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The Family Promise Five is a weekly update that focuses on the FIVE topics, issues, events, volunteer opportunities or needs of Family Promise Waukesha County. This communication will update, inform and advocate for families who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Here is the Family Promise Five for April 5, 2024.
Our mission is to help low-income families and families experiencing homelessness achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response.
The Family Promise Five for April 5 are:
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
– Kahlil Gibran
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
Why do you volunteer?
1. REGISTER FOR GOLF OUTING TODAY
Registration for individual golfers and foursomes is now open.
Community/Fund Development/Fun
You are invited to join us for our fifth annual golf outing on Monday, July 22 at the Oconomowoc Golf Club. This will be a great day for all who support Family Promise of Waukesha County. Golfers will have an opportunity to play a Donald Ross designed course that includes the highest level of course grooming; a world class practice facility; all surrounded by scenic views of the breathtaking glacier formed landscape.
Date: Monday July 22, 2024
Cost: $200 per golfer/$800 per foursome
10:00 am Check-In, driving range and putting green available, and lunch
11:45 am Welcome and overview of the afternoon, dismissed to starting hole
12:00 pm Shotgun start
4:30 pm 19th Hole - Includes cash bar, music, hors d’oeuvres, dinner,
program, raffle, silent and live auctions
If you are not a golfer, please join us for the 19th Hole! Enjoy the great hors d’oeuvres, music, socializing, dinner and program with all of your friends of Family Promise of Waukesha County. Cost to join us for the 19th Hole is $60 per person.
Click the link to register for the full golf package or only the 19th Hole.
Space is limited so register early.
2. CORE PROGRAMS: UPDATE ON OUR SERVICES
Summary of tasks for each core program
Mission
Ever wonder what keeps us busy? Here is a summary of the core programs recommended by Family Promise national and an update on what is happening here at Family Promise of Waukesha County.
There are four core programs that Family Promise national recommends to each affiliate. Those programs are:
(1) Eviction (Homelessness)Prevention
(2) Shelter Diversion
(3) Shelter
(4) Stabilization.
Some affiliates will offer other housing programs such as Transitional Housing or Permanent Supportive Housing. Here are updates on each of our programs.
Family Homelessness Prevention Program
This program has undergone a complete renovation over the past few months. The process now includes an assessment, addition to the homelessness management information system, home visit to ensure the habitability of each residence and landlords agreeing to work with the program.
What are we working on in prevention?
Implementing our new process
Recruiting volunteers to help with the habitability assessments
Apartment Shelter Program
We lease five apartments which are used for shelter. Currently we are serving four families utilizing all five apartments. We are accommodating a larger family in two units. The families consist of six adults and 13 children. Two children are under the age of five.
What are we working on in Shelter?
Implement a partner program to provide meals to families in the apartments
Start life skills and wellness seminars- one each month
Lease a sixth apartment in Oconomowoc
Purchase a multi-family unit, utilizing a grant from the American Rescue Plan.
Formalizing our transitional housing program.
Stabilization
When families leave shelter or the prevention program they can elect to continue to receive support which could include case management, participation in seminars.
What are we working on in Stabilization?
Develop a follow-up program to help families move out of poverty.
Shelter Diversion
Diversion is assistance provided to families who are homeless but have not entered shelter. The purpose is to act quickly and help families resolve their housing issues creatively without having to enter shelter. Some strategies utilized to help families avoid shelter are:
security deposits and first month rent
temporary hotel stay
mediation between tenant and landlord to resolve the issues AFTER a non-renewal/eviction with the hope of a return
developing a mediation process for landlords and tenants before eviction
covering moving/storage costs
incentivizing a landlord to accept a tenant with a recent eviction
providing legal representation during eviction
What are we working on?
Seeking funding to implement a shelter diversion program.
Hopefully there will be more to report soon. 😁
Prevention stats are lower for the first quarter than previous years due to the changes we have made to our application process.
POLL OF THE WEEK
Why do you volunteer? Mark all that apply.
0%Change the lives of others
0%Learn about others
0%Learn about myself
0%Bring kindness and compassion into the world
You can vote for more than one answer.
3. $100K IN ONE DAY!
Your help on April 11 will help families secure a place to stay
Fund Development
We need you! Due to the generosity of two anonymous donors, ATC, Bank Five Nine, Mike and Amanda Hallquist, and GE Healthcare, we have been challenged to raise $100,000 in one day. These supporters have provided gifts that total more than $50,000 with the caveat that we are able to match it all on one day!
