Inside Omro Area Community Center

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Mark Wenzel at the Omro Area Community Center to learn more about the programs, events, services, and people behind one of Omro’s important community gathering places.

From wellness classes and social activities to facility rentals, volunteer opportunities, community resources, and signature events like Rhubarb Fest, the Omro Area Community Center plays a much bigger role than many people may realize. We talk about how the Center brings people of all ages together, supports local residents, creates opportunities for connection, and continues to serve as a welcoming space for the Omro area.

Whether you’ve attended an event, rented the space, volunteered, or have simply driven past and wondered what happens inside, this episode is a great look at how the Omro Area Community Center helps strengthen our community.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

I guess I want to emphasize we're all in this together, we're working together, and we ever'm brand in Miller.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

The city of Omro has beautiful parks, active organizations, and thriving businesses. In partnership with Future Omro, the Amro Area Community Center, and from sponsorship by Miller Auto. We'd like to welcome you inside OMRO. We're at the OMRO Area Community Center today, talking with Mark Wenzel about the Community Center and their upcoming Rhubarb Festival. Why don't you introduce yourself, uh Mark, and kind of tell everybody who you are, board member of the Community Center?

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Yes, yeah, I'm Mark Wenzel. My name, I'm the pastor here at uh in Grace Lutheran Church in Omro. And uh a few years ago, um how I got involved with the community center is uh Lynn Crumb uh had asked me if I would be willing to serve on the board uh because I was looking at trying to get more involved in the community, uh trying to trying to learn more about the community and get to know people and so on as part of you know being a pastor. And it's been it's been a real blessing for me to uh have have served on the board uh I think since 2023. So it's uh been very interesting. Um learned a lot, learned a lot from the people that are already on the board. Obviously, they are very active, and uh you know it's just kind of neat to uh learn and and grow in that and and in the community.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Yeah, absolutely. We started doing this because we felt that we weren't involved enough in the community and with the construction going on and everything, we thought let's this is kind of one of the ways that we're giving back to the community and talking about the community events, the businesses, and promoting AMRO, you know, as a destination and as a place to live.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Right, right, yeah, definitely. Um, and I think that's the purpose of the community center is obvious obvious, you know, community. We want people to know about AMRO and and uh the area and what we what is offered here and the good things about it, and to uh you know really uh promote that and and be positive. I think that's the key thing is being positive about what we have uh with all the obviously with the businesses and the things that we can bring to people to to share in times together, being together. And I think that's very, very important.

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Yeah, absolutely. So let's talk about the rhubarb festival a little bit. It's this weekend, Saturday the 23rd. Lots of pies, lots of other rhubarb goodies.

SPEAKER_01 2:36

Yep, definitely, and it's a big event, it's a big big fundraiser for our community center, which we we depend on fundraising to help sources. We're a non not-for-profit. Um, but yeah, we have great volunteers that are are part of that, uh, that make the pies. Pick the pick the rhubarb, obviously, that's a big deal. And uh, and then of course uh Pigly Wiggly helps are helping with that as far as make baking the pies. Jodi Jari over there uh is on our board, and she's uh you know very much a uh worker bee, and she loves doing that, uh taking care of that for us, and then making the sale or putting the sale on that Saturday, and and it is a quite an event, and uh we really really like that. So yeah, absolutely it's great for that.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

Yeah, great having so the community donates pretty much all of the rhubarb, community center preps it, if you will. Yep. And then uh Red's Piggly Wiggly uh bakes all the pies, brings them back here, and we deliver and sell.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

That's right. That's awesome. And you got but hopefully you like rhubarb. I know not everybody likes rhubarb, but uh, but uh that's okay because there's a lot of people that love it. So it's yeah, I like it too. Um my wife doesn't care for it too much, but uh it's interesting how that can be. But yeah, it's definitely a a big deal for our community center. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

About how many pies do you do you make and sell?

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Well, the goal is we try to get about 300 sold, but it's usually about 175 or so, and that and that's a pretty good 300 pies is a lot of pies, that is for sure. And uh never underestimate it though, you never know what uh especially again, hopefully this word gets out and coming up, they can come the Saturday and and uh buy them all up. That'd be great. That's yeah, excellent.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

So you've got uh the ambulance services in attendance also.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Yes, yes, they're gonna be here. The new ambulance service for Omro, the uh Southwest Emergency Services ambulance will be here from 10 to noon on Saturday. So that'll be good too.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Awesome. And they're they're gonna have their uh units here so that people can look at them and see what see what everything Yeah, I believe so.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Yeah, I think that's the the purpose of that since well, obviously, since the uh ambulance service from Oshkosh uh no longer serves us, and obviously it's a big need. So yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that'll be good to have that visible visibility for our community.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

What hours do the does the rhubarb festival run?

