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Aurora Value Words
• Resilient • Integrity • Courageous
• Compassion • Loyal • Passionate • Responsive
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“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant”
— Robert Louis Stevenson
| | Aurora's Annual Gathering | | |
Last month, members gathered at Florian Gardens in Eau Claire for our 2025 Holiday Party. Dave kicked off the evening with a memorable nod to the great Griswold while celebrating 40 years of Aurora and a bright future ahead. Gina followed with thoughtful reflections on generational leadership that resonated across the room.
We also had the honor of recognizing our 2025 Value Award recipients.
Bill Duerkop – Resilience
Susan Buckley – Courageous
Destiny Richardson – Compassion
Erica Mortensen – Loyal
Hannah Goss – Passionate
Anna Holloway – Responsiveness
Gao Vang – Chuck Barnard Memorial
Sue Hertz – Being Your Best
Gina Krueger – Star Man
The RWC Quality Assurance Team also received the 2025 Integrity Award: Andrea Olson, Brett Mesner-Nayes, Jess Gossen, Carli Stevens, Carly Nelson, and Tony Mesner-Nayes.
Congratulations to all of our award recipients, and thank you to everyone who attended!
| | National Blood Donor Month | | |
Due to increased seasonal illnesses during the winter months and inclement weather conditions, donations of blood and platelets decline, and demand increases. The need is real! Thank you to those who donate and if you haven’t yet tried it and want to learn more, go to www.redcross.org. Here are some reasons to donate:
- About 36,000 units of red blood cells and 7,000 units of platelets are needed every single day in the U.S.
- The most requested blood type by hospitals is type O. This kind of blood can be transfused to patients of all blood types, so it's always in great demand and very short supply. Only 7% of people in the U.S. have type O.
- A single-car accident victim may need up to 100 pints of blood to survive.
- About 6.8 million people donate blood every year in the U.S.
- 38% of our population is eligible to donate, but less than 10% actually do.
- Donating blood is a simple, safe process. All you have to do is register, take a mini-medical history test, donate, and then accept free refreshments like water, Gatorade, granola bars, etc.
- A single donation from a single patient can help more than one person.
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New Year's Guide to
Financial Well-Being
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A new year is a good time to check in, especially when it comes to money. You don’t need big resolutions or drastic changes. A few simple, practical habits can help you feel more steady and confident as the year unfolds. Check out these
10 practical tips that help make a difference.
1. Understand your budget
Track your income and expenses to identify where your money goes each month. This awareness is important for making informed financial decisions and avoiding overspending.
2. Have an “emergencies only” fund
Life can be full of surprises, and not all of them are pleasant. An emergency fund acts as a financial safety net for unexpected expenses like medical bills or car repairs. Aim to save enough to cover three to six months of living expenses.
3. Protect yourself and your belongings with insurance
Insurance can be a key tool in protecting yourself from significant financial loss. Whether it's health, car, or home insurance, ensure you have coverage to save you from financial distress if unforeseen events occur.
4. Build savings and invest wisely
Regularly set aside money into a savings account to help you build a financial cushion. Investing your savings wisely can help your money grow over time, contributing to your long-term financial security.
5. Reduce debt
High levels of debt can be a major obstacle to your financial wellness. Pay off high-interest debts first and avoid taking on unnecessary new debts. Consider strategies like debt consolidation or refinancing for more manageable repayment terms.
6. Plan for retirement
It’s never too early to start saving for retirement. Contribute to pension savings or a retirement account to ensure you have a stable financial future.
7. Explore your beliefs around money
Your attitude about money can significantly impact your financial behavior. Reflect on how your upbringing and experiences have shaped your financial mindset, and consider whether these beliefs are helping or hindering your financial wellness.
8. Seek support
Money matters can be complex. Financial planners, advisors, or online resources can provide valuable professional advice and guidance tailored to your specific financial situation. Don’t forget about the financial consultation benefit available to you through REALiving!
9. Stay informed
Keeping up-to-date with financial news and trends can help you make better financial decisions. Educate yourself on topics like interest rates, market trends, and new financial tools and products.
10. Practice mindful spending
Be conscious of your spending habits. Ask yourself if each purchase aligns with your financial goals and values. Mindful spending can help you avoid making impulsive purchases.
For more information, read on at https://www.calm.com/blog/financial-wellness
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REALiving provides many free tools and resources designed to help you navigate financial well-being and life’s challenges.
