'I've loved every minute': Director of Community Table discusses doing good for the community

The executive director for Eau Claire’s Community Table oversees the nonprofit throughout its charitable deeds day in and day out. But when she started four years ago, she had no idea that a pandemic was just around the corner.

“I tell people it was a trial by fire, and I can’t tell you anything about those two years, because it literally was a blur to just make sure our doors are kept open,” TJ Atkins explained. “We were providing food; we were considered an essential function, so we couldn’t close. We had to change our entire way of doing things for a year and a half.”

Even though things have calmed down in terms of COVID, Atkins still has so much to do in order to provide for those who need it most in the Chippewa Valley. At its heart, The Community Table can be labeled a “soup kitchen,” though Atkins was quick to point out that soup’s rarely on the menu.

“We serve a meal every single day of the week, 365 days a year — and this year, 366 with the leap year,” she said. “We serve four lunches, and then we do two evening meals, and then our Sunday’s our late lunch/early dinner kind of meal.”

In addition to food, Atkins described their backpack program, which provided her unhoused guests with a backpack with basic essentials — hygiene items, a a lockable bag for medication, a reusable water bottle, for example — with more seasonal items. When the rain was more of a constant, a raincoat was included, but with warmer weather the bags now contain sunblock and bug spray.

Other programs include include a pack for those celebrating their birthday no matter the financial circumstances (complete with a pan, candles, cake mix, frosting and streamers), a bag for new mothers (containing diapers, resources to sign up for WIC, which is a supplemental nutrition program, clothes, formula and a DoorDash card), and even clothes (socks, underwear, and more) for those that find themselves in a financial situation that doesn’t allow them to spend money on such items.

Atkins stressed that even if The Community Table can’t assist directly, that they are more than happy to get people to the right resources for them.

For those in need

Atkins stated that only about 45% of those coming to The Community Table would be considered unhoused; the other portion are people with low or no income. Normally a portion of this would include seniors living on a fixed income. However, Atkins mentioned that their demographics have been slowly shifting, and she now sees people in their 30s and 40s making up a bigger portion of her guests. She was unsure of why this was, but guessed at factors at play such as inflation and high prices for housing and rent.

When asked about the increase in those who find themselves unhoused, she stated disappointment in the treatment the area had towards the issue. “There’s no humanity to it anymore,” she said. “Do people realize we have people in our community one bill away that could be that person? Literally just one bill. One medical bill, one car issue, one incident with a child that they have to have some kind of hospitalization, and they’re done. And then that person might be your neighbor, or that might be your kid’s teacher.”

Atkins is familiar with those who find themselves with low or no income, having worked with those who were on Medicaid, Medicare and Badger Care, and also as a community relations specialist for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. Through these positions, she has seen the steep slope of debt that people can find themselves in.

“You have medical bills. You have housing costs. Heaven forbid you decide you want to have children, because now you add that as well, and people feel: well, I should have taken out a loan before I started any of this, because I will just never have enough,” she said.

“All these other things are now competing for your attention, that you need to just live and survive — that is very expensive.”

At the end of the day

Atkins found The Community Table after volunteering as part of her church and now she is the executive director. She didn’t see this job on her horizon — her degree is in vocational rehab counseling — but now that she is here, she can’t see herself doing anything other than helping those who need it most.

“I’ve loved every minute, even through the chaos of COVID and the pandemic,” she said. “I tell people my day is never the same, and it is just amazing. And I go home every night thinking, ‘Okay, today we served 117 people today.’ I was a part of that to make that happen. And that’s something that I wish everybody had that feeling of knowing you’ve done a great job, you’re helping the community, and you’re a pillar in the community as well.

“It’s just really phenomenal.”