Organizations

The American Legion Post 377 meets every third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Legion Room.  Activities include upkeep of the Freewater Cemetery, sending two boys to Cornhusker Boys State in Lincoln, hosting the annual Memorial Weekend Breakfast, and conducting military rights services for veterans. They also focus on youth education about America. For more information or questions on joining, contact Randal Hill at (308) 830-1835.

The Wilcox American Legion Auxiliary has been going strong since 1967. Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the following months:  January, February, March, June, August, and October at 7:00 p.m. at the Wilcox Lions Hall. 

Our main goals are:

1. Selecting a girl from our local high school to be a delegate to Cornhusker Girls State.
2. Serving veterans in our local veterans home.
3. Sending care boxes to military personnel overseas.
4. Having a fundraiser once a year to raise funds to support our state auxiliary projects and local projects.
5. To provide snacks to our local school for American Education Week.
6. Help our local American Legion in any way that is needed.
7. Stepping in, in any way, to help our community on Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, Flag Day, and any other national celebrations.

For more information and for membership eligibility, view the American Legion Auxiliary website. If you would like to join the Wilcox American Legion Auxiliary, please call Denise Hill, President, at (308) 830-1836.

The Wilcox Chamber of Commerce is organized to provide leadership and support to the Village of Wilcox and its’ businesses, professional, and community organizations.  The Chamber is committed to promoting and fostering the business and economic climate to enhance the quality of life within our community.  This happens through helping a boost in market presence, brand awareness, business talents and networking options, allowing members the opportunity to meet potential customers, vendors, resources, project partners, and good friends within Wilcox.

Did you know, Santa’s Workshop LLC is a member of the Wilcox Chamber of Commerce? Santa himself even comes to visit during the Pancake Feed in December! Don’t miss him!

The Wilcox Area Community Foundation is a tax exempt fund established for the exclusive purpose of “receiving, administering, and disbursing funds for charitable or educational purposes for the mental, moral, intellectual and physical improvements, assistance and relief primarily of the inhabitants of Nebraska and of the Wilcox, Regan, and Huntley area”. The WACF is a component fund of the Phelps County Community Foundation located in Holdrege, Nebraska.

Giving to the WACF is often as simple as writing out a check. There are several funds established within the WACF, including the education/scholarship fund, the parks and recreation Fund, and the unrestricted grants and operating fund. This allows the donor to support their area(s) of interest. Contributions of all sizes are appreciated.  

The WACF is governed by a board of directors allowing the management of the fund to remain local. For more information about becoming involved or donating to the WACF, contact Julie Harms at (308) 567-2216 or visit the WCF Facebook page.

The Wilcox Community Improvement Association (Wilcox CIA) is a group of Wilcox citizens promoting improvement of the Wilcox Community. Each year the Wilcox CIA organizes the Wilcox Fall Festival, sponsors the Pheasant Country Music Show, and hosts a pancake feed and auction in March. They also sponsor fundraising events for citizens or organizations in need, as well as for improvements within the community. For more information, contact Sandra Blank at (308) 478-5454.

The Wilcox Lioness Club is a non-profit organization. We support the Sight Program of the Lions and we reach out to help those in need. We meet on the first Wednesday of the month at 3:00 p.m. You are welcome to join our group! 

For more information or to join the Lioness organization, contact Jenny Kinerk, President, at (308) 380-8775.

The Wilcox Lions Club is a service organization dedicated to helping meet the needs of their community.  Worldwide, the Lions association’s major service initiative is serving the blind and visually impaired. 

Some of the activities and fundraisers of our local chapter consist of: 

• Teachers luncheon provided for the teachers at the beginning of each school year,
• Demolition derby,
• Golf tournaments, and
• Numerous fundraising dinners and/or soup suppers.

The club annually awards two scholarships to Wilcox-Hildreth graduating seniors plus they provide an annual donation to the Wilcox volunteer fire department. Free annual vision, hearing and blood pressure screenings are provided to the Wilcox-Hildreth school students and the entire community thanks to the use of the Nebraska Lions Mobile Screening Unit. The Wilcox Lions Hall, which is available for anyone’s use, serves as a very valuable asset for the community, hosting multiple community events throughout the year. The club meets at the Lions Hall on the first Monday of each month. Contact Blaine Groothuis at (308) 999-1917 for more information or to join!

The Wilcox Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1912. The Wilcox Rural Fire District was organized in 1949 and covers approximately 136 square miles in Franklin, Kearney, Harlan and Phelps Counties. They host a fishing tournament in June and sponsor the annual Lukasiewicz Meal in September. They meet on the 1st  Monday of the month at the Fire Hall and have a training night on the 4th Monday of the month. New members are always needed! Contact any fireman for information about the department, questions about joining, or to obtain a burn permit.

