2025 Synopsis of Community Contribution

Unique Population Served

96 Total Families Served in active housing crisis
321 Total people served in active housing crisis
148 Children under the age of 12 served
58 Children under the age of 5 served
188 Women Served
82 Adults with disabilities served

Program Outcomes

Eviction Prevention

34 Families enrolled
24 Families (70.6%) Remained housed

Shelter Diversion

26 Families enrolled
16 Families (61.5%) were housed before experiencing homelessness

Emergency Shelter

7 Families enrolled
6 Families (85.7%) exited into permanent housing

Housing Stabilization Services

29 Families enrolled
5 Families data not collected (moved away or self-exited program)
21 Families who participated (87.5%) remained housed after 1 year

program outcomes for a family homeless shelter.jpg

Direct Financial Aid Provided to Families

$35,000 split among 31 families to stop eviction.
- Families must show income and ability to pay rent going forward
- All of this funding came from resources outside of Monroe County
- Only $10,000 came from government funding
$1,500 in Gas Cards split among 75 families to navigate employment, childcare, and education
$1,000 in Goodwill cards to split among 40 families
$500 to one family to get their car out of impound after repossession

Thank You For Coordinating Family Support!

Anita Jensen - Trinity Lutheran Church, Sparta
Tammy and Fran Hewuse - Immanuel United Methodist Church, Norwalk
Robert Echternach - Church of The Nazarene, Tomah
Jean Villhauer, Diane Waddell, Sandy Stevens, and Judy Bronson - Peace Lutheran, St Mary's, and UCC, Tomah

Other Community Contributions

We organize all of Cranfest Parking and Barricades (with over 145,000 to 150,000 visitors annually over its three-day weekend)
We provide entertainment through our Car Show, Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, Other Community Events & Fundraisers.
Provide Intern positions & opportunities for business & service professionals.
Provide several volunteer opportunities for all members of the community, including youth volunteers.
- Engaged over 70 volunteers
- Over 25,000 volunteer hours served
Community Outreach
- Over $20,000 of In-Kind donations collected and distributed to families
Over $10,000 in family meals provided throughout the year
Chair of the Monroe County Homeless Coalition
Established the Monroe County Total Navigation Team
- Walk-in triage for multiple services at a time, with multiple agencies available in one location
- Twice a month on the First and Third Wednesdays, 10 AM to 12 PM
- Occurs at Sparta Couleecap Food Pantry
Organize the National PIT Count twice a year for Monroe County
Organize Town Halls to engage landlords and develop better practices to support landlords as well as tenants to lower eviction rates.

Demographics 2026

Each year, we review demographic data and evaluate the families and communities we serve to better understand changing needs within our service area. This analysis helps us ensure our programs are reaching the populations who need them most and allows us to adjust services to better support our community. By using this information to guide our decisions, we work to provide effective, responsive programs that make a meaningful impact.