The Milwaukee Rescue Mission and Dr. Richard Marks, chief of foot and ankle surgery at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, recently teamed up to offer homeless men in Milwaukee free foot examinations and new socks and shoes, just in time for the winter season.

"I just think this is a terrific means of giving back to the community particularly to those individuals that don't have access to health care or shoe wear," Marks said. "It just seemed to be one small way that I could get involved in that type of community giving project."

This is the second year for the program in Milwaukee, he said. The program was first started in 2005 by orthopedic physician Dr. Steve Conti in Pittsburgh, Pa., who partnered with the Soles for Souls organization to provide area homeless with basic foot care and shoes.

"That particular organization was known as 'Our hearts to your soles,'" Marks said. "(Dr. Conti) reached out to a number of orthopedic physicians across the states to start similar programs."

This year, the organization is providing examinations in 40 different locations, Marks said.

"The program has really morphed into a large national effort to provide foot and ankle examinations, and shoes to disadvantaged individuals who don't usually have that opportunity," he said.

More then 200 men visit the Safe Harbors men's shelter at the Rescue Mission on a nightly basis. They come for educational and spiritual classes, for a hot meal or even to stay for the night.

The men that visited the shelter on Tuesday, Nov. 25, also received free foot examinations and a pair of new shoes.

Marks enlisted the services of a local organization, National Pedorthic Service Inc. of Milwaukee, to assist with the exams.

In conjunction with the Soles for Souls organization, Red Wing Shoe Company Inc, and New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc., donated between 250 and 300 pairs of shoes for the evening, a donor who wishes to remain anonymous helped Marks procure around 300 pairs of socks for the men and Bayside Middle School's seventh grade class also collected long underwear that will be provided to the Rescue Mission as well, Marks said.

"This is really what Thanksgiving and the holiday seasons are all about," Marks said. "It has been very touching to see how people are more then happy to contribute to these disadvantaged individuals, it is very humbling when you see the reaction of some of the men, it's really what giving means."

Monte Alverno Retreat and Spirituality Center in Appleton will make its facilities available to businesses for retreats and conferences, beginning in January. 

Monte Alverno is a spirituality and retreat center that offers programs to renew peace of mind. The center welcomes people of all faiths.  

"It's a natural fit," Capuchin friar and Monte Alverno director Keith Clark said. "Our facility provides a perfect setting for those businesses who are seeking a site that is quiet and reflective."

The atmosphere at the center promotes reflection and tranquility, Clark said. The center provides 25 acres of land along the Fox River in Appleton.

Monte Alverno Retreat and Spirituality Center is a Capuchin ministry and is part of the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph, which is headquartered in Detroit and has ministries worldwide. Costs vary depending on the number of meals, use of private rooms and other rooms or equipment.

"Our retreat center is booked nearly every weekend for our spiritual retreats," Clark said.  "Hosting area businesses will allow the use of the facility during the weekdays. We don't want to compete with a local hotel's meeting facility. There are times when a business leadership team needs to gather in comfortable chairs, gaze out to a beautiful scene and tap into their creative spirit. Those are the meetings we wish to attract."

For more information business hosting opportunities, contact Jane at (920) 733-8526.

Officials at Wisconsin State Fair Park are giving the gift of special savings through an exclusive online offer featuring savings of almost 50 percent on adult admission tickets for the 2009 Wisconsin State Fair.

The public can purchase $5 adult admission tickets from Nov. 20 through Dec. 17. The special holiday ticket offer is available exclusively online on at www.WiStateFair.com. 

"The Fair always strives to provide affordable family fun, and with the economy impacting everyone, we wanted to offer the public an affordable holiday gift offer that was also easy and convenient for them," said Fair executive director Randy Prasse.

The 2009 Wisconsin State Fair will take place Aug. 6-16 at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis.

Name: Kim Wall 

Title: President

Company: Baensch Food Products Co. a division of Wild Foods, Inc.

Company Address: 1025 E. Locust St.

Company web site: www.mabaensch.com

Industry: Seafood processing, including Ma Baensch Herring

Education: "I graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, with a double major in accounting and economics. Since Luther was a liberal arts school, I was able to take art classes every semester, as well as some theatre classes. I was also a Certified Public Accountant."

Family:  "I live with the talented sculptor, Tom Queoff, and our many pets, including our black cat, O'Keefe, our mother and daughter springer spaniels, Tess and Nikki, and Ma, a soft-shell turtle that was given to me by the Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida. Tom's son, Keith, attends the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks, and we enjoy the trips to attend his football games and watch him play."

