Domtar Nekoosa Team Builds Playhouse for Local Head Start Students
Students at Chahk Ha Chee Head Start have a new place to play this winter, thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers from the nearby Domtar Nekoosa Mill.
The project was made possible by the $2K Your Way Grant, a Domtar corporate initiative designed to empower employees to fund and execute community service projects in the towns where the company operates.
For Ginny Johnson, executive assistant and business relations coordinator at the mill, the choice of recipient for this grant was clear.
“I chose Head Start because we have had a relationship with them for several years,” Johnson said. “The kids were so excited and jumping when they saw their new playhouse for the first time. They were thrilled to have a new place to call their own — it was a project of love.”
Johnson emphasized the importance and impact of these grants to organizations like Head Start.
“It is very satisfying from start to finish that Domtar can provide the funds to use in the local community,” Johnson said. “It is huge that we can give back, and these grants are phenomenal.”
The previous playhouse on the school’s playground had fallen into a state of disrepair. After winning the grant last year, Johnson sought help from her colleagues to turn the vision into a reality. Kyle Steele, maintenance and engineering manager at the mill, immediately volunteered to lead the construction.
Steele, whose mother is a director for the county’s Head Start program, grew up witnessing the impact the organization has on families. Because the county program does not cover Native American schools, Steele felt it was particularly important to support Chahk Ha Chee Head Start.
“Head Start is geared toward lower-income families, so some of those kids do not have access to people who can help them,” Steele said. “I spent a lot of time in those schools with my mom and witnessed a lot of the kids in Head Start and what they were going through.
“Any time I get a chance to help those kids, it is important to me and a huge win for all of us. This is very rewarding and one of the best feelings you could think of. Our future is invested in these kids.”
Steele recruited millwright apprentices Carter Jaecks and Ethan Freeman to assist with framing and construction. The team worked in the evenings after their regular shifts, building the structure in sections at Jaecks’ home to simplify transportation.
On Nov. 21, the team, joined by electrical and instrumentation apprentice Danny Gonzalez, assembled the playhouse on-site.
Veronica Rodriguez, center director and lead teacher at Chahk Ha Chee, said the 425-employee mill has been a consistent partner for the school, participating in everything from Earth Week projects and Christmas events to book donations and reading days.
“When the kids saw it, they were screaming with excitement,” Rodriguez said. “It is good for the kids to know there are more people in the community who care about them, other than the teachers and their parents. The kids need to know they are important to others.”
Johnson knows it was a team effort that made the new playhouse a reality.
they built for pre-schoolers.
“This project would not have been possible without the hard work of Kyle, Carter, Ethan and Danny,” Johnson added. “They put many hours into this project, from purchasing supplies, transportation, planning, building and assembling. I cannot thank them enough for making this project come to fruition.”
The project is not finished yet. With remaining grant funds, the team purchased a wagon, a playset and a play kitchen for the interior. This spring, Domtar volunteers will return to the school to add shutters, toys and decorative “frills,” as well as hold an official naming ceremony for the new structure.
“These small towns are incredibly reliant on the mills and what these mills bring to the community,” Steele said. “Anything we can do to support the community is a big win for us.”
Rodriquez agreed.
“With this playground, the kids have something that will last for a while, not only for this year’s kids but those in years to come,” Rodriguez added. “We talk about the importance of community to the kids and how Domtar is so helpful to us. We love to partner with Domtar. Whenever they come to visit with the kids, they always come with smiles on their faces and always offer encouragement to the children. It is a joy to have them here, and the kids love it.”