaugural Black History Month Gala, which was a result of the collaborative efforts of Black & Brown Womyn Power Coalition, Power Up Eau Claire, and Power of Perception. This celebration of Black history and culture included a keynote speech by Anthony Wallace as well as a cocktail hour, dinner, speakers, performances, a silent auction, music, and dancing.
Photos used with permission of FILMTROVERSE Productions
We are thankful to have been able to connect in person with so many of our non-profit partners, table guests, and community leaders at this inspirational event and look forward to a tradition of celebrating Blackness in our community and world.
February 2023: Dr. Jelani Cobb Lecture
Eminent scholar Dr. Jelani Cobb will present “The Half-Life of Freedom: Race and Justice in America Today” on Wednesday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Ojibwa Ballroom of UWEC’s Davies Center.
Per UWEC’s events page, "Jelani Cobb is a staff writer at The New Yorker, writing on race, history, justice, politics, and democracy, as well as Columbia University’s Ira A. Lipman Professor of Journalism and Dean of Columbia Journalism School. He recently co-edited The Matter of Black Lives, a collection of The New Yorker’s most ground-breaking writing on Black history and culture in America, featuring the work of legendary writers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison.”
Sponsored in part by Pablo Foundation, this Martin Mogensen Education Lecture (rescheduled from last fall) is presented as a special event of The Forum and Racing Toward Justice series. Please reserve your free in-person or virtual tickets in advance by visiting uwec.ly/tickets.
January 2023: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
“She read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live.” - Annie Dillard
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has partnered with the Family Resource Center to bring a free book each and every month to children from birth to age five. Serving Eau Claire and Dunn Counties, this program helps kids thrive and helps improve kindergarten readiness.
With the support of Pablo Foundation and community members’ donations, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library stands to make a profound difference in our youngest neighbors’ lives.
Consider giving your own gift of any amount at www.frcec.org/dpil.
December 2022: Children's Museum of Eau Claire
Pablo Foundation was thrilled to tour the nearly completed Children’s Museum of Eau Claire. Their thoughtful planning has lead to a powerfully connective place to play and learn for kids, and we felt privileged to get a preview.
The new Children’s Museum of Eau Claire approaches kids’ experience holistically, from mind to body to community, and their expanded programming and carbon-neutral environmental impact will help strengthen Eau Claire.
In addition to purchasing day passes, families can also become members of the children’s museum, and memberships can even be purchased as gifts. To learn more, visit www.childrensmuseumec.com.
November 2022: Feed My People Food Bank
Our executive director, MaiVue Xiong, and our grants and communications administrator, Zach Schultz-Bates, visited Feed My People Food Bank in mid-November to see their nearly-completed Hunger Action Center (which won grant funding from Pablo Foundation) and brainstorm with a few of their dedicated and passionate staff members.
Partnering with organizations like Feed My People Food Bank helps move our community toward sustainable long-term solutions to some of our most pressing challenges.
Visit their website at www.fmpfoodbank.org to learn more about how you can help make a difference.
October 2022: Menomonie Market Food Co-op
At the mid-October groundbreaking ceremony for Menomonie Market Food Co-op’s forthcoming 14,000 square-foot store on the corner of North Barstow and Galloway, the folks who gathered expressed a strong and passionate sense of community.
MMFC General Manager Crystal Halvorson celebrated the history of the Market and this expansion project, which will greatly increase the Market’s capacity to positively impact Eau Claire since merging with Just Local Food in 2021.
The Pablo Foundation is a proud Menomonie Market Food Co-op member and is excited to be part of the exciting changes MMFC will be bringing to our community. We invite you to join us in this journey by also becoming a co-op member!
September 2022: HERE Conference
The Pablo Foundation is proud to have sponsored the first HMong Economic Advancement, Research, and Equity (HERE) Conference.
Hosted by HMong American Leadership & Economic Development (HALED), the HERE Conference was held in September 2022 at the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire, WI.
The conference provided attendees from around the country with networking opportunities, entrepreneurial tools, and engaging discussions to foster participants’ professional development.
With 18 workshops, roundtables, and keynotes across six breakout sessions, the first two days of the conference connected participants with each other, with mentors, and with resources and concluded with a banquet.
The summit featured research findings, a summit panel discussion, and breakout groups, culminating in planning actions and timelines for growth.
The HERE Conference was supported by organizations across Wisconsin and the nation.
Learn more at www.hmongamericanled.org.
August 2022: Hike for the Homeless
Pablo Foundation is a proud sponsor of the 19th annual Hike for the Homeless, which was held on August 16, 2022.
Hike for the Homeless benefits Beacon House Family Shelter in Eau Claire. In 2021, Beacon House provided:
-
Emergency shelter, meals, and hospitality to 34 families with children
-
4,346 nights of shelter
-
Case management to support families transitioning from homelessness to maintain independent housing
-
Home furnishings for 10 families
-
13,038 meals
-
1,742 volunteer hours
To learn more about Family Promise and Beacon House, click here.