You can help us reach this ambitious goal on Thursday, April 11. These funds will be used to:
Prevent family homelessness
Provide shelter to families experiencing homelessness
Expand our Apartment Shelter Program into Oconomowoc
As the need to expand services to families has grown, so have our expenses. It is imperative that we respond to maintain and grow our level of service. This funding is crucial to our ability to successfully serve families.
4. WHAT IS DRIVING HOMELESSNESS?
Two opportunities to consider societal factors that impact homelessness
Advocacy/Accompaniment/Community
SOPHIA COMMUNITY BREAKFAST
You are invited to the SOPHIA Community Breakfast on April 20 from 9:30am-11am. Hear the wisdom of Justice Castaneda, Executive Director of Common Wealth Development, who will present an innovative perspective on community development that focuses on sustainability, equity and justice.
SOPHIA is a coalition of diverse faith communities in Waukesha County dedicated to building and deepening relationships within and among our communities. SOPHIA empowers people to work together on issues of justice and the common good.
CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL FAIR HOUSING MONTH
You are invited to a program to celebrate national fair housing month sponsored by the Milwaukee Fair Housing Council. Chief Judge Carl Ashley will lead the program which will include a short program at 6pm to recognize local fair housing heroes and listen to a spoken word performance by Kavon Cortez Jones. Come to celebrate these local luminaries, enjoy light refreshments, and view the exhibits of the Black Holocaust Museum together.
What: A Community Celebration of National Fair Housing Month
Date: April 18, 2024
Time: 5pm to 7pm
Where: America’s Black Holocaust Museum,
401 W. North Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53212
Suggested donation: $25, but all are welcome!
Details in the Instagram post below:
THE MORNING SHOW WPR
Meghan Mietchen, Executive Director of Community Action Coalition of Southcentral Wisconsin was on the Morning Show this week with Hannah Renfro from the Tenant Resource Center. They discussed the issue of rising evictions in Wisconsin. Interesting conversation and an affirmation of much of what we see families experiencing in Waukesha County.
5. WORLD VOLUNTEER MONTH
Volunteers provide a community response to families in need
Gratitude/Appreciation/Volunteer
Thank you to all of those who volunteer for Family Promise of Waukesha County. Throughout 2023 we have had over 30 partner groups and over 300 people have gone through our online volunteer training. It is our foundational principle that what makes Family Promise unique and effective is the involvement of volunteers. Here are some of the ways volunteers support families experiencing homelessness:
Make and serve meals for families in shelter programs
Collect and sort supplies for families
Set up apartments for families moving into their new homes
Clean apartments between families
Complete maintenance at our Day Center and in the apartments
Serve on the board of trustees, program, fund development or finance committee
Plan and help at the Golf Outing
Drive families to appointments
Help with habitability assessments for prevention clients
Yard work and upkeep of our grounds
We thank you for the many ways you support families experiencing homelessness and sharing your generous spirit.
Looking to get involved?
Our greatest need for volunteer assistance is help with habitability assessments. In this project you would go on a home visit and complete a checklist to ensure that the residence is suitable for human habitation. Each visit takes no more than 30 minutes. You set your level of commitment and would make this visit with a staff member. For more information, contact Joe.
FIVE PLUS!
TRIVIA WINNER
Congratulations to Mary Miller, who won our Family Promise Anniversary Trivia! Thank you to all who participated. Here are the answers:
ROCK N ROLL TRIVIA
You are invited to the Oconomowoc Women’s Club Rock N Roll Trivia Bingo Night on Saturday, April 20. The event will be held at the American Legion Post in Okauchee
FRIENDS OF NASHOTAH WILD GAME DINNER
You are invited to the Friends of Nashotah Wild Game Dinner on April 11. Friends of Nashotah uses the funds raised at this dinner to support local nonprofits like Family Promise of Waukesha County.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
April 5 Safe and Stable Homes Meeting with United Way
April 8 Exec Committee
April 11 Friends of Nashotah Wild Game Dinner
April 11 Family Promise Giving Day
April 12 Rise Up
April 15-17 Family Promise Midwest Directors Meeting, Minneapolis
April 24 Program Committee
April 29 Board of Trustees Meeting
May 1 Fund Development Committee
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