FP FIVE: WINTER SHELTER OPEN

2 days ago6 min read

January 19, 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.

Family Promise of Waukesha County offices are closed on Monday, January 20 to commemorate Martin Luther King Day. The Day Center and Shelter are open.

In this edition, you will find these stories:

WELCOME TASHA
WINTER OVERFLOW SHELTER NOW OPEN
TARGET CIRCLE GIVING PROGRAM
UWM- WAUKESHA DEVELOPMENT PLAN
POINT IN TIME COUNT

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

FOX6 NEWS REPORTS ON THE OPENING OF THE EMERGENCY OVERFLOW SHELTER

POLL OF THE WEEK

Waukesha County and the City of Waukesha are making plans to develop the UWW Campus as well as the county grounds. It has been stated that the housing developed at UWW will be for those who earn $100,000 or more. Should there be an expectation that a percentage of housing in both locations be set aside for affordable housing units?

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped clean, make beds, sort supplies and clean the Emergency Overflow this past week.

This week we had to say goodbye to Kelly Hawkins as she begins an internship for her masters degree program. Kelly brought her compassion, kindness, gentleness and sensitivity to families as she served as a Family Advocate starting in November 2022. She will be missed but we wish her only good things.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

1. WELCOME TASHA

Staff

Family Promise of Waukesha County is pleased to announce that Tasha Berillo has joined our team as Office Coordinator. Her first day was Monday, January 13. Tasha’s responsibilities will include:

Serving as first point of contact for clients and volunteers
Bookkeeping
Scheduling volunteers
Facility Maintenance
Marketing team with Outreach and Fund Development Coordinator

She has a background working in a domestic violence shelter as an advocate and providing educational experiences about domestic violence.

In her first week she jumped in and helped set up the EOS and schedule volunteers. Please welcome Tasha Berillo to Family Promise of Waukesha County. Her contact information:

Make a difference in the lives of families and children.

Phone: 262-968-2321 ext.101

Email: tasha@familypromisewaukeshawi.org

We continue to seek staff to join our team.

Click below to see open positions on our career page.

Join Our Team!

2. WINTER OVERFLOW SHELTER NOW OPEN

Volunteers put final touches making it ready for service

Community

Families and singles experiencing homelessness moved into the Emergency Overflow Shelter on Thursday and Friday this week. The shelter opening had been delayed due to water damage after a pipe burst. On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, close to 60 volunteers helped to clean the shelter, sort supplies, make beds, wash dishes and ensure that all is in order. A few news reports captured the efforts. Click on the logo of the news outlet to see their coverage.

When the flood occurred a number of service agencies put together plan B. Hebron Housing Services, St. Vincent DePaul, Salvation Army and Family Promise of Waukesha County created a plan to provide a hotel stay for those who would have needed the Emergency Overflow Shelter. During this time we served:

Family Promise of Waukesha County is grateful to be part of a group with an enormous collaborative spirit. This includes Hebron Housing Services, Hope Center, NAMI, Salvation Army, St. Vincent DePaul, among others who have worked diligently to ensure that the Emergency Overflow is able to open in 2025.

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

Volunteer to drive or
Make and serve a meal or
Provide support to families at Family Promise Day Center.

Click the button to find details of how you can volunteer.

VOLUNTEER

3. TARGET CIRCLE

Family Promise selected to be a recipient of a first quarter donation from Target

Fund Development

Shopping at Target can now benefit Family Promise of Waukesha County! We are excited to announce that we have been selected to be part of the Target Circle for the first quarter of 2025. Every time you shop at Target, as a Target Circle Member you earn points. Those points can be directed to selected non-profits. The more votes we receive the more funds provided to Family Promise.

Here is what you need to do to help Family Promise.

Become a Target Circle Member
Select your Target store. (It is easy to locate Family Promise if you select the Sunset store in Waukesha)
Find Family Promise and direct your points to us.

Contest ends March 31, 2025

4. UWM-WAUKESHA DEVELOPMENT

Mixed-income development could be beneficial for our community

Advocacy

76 acres of land at the The UWM- Waukesha campus, owned by Waukesha County, has been approved for development. According to an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the property has been approved for mixed use residential. “The land designation means that a variety of housing, not all of the same type, could be built there. The city has used the term "flexible" housing, suggesting perhaps as a planned-unit development to orchestrate a unique layout of multi-family homes, side-by-side homes and single-family homes.” This development could be ideal for mixed income housing.

While there are many decisions yet to be made about this property (and perhaps the Waukesha County grounds), it is concerning that the minimum income level has been set at $100,000. According to a study completed by Wisconsin Policy Forum the only career where a single income household made more than $100,000 is a software developer. (p.15) This would mean that the current income threshold for homes on this property would leave out any single income household who were: registered nurses, engineers, police and sheriff patrol officers and others. Considering the challenges that homelessness has presented Waukesha, maybe there needs to be a plan that integrates low-income housing with those making more than $100,000.

There is evidence that mixed income neighborhoods elevates all in the neighborhood. According to an article in Ideastream results are mixed but “one study of two former public housing neighborhoods in Chicago, low-income tenants said they felt their neighborhoods were safer after they became mixed-income. That, in turn, made them feel less stressed, and gave them more mental space to think about making improvements in their own lives.”

The value of being part of a thriving community cannot be overstated. As we prepare to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, segregating individuals whether it is on race or economics is not a solution. Many of the families we serve simply want an opportunity. What if our community planned a housing development that had beautiful, stable and affordable housing for a variety of income levels to live together? This development could provide that opportunity for low-income households.

POLL OF THE WEEK

As the county and city make plans for development of UWW and the county grounds, should a percent be set aside for affordable housing?

0%Yes, a minimum of 10%
0%Yes, 5-10%
0%Yes, and there should be permanent supportive housing also.
0%Not affordable housing, but workforce housing ($40-80K)

5. POINT IN TIME (PIT COUNT)

Volunteers are needed to count those experiencing homelessness.

Volunteer Opportunity

Volunteers are needed to help with the Point in Time Count which starts on Wednesday, January 22nd from 10:00 PM to 3:00 AM. As a volunteer, you would be part of a team with a leader. Training for volunteers occurs at 10:00 PM with the counting starting at 11:00 PM. Volunteers can select to count in the City of Waukesha or request other parts of the county. Due to grant funding, Family Promise is required to have at least two volunteers helping with the count.

A Point-In-Time, or PIT, is a statistically reliable, unduplicated count of people experiencing homelessness during a designated one-night period. Wisconsin conducts this count twice per year in January and July. According to established guidelines, the count cannot start before 11:00 PM on January 22nd.

The intention is to capture a minimum amount of information on the homeless population in order to create a "snapshot" of what homelessness looks like in a neighborhood, city, or state. The data collected through the Point-In-Time process is reported in the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) that is provided to the US Congress. Homeless information is also reported to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is utilized to develop the Housing Inventory Chart for the Balance of State Continuum of Care.

Questions? Email Joe Nettesheim: joe@familypromisewaukeshawi.org

Volunteer to Help

CALENDAR

January 20 MLK DAY- OFFICES CLOSED

January 20 EOS weekly meeting

January 20 EOS meal: Church of the Resurrection

January 20 Board of Trustees Meeting

January 21 Waukesha Service Provider Meeting @1:30 - R&R Insurance

January 21 EOS meal: Family Impacteers

January 22 EOS meal: open

January 22 Point in Time Count

January 23 PIT Count