Supporting Employee Health & Wellness
Since the Heart of New Ulm began, worksites throughout the New Ulm area have embraced the work of the project to help support employee health and wellness. Today, more than 40 of the area’s largest 100 employers have active wellness programming — an increase from only five in 2009. Employers have encouraged their employees to participate in health screenings, offered worksite wellness programs, created policies such as healthier vending options, established tobacco-free worksites, promoted community programs and more.
The Worksite Wellness Action Team (WWAT) plans, schedules and conducts quarterly networking and training sessions for New Ulm area worksite wellness leaders. It also plans and conducts other programs for worksites and the community such as community health challenges, the Poker Walk, scavenger hunts and the annual Holiday Trimmings program.
WWAT Priorities and Recent Accomplishments
Workplace Wellness Trainings
Every year, the team hosts quarterly Worksite Wellness networking and training events. In 2025, the team hosted three quarterly worksite wellness networking and training events focused on nutrition for 58 attendees:
February: Worksite Injury Prevention: Helping employees prevent musculoskeletal injuries
May: Workforce Trends: Aging and Caregiving in the Workplace
October: Courageous Conversations in a Changing Workforce
Step into Spring Community Step Challenge
In April 2025, the team planned and coordinated a brand new six-week challenge — the New Ulm Step into Spring Community Step Challenge — for a fun way for people to work on their health and wellness. Everyone who works or lives in New Ulm was encouraged to join their family, friends and coworkers in a fun community-based walking challenge, participating either as an individual or as a team of up to four people.
More than 240 people participated in the challenge, which set a goal to work up to 10,000 steps per day, starting at 5,000 steps during Week 1 and increasing them by 1,000 each week. Those who tracked their steps each week were entered into drawings to win great prizes.
Poker Walk Events
The Poker Walk is offered every year in the spring in partnership with the Chamber and Ameriprise Financial to promote financial and physical wellness. It combines the fun of a card game with the benefits of movement — all while spotlighting the businesses that help our community thrive. During each day of the three-day Poker Walk, participants walk a designated one-mile route, which includes stops at five participating Chamber businesses. Participants stop at each business, pick up a playing card, assemble their poker hand, and drop off their poker hand for a chance to win gift cards. In 2025, the walk had 19 participating businesses that attracted approximately 50 walkers.
Resiliency Program for Local Worksites
Every year, the team works in partnership with the Brown County Mental Health and Wellness Action Team to offer the Embrace Wellness program (formerly called The People Project) to worksites to help employees build resiliency through fun, evidence-based mental well-being strategies that result in better connected, happier people.
For example, the first practice is focusing on random acts of kindness for influencing positive emotion and meaning. One of the participating employers in 2024, Blethen Berens, had a team of employees go into the community to perform random acts of kindness (photos above). They hid pre-packaged easter eggs at a park for kids to find and hid cash in the toy section for kids to find and buy a treat with.
Holiday Trimmings Program
The Holiday Trimmings Program is offered every year to help people improve their well-being during the busy holiday season.
Community Scavenger Hunts to Promote Walking and Bicycling
From 2019 - 2021, the team offered community scavenger hunts for people to walk or bike around town and learn more about the community.
Success Story: MRCI Nursing Room
MRCI - New Ulm created a private space for employees who are breastfeeding mothers to express milk. The room is also available to all employees as a quiet space they can use during their personal breaks throughout the day.
According to the Office on Women’s Health, more than 80% of new mothers in the United States begin breastfeeding, and 6 in every 10 new mothers are in the workforce.
“It is our goal at MRCI to reduce barriers to breastfeeding for nursing mothers returning to work,” stated Melissa Hudson, New Ulm Branch Manager. “The created space is private, safe, clean and in close proximity to a sink for washing hands and cleaning breast pump parts.”
Worksite Wellness E-Newsletters
For additional ways on how your worksite can get involved in supporting wellness, visit our Get Involved page.
Additional Resources and Information
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