A donor advised fund (DAF) is a powerful way to build or continue a tradition of family philanthropy by establishing a charitable investment account that supports the charities you care about. It allows you and your family to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction and then recommend grants to your charities of choice over time. The investment growth is tax free.
Long-time supporter and volunteer, Gerry Klump, stresses the benefit of DAFs to accomplish his personal charitable giving goals.
“I was brought up to help others in any way that you can,” Gerry says. “As members of one of the original churches that helped establish MOM (Middleton Outreach Ministry), my family and I have been involved since 1997, volunteering at their early community dinners and delivering meals as well as making regular donations to support a variety of programs.
“I was looking for ways to continue to contribute in a way that not only provided greater tax benefits but grows my investment to provide more dollars to grant to charity. A DAF accomplishes that by giving you the ability to receive larger tax deductions over time and still control where and when you give. And it’s easy to set up.”
You can join Gerry in supporting WayForward through a Donor Advised Fund. Your generous donations will help provide case management, referrals, and housing stability assistance; support the food pantry and clothing center, among the largest in Dane County; and offer ride and chore assistance to area seniors.
Please consult your financial advisor to learn more about setting up a DAF to benefit WayForward or contact Valerie Cavanagh, Development Director, (608) 826-3418, valerie@wayforwardresources.org.
We are happy to welcome Trish Ballweg as MOM’s Office Assistant! She supports the front desk greeting guests and volunteers, answering phones and supporting MOM staff. Madison has been home for Trish since attending UW-Madison. Her background is in advertising with a detour into the public schools. With a passion for community service and feeding people, MOM feels like a great fit for Trish. When not working, Trish can be found cooking, knitting, reading, running and enjoying the outdoors.
“I just can’t decide!” said a first grader when confronted with an overwhelming array of backpack choices – from sparkles to Spider-man – during school supply pickup at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church for our annual Back to School program. A helpful volunteer asked, “Which one do you like least?” But that was not a strategy that helped – she liked them all. Even though their contents were identical, she peeked inside several backpacks anyway before narrowing down to two options. Her final selection came after posing for a quick photo on her mom’s phone while wearing each one, looking over her shoulder. This year’s program served 569 students, from 4K to college. We are grateful for the way our community comes together to make sure kids have what they need to be ready to learn. This effort would not happen without financial support and donations from individuals, churches and businesses.
The Middleton Times Tribune recently published an article about MOM’s expansion of in-person shopping hours and volunteer opportunities that featured some MOM volunteers who offered their perspectives on why they support our mission with their time and talents, including Kevin Hunnicutt, who started volunteering for MOM’s food pantry two months ago. “As long as I’m able, I enjoy helping people in need,” he said in the article. “It’s fulfilling to be able to do that.” The team is a mix of experienced volunteers and newcomers, Hunnicutt said. “It’s an opportunity to meet people who have a common interest that you have, which is to help,” he said.
Fall is a time of transition. Sometimes change comes quickly – the temperature drops and we find ourselves in a different season seemingly overnight. At MOM, we’ve successfully navigated many transitions over the last few months with your support.
We’ve continued to provide nutritious food and housing assistance to neighbors in a number of ways. At the end of August, we expanded in-person shopping to four days a week and continued our drive-thru, delivery and mobile pantry services. We supported more families in our Connections housing program as they moved out of doubled-up living arrangements and into homes of their own. Nearly 600 students got the supplies and backpacks they needed to make a strong start to the school year.
In the first two months since our food pantry re-opened for in-person shopping in June, MOM served nearly 2,400 guests. At the same time, we maintained the flexibility of our services and continued to offer food deliveries and drive-thru services one day a week. Meanwhile, inflation has driven food prices higher and housing costs continue to rise. These conditions put even more pressure on the neighbors we serve, who were already stretching limited resources to cover the costs of healthy food, housing, child care and medical bills.
We hope that as we enter this season of giving and reflection that we can continue to come together to support those in our community who need it most. We’re grateful to new volunteers who have come on board to help staff our expanded food pantry hours and thrilled to welcome back those of you who have not been here for a while. We’re even offering new ways for volunteers to get involved, through one-time shifts, in addition to those able to make a more regular time commitment.
“Every shift of people that come in have something to add,” says Jacque Strahl, who has been a MOM volunteer for more than 10 years. “Something to make a difference, something to make it better.”
There are a number of ways to be part of MOM – whether you sign up for a shift to pack grocery deliveries or help a senior citizen with household chores, take advantage of an employer match or shop at our Holiday Art Market in December. Your support is what has always moved us forward and continues to allow us to build an even stronger community where every child has access to the food they need to thrive and all of our neighbors have stable housing.
