Picking up trash left behind by boaters and anglers on a lake in Merrill. Washing trucks for a volunteer fire department. Sewing a quilt, packing meals, clearing trails, stuffing folders and playing bingo with nursing home residents.

The projects looked different, but they were all a part of the same effort. 

During Northcentral Technical College's (NTC) Timberwolf Day of Service, employees stepped away from their desks and classrooms and spent the day giving back in ways that were meaningful to them. Employees were encouraged to choose how and where they wanted to serve. Some joined coworkers for group projects while others did projects on their own.

Group selfie of nine NTC employees smiling together in a grocery store aisle during a community service outing. The group gathers around a shopping cart containing food and household items, with several employees wearing purple NTC shirts. Shelves of groceries and colorful store signs fill the background.
A group of Student Services employees shop for ice cream sundae supplies and bingo prizes before visiting Wood Aven Health and Rehabilitation. 

The day stretched beyond NTC's campuses into parks, animal shelters, schools, neighborhoods and community organizations. 

Some people chose to focus on animals. Members of NTC's Veterinary Technician team performed spay and neuter procedures for the Humane Society of Marathon County. Others volunteered in the shelter. Some faculty members and employees at the NTC Phillips Campus gathered and donated supplies to Catkins Animal Rescue in Price County. Another donated to the Lincoln County Humane Society.

Others assembled meals for The Neighbor’s Place and Timberwolf Table. Tomatoes grown by NTC's Garden to Market Specialist students at the NTC Agriculture Center of Excellence were transformed into sauce by Culinary Arts students. Employees from across the College used that sauce to assemble lasagna meal kits. 

NTC employees work together around stainless steel counters in a commercial kitchen, preparing and packaging food as part of a community service project. Several people portion ingredients into containers while others assist with food preparation and cleanup.
A group of employees from across the College assemble lasagnas for The Neighbor’s Place and Timberwolf Table. 

Some projects focused on preparation. Finance team members assembled warming kits for Catholic Charities' Good Shepherd Shelter and donated food pantry items. Another group made oral care packages for Wisconsin disaster relief programs. In Antigo, employees created homemade "Brooke's Bags" filled with feminine hygiene and personal care products for the Unified School District of Antigo after learning of a need through a school nurse who also serves as an NTC CNA instructor. 

Others headed outdoors. Cosmetology team members helped clean up Bluegill Bay Park. Members of the IT Department worked along Wausau's Riverwalk, picking up litter and pruning overhanging branches. Others cleared brush along a walking path and cleaned up trash along the Eau Claire River Trail. 

Group photo of 18 NTC employees gathered in a classroom, smiling and holding small yellow boxes they assembled for a community service project. A cart in the center is stacked with additional yellow boxes. Some employees stand in the back row while others kneel or sit in front.
Employees from across the College make “sunshine boxes” for residents at local retirement communities. 

A variety of projects focused on making others feel valued and appreciated. One group created 100 "sunshine boxes" for residents at Rennes Health & Rehab Center and Primrose Retirement Community of Wausau. Another group spent their time creating cards for active service members and notes for Love for Our Elders, sending handwritten encouragement far beyond the College. A group from Student Services visited Wood Aven Health and Rehabilitation where they played bingo with residents, handed out prizes and served ice cream sundaes. 

Other groups put their organizational skills to work. A group from the Marketing and Public Relations Department stuffed over 200 informational folders for the Boys & Girls Club of the Wausau Area. Another group volunteered at Gigi's Playhouse and made copies, assembled welcome packets, cleaned up, laminated signs and prepared materials for their Harvest Picnic. 

Group photo of more than 30 NTC employees gathered in a classroom during a community service project. Several employees stand beside large cardboard boxes filled with individually packaged items, while others gather around lab tables and smile at the camera.
Employees at NTC’s Center for Health Sciences create oral care packages for Wisconsin disaster relief programs. 

Human Resources staff sewed a quilt for Caring Quilts, a volunteer organization that provides quilts to individuals and families in need. Workforce Training and Professional Development team members washed fire trucks for the Town of Wausau Fire Department. Alternative High School employees helped prepare the United Way of Marathon County's Community Closet for shoppers. A group from Student Services tackled landscaping and painting projects and Northland Lutheran High School. 

Across dozens of acts, hundreds of hours were directed back into the communities NTC serves. No single project defines the Timberwolf Day of Service, and that's the point.