Facebook Instagram

(262) 367-6670

Logo for Lake Country Caring featuring a stylized landscape with hills and a sun containing a heart shape, next to the organization name written in maroon text.

Lake Country Caring

Our Story

A woman with short, curly brown hair is smiling. She is wearing a denim jacket over a white collared shirt with stripes and small hoop earrings. The background is plain and light-colored.
An older woman with gray curly hair smiles at the camera, wearing a red jacket and a red-and-white paisley scarf. She is seated indoors against a light-colored wall.
A small, gray house with white trim sits in a snowy yard, bare trees around it. A detached garage is nearby, also covered in snow, under an overcast sky.
A red and beige building with a green awning sits on a grassy hill. In front, a sign reads Lake Country Caring: Basic Needs Met By Caring Hearts with contact details and website information. The sun shines brightly.

Lake Country Caring began in 1990, sparked by founder Eileen Mooers who recognized a gap hidden in plain sight. “I could look around and see great wealth yet look around and see great need,” she recalled. Determined to bridge that divide, Eileen enlisted her friend Tricia Rauch and a small circle of compassionate community members.

What started with donated clothing and furniture tucked into basements, garages, and even a barn quickly outgrew the spaces they had. In response, the group formally established Lake Country Caring Inc., and moved operations into a small house in Delafield—generously offered rent-free by Bob Lang.

As the mission grew and more families sought support, the little house could no longer hold the work being done. In 2005, Lake Country Caring moved to its current home in Hartland, where the spirit of giving continues to thrive.

Today, Lake Country Caring remains a 100% volunteer-run organization, serving more than 1,400 households each year from Waukesha, Washington, Dodge, and Jefferson counties. Though much has changed since those early days, one thing has stayed the same: a community coming together to offer hope, dignity, and help to neighbors in need.

Our Volunteers

Lake Country Caring is powered entirely by volunteers—every service we provide is made possible by our 100% dedicated volunteer team and our non-paid board. More than 120 caring individuals devote an average of 1,600 hours each month to support our mission. Thanks to their generosity, we’re able to assist an average of 367 households every month. Their commitment, compassion, and energy are the heart of Lake Country Caring.

Our Mission

To provide clothing, hygiene products, infant necessities, toys, books, furniture, appliances and household items free of charge to individuals and families experiencing financial instability.

Our Board of Directors

Sue Stromei 

Kathryn Buono

Nicole Ireland

Karen Dalum

Carrie Glapinski

Harry Berg

Kacy Murray

Our Officers

Karen Dalum
President

Sue Stromei
President
Emeritus

Kacy Murray
Director &
Vice President of
Client Day Services.

Kathryn Buono
Secretary

Nicole Ireland
Treasurer

Carrie Glapinski
Vice President
of Operations