Julie Rajek Uses Her Passion of Cooking to Serve Others
Each month Julie Rajek, Mortgage Producing Sales Manager and Lender with Bank Five Nine, spends some extra time in her kitchen to help the less fortunate in the Wausau community. On the first Wednesday of each month, Julie prepares a meal and dessert for those who visit the Bridge Street Mission.
The Bridge Street Mission is a community center that offers Christ-centered solutions to the hurting, homeless and needy in Central Wisconsin. They do this by offering safe housing, meals, relationships and programming as well as Bible studies, prayer nights, and other community events. The Bridge Street Mission is currently working on raising money for their “Feed the Need” drive, so they can continue to build a full kitchen in their building for their volunteers to use.
Julie got involved as a volunteer with the Bridge Street Mission after hearing about the program at a golf outing event that she attended with a title agent from a local title company. “When I learned of everything that the Bridge Street Mission was doing to help those in our community, and that they were looking for volunteers to cook meals, it felt like a natural fit for me to lend a hand and get involved in their mission. I volunteered right on the spot” said Julie.
Each month Julie cooks up a fresh dish for the Bridge Street Mission, always highlighted by quality and healthy ingredients. “Cooking is a passion of mine and I truly enjoy serving those in the community who need it most,” said Julie.
Not only does Julie cook her meals with quality ingredients, she also tries to incorporate something special that will be remembered long after the food is gone. For her March meal, she cooked ham and scalloped potatoes followed by Rice Krispie Treats with green sprinkles in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. When Julie isn’t cooking her Wednesday meals, she also finds time to deliver extra food from her family meals at home to the Bridge Street Mission.
The mission of Bank Five Nine is to Make Lives Better. When learning of all the great work Julie has been doing for the Mission, the bank as a whole wanted to contribute. Bank Five Nine donated a $500 check for Julie to present to the Mission to go towards their new kitchen. On March 6, 2019, along with her homemade meal, Julie brought the Bank Five Nine donation to present to the founder of the Wausau Bridge Street Mission.
“We appreciate Julie’s and Bank Five Nine’s support and words of affirmation. With God, all things are possible,” said Heath Tappe, Founder and President of the Board of Bridge Street Mission.
“We are really proud of Julie and all the great work she does for her customers, but also for all the great work she does for her community. Our employees here at Bank Five Nine really do live and breathe our mission. Whether they help a family obtain a loan for their home, volunteer at a community event, organize a school supply drive, serve as a board or committee member, deliver food once a month or every day, they individually and collectively make a difference in the lives of those we serve”, said Mark W. Mohr, President and CEO of Bank Five Nine.
More about Bridge Street Mission:
Bridge Street Mission exists to offer Christ-centered solutions to the hurting, homeless and needy in Central Wisconsin. They accomplish this through:
- Developing and offering programming for overcoming addiction
- Providing safe and orderly housing
- Meal plans and clothing vouchers.
- Learning and addressing the root causes of their situation
- Equipping them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ
- Equipping them with training/re-learning basic life-skills
- Training in basic financial responsibility and vocation
To learn more about the Bridge Street Mission please visit www.bridgestreetmission.org.
More about Julie Rajek:
Julie is a Mortgage Lender here at Bank Five Nine. In the real estate and lending industries since the late ‘90s, Julie has helped thousands of homebuyers realize their dream of homeownership and strives to make each mortgage transaction a pleasant, informative and professional experience. Serving all of Wisconsin she specializes in USDA Rural Development, VA, FHA, and conventional financing. In her free time she loves cooking and spending time with her family.
To learn more about Julie please visit her webpage.
More About Us (Bank Five Nine):
Bank Five Nine is a full-service, independent, community bank that has served Wisconsin since 1859. We have 14 full-service branches throughout Ozaukee, Washington, Waukesha, and Milwaukee counties, and loan offices in Wausau, Madison, Green Bay, Illinois, and Minnesota. As a true community bank, our mission is to Make Lives Better. Yes, we offer all the great products and services you’re accustomed to and looking for in a bank and at our core it’s all about providing a safe, trustworthy place to do your banking. What you may not find other places is the commitment we have for you, the community you live in and the desire to serve others with respect, integrity, passion, and humility. We make it a priority to give back to the customers and communities we serve through charitable giving and volunteer opportunities. Our employees live and work in the areas we serve, giving us a personal stake in the efforts to improve our communities. Bank Five Nine and our employees donate over 15,000 hours and more than $200,000 per year to local nonprofit organizations.
Want to learn some more? Visit our About Us page today!