Area Served

Wisconsin's Lower Wisconsin Riverway area, primarily focusing on the communities of Muscoda, Avoca, Blue River, Boscobel and all rural areas adjacent to these communities

RCoH works in close partnership with the Riverdale School District. Other school districts participating in RCoH funding for mental health services include Boscobel, Lancaster, River Valley, Richland, Sauk-Prairie, Cassville, Cuba City, Potosi, Iowa-Grant, Highland and Fennimore.

The group’s long-range goal includes eventually providing services that will benefit residents in the entire SW Wisconsin region.

By the Numbers

RCoH is staffed entirely by volunteers and was established in 2008 for the purpose of providing funding support that will assist families in obtaining mental health and substance abuse treatment for a child under age 21.

School staff, parents, grandparents, physicians, the women’s shelter and social workers have all contacted us to get assistance for someone. Sometimes, we even get a call for help from teens who recognize their own need for treatment.

Since we started providing this assistance, Riverway Communities of Hope has paid for appointments (or transportation to treatment) 2264 times for a total expenditure of $217,363. Counseling costs average $100 per session. Fuel cost (to provide transportation to counseling) averages $25 per session. RCoH has assisted youth in 16 different schools in SW Wisconsin for counseling or substance abuse treatment. (Figures are current through May 5-15-22.)

RCoH also provided supervised educational services, enriching activities during an after-school program on the early release days in the Riverdale School District. With the after school program, RCoH has served the needs of youth 2,532 times with supervised activities, educational experiences, nutritious snacks, homework time, team building games, and baby-sitter certification training. This educational portion of our efforts have cost approximately $19,170 for the after-school program during the past 10 years. Unfortunately, the after-school program has been suspended at this time for lack of an adult leader to coordinate the program.

Other costs (office supplies, advertising, insurance) paid for through donations: $10,257.

During the years that we offered an after school program, the cost for one after-school activity averaged $112 for snack, craft supplies, busing to a field trip, and use of space. Typical attendance was 45 youth (or $2.50 per attendee). At Christmas, the attendance grew to about 115.