The Wilcox Food Pantry is located at 121 S. Main Street. Food supplies are offered to anyone living in Kearney County or to families who have children in the Wilcox-Hildreth School district. We are supported by donations from the communities of Axtell, Hildreth, Funk, Wilcox, and several churches in these areas. The Food Pantry is open every 3rd Wednesday of the month from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, call Cindy Woollen at (308) 999-2628.

The Wilcox-Hildreth Recreation known as the WHR is an organization whose primary focus is to “Promote Health, Family, and Community”. WHR has been active in the communities sponsoring many different programs. The WHR brought back t-ball, started the micro-soccer program, purchased jerseys for youth sports, sponsored the Wilcox Hildreth Swim Team, put on self-defense classes, and sponsored the New Year’s Eve Family Bash. The one and only fundraiser for the WHR is the November Soup Cook-off that takes place the first Sunday in November and it is open to the public. The WHR is always looking for new ways to improve the communities it serves. If you have an idea or an event you would like to see take place, feel free to contact the WHR. For more information contact Dustin Johnson at (308) 991-7788.

Kids ages preschool to 6th Grade meet at the Wilcox Community Church for bible memory, songs, games and loads of fun! AWANA is held on Wednesday evenings during the school year from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. For more information, contact Teresa Carey at (308) 830-9177.

The Wilcox Youth Group is open to grades 7th thru 12th and meets every Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the home of Mark Adam, 401 S Highway 44, Wilcox. Supper is provided with devotions and fun activities to follow! Don’t forget to bring your friends! Contact Mark Adam at (308) 478-5427, Jody Frerichs at (308) 830-2885, or Matthew Nelson at (308) 991-6072 with any questions.

Grandma’s Snack Packs offers food packs to school aged children Pre-K through 6th grade. This program is only possible through donations and volunteers. Anyone that wishes to donate can do so by sending a check to Cornerstone Bank or to Marilee Aspegren. If you are interested in helping pack or have any questions about the program, contact Marilee at (308) 991-7705.

Since 1954, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ. During the 2015-2016 school year local students and volunteers took steps to bring FCA to our school by starting a local Falcon FCA! Falcon FCA consists of student and adult community members with the common goal of instilling FCA values into our coaches, athletes, and parents. This is done by hosting “5th Quarter” parties (activities and meals after athletic events,) prayer “huddles” during out-of-school hours, local athletic camps, and various other smaller activities to support our goal. If you are interested in being a part of the Falcon FCA, please contact Marilee Aspegren at (308) 991-7705.

The TeamMates Mentoring Program is a school-based one-to-one mentoring program that began in 1991. Tom and Nancy Osborne founded the TeamMates Mentoring Program in an effort to provide support and encouragement to school-aged youth. The goal of the program is to see youth graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education. To reach this goal, youth meet one hour a per week with a caring adult who serves as a mentor. Mentors are volunteers from the community who have dedicated themselves to making a difference in the life of a young person. Mentors support the strengths of the youth and help build a sense of hope, purpose and vision. The youth in the TeamMates program are called mentees.

Become a TeamMates mentor and make a positive difference in the life of one of our students. Mentoring is a powerful and proven way to positively impact the life of a student. Call Donnette Johnson, TeamMates Coordinator, at (308) 478-5488 or (308) 440-7178 and she will give you the information you need to become a mentor.

We are a group of 14 community stakeholders invested in planting seeds of support and nurturing the growth of quality early childcare in the Wilcox and Hildreth communities to cultivate thriving, productive youth development.

We would love to see two vibrant and healthy communities (and surrounding area) where families have access to local, quality childcare; an area where children benefit, families benefit, where businesses benefit, and the surrounding communities benefit from the excellence and availability of early childhood educational opportunities.

Some things we’ve learned through our community survey; 87.75% feel high-quality child care is important, 83.81% feel there are not enough childcare options in our communities, and 39 respondents indicate they have children birth to age 5 that will need childcare in the next 5 years

Where we are going:

• We are looking for potential childcare facilities in either community.  
• We are building an incentive program for potential childcare providers.
• We are eligible for grant funds through Nebraska Children and Families for the next two years.  Before these grant funds expire, we will be working on sustainability plans.
• We are meeting with community organizations to inform them about Cultivating Kids.
• We have received three grants to be used to develop and support community-wide efforts for quality childcare in both the Hildreth and Wilcox Villages.

For more information or to learn how you can help, contact Julie Tarr (Early Childhood Community Coordinator) at WilHilC4K@gmail.com.