Call 877.256.9302 for extra support!
| | Featuring Jenny Thomas, Recruitment Coordinator | | |
Jenny joined Aurora in October 2021 after deciding to move her skills into a new role. Aurora stood out as a place where her experience, strengths, and interests could be put to practical use. The mission, philosophy, and variety of work made Aurora stand out from other companies. She is currently the Recruitment Coordinator for the Wausau and Stevens Point areas. She says she enjoys going to job fairs, chatting with students, conducting interviews, and doing her best to make the recruitment process feel a little less intimidating and a lot more human. She genuinely enjoys those conversations and often learns just as much from job seekers as they do from her.
Along the way, Jenny became involved in a lot of things, recruiting, marketing, and social media for ACC, ARSC, ACS, and even REALiving. Writing for REALiving magazine has been an especially meaningful experience, giving her the chance to explore different ideas and topics beyond her role. She also puts together The Loop and interviews staff for Owner’s Corner. "I love being able to support our company culture via The Loop by helping people across companies feel a little bit more connected."
Jenny has also spent time working directly in the Mosinee home, helping fill shifts and supporting consumers. That experience continues to shape how she approaches recruitment and marketing, keeping the focus on the real impact the work has. Helping someone, even in small ways, and seeing them happy is something she finds motivating and rewarding.
One of her favorite memories is the 2025 Halloween party at the Wausau Day Center. "The day staff really go all-out in making these occasions as festive and full for the participants as they can be," she says. She enjoyed collaborating with Jocelyn Holder on their Wicked themed door displays, with Jocelyn as Elphaba and Jenny designing Glinda (with a “gah”)!
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Outside of work, she enjoys baking, making kombucha, spending time with her daughter Lennon, and her pit bull rescue Josie. Her weekends include macramé, workouts, and finding hidden gem dessert spots. During the summer, she and her husband volunteer at Wausau Whitewater, supporting rec releases both on the water and behind the scenes for youth and veterans.
At the end of the day, Jenny appreciates the creativity, variety, flexibility, and the real impact Aurora companies make on people's lives, and getting to be a part of that.
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Our BEST Employees for the month of December are Linda Liebzeit from Direct Support and Jim Showolter from management!
Each winning employee will receive $150! Congratulations and thanks for bringing your BEST!
Nominees from November 21st – December 20th:
Jesse Korbal
Deanna Jeffers
Scott Jakel
Brittany Boyce
Jim Showalter
Jenny Erickson
Shelby Walbeck
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Winter Footing because winter in Wisconsin keeps us guessing. One minute it’s snow, the next it’s ice, and suddenly that short walk from the car to the door feels a lot more adventurous than you originally planned. A few small habits can make a big difference when it comes to preventing slips, trips, and falls.
One easy tool to keep handy is the salt/sand shaker bottle provided to all Aurora employees. These bottles can be filled at your site or office and carried with you as needed. If you come across icy steps, walkways, or parking areas, shake a small amount in front of you to create safer footing as you move forward.
This can be especially helpful during everyday moments like walking to the mailbox, crossing a parking lot, or getting in and out of your vehicle while transporting consumers. Slippery surfaces often show up where you least expect them, so having the bottle nearby helps you stay prepared.
Because winter conditions can change quickly, take a moment to assess the ground before stepping out of your car or front door. Slow down, stay aware, and don’t rush.
And when in doubt, remember the penguin walk. Keep your arms slightly out for balance, take short, shuffling steps, bend your knees a bit, and point your toes outward. It may feel a little silly, but it’s a proven way to stay steady on ice.
Staying upright this winter doesn’t require complication, just a little preparation, awareness, and... a salt shaker. Stay safe out there.
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We have Safety Winners for the month of December!
Congratulations to Joel Bosse - 083 and Kim Leonard - 306!
These team members have demonstrated their commitment to safety and have
won a $100 bonus for having done so.
Keep working safely to be entered in next month’s drawing!
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Welcome Aboard!
Please give our new hires a warm welcome!
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Lydia Polkoski
Aurora Residential Alternatives
Community Living Assistant, La Crosse
Why I applied for the job: Love caring for + helping others.
What I will bring to the job: Commitment, and kindness.
My background: CNA for 2 years.
Family: Mom, dad, + one younger brother.
Hobbies/interests: Volleyball, and reading.
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Alyssa Nutile
Aurora Residential Alternatives
Community Living Assistant, Wisconsin Rapids
Why I applied for the job: I am compassionate, and I enjoy working with people.
What I will bring to the job: I believe I have good leadership qualities.
My background: Previously have worked with home improvement services as well as retail.
Family: My father owns and runs a family-operated business
Hobbies: Graphic design, plant care, and connection relationship building.
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Emerson Betchkal
Aurora Residential Alternatives
Community Living Assistant, Eau Claire
Why I applied for the job: I worked with the residents of 098 in the past, and am returning to the program.