SPEAKER_01 5:04

Uh runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Yeah, because that's what we usually run it by.

unknown 5:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:10

So the rhubarb festival has been going on for over 20 years, which has really become a staple in the community as an annual event.

SPEAKER_01 5:19

Yes. I think there was one year where we yeah, we I know we didn't do it, I think it was it two years ago, because we were coming over to the new building, and it was just too much going on at the time and and all of that. But other than that, yeah, it's been a big, big event, and we really want to have it because obviously, like I said, it's uh helps our community center for our fundraising, but uh you know, again, it's a staple of the community.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Brings the community together, gives people a place to gather and mingle and talk and enjoy some rhubarb snacks. Yes, yes, definitely. So during the rhubarb festival, there's also going to be pork sandwiches um and other rhubarb treats, if you will, rather other than just just pies.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

Correct, yes, yes. Yeah, that'd be good too, because obviously, especially you don't even have to be quite closer to lunch to have uh a good old pork sandwich, but uh that that's nice to have an addition. So, right.

SPEAKER_00 6:12

Make sure you come down to the rhubarb festival at the uh community center on Saturday and pick up your pies. And for anybody that pre-ordered their pies or wants to pre-order, you can still do pre-orders um and pick up your pre-ordered pies on Saturdays.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

That is correct. You can do that, and that if it makes things easier, that's awesome. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

Yeah, absolutely. So let's talk a little bit about the uh community center and as a whole, if you will, or as an organization. Um, you have a lot of daily events that are reoccur weekly. Yes. Um a lot of great programs for uh all ages, really.

SPEAKER_01 6:50

You know, there yeah, there's always activity here, obviously. You know, groups that come in. There's I know there's an exercise group that's been meeting uh at least every other week. I know my wife's involved with that. But they have um the rooster club, that get group of people that come and gather uh in the mornings for some fellowship and that. Yeah, the coffee coffee clutch. Coffee clutch, that's correct. Yep, yep, and they're here. And again, offering that community aspect, you know, be people being together and uh being able to, you know, just uh enjoy that time and uh in a relaxed atmosphere. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

Then we got the um chair exercises on Mondays. The AMRO community website is super informative, it has the full calendar of events on their website. Um you can pop on and see everything that's happening on there. A lot of good events, right? Uh strong, like strong bodies.

SPEAKER_01 7:47

Yes, that that's a big big thing here, you know, for that. High chi. Yeah, you it's really that's why it's kind of hard to keep it all up and up track of it because there's just so much so much going on.

SPEAKER_00 7:58

Every day there's something going on.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

And that's exactly what we want, right? Because that's you know, that's why we're here. And and that's why it's important for our our you know our our funding, because like I said, we're not a for-profit organization, so we depend a lot on these like the Rubar Fest. Um, we also have coming up on uh June the 1st uh called Cause of the Monday at Vines and Rushes Winery on County E, uh just outside of Ripon. We're nonprofit organizations uh from 4 to 8 p.m. All the food sales uh that are sold during that time, 25% of those sales goes to the nonprofit organizations. So we're really encouraging the community to come out there and enjoy a good uh some good food pizza, um, of course, uh have your glass of wine or beer uh and enjoy again fellowship as well there. And uh so that like I said, that's that's a big big thing there as well. Um, you know, plus we you know plan other events throughout the course of the year where we again towards you know some fun activities. In August, we had our first annual pirate fest, and that seemed to be a good hit. In fact, it was uh kind of fun because we had a dunk tank there, and so willing willing volunteers, including yours truly, uh got this in the dunk tank and was dunked into the water, of course. But that was a that was a fun time, and it was throughout the day. And um, you know, for the first first year, I thought that went really, really well. And uh despite the weather changes a little bit, the we had some storms that rolled in, but um you know that really that was really a nice thing. So uh we have a firecracker raffle that's uh tickets are being sold right now. Um so uh five dollars a ticket.

SPEAKER_00 9:40

So with the firecracker raffle, there's ten individual winners. Each of them are two hundred and fifty dollars, and then that name or that ticket actually gets put back in and has an opportunity to be drawn again. So there's ten winners of two hundred and fifty dollars for that firecracker raffle. Yes, that's a great raffle.

SPEAKER_01 9:58

It is, it is, and should be a good seller. And I know tickets are on sale right now, and check with uh, I think we'll be selling them at the Piggly Wiggly, and and any of our board members will have tickets to sell if they want to reach us and um purchase, and they can purchase as many as they want.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

And the AMRO Community Center is open from 8 30 until 3 Monday through Friday, so they can come in and pick up raffle tickets or come view the beautiful new facility. And when I say new, it's it's they've been here for about three years, but it's uh a wonderful facility that you should come in and and check out.

