Apr 126 min read

FAMILY PROMISE FIVE: GIVING DAY SUCCESS

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 12, 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 12 are:

FAMILY PROMISE TO RECEIVE BEZOS DAY ONE GRANT
GIVING DAY THANK YOU!
STUDENTS WHO ARE HOMELESS IN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS
NO STRINGS ATTACHED
SOPHIA COMMUNITY BREAKFAST

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

This quote came to us this week, in light of the many reasons we have to be grateful:

'Thank you' is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.

-Alice Walker

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Sometimes you just need to spend lunch outside playing bags and eating Crumble Cookies. Thank you to our special benefactor who provided us with mid-week treats!

Kelly is clearly a ringer.

POLL OF THE WEEK

Will providing cash directly to families in poverty -- giving them the autonomy to use it in the way they deem best -- elevate families out of poverty?

1. FAMILY PROMISE TO RECEIVE BEZOS DAY ONE GRANT

Grant to be used for Shelter Diversion

Mission/Program/Community/Fund Development

Family Promise of Waukesha County was awarded a $1 Million grant from the Wisconsin Balance of State to develop a Shelter Diversion pilot program that could be adopted and used in other areas of the state. These funds will be distributed over a five year period starting June 1, 2024. The purpose of the grant is to develop a program that will:

Work toward zero unsheltered families within Waukesha County
Reduce the number of families needing shelter
Reduce the length of time from point of entry to exiting to permanent housing.

Family Promise of Waukesha County will work with the Wisconsin Balance of State to create innovative strategies to reach these goals. Some strategies used in Shelter Diversion to accomplish these goals are:

security deposits and first month rent
temporary hotel stay
mediation between tenant and landlord
incentivizing a landlord to accept a tenant with a recent eviction
covering moving/storage costs
developing a mediation process for landlords and tenants before eviction
providing legal representation during eviction

To learn more about Shelter Diversion:

The grant was awarded to Family Promise of Waukesha County from the Wisconsin Balance of State who secured funding for this program from the Bezos Day One Fund. They then held a competitive grant process from which Family Promise of Waukesha County was selected as the lead agency representing Waukesha County.

Family Promise of Waukesha County was selected by the Waukesha County Continuum of Care, a collaboration of agencies who work to have a comprehensive strategy to reduce homelessness, to apply on their behalf. Twenty letters of recommendation from these agencies, government officials, businesses, civic groups and congregations were provided in support of our efforts to secure these funds.

This is an excellent opportunity for Family Promise of Waukesha County, the county and most importantly for families experiencing homelessness.

2. GIVING DAY THANK YOU!

Your support for Giving Day provided $88,380 to support families experiencing homelessness

Gratitude

Our hearts are filled with joy for the amazing support we have received for Family Promise Giving Day 2024! We received $88,380 from 82 donors. The giving portal remains open for one more week so this is not our final amount.

Your generous gifts will be used to:

prevent families from losing their homes and experiencing homelessness
support the Apartment Shelter Program
expand the Apartment Shelter Program into Oconomowoc

The kindness of our community never fails to impress and humble us. Thank you for your support.

If you were not able to give on Thursday, April 11, the Giving Day platform will remain open until Thursday April 18. You can give in any of these ways below.

Any funds received through April 18 will be included in our final total.

3. HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE HOMELESS IN COUNTY

Count of Waukesha County students experiencing homelessness for 2022-23 released

Community

One story that has stayed in our hearts and minds is of the mom who stayed in her car with her two daughters for a few months before our shelter had an open apartment. She joined the YMCA so they would have a place to shower. She told us that she did everything in her power to not let anyone know that they were struggling financially. She was proud of the fact that her children’s teachers never knew. Experiencing homelessness is a traumatic and isolating experience. Experiencing homelessness in the wealthiest county in the state often leaves families doing whatever they can to keep their experience hidden.

The statistics for students experiencing homelessness in Waukesha County school districts for 2022-23 were recently released. Here are the numbers. After the Waukesha School District the highest number of students experiencing homelessness are Menomonee Falls, Oconomowoc and Muskego-Norway. Remember this information reflects the number of students that school officials know are experiencing homelessness.

4. NO STRINGS ATTACHED

Zilber Family Foundation giving money directly to pregnant mothers

Accompaniment

Recently the Zilber Family Foundation announced that they are beginning a program called The Bridge Project, which will give $16,000 directly to 100 women who are expecting. This is a first of its kind program that distributes cash directly to families without any conditions. This is not a typical approach of supporting families in poverty. Most often agencies serving those living in poverty are concerned about money going to a specific project and holding the recipient accountable.

These funds will go to women who make less than $39,000 a year and live in some of the poorest zip codes in the city of Milwaukee. The Executive Director of the Zilber Family Foundation stated, "We are overcoming the assumption that they have done something wrong. Or that they are morally inferior in some way and that has resulted in their personal poverty or their generational poverty," she said. "What we believe is that there are systems at play in Milwaukee that have not only caused, but perpetuated, cycles of poverty."

Milwaukee is the fifth project like this in the country and the first out of the state of New York. Milwaukee was chosen in part because of its high poverty and infant mortality rates. There is no doubt this is a new and innovative if not controversial approach that bears watching.

"In the same way that wealth is passed down generationally, poverty is passed down generationally," Stilp said. "We hope to demonstrate that allowing women the autonomy to choose what is best for themselves and their families is something we should value and replicate."

POLL OF THE WEEK

Will providing cash directly to families in poverty, giving them the autonomy to use it in the way they deem best, elevate families out of poverty?

0%Yes
0%No

5. SOPHIA COMMUNITY BREAKFAST

Breakfast speaker to focus on Community Development

Community

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.

https://www.sophiawaukesha.org/home

FIVE PLUS!

FROM HOMELESSNESS TO HOME: YOU ARE THE KEY

Registration for the Family Promise of Waukesha Golf Outing is now open. The outing will be held on Monday, July 22 at the Oconomowoc Golf Club. Cost to golf is $200 a person.

If you are not a golfer please consider joining us for the 19th Hole. This includes hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, music, raffle, silent auction, program, live auction and a great opportunity to socialize. Hope you can join us.

Golf Outing Information and Registration

OFFICE SUPPLIES NEEDED

Visit our amazon wish list to see some of the items we need. We are very low on copy paper.