About Us
Founded in 2020 by Vicki Miller, Strive 2 Thrive Coulee Region is a non-profit organization serving citizens of the La Crosse, Wisconsin area. Strive 2 Thrive is focused on improving the health of community members and the environment.
Since retiring from Trane in 2006, Vicki had been involved in the “non-profit world,” volunteering for many wonderful organizations in the area that shared two of her passions: healthy food and sustainability.
Vicki’s husband Rich, upon retiring as a social worker in 1994, thought he’d plant a few flowers after seeing his neighbor’s garden. And by 2015, his “little hobby” turned into his spending up to 10 hours a day in his garden. When Rich experienced a spinal stroke in 2016, Vicki left the “volunteer world” to become a full-time caregiver, which included taking over Rich’s beloved Miller Garden, a task she grew to love. This new task led to the discovery of the incredible world that had been living under her nose her whole life—the flora and fauna of the Driftless area. Surrounded by pollinators and non-pollinators, she quickly became a bug-lover.
It was then that Vicki found a new passion: save the insect world. By combining Rich’s determination to strive to thrive despite a debilitating illness, Vicki’s past successes in the non-profit world, and her desire to help improve the health of community members and the environment (which includes providing ways that showcase the importance of ALL insects to our ecosystem!), in 2020, Vicki founded Strive 2 Thrive Coulee Region.
Our Mission
To create a healthy and vibrant community and ecosystem through engaging and empowering all community members in ways in which they can strive to thrive.
Our Purpose
- To be a catalyst for whole health for all community members by educating and supporting their quest for physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and environmental health
- To be a catalyst for a vibrant and healthy ecosystem in the Coulee Region and beyond
We achieve our mission by funding organizations and grants and collaborating with partners on projects that improve the health of our community and its members. We’re also a resource hub for those interested in volunteering, learning about the natural world and connecting to others interested in the same topics.
