Gardening kits, puzzles, pajamas, Legos and sticker books. Those are just some of the items We Energies employees are helping children and adults at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care cross off their wish lists this holiday season.
“It’s our opportunity to give back to the communities we serve,” explained Nicole Knicker, IT team leader at We Energies. “[My recipient] was very specific and asked for bath bombs and a science kit, so they got both.”
We Energies has been partnering with St. Ann Center around the holidays for years. Every November, employees volunteer to purchase gifts for clients of the center. Employees are given a gift tag that lists three items individual recipients would like and are asked to purchase one or more of the items.
“I’m so blessed to work here for We Energies, and it puts the biggest smile on my face when I’m out shopping, knowing that I’m doing this for someone that really is going to smile when they receive it,” said Ann Brhely, HR consultant. “I do it every year, and I love it.”
St. Ann Center provides community-based health and educational services for children, mature adults and those challenged with disabilities, and serves as a resource and support for caregivers. Every day, they serve more than 700 people across their two Milwaukee-area campuses — offering child care, adult day services, overnight respite, dementia care and rehabilitation therapies.
We Energies employees say they love the chance to give back to their neighbors.
“It’s always nice to get somebody a present. Maybe they ask for three things and you’re only supposed to give them one, but they always get three from me,” said Sharon Ernest, senior environmental consultant.
The generosity doesn’t stop there. The We Energies Foundation supports St. Ann Center financially. Over the last five years, the foundation has donated tens of thousands of dollars to the nonprofit.
We Energies and its employees have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in communities across the state since the 1980s. In 2024 alone, the We Energies Foundation donated $11.5 million to support thousands of nonprofit organizations like St. Ann Center. And WEC Energy Group, the parent company of We Energies, was named the top corporate charitable contributor in Wisconsin in 2024 by the Milwaukee Business Journal.
Funding for the We Energies Foundation is made possible thanks to the generosity of WEC Energy Group shareholders and does not come from customer rates.
To learn more about the We Energies Foundation, go to the We Energies website.