FP FIVE: HOME IS THE CENTER OF LIFE

Tasha Berillo
May 2
5 min read

May 02, 2025

The Family Promise Five is a weekly newsletter whose purpose is to update, inform, and advocate for families who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness.

The mission of Family Promise of Waukesha County is to help low-income families and families experiencing homelessness achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response.

In this edition, you will find these stories:

GOLF OUTING REGISTRATION
VJS RUN/WALK
BABY SHOWER
FRESH START FURNISHINGS
HOME IS THE CENTER OF LIFE

POLL OF THE WEEK

Author Matthew Desmond was interviewed about his book Poverty, By America. Snippets of his interview are provided. After watching those snippets what is your impression of his insights?

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted and Poverty By America spoke at UWM and Carmen High School during a recent visit to Milwaukee.

01. GOLF OUTING REGISTRATION

Monday, July 21 at the Oconomowoc Golf Club

Fundraiser

Golf registration is now open! Join us for an unforgettable day of fun, networking, and golf at our 5th Annual Golf Outing! Whether you're a seasoned pro or a beginner, this event offers something for everyone. Celebrate our mission with a round of golf, live and silent auctions, prize raffle, and plenty of tasty eats and drinks with good company.

All proceeds help Family Promise of Waukesha County to expand all our programming

initiatives - especially the Oconomowoc Shelter and Prevention programs. Your generosity helps us provide the following services:

Rent Assistance
Security Deposits
Utilities and Wifi
Case Management
Car Repairs
Bus Passes
Shelter Program Leases

Get Tickets

Presented by

Sign-up to be a golf outing sponsor today! Deadline for sponsoring is June 30, 2025.

Golf Outing Sponsor Sign-up

02. VJS RUN/WALK

Run, Walk or Volunteer

Community

You are invited to join us for a fun run/walk sponsored by VJS Construction Services Community Foundation on Saturday May 3 at 8am . The run/walk will start in the VJS parking lot and circle the Pewaukee Business Park. Strollers and pets are welcome!

This is the 5th annual VJS run/walk and each year they select a few non-profit organizations to support. Funds raised from this run/walk will support Family Promise of Waukesha County. It is a great opportunity to come together as a community, get some exercise and support a few great causes. You can participate as a runner, walker or volunteer.

Day of race registration is available!

03. BABY SHOWER

Family in Shelter expecting soon.

Community

A shelter client with Family Promise of Waukesha County is expecting and due in early June. To the left is a list of supplies that the client is requesting in preparation for her hospital bag and baby registry.

If you are interested in helping with requested supplies, please sign-up and review available slots on the form below.

Items can be dropped off at Family Promise of Waukesha County at 139 E North St, Waukesha, WI 53187.

Contact Tasha for questions or to coordinate the donation of supplies.

Registry Sign-up

04. FRESH START FURNISHINGS

Friday, May 16 from 10 am - 2 pm

Volunteer

Denise O'Halloran and Gail Frangiamore have been providing furniture for families who secure their own housing and when we establish a new Apartment Shelter Unit. All the items they collect they store at a barn. Sometimes the barn needs to be cleaned and reorganized. Could you help Denise and Gail on Friday May 16 from 10-2pm?

For more details or to sign up contact Tasha.

Learn more about Denise and Gail

Check out Fresh Start Furnishings

O5. HOME IS THE CENTER OF LIFE

Author Matthew Desmond visited Milwaukee this past week.

Accompaniment

Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted was in Milwaukee to give a talk about his most recent book Poverty, By America. A teacher at Carmen High School in Milwaukee saw that he was coming to town and invited him to speak with his class. Desmond highlighted the challenge of housing and how the cost of housing has far outpaced the increase in wages. In this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Article Desmond is quoted as saying, "Whatever you care about, whatever keeps you up at night, whether it's education, whether it's how safe your city is, social mobility, the environment, housing, the housing crisis plays a huge role in that,"

When one student asked Desmond how he can make a change in how the government approaches housing he suggested that this young man should, speak up for what he believes in. Desmond noted that during the pandemic, special funding bills that paused evictions and increased food subsidies helped cut child poverty rates, but few celebrated that.

Whatever you care about, whatever keeps you up at night, whether it's education, whether it's how safe your city is, social mobility, the environment, housing, the housing crisis plays a huge role in that . . .

Since writing the book Evicted, Desmond has established the Eviction Lab, a think tank based out of Princeton that tracks the rate of evictions across the country. He has become a respected leader in understanding poverty and homelessness. Recently he was interviewed on the Daily Show hosted by Jon Stewart. Here are snippets from that interview.

INTERVENTIONS ARE EFFECTIVE.

The things we are doing to reduce poverty matters and lift millions of people out of poverty every year.

The child poverty rate in the United States is double what it is in Canada.

WE ARE CONNECTED TO THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION

Sometimes people benefit from poverty without recognizing it.

THE POVERTY GAP CAN BE CLOSED.

If all the taxes that are owed were collected we could close the poverty gap.

INTERVENTIONS SHOULD BE SEEN AS INVESTMENTS IN PEOPLE

The return on assistance to those in poverty is beneficial to everyone.

Watch the entire video.

POLL OF THE WEEK

Matthew Desmond's Insights are . . .choose all that apply.

0%Challenging
0%Encouraging
0%Eye opening
0%Questionable

You can vote for more than one answer.

FIVE PLUS

Giving Day Results

We did it! Thank you to all who supported Giving Day 2025. Family Promise of Waukesha County raised $126,306. The generosity of Waukesha County was on full display as we were the affiliate with the most money raised and second most number of donors.

Special thank you to those who helped create the Community Challenge Fund. You gave us a great start. We are also thankful for Maddy's Bar and Music Lounge for hosting our Giving Day party. It was great fun and a really nice way to end an important day for families experiencing homelessness.