Jul 197 min read

FP FIVE: Homelessness to Home

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 July 19, 2024.

Our mission is to help low-income families and families experiencing homelessness achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response.

The Golf Outing is Monday, July 22. Our offices will be closed.

The Family Promise Five for July 19 are:

FROM HOMELESSNESS TO HOME
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
AFFILIATE HEALTH METRICS
GOALS: MID-YEAR CHECK-IN
A HOME FOR EVERYONE

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“You beg for charity. You demand your rights.”

— Eric Tars

Article 25 - UN Declaration of Human Rights

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Our photos capture volunteers working on the Golf Outing, Catholic Heartworkcamp planting bushes along the side of our building, the director of Rattle the World and a Home for Everyone Conference.

Golf Outing Volunteers

Catholic Heart Workcamp

Rattle the World

A Home for Everyone Conference

POLL OF THE WEEK

Which of the following quotes are most thought provoking to you?

1. FROM HOMELESSNESS TO HOME!

Family moves from shelter to their new home, today!

Mission

We are so pleased to share that today a family from shelter has moved into their own apartment! This great news is accompanied by more great news- mom also was promoted! What is especially exciting about this family is that they were able to find their new home within 32 days! Congratulations to mom and kids!

2. WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Please help with our current needs?

Volunteer

We are back after our Fourth of July/mid-summer break. Since we last communicated with you, a number of needs have arisen. We hope you can help. Here is a list:

Get Involved

We have updated our volunteer page and it now contains 10 Ways to Get Involved. Great summary of tasks with which we need help. Check it out!

https://www.familypromisewaukeshawi.org/volunteer

Gift Cards

We are completely out of gift cards for gas, groceries, and supplies. Recently it seems that those donations have gone down. As prices increase, gift cards for gas, groceries, and supplies can be a lifesaver for low-income families. Please consider a donation of gift cards to Pick N Save, Kwik Trip, or Target in amounts of $10 or $25. Gift cards can be dropped off at our Day Center (139 E North Street Waukesha, WI 53188) or mailed (PO Box 66 Waukesha, WI 53187).

Now Hiring!

Our search for a Family Advocate and an Officer Coordinator is on. Please consider applying or sharing these opportunities with your network. One can apply by submitting a cover letter and resume via email to joe@familypromisewaukeshawi.org

https://www.familypromisewaukeshawi.org/careers

A Community Response

Family Promise of Waukesha County believes that the most effective way to end homelessness is a community response. Even though the ways one can serve has changed, we still need volunteers and support to effectively serve families in need. We hope you will respond.

3. AFFILIATE HEALTH METRICS

FP Waukesha County reviewed by FP National to measure its overall health

Mission

Every year, each affiliate is required to complete a census report to Family Promise National. The census measures categories such as programs, finances, board of trustees, and volunteer involvement. The health metrics are not to be viewed as a report card, but a tool to evaluate programs, outcomes, and operations. In 2023, our overall score was 80. This is higher than both the regional and national average, however it did fall from 84 in 2022. The main reason for the decrease was spending a portion of our reserves on the Community Shelter in 2022.

In 2023, the areas that were identified as high-performing were the overall number of families served in prevention, shelter, and overall programming. For operations, the following was assessed as high performance: number of staff members, having non-board members on committees, and implementing appropriate policies and procedures.

Steps that were to improve and become high-performing by FP National were:

Increase exits to positive outcome by 1%
Increase board giving by 11%
Add a board member with lived experience
Implement a policy for document destruction
Lower barrier to shelter entry particularly criminal background checks
Serve 3 additional families in stabilization

Below you can review the entire report and the assessment of our affiliate in each category.

POLL OF THE WEEK

Which of the following quotes are most thought provoking to you?

0%You beg for charity. You demand your rights.
0%It is not a homelessness problem.We have a housing problem.
0%Every human is entitled to housing.
0%Domestic violence shelters engage in homicide prevention.

You can vote for more than one answer.

