Sue Graf
Setting out behind the steering wheel of a large, lemon-colored cargo van, Sue Graf begins each day on a mission of mercy, providing essential items and dignity to people in desperate need of both.
Graf is the founder of What I Need Now (WINN), a non-profit organization with the mission to “lovingly care for our unsheltered neighbors in the Coulee Region with empathy, compassion, and understanding and accepts individuals as they are, where they are.” Partnering with other numerous community agencies, WINN distributes everything from water, clothing, and personal hygiene items to community resource referrals about overnight shelter, health care, housing assistance, and employment. Graf seeks to get to know everyone she serves, treating each with dignity and respect.
Starting these efforts from the trunk of her car in 2021, Graf and her friend, Brian Holliday, now average 700 contacts with people each month.
“I realized God’s calling for me late in life,” Graf said. “My life has meaning and purpose when I can help other people. I have been blessed with the gifts of compassion, empathy, and hospitality, and try to use them every day to make a difference in the lives of the people I serve.”
Before founding WINN, Graf also served at the Franciscan Hospitality House, the La Crosse Warming Center, her church, the Girls Scouts, and in local schools. She was named a Spirit of St. Francis Distinguished Alumni Award recipient by Viterbo University in 2023.
“The goal of WINN is not to be needed because everyone has everything they need,” she said. “Until that happens, we’ll continue doing what we can.”