07/29/2026
An update regarding Monday’s storms: The neighborhood we are located in was hit rather hard by the tornado that came through the Fox Valley. Most importantly, no children or staff were injured during the storm! Also very fortunately our building sustained no damage and even our outside garden and play area are mostly unscathed. We have now regained power and plan to re-open tomorrow for regular services, Thursday July 30th.
Thank you sincerely to our staff for acting promptly in directing children to the designated tornado shelter room and keeping them locked down until the storm had safely passed. Only mere blocks from our center, an entire factory is completely decimated. Our beloved nearby public park is destroyed with almost every tree broken or down completely and play equipment damaged. The adjacent fire station also sustained extreme damage. It is nothing short of a miracle that we all stayed safe and no causalities have been reported due to the F3 tornado which is the most severe to hit the Valley in the past 40 years. As parents came to retrieve their most precious packages on Monday, I’m sure it was the biggest blessing to see their children physically unharmed in contrast to the destruction all around us.
The biggest thank you to all the emergency personnel, first responders and volunteers who are still dealing with the aftermath of the largest natural disaster in our community many of us will ever witness in our lifetimes. Simply stated, there is no quick fix or easy repair for this magnitude of damage and it will take many months if not years to be built back to pre-tornado standards. I’m sure some businesses and houses will never come back. This said, it is the most beautiful thing to see our community rally together to help each other clean up, clear trees to allow access to the roads, and be so giving in resources to help those hit the hardest. I’ve seen emergency and clean up resources sent from New London, Ashwaubenon and many other cities that came to help us restore some sense of normalcy. To have power so quickly after an F3 tornado is truly incredible. I’ve also seen and talked with neighbors I’ve never met before as we all work together to clean up our community.
My husband and I live in Menasha and it is truly heart wrenching to see the town I grew up in to suffer such devastation, but I am confident we all will grow stronger, closer and have a better grasp on what is truly important. Our sense of community is improved with every neighbor helping remove trees and debris, checking on each other and offering resources and help for those hit the hardest in serious need. Thank you to those who reached out to me personally to see if we needed any help in clean up or anything else. We were tremendously spared comparatively and need no help, and therefore will be dedicating time in trying to help others. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to see how truly blessed we are ❤️
