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This blog provides the top 5 highlights or updates about Family Promise of Waukesha County for Friday, March 3, 2023.
The Friday Five is a weekly blog post/update that focuses on the top five occurrences, issues, opportunities facing Family Promise each week. It is our hope that it will help you stay informed and connected to the mission of Family Promise of Waukesha County.
Our mission is to help low-income families and families experiencing homelessness achieve sustainable independence
through a community-based response.
The stories you can read this week are:
Alpha Xi Delta from Carroll University spent part of their Saturday organizing our supplies. It was definitely needed! Thank you.
Do you plan to volunteer in the new Family Promise Community Shelter Program?
1. VOLUNTEER AT THE NEW COMMUNITY SHELTER
One of the reasons that Family Promise is successful in changing the lives of families experiencing homelessness is because of volunteers. Volunteers are an essential ingredient for the new Community Shelter Program. You can help us provide a holistic, trauma informed, healing and transformative experience by volunteering your time in this new program. Volunteers can gget involved through a partner organization or on their own. To provide the best care to families and familiarize volunteers with this new program ALL volunteers are required to go through a training process. The training process includes:
Online training sessions that are divided into modules so they can be completed at your own pace.
An in-person training session to be conducted at the shelter facility
Criminal background review
Click below to read the entire process of becoming a volunteer for the Community Shelter Program.
Looking for other ways to get involved?
Click on the buttons below to learn about the following:
Partner with Family Promise
We continue to invite congregations, businesses, social clubs and civic groups to consider selecting one recurring night a month for seven months. Please consider inviting your group to partner with us.
Serve as a Lead Volunteer
The lead volunteer is a new role of individuals who would be responsible for the shelter at select times. An information session will be held on Thursday, March 9.
Make a Donation as a Promise Builders giving club member
All founding members of the Promise Builders recurring giving club will receive a Family Promise Waukesha County car magnet
POLL OF THE WEEK
Do you plan to volunteer in the new Family Promise Community Shelter Program?
- Of course! It's time to get back!
- Absolutely! And I invited a group to partner with FP
- I need more information to decide. I will contact Maria*
- Not able to volunteer now, but can provide financial support
* Looking for more information to volunteer?
Contact Maria here: maria@familypromisewaukeshawi.org
2. HELPING HANDS GRANT
“Your plans to prevent and end homelessness are inspiring.”
Family Promise of Waukesha County has been awarded the 2023 Family Promise National Prevention Grant. It is for $15,000 and is funded by Gerstner. This grant has a requirement that there will be a $5,000 match from NEW donor(s).
We are thankful that we have received a total of $3,500 in matching donations from:
Titus Talent Strategies ($2500) and
QPS Employment ($1000)
This means that we are still seeking $1,500. These funds must come from a new donor(s) This might be a great opportunity to invite a friend, colleague, business or congregation to learn about Family Promise of Waukesha County and how we are preventing families from experiencing homelessness and invite them to support this great program.
3. NEW SHELTER FAMILY
Our shelter program is at capacity.
This Tuesday, a fifth family moved into the Apartment Shelter Program. Mom and her three children were staying in their car in a friend's driveway before coming to Family Promise. Mom is working. We are very happy that they now have a roof over their head and a “bed to sleep in.”
4. WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
March was designated Women’s History Month in 1980 by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history. Organizers selected the week of March 8 to correspond with International Women’s Day.
This month we will celebrate the women of Family Promise! We begin with Karen Olson, the founder of Family Promise. She started by offering a sandwich to a woman on the street and turned her care and compassion into an organization that helped over 1 million families!
Here is a short video that documents how Family Promise began.
5. PITFALLS OF THE POINT IN TIME COUNT
Twice a year, agencies who receive Emergency Shelter Grants visit the entire county seeking those who are spending the night in their car or a tent. This is part of the process to count all those who are experiencing homelessness. This count impacts the resources that are allocated toward homeless services in each community. The Point in Time or PIT count occurs in January and July.
The question though is: Who do we count?
This article written by Stacy Pollard the West Regional Director for Family Promise expresses the challenges involved in counting and how most likely many families are missed. This means that we do not have an accurate count of those experiencing homelessness nor of the beds available to serve them. Why does that matter? It matters because it impacts who is eligible for services and what resources are put toward assisting those experiencing homelessness.
“Every daily/weekly motel in this town is a shelter without services.”
-Family Promise Affiliate Executive Director
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARIA!
Happy Birthday to our Program Coordinator, Maria Mundt. She celebrates her day on Wednesday, March 8! Send her a birthday message1
A CALL TO END HOMELESSNESS
Join SOPHIA (Stewards of Prophetic Hopeful Intentional Action) on March 18 from 1-2:30pm at First United Methodist Church 121 E Wisconsin Avenue, Waukesha WI 53186 for a seminar titled: A Call to End Homelessness. Kevin Nye author of Grace Will Lead us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness, will be the speaker.
JOIN US ON MARCH 28: TREASURES OF THE CHURCH AWARD
It is not too late to register. Join us on March 28 when Family Promise of Waukesha County is awarded the Treasures of the Church Award from Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
March 12 Host: TBD
March 19 Presentation at St Leonard, Muskego
March 26 Presentation at First Congregational UCC, Oconomowoc
March 28 Lenten Luncheon: Family Promise receives Treasures of the Church Award
Registration required. St Anthony on the Lake, Pewaukee
Apr 2 - Apr 8 Host: St. Anthony on the Lake
April 12 In-Person Volunteer Training at 12pm or 6pm
April 13 In-Person Volunteer Training at 1pm or 5:30pm
April 15 In-Person Volunteer Training at 10am or 12 noon
April 18 In-Person Volunteer Training at 12pm or 5pm
April 19 In-Person Volunteer Training at 12pm or 6pm
April 20 In-Person Volunteer Training at 1pm or 5:30pm
April 20 GIVING DAY
April 22 In-Person Volunteer Training at 10am or 12 noon
July 24 Family Promise Golf Outing
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA. JUST CLICK THE ICONS BELOW.
You can also join our Facebook volunteer group to learn about volunteer opportunities.