SPEAKER_01 10:33

It is, yes. And you're right, yeah, that's when they can stop in for that. And and if they haven't, yeah, if you haven't, if you haven't stopped to see it, then you really should, because a lot of hard work that went into it, a lot of uh some consternation at times, wondering if you know what the cost and all that, but uh it's all been a great blessing and it's really worked out well, and uh we're very thankful that we have a place uh and there's a place for people because I know and uh uh the communities that are moved out of their former place, um, you know, wondering what to do next. This you know came came up and uh again all kind of fell into place in due time. So I'm very thankful. So yeah, I think people would have really appreciated, you know, seeing it and uh what we're able to offer in this building.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

Yeah, the facility is absolutely beautiful. And you can rent out the facility also for events for anniversaries, weddings, whatever your your personal event might be.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Yeah, we encourage that if people are looking for a place to uh have their you know uh a grad party or uh or a bridal shower or whatever, uh they considered a community center for that. Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 11:44

Yeah, so a great, great place to to have have your personal event. So the community center is really fueled by the community and by volunteers. As with every organization, there's always volunteer opening. It doesn't have to be like a permanent thing. I mean, you you can volunteer for a specific event or you can volunteer. I saw on the website that they're looking for for somebody that might help with uh keeping up groundswork or what have you. There's a lot of volunteer opportunities. If you're looking for a way to give back to the community, reach out to the community center. And you know, there's probably uh a great volunteer opportunities that would fit right in into somebody's wheels.

SPEAKER_01 12:27

I I don't believe we would turn anyone away who'd want to do something or help out in some way, especially if they bring you know their own gifts to the table for you know, like if you know something needs to be fixed, you know, and um obviously we could pay somebody to do that, but if somebody says, hey, I'd be willing to fix that, and you know, because I'd like to help out and donate that, hey, wonderful, you know, and and or uh like you said, groundskeeping, uh whatever. Um I know we've had a couple people do that already, and that's that's really great. And it I think it makes you you know feel part of, you know, hey, I I've I helped out, you know, it makes you feel good in that. And uh, you know, we're all in this, as we always say, we're all in this together, and it's it's it it benefits everyone, and that's that's a big big thing.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

Yeah, I would imagine that uh moving the facility right on Main Street has helped visibility quite a bit also, and and is gaining some attention that maybe because you were kind of off the beaten path a little bit, right? Um you know previously. Now with the location right on Main Street, I see you got your rhubarb festival flyers or uh signs out front. So it just gets a whole lot more visibility to the organization.

SPEAKER_01 13:42

Yes, and I know with the construction and with Main Street now kind of semi-shut down because of of the Project N21. Um that's why it's called Main Street, right? Everybody, everybody's they go past here, they see it. We have a of course a regular sign that's identifies us as the community centers out there and all of that. And I think that has more well known as with time has gone on, obviously, and we've really tried to promote that and to uh tell them tell people where we're at, and and uh you know it's it seems to be working well that way. And so, but it I just I guess I re-emphasize again the you know, like I said, we depend on it's a nonprofit, so we were very much this board I gotta and and I I'm not speaking for me because I there's a lot of other board members that put a lot more time and other things than I've been able to at times, but it they work very hard at trying to you know keeping that going because they see the the importance of it, and and and so that's why again, any any type of donation by anyone or you know, like you said, with uh physical labor or you know, monetary if they want, you know, that that's so welcomed in that, but um again, because we want to keep this going, we want to keep this momentum and being part of that. And I think if people saw that even more, I think they'd say, Yeah, this is definitely something that's needed for our for our community.

SPEAKER_00 15:06

Absolutely. And if I saw if you go on the website, the community center has made it very easy to do monetary donations as well. They've got a donate page right on there, right? You can do a one-time donation, you can do a monthly donation. Yes. Um, you know, very easy to uh make that small contribution or large contribution without even having to leave your home.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So yeah, very easy to do that, and you know, that's why we say, you know, we welcome it if that they would like to do that.

SPEAKER_00 15:41

So another service that the community center offers is there's programming events that kind of teaches people how to get better at a skill or what have you, they have a a knitting program. If somebody has a talent or knows how to do something that could benefit others, they're always willing to add on new programs as well. So, you know, if somebody maybe is is versed in sewing and sewing machines, they could bring in the sewing machines. Um obviously with planning and have classes on anything that that might be of interest to somebody.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Yeah. Invite them to contact the community center and uh you know to set something up to you know partner in that because that's again would be a a service to the community, you know, or a help to the community. So that definitely would be part of our mission.

