Jun 9, 20235 min read

FRIDAY FIVE : NEW FAMILY

This blog provides the top 5 highlights or updates about Family Promise of Waukesha County for Friday, June 9, 2023.

The Friday Five is a weekly update that focuses on the 5 main things happening at Family Promise Waukesha County. We also look for ways to advocate and educate about family homelessness. 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:

THIS MOM IS BECOMING A HOMEOWNER
HOW ARE WE DOING?
NEW FAMILY
LEARN ABOUT HOMELESSNESS
GOLF OUTING UPDATE

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“If homelessness was a punishment for bad choices, we would all be homeless.”

Mark Horvath, Invisible People

Mark Horvath will be a featured speaker at the Home For Everyone Conference. See more below.

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

(L) Yoga on the Green was a great success! Thank you to Abundant Joy Yoga and all who attended. (R) Maria and Kelly holding supplies that were delivered just before we were going to buy garbage bags! Very providential.

POLL OF THE WEEK

If possible, would you be interested in volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity construction site for the mom who is currently in our shelter?

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - FAMILY PROMISE APPAREL NOW AVAILABLE

The Family Promise of Waukesha County apparel store is now open! Check out t-shirts, crew neck, polos and a baseball cap. Orders should be placed by June 21.

You can choose delivery to your home and pay for shipping or pick up at the Day Center without a shipping charge. Items will be delivered about three weeks after the order is placed. https://allstarsportswear.com/family_promise_of_waukesha/shop/home

See these items and more or change their colors.

FP Merch Store

1. THIS MOM IS BECOMING A HOMEOWNER

Congratulations to a shelter family who has been accepted as a recipient of a Habitat for Humanity house. This twenty year old single mom of a two-year-old has been working full time since she entered the Apartment Shelter Program and has been committed to finding independent, permanent housing. Experiencing homelessness since she was 16, this is a great opportunity for her and her family.

As a participant in the program, she is expected to put in 200 hours of “sweat equity” between the Habitat Restore and the construction site. Plus participants are expected to participate in classes in personal finances, home maintenance, and other homeownership topics.

Working in partnership with Habitat for Humanity means that the homeowner will only have to pay 30% of their income on their mortgage. The Habitat website states, “At Habitat, we believe that everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to call home. Unfortunately, statistics tell us that one in four households in the U.S. pays more than 30% of their income for housing and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food or clothing. So, we have spent the past 30+ years partnering with those who want to build better lives for themselves.”

Congratulations to this family! We are happy and excited for her. Stay tuned for opportunities to volunteer to support this family.

2. HOW ARE WE DOING?

Each year all Family Promise affiliates are required to submit a number of data points to the national office. Then the national office creates a report that provides a summary of how we are doing. They identify strengths (yellow), areas that are stable (white) and places where we can grow (purple). Here is a summary of the metrics for Family Promise of Waukesha County:

In 2022, our overall score was 84 out of 100. This is a little higher than the National Average (77) and the Midwest Region (74). Each of the past three years our score has increased. The areas where we can continue to grow are:

Tracking previous guests
Housing
Shelter Diversion Program

We are working on those three areas in 2023!

We are proud of the steps we have taken and know there are many ways we need to continue to improve.

Read the entire report:

3. NEW FAMILY

We are happy to welcome a new family to the Community Shelter this week! This family is mom and dad and three children ages 2,3 and 6.

Currently the shelter has four families consisting of five adults and eight children. Of the eight children in shelter five are under the age of five.

Prevention Statistics for May 2023.

Shelter statistics for May 2023.

4. LEARN ABOUT HOMELESSNESS

Besides providing direct services to clients, Family Promise of Waukesha County feels it is imperative to advocate for the clients we serve. We do so often through the Friday Five but also by providing educational opportunities to our friends and supporters. Too often there is a lot of judgement made about those experiencing homelessness that we find simply is not true. Therefore, we recommend the following as a way for all of us to grow in understanding the lives of those we support.

BRIDGING SEMINAR

Wednesday, June 21, 11am- 1:30pm - lunch provided

818 W Sunset Drive, Waukesha

You are invited to a bridging seminar sponsored by St. Vincent DePaul Society. During this seminar and discussion about the three economic classes, their unique perspectives and how they impact our community. Each economic class has its own culture and way of being. Participate in this dialogue to learn more about how our economic standing impacts our view of the world and how this understanding can bridge the gap between all people

A Home for Everyone

Wednesday, July 19 and Thursday July 20. (You can participate in only one day if you choose.)

The Wisconsin Collaborative for Affordable Housing consists of community-based organizations, private concerns, government agencies and advocates committed to promoting the development and preservation of affordable housing throughout Wisconsin. Their conference -- A Home for Everyone -- will be held July 19 and 20 in OshKosh. The agenda features large group presentations from Helen Shiller former Chicago City Council member, Jeff Olivet, the Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Mark Horvath, Executive Director of Invisible People.

It will prove to be thought provoking and challenging.

If you are interested, please contact Joe Nettesheim.

POLL OF THE WEEK

If possible, would you be interested in volunteering at the Habitat for Habitat construction site for the mom who is currently in our shelter?

Yes
No
Maybe

5. GOLF OUTING UPDATE

Thank you to all those supporting the golf outing! Please frequent these amazing sponsors whose support allows families to receive financial assistance to help families keep their homes and provides shelter to those who are experiencing homelessness.

SPONSOR THE EVENT

There is still time to sponsor the event

19TH HOLE FEATURING BEN TAJNAI

Join us for the post golf outing dinner and program featuring stories from former clients!

DONATE A BASKET

ODDS AND ENDS

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Family Promise of Waukesha County is seeking an individual to work in the Community Shelter. This is in addition to current staff. If interested send a cover letter and resume to Maria: maria@familypromisewaukeshawi.org.

JUNE COLLECTION FROM MAYHOUSE COLLECTION

Visit the Mayhouse Collection in June and contribute to Family Promise of Waukesha County. The Mayhouse Collection has chosen us as their charity of the month. 10% of all sales made on the third Tuesday will go to Family Promise.