WC Wisconsin News

Tomah Health Community Foundation has provided a $2,500 donation to Family Promise of the Great Rivers to aid homeless families in securing stable housing. The donation was ceremonially presented by foundation president Brian Eirschele and vice president Jeremy Haldeman to Family Promise's executive director, Jesse Todd, on April 30. Jesse Todd commented on the importance of community donations amid financial constraints, stating, "These donations from the community are always important. Even now it’s more important with so many cuts and spending and budgets and everything else that’s going on, this is the kind of donation that’s going to keep us afloat and keep us able to do what we’re still doing."

Family Promise is addressing homelessness through various initiatives. Recently, they acquired the old Torkelson home next to Sparta City Hall to further their mission. Todd explained, "Recently we purchased the old Torkelson home next to Sparta City Hall and we have moved our offices there. We have gotten about halfway through our renovation to begin housing three families there, so that will be our new static shelter. Ultimately, our goal is to house five families in that location."

The organization offers shelter to families with children under 18 and provides services such as eviction prevention, shelter diversion, and long-term case management. Todd highlighted the rise in homelessness in Monroe County since the COVID-19 pandemic, noting double-digit annual increases. Economic strain has contributed to this issue, with Todd observing, "We see a decrease in property value when there’s homelessness. We see higher police contact, which we know that impacts our economy and one of the biggest things is the impact on health care with a lot more trips to the ER."

Looking ahead, Family Promise intends to expand its efforts to Jackson County, aiming to offer comprehensive support beyond just housing. Todd emphasized, "It’s not just about shelter and not just about housing that they’re getting, it's everything they need to restabilize and to support their kids, so that they get the time to actually focus on their families again."