Hobbies and Interests:  "Fishing, cooking, photography, kayaking and golf, to name a few. Recently I went to Crivitz on my first grouse hunt with Tom and the dogs. After the hunt, Tom cleaned the birds and I prepared gourmet grouse hors oeuvres."

Favorite book and/or movie: "'The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals' by Michael Pollan. This book is fascinating, detailing the processes our foods go through from origin to plate, as well as what the ramifications of modern food production are on our health and the environment."

Favorite musician/band: "Willie Nelson, love that Texas music."

Favorite place to visit/vacation: "New Orleans. I've never been to a city where I've had more fun, great food, Zydeco and fresh oysters two times a day!"

Favorite local restaurant: "I really like to cook at home, but when we go out for dinner, Conejitos is high on the list. It was one of the first restaurants I visited back when I moved to Milwaukee after college, and the beans and mole are some of the best I've ever had."

Words to live by: "If you can dream it, you can do it."

What is your core philosophy for doing business? "In my business, quality is king.  The Ma Baensch brand was built around the quality of our product, and I've worked my hardest to maintain that image. But outside of operations, I believe that participating in the community and following ethical business practices are critical. One of the biggest things we do at Ma Baensch is work with job programs for ex-felons and other criminal offenders. At the end of the day, these people need jobs if they ever want to stay off the streets, and many companies are hesitant to hire individuals with a record. I would say well over half of our employees are individuals with a criminal record. And although every person we hire doesn't always last, many do grow to become reliable employees.  And most importantly, they are learning basic job skills and taking the first step towards becoming productive, responsible, contributing members of our community."

Who is your role model and why? "Rosemary Bischoff.  She and her husband, Jack, were great friends with my parents. I spent a lot of time around her growing up, and even worked for her modeling agency the one college summer that I did not lifeguard and teach swimming in Beloit. My Auntie Rosemary not only loved her man, but was a go-getter and the essence of an independent woman, running her own very successful business when women weren't supposed to pursue life outside of the home. And she did it all with a style and grace that most of us could only hope for. To this day, I remember her always perfect red lips, and to that memory, I have placed my red lips on my label for this coming holiday."

What was the funniest thing that has ever happened to you? "This is a hard one. Especially with all my wild girlfriends and the capers we get into. Even if we laughed until we were in tears and could no longer breathe, when I try to describe them later, many become those 'you had to be there moments.' That being said, back in Beloit, my girlfriend Robin and I always were looking to ride horses. One day we were walking by a pasture and decided to climb the fence, lure a couple of horses next to it and climb up to go for a ride. As I grabbed the mane and was mounting my horse, something spooked it and the next thing you know, the horse took off. My grip was not good and back over the rump I flew. I landed in a pile of, well you know. Robin and I had quite a laugh."

Organizations

The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Brookfield, recently announced that Gregory Marcus, president of the Marcus Corporation, and Robert Banner III, systems and project consultant with Northwestern Mutual, were added to the Conservatory's board of directors. Kristie Minnickel, Georgann Charuhas and Brenda Hughes were also added to the staff.

Printing

Arandell Corp., Menomonee Falls, recently announced that Tom Benedict was added as vice president and national sales manager. He brings nearly 20 years of printing industry experience to his executive position at Arandell.

Staffing

Patina Solutions, Milwaukee, recently announced the hiring of Jim Maslowski to the position of director of client services. Maslowski comes to Patina Solutions from RB Royal Industries, Fond du Lac, WI,  where he served as vice president of sales.

Suppliers

ABC Supply Co. Inc., Kenosha, recently named Michael Self branch manager of its store at 5814 77th St.  Self joined ABC Supply in 2001 and most recently managed the company's store in Green Bay, Wis. 

"The truth is that, for much of the U.S., 'culture' is a mass, homogenized thing, with little distinctiveness from place to place. That's not true in Milwaukee, and we should all take steps to ensure that our regional cultural assets remain strong. It's not about taglines or slogans like "A great place by a great lake" or the "Fresh Coast." It's about recognizing what makes us - well, us."

~John Mose, senior vice president and director at CKPR Milwaukee.

Read the full Milwaukee Biz Blog: Milwaukee's economic destiny hinges on cultural assets

Five best sellers courtesy of 800 CE0 Read

1. "Always By My Side," by Jim Nantz 

2. "Enough!" by John C. Bogle

3. "Open Brand," by Kelly Mooney and Nita Rollins, Ph.D

4. "Monday Morning Leadership," by  David Cottrell

5. "The Go-Giver," by Bob Burg, John David Mann

Courtesy of 800 CEO Read

Vote in today's Biztimes Poll Question "The Friday after Thanksgiving is known as "Black Friday," as that's when most retailers gain enough sales to put them in the black for the year. Will you be shopping on "Black Friday" this year?"