My background: I worked in clinical medicine for the past 3 1/2 years and am I’m excited to return to a home-care setting.
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Amy Johnson
Aurora Residential Alternatives
Community Living Assistant, Altoona
Why I applied for the job: I enjoy working with people, helping folks. I find it a relaxing line of work.
What I will bring to the job: My hard reliable work, care, and making someone's day bright.
My background: The last job was housekeeping and am coming back to this line of work because for 2 years I missed it.
Family: I am married 2 years, and have an older son who is 29.
Hobbies/interests: Cat lover, I enjoy wineries, and local bands.
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Elizabeth Bauer
Aurora Residential Alternatives
Community Living Assistant, La Crosse
Why I applied for the job: I originally applied for this job because it was something new that I was interested in trying. As I am coming home from college I decided to reapply for this job because I genuinely did end up enjoying it and I feel like I have positively impacted my consumers.
What I will bring to the job: Hard work, care/empathy, and integrity.
My background: I am interested in going into health care in the future.
Family: I am not close with my family. Due to a hard childhood, I've chosen to not interact with them so much.
Hobbies/interests: Wrestling and UFC.
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Linda Robinson
Aurora Residential Alternatives
Community Living Assistant, Stevens Point
Why I applied for the job: I applied for this job because I heard nice things about
Aurora and I wanted to join the team.
What I will bring to the job: I will bring to this job, compassion, hard work helping others.
Family: Family is motivation and support when you need them.
Hobbies/interests: I love to dance and sing with my kids.
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Ryan Collins
Aurora Residential Alternatives
Community Living Assistant, Colorado Springs
Why I applied for the job: I love helping, and I am a big people person.
What I will bring to the job: A smile.
My background: A dog care taker.
Family: We tried out for family feud.
Hobbies/interests: Gaming, reading, and singing.
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Landon White
Aurora Residential Alternatives
Community Living Assistant, New Richmond
Why I applied for the job: I want to make a difference on a personal level.
What I will bring to the job: A great attitude!
Hobbies/interests: I run track in college and love to spend time with my friends as often as I can.
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Katy Vallejo
Aurora Residential Alternatives
Community Living Assistant, Stevens Point
Why I applied for the job: I applied for this job to further my career, gain more knowledge and experiences. I love working with residents being able to help make a difference.
What I will bring to the job: I will bring patience, loyalty, kindness. a good hard worker ready to make a difference. determined, resilient, compassionate.
Family: Sister, brother, mom and dad. My brother is 7 ft 300 pounds and has a disability so I have learned about how to handle it pretty well.
Hobbies/interests: I love doing things with my daughter traveling, painting and working out.
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Dominique Hamilton
Aurora Residential Alternatives
Community Living Assistant, La Crosse
Why I applied for the job: I love caring for others.
What I will bring to the job: Happiness and warm hearts.
Hobbies/interests: Caring for my kiddos.
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Amanda Copper
Aurora Residential Alternatives
Community Living Assistant, La Crosse
Why I applied for the job: I applied for this job because I love helping people and making friends.
What I will bring to the job: I will bring helpfulness, and care.
Background: Mayo Clinic.
Family: I have a 2-year old boy.
Hobbies/interests: Playing games, and singing.
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We Have the BEST Staff
During the month of January, we are celebrating these anniversaries!
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Aurora Management
Avis Wolske-Baker — 38 years
Paula Scheffler-Burkard — 2 years
Marni Waznik — 32 years
Jora Leahy — 5 years
Jenna McKeefry — 1 year
Emily Wagner — 1 year
Jacinda Peckham — 1 year
William Duerkop — 6 years
Carlin Nelson — 4 years
Linda Dalland — 22 years
Kimberly Jensen — 15 years
Jana Pickers — 14 years
Brianna Wyant — 14 years
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Aurora Direct Care Staff
Isabella Wilson — 2 years
Rebecca Belanger — 2 years
Shannon Puzio — 1 year
Laura Alley — 16 years
Annette Kurszewski — 1 year
Tiffany Kuklinski — 6 years
Michael Vaughan — 1 year
Noah Stickney — 2 years
Patrick McClure — 2 years
Rodney McNamara — 10 years
Sharon Moss — 29 years
Katherine Mozer — 20 years
Jacob Lamb — 2 years
Emily Lambert — 6 years
Chelsi Julson — 5 years
Royal Anderson — 2 years
Kristen Dusek — 15 years
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When we combine all of these years of service,
we get 277 YEARS!
Thank you for sharing your time, talents and wisdom with us!
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