An End-of-Year Message from Executive Director Ellen Carlson

I love roller coasters, even at my age! I love the anticipation of the climb, the rush of the drop, the way your stomach flips on a sharp turn. But I’m able to enjoy them because I know the engineers have designed every heart-racing twist for maximum safety. 2025 felt like being strapped into a roller coaster ride that we didn’t choose to get on, nor that felt safe. Federal policy and funding changes sent us climbing, dropping, and whipping around corners we couldn’t have imagined. We had to lean into every turn and figure out in real-time how to keep everyone as safe as possible–and remain seated in the cart.

What made it possible to stay on the track through all the twists and turns? We held on to each other. Our community strapped in alongside us on the bumpy ride–ascending to maximum highs by partnering to create stability in our community. Throughout the ups and downs and uncertainty, WayForward Resources has stayed grounded in our mission and values, while being nimble and responsive to what was happening around us. And together we made a difference.

One of the most significant challenges of the year occurred a couple of months ago, when SNAP benefits lapsed due to the federal government shutdown. Visits to our food pantry increased rapidly during that time as thousands of local SNAP recipients, who depend on those benefits to buy groceries at the store, worried about how they would feed themselves and their families. I was overwhelmed with sadness by what was happening to people in our community–and at the same time, I was also overwhelmed with gratitude and joy by how the community responded immediately–mobilizing and jumping in with increased food and financial donations. Working late, I would see cars drive in to drop off boxes and bags and carfuls of food without pause. By comparison, we had nearly three times as much food donated during the six weeks after our information went out as we did last year during this same time period. People experiencing this scare had access to ample food because you donated your resources of food, money, and time. We came together in this critical moment because we all envision a community where no one has to worry about if they will go hungry.

And while SNAP benefits have since been restored, much uncertainty and concern remains. Expected federal cuts to SNAP in 2026 will put 90,000 Wisconsinites at risk of losing their benefits. This will increase the number of people relying on food pantries. WayForward’s food pantry and the pantry system in our community are already stretched trying to keep pace with the record-level demand. Thankfully, to date, we have not had to turn anyone away from the food pantry, but it remains challenging to keep our shelves stocked with food. In the year ahead, we will be working even more closely with five other large food pantries in Dane County to explore new ways to order food together in bulk and pool our resources to bring in more food. And we will be relying even more on community food donations and food drives to ensure we can continue to feed our neighbors.

Our housing programs are also experiencing record demand. This past October, we received the most emergency fund requests we have ever had in a single month. One factor is that housing prices in Dane County are climbing much faster than wages. While new housing is continuously being built, it has proved challenging to keep up with Dane County’s growing population of all incomes. (Did you know that some projections have the Dane County area population at more than 1 million people by 2050?) Solving our housing problems truly requires a community-wide effort. This year, we hosted a number of informative presentations in order to share what we are seeing in our programs and hearing from the people we serve with decision-makers and community members. We hope this increased knowledge and understanding will lead to new approaches and effective solutions.

The roller coaster of federal policy changes impacted our housing programs as well. We were awarded a significant federal grant in 2024 to support our Connections program, which helps families in doubled-up situations (living with others because they don’t have anywhere else to stay) move into stable housing. While we had expected the funding to arrive over the summer to pick up where previous funding was sunsetting, it has still not arrived. There continues to be complications and confusion with much of the federal funding for community housing programs. This has caused disruption not only to our program, but to housing programs throughout the community. While we are still hoping for our grant to arrive, we are also exploring alternative ways to support families in this program in 2026.

When people ask me, “How are things?,” it can be difficult to answer! It’s hard right now for so many people in our community. We talk with people every day who are facing huge barriers and who are feeling scared as they have seen a wide range of stability-supporting community resources disrupted. But also, we have been inspired and energized by the strength of our community’s support that has helped us navigate these bumps and curves so that we can continue to provide food and housing resources for our neighbors.

We are still strapped into this bumpy ride. But we’re keeping our eyes wide open, preparing for the year ahead that we anticipate will be full of more unexpected twists and curves. We ask for your continued partnership in our work together to ensure everyone in our community has the nutritious food and stable housing needed to thrive. There are a number of ways you can still join us in making a difference this year. Make a tax-deductible financial donation online, by check, from your IRA, appreciated stock, or donor-advised fund. Donations of your time through volunteering or donations of food also make an immediate, impactful difference. You can purchase items directly from our online wish list for delivery, or use our top 10 list to buy items locally to drop off.

Thank you for choosing to create stability in our community–here, now, and for the future.

Sincerely,

Ellen Carlson, Executive Director