4. GOALS: MID-YEAR CHECK-IN

Update on our 2024 organizational SMART Goals

Mission

Halfway through 2024 is a good time to provide you with an update on our organizational goals.

Fundraise $855,000

As of June 30, 2024 we have raised 44% of our goal. The generosity of businesses and individuals provided over $95,000 on Giving Day in April. We are grateful about where we are, but know that our goal is more than our organization has ever raised. We still have a lot of work to do in order to reach this goal.

Develop non-congregate shelter program

Being awarded a grant from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a great start toward reaching this goal. The next step is to find the right property for our affiliate.

Improve Data Collection

Being able to track the number of families we serve, the reasons they need service, and the long-term impact of our services is important for us to be able to assess and improve our services. We are currently using Google Sheets. Board member Mike Hallquist is helping us develop a more efficient approach.

Celebrate 10 Years

We are grateful to those who have provided their stories. Plans are underway for a 10 year celebration, developing a video, and a panel conversation. Watch for more details soon.

A significant highlight of 2024 thus far was receiving the Bezos Day 1 grant to start a Shelter Diversion program. This grant has allowed us to start a new program which has impacted staffing and our agency approach to families experiencing homelessness.

5. A HOME FOR EVERYONE

Staff participated in a conference on housing and homelessness.

Community

This past week, our staff participated in a conference called A Home for Everyone. The conference was hosted by the Wisconsin Collaborative for Affordable Housing. Maria, Courtney, and Joe spoke about the Apartment Shelter Program in a session titled "Alternative Forms of Shelter."

Each person was to provide a short reflection on what they took away from the conference to share with you.

Courtney:

The workshop that I found most informative was "Housing not Handcuffs." I learned that the problem does not lie in the institutions supporting the homeless community, but the housing crisis in Wisconsin. "It's not a homelessness problem, but a housing problem!" After hearing that statement, a puzzle piece clicked for me! The families we serve have a hard time finding housing. Homelessness does not exist because of something they or our organization are doing wrong. It's a much bigger issue than that and it will take a whole community to make changes!

Joe:

It was an honor to have an opportunity to present at the conference. I was proud that our agency was able to promote the success of the Apartment Shelter Program - and the great work being done by our staff. We were paired with another agency in presenting Alternative Shelter Models. The Dairyland Campground in Madison was a unique approach. Clients have a tiny home available to them and there are no time limits for staying with very few exceptions. It is a place to stay. And it seems to be successful. A significant number of clients have been able to receive Permanent Supportive Housing or were accepted into Rapid Rehousing Programs. What was most inspiring was the focus on empowering clients and allowing them to make their own decisions about circumstances that will impact their future.

Justin:

I really enjoyed being in a space with other people aiming to solve the same crisis we are. I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned to my program development.

Kelly:

The session I found most interesting was "Domestic Violence Housing First." The speaker made a statement that I had never really considered. She states that DV (Domestic Violence) housing services are homicide prevention. This stuck out to me as a reminder of how essential all homelessness services are.

This session also discussed their process of collaboration with other organizations exchanging the funding they received with service providers that already exist in the communities. Lastly this session mentioned an awesome resource called "Rent Smart." This is an educational resource that helps clients become informed of their tenant rights. I believe this resource could be very beneficial to their families that we serve.

Maria:

The session I found most interesting was the one on "Housing is a Human Right." In this session, the speakers gave their perspectives on how reframing the question can change mindsets and drive more action. One speaker gave an interesting perspective when he said, "How can we talk about housing as a human right when it seems not to be a right to be treated like a human."

They left us with this -- Instead of deciding which communities or people (such as certain races, genders, sexuality) should have access to housing we should ask ourselves "Do you believe every human deserves access to housing?"

Five Plus

GOLF OUTING GRATITUDE

The Golf Outing is Monday, July 22! We are grateful to all of our sponsors. Today we recognzie our Hole Sponsors

Over the next few weeks we will thank all or our golf outing sponsors. Please use their services and let them know you appreciate their support of families experiencing homelessness.