Ramaker is proud to announce that our annual 12 Days of Giving event is back for 2024! Our employee-owners are passionate about giving back to the communities in which we live and work, and we’ve decided to kick off this years’ campaign on December 3^rd in honor of Giving Tuesday.

Every year, #GivingTuesday is a global effort that occurs on the Tuesday following the consumer-focused weekend of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to bring awareness to causes and organizations within local communities and to give back through donations, volunteering, and more.

About Ramaker’s 12 Days of Giving

Ramaker’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) committee instituted the company’s ‘12 Days of Giving’ in 2020. Over a 12-day span in December, the company will donate to organizations that our employee-owners hold close to their hearts. Through these contributions, the company aims to highlight local organizations with a variety of missions and investments—including addressing food and housing insecurity, mental health, and community services—and to make sure they have the resources they need for the 2024 holiday season and beyond.

Contributions for this year’s 12 Days of Giving will be announced between December 3rd and December 18th on this post, as well as on Ramaker’s LinkedIn and Facebook pages Check back every day to see which organization we are highlighting and supporting!

2024 Donations

Day 1

We begin our 12 Days of Giving campaign by supporting Energy Services Inc. (ESI), an organization that has been preventing life-threatening energy-related crises in Wisconsin communities for over four decades. Born from a community’s response to tragic losses in Dane County, ESI now serves as a national model for comprehensive energy assistance programs. Their work touches the lives of more than 267,000 vulnerable households annually, providing crucial support to elderly residents, people with disabilities, and working families with young children.

Day 2

Ramaker is dedicated to supporting childhood joy during the holiday season, so we’re proud to contribute to Marine Toys for Tots. This organization’s mission ensures that every child experiences the magic of the holidays through the gift of a new toy, sending a message of hope to our community’s youngest members. Since 1947, they have distributed 627 million toys to over 281 million children, with 97% of donations going directly to their mission. Through local campaigns in communities across America, they unite citizens in a common cause and deliver a message that no child should be forgotten.

Day 3

Today, we support 6:8 Sauk Prairie Food Pantry, an organization making service personal in our community. Their work goes beyond providing food – they create connections and restore dignity to our neighbors in need through a wide range of support services. Their “Making Service Personal” approach transforms traditional charity into relationship-building opportunities, fostering genuine connections between volunteers and those they serve. Through their backpack program, mobile food pantry, and emergency assistance initiatives, they address both immediate needs and long-term food security challenges.

Day 4

Clean Lakes Alliance receives our support today for their vital work in protecting and improving our local waterways. Their efforts ensure that our community’s natural resources remain vibrant for generations to come. Through their comprehensive watershed approach, they coordinate projects that reduce phosphorus pollution, monitor water quality at over 70 near-shore locations, and engage thousands of community members in hands-on lake protection activities. Their work has led to measurable improvements in water clarity and reduced algal blooms in our lakes.

Day 5

We’re reaching out to rural communities through our support of Elcho Area Community Food Pantry. Their work ensures that geographic location never becomes a barrier to accessing essential nutrition. Operating under the Feed Our Rural Kids (FORK) initiative, they specifically address the unique challenges faced by families in northern Wisconsin’s rural communities, where food insecurity often goes unseen. Their programs include nutritional education and mobile pantry services that reach isolated households.

Day 6

We Got Your Back demonstrates how local action can have global impact. Their mission to provide fully equipped backpacks to underprivileged children across the Americas opens doors to education and opportunity. Each backpack is thoughtfully filled with grade-appropriate school supplies, ensuring students have the tools they need to succeed academically. Their sustainable model includes partnerships with local schools and organizations to identify students in greatest need, while maintaining dignity through their distribution process.

Day 7

Today’s donation supports the Brownton, MN Fire Department, where one of our own employee-owners has volunteered for years. Their dedication to community safety and emergency response exemplifies the spirit of local service. This volunteer department serves as a crucial lifeline for their rural community, providing not only emergency response but also fire prevention education and community safety programs. Their commitment to continuous training and equipment modernization ensures they can meet evolving emergency response challenges.

Day 8

Operation Fresh Start empowers youth through education, mentoring, and employment training. Their multi-faceted approach builds both skills and confidence, creating lasting positive change in young lives. Through their Construction and Conservation Skills Training program, participants not only learn valuable trade skills but also contribute to affordable housing initiatives and environmental conservation projects. Their support services includes mental health resources, academic instruction, and career coaching, resulting in serving over 8,000 young people  since their founding.

Day 9

Neighbors Helping Neighbors in Mt. Horeb embodies the essence of community support. Their dedication to meeting essential needs demonstrates how local organizations can create powerful positive change. Last year alone, they served over 3,000 households through their food pantry, clothing closet, and emergency assistance programs. Their “neighbor-to-neighbor” model ensures that help comes with dignity and personal connection, strengthening community bonds while meeting immediate needs.

Day 10

Mentoring Positives creates transformative opportunities for youth in Madison’s Darbo-Worthington Park neighborhood. Their focus on leadership development and social entrepreneurship builds stronger futures for our community’s next generation. Through their Off the Block program, young people learn business skills while producing and marketing their own salsa and pizza products. This practical experience in social entrepreneurship has helped countless youth develop professional skills while generating sustainable community impact.

Day 11

The Community Food Pantry of Spring Green stands as a crucial resource in rural Wisconsin. Their work ensures that our neighbors have reliable access to nutritious food, regardless of circumstances. Beyond traditional food distribution, they partner with local farmers and grocers to provide fresh, locally-sourced produce and maintain a teaching kitchen where families learn to prepare healthy meals. Their “choice” pantry model allows clients to select their own food items, promoting dignity and reducing waste.

Day 12

We conclude our giving campaign with Sun Prairie Food Pantry, whose thorough approach to food security creates lasting positive change in their community. Their work reminds us that strong communities are built on the foundation of meeting essential needs. Operating under the Sunshine Place umbrella of services, they integrate food assistance with other crucial support services including housing assistance, employment resources, and health care access. Their collaborative approach ensures that families receive coordinated support to address both immediate needs and long-term stability.

About Ramaker’s CSR

Ramaker’s CSR committee partners with organizations that positively impact the places where the company’s employee-owners live and work. Since Ramaker is an employee-owned company, donations made by the CSR committee are not tax-deductible. Funds are distributed to benefit organizations in need, not to increase the company’s bottom line.

Are you involved with a local organization? We’d love to hear more about how you’re helping your community. Email csr@ramaker.com to get in touch with Ramaker’s CSR committee.