SPEAKER_00 16:36

So three years ago we you opened the new community center. Previous to moving to this community center, the financial constraints were a lot less because you didn't have a mortgage so forth. When we moved to this new location, beautiful facility, but now we've got a mortgage that we've got to pay, we've got more expenses that we have to pay. And that kind of hinders what uh it's a necessary evil, um, but it prevents from doing more for the community. So the goal of the community center at this point is to get that mortgage paid down as fast as possible.

SPEAKER_01 17:17

I like to look at it as far as this my my pastor said coming out of me is you know, God uses all things for good, you know, to those who love him. And I think, you know, at the time when we moved from the old the older building, you know, we kind of wondered, you know, what are we going to do? And and definitely that was a blessing where we didn't we didn't have that mortgage, like you said. Um the good thing about here is it is you know now refurbished and like new, and it's our own. However, um with that comes, like you said, a mortgage, and that is something that we certainly want to get paid off as as soon as we possibly can. Because once that's done, what's what'll be really nice is then that frees up so many more opportunities, and uh you know, we can we can expand some services and whatnot and not have to worry about that. So that that would be the blessing in that. So yes, I mean that is uh definitely something that's on our our our hearts and our minds, and we're always thinking about that like anyone who has a mortgage would be whether a home or business. But um, you know, I believe that you know in due time that will take care of itself, and again, that's why um you know, like I said, donations towards that are are certainly welcomed, and while we do events, we do. Um and yet at the same time, the great thing is we can we're still doing things for the community and and offering that. So I think that's what we have to look at is that hey, even they're doing this even with in spite of the mortgage, and they're working that down. And once we get to that zero balance, which will be a great blessing, then let's you know we can really really make things go. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

So, yeah, obviously with mortgage comes expense. Um, and something that somebody may not realize is that all of the programs that the community center put on is not really fundraising. Um, there are partnerships with others that is giving back to the community. Uh their main so the the the recurring programs like the coffee clutch and the rooster and hen club, um chair exercise, all of these are ways that the community center gives back to the community and not fundraising opportunities for them. The fundraising opportunities is really their means besides the monetary donations to to pay that mortgage and other bills that are associated with it.

SPEAKER_01 19:50

Yes, that's correct. And uh, you know, I think that's a very important thing to keep in mind here is that yeah, we're not looking to, you know, every little thing goes and and otherwise if that I think if that were the case, we'd be charging a lot more. And I think that just shows that this is what we're what we're about. And that's why again, we're doing those other uh uh fundraising opportunities too, uh and rentals too. Rentals help towards that. But uh you know, that's that's really what it's for. And then again, that's uh you know, it seems to be working, it's working out. I mean it's sometimes we're you know a little nervous at times, but again, it always seems to come through and and and God is you know, I always say God is good and he's he's done a great thing for us here, I think, and that's what uh trust that it will continue that way and we'll we'll soon uh you know move forward and whatever we can do.

SPEAKER_00 20:43

So yeah, it's amazing all the events that you know you you put together. And really for a nonprofit organization to have a facility that is open from 8 30 to 3 Monday through Friday, that's an accomplishment in itself. And you guys should be really proud of that because there's a lot of community centers out there that you know are open a couple days a week or maybe a a small window during the day. So for you guys to be able to maintain the facility, have it staffed from that 8 30 until 3 every day, have a welcoming place, you guys are doing a phenomenal job.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

I mean, well, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 21:24

Yeah, it's it's it's definitely an asset to the community. Yeah, and anybody that hasn't experienced the community center should really come in, see what it's about, right? Get involved and you know, uh bring a program idea and participate. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:43

Uh welcome anyone, anytime. You know, come on down, check it out, and uh yeah, please become part of the community center in in whatever way you're led to do that. So we really appreciate that.

SPEAKER_00 21:55

Well, I want to thank you for inviting us in to do a podcast episode. On the community center. And also, thanks for the partnership with us. Um, for those that don't know, uh, the community center has graciously opened their doors to us. So if the if we get a smaller business that we may not be able to do a podcast directly in their business or another organization that doesn't have the facilities, uh the community center has opened the doors to us that we can do um podcasts here. So great for the community. Uh keep up the good work, guys, and we appreciate what all that you guys do.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

Yeah, well, thank you, and we appreciate you coming in and and uh interviewing and you know learning more about the community center. Maybe just one last thing, and I guess I want to emphasize again, obviously community center, but we're all in this together, we're working together and on the same page. Well, and that's why we what we seek to do with everyone in in the community because it's so important to stay uh united and so yeah. The community thrives together. Right, exactly. Awesome. Well, thank you. And that's wrapped.