The Things Winter Forgets: The Mission Behind Warm Kids Wisconsin (feat. Dustin Rucker)

This episode of Business Over Beer is different—and it needed to be.

No beer. Just coffee, conversation, and a mission that hits straight in the chest.

Host Ben Surratt sits down with Dustin Rucker, founder of Warm Kids Wisconsin, a nonprofit working directly with elementary schools to make sure kids across the state have what they need to survive Wisconsin winters: boots and snow pants.

It all started with one giving tree request:

“I just want snow pants so I can play with my friends.”

That moment changed everything.

In this episode, Dustin shares:

Why coats aren’t the biggest need—boots and snow pants areHow one small idea turned into helping hundreds of kids across WisconsinWhy teachers and counselors are often quietly filling the gapWhat people misunderstand about nonprofits and donationsHis own childhood experience growing up without winter gearHow community, connection, and saying “yes” keeps this mission moving forward

Warm Kids Wisconsin now works with schools from Chippewa Falls to Sheboygan, helping 30–40 kids per school, with 100% of donations going directly to kids—no salaries, no overhead, no nonsense.

This episode is a reminder that:

Small donations matterCommunity still shows upAnd sometimes the biggest impact starts with the simplest question: “What do you need?”

🎧 Listen. Share it. Then do something with it.