From PCGRO… To GROWW and GROWW Action!

Thanks to all the work, thought, and/or money each one of us has invested in PCGRO, we are now at an inflection point. With so many people in our communities facing urgent challenges, from water contamination, to addiction, to healthcare access, we know there is a need to build more power for change and transformation in areas beyond Pierce County. Thus, say goodbye to Pierce County GrassRoots Organizing, and welcome GrassRoots Organizing Western WI (GROWW) and our affiliated organization: GrassRoots Organizing Western WI Action (GROWW Action).

Why is this change happening?

A group of Pierce County residents founded PCGRO in 2019. As many of you know, beginning in 2020 we were already working outside Pierce County, having seen opportunities for our work to have a greater impact. Our new name, GROWW, more accurately reflects our current organizing efforts and urges us onward to explore what is possible!

Why two organizations?

Some of our current work involves community projects. This includes Conversations That Connect, Expanding Broadband, and Roadside Revival. These projects, and similar community-focused efforts yet to be launched, will fall under GROWW.

GROWW Action will focus on work of a more political nature, including having the purpose of influencing an election or political process. This includes our current Bridge the Divide Final Five Voting project and other similar projects to be launched in the future.

Importantly, GROWW and GROWW Action are affiliated, making it possible for them to share both staff and board members, as appropriate.

What counties does “Western WI” include?

Barron, Buffalo, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties.

What’s next?

1. This fall, we will reach out to counties in our area of focus to hear from residents about what is important to them and what they’d like to see addressed in their communities.
2. In January, we will launch “Grassroots School,” a leadership training for people who want to learn skills and practices they can use to organize for change. The training will be grounded in the radical belief that everyone has leadership potential and the capacity to be a changemaker in their community.
3. Organizing to create power for transformation requires both people power and money power. We need to raise $5,000 between now and October 20th to support this next phase of our work together, and we are asking for your help in reaching that number. A $10 donation helps us buy a sign. A $100 donation can help us rent a room for an event. Together, we have the power to transform!
4. We are grassroots organizations, working at the local level to learn about and address the needs of people in Western WI. To this end, we are eager to explore collaborations that support those who have a vision for making change or who are facing a threat – big or small – in their community. If this sounds like you, we’d like to talk. Reach out to us now.