MOM Executive Director Ellen Carlson appeared on NBC15 in Madison this month to discuss the need for additional volunteers now that the Food Pantry is open for additional in-person shopping hours.
“We have just a few staff members who do a lot of coordinating and making sure all things are happening that need to make the food pantry operate, but volunteers are absolutely 100 percent essential to getting this nutritious food out into the community,” Carlson said. Watch the full report here.
In the months after she left an abusive relationship, Gina and her two daughters shuttled between the homes of friends and relatives while she worked to save enough money to get a place of their own. Gina and her family had a place to sleep at night, but her girls did not have a place to play or do their homework and they started to struggle at school. They needed a place to call home.
Families like Gina’s often don’t qualify for government housing programs because they don’t meet the federal definition of homelessness. MOM launched our Connections program this year to fill this gap and help families who are living in doubled-up arrangements find housing.
With the support of donors like you, MOM can do more to address this growing need in our community. The number of doubled-up students in Middleton-Cross Plains increased by nearly 85% in the most recent school year and in Madison, 80% of the students who identify as homeless are actually living in doubled-up arrangements.
Our Connections case manager works with clients in the program over the course of a year to define stability goals and work on strategies to maintain their housing security. With help from MOM, Gina was able to find an apartment in a neighborhood where she could watch her girls walk to school. Our case manager connected her to the resources she needs to keep moving forward, including groceries from MOM’s Food Pantry and clothing from our Clothing Center to help her kids start the school year. In their monthly meetings, they focus on Gina’s goals, including starting her own business. “Thanks to MOM and Connections, I was able to find some room to breathe,” Gina says. “I had forgotten how to be happy — now I am smiling again. Seeing my girls able to focus on their school and sports is worth everything to me.”
People who live and work in our community continue to struggle with rising food costs and the lack of affordable housing. With your help, MOM can offer access to healthy food, warm clothing and backpacks filled with school supplies. Our financial assistance programs help cover the cost of rent, utilities and auto repairs that can derail a monthly budget without warning and put families in danger of eviction.
Your gift can help children, parents, employees and neighbors in our community maintain housing and access to food, key determinants of well-being and health.
Hundreds of people in our community live in doubled-up living arrangements — which means they shift indefinitely between the homes of families and friends due to their economic situation. Our new Connections housing program focuses on filling this gap by working with doubled-up households to help them find and maintain stable housing.
How is the Connections program funded?
The Connections program is funded primarily by individual and group donations, with some grant funding from United Way of Dane County. Programs like Connections work with people in doubled-up living arrangements who can’t receive federal funding because they don’t meet the definition of homeless defined by those government programs. Because most of MOM’s funding comes from individuals and groups, we are uniquely suited to support this program.
What can community members do to help fund the Connections program?
- Become a Connections sponsor by making a year-long commitment. Your monthly donation can help bridge the gap between what families can afford to pay and the actual cost of rent during the length of the program while they work to remove barriers, regain stability and independently pay rent. Sponsorships for $250 or $500/month are accepted. Sponsors can be acknowledged on our website, social media and print and email newsletters (circulation 8,000).
- Make a donation of a one-time security deposit. A donation of $1,500 covers the entry costs into housing for one family or household, helping them move into a place of their own.
- Make a general donation. Make a donation of any amount to help support the Connections program.
Are there non-monetary ways people can support/give?
- Amazon Wish List. Our Amazon Wish List features basic necessities families need when moving from a doubled up situation to living independently again. Items include sheets, shower curtains and other basics. Order from the wish list and we will deliver the items to program participants.
- Welcome Home Kit. Assemble a kit to welcome families into their new home. Our list of suggested items includes cleaning supplies, trash bags and paper towels. Please verify our current needs before assembling.
Interested in supporting Connections? Contact Leslie at leslie@momhelps.org
(Image by rawpixel.com)
CONNECTIONS IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Last month we introduced our Connections program in our blog post here. Now that you understand the growing need for this program, we wanted to explain how community members can get involved. Stay tuned for the final blog post of our Connections series to find out how you can support the Connections program!
Who qualifies for the Connections program?
The Connections Housing Program can assist individuals or families that are currently doubled-up but would like to move into their own housing within the MOM service area. The household must meet income eligibility requirements and agree to work through the housing process together with the Connections Case Manager. Any questions about eligibility can be discussed with the Connections Case Manager during referral and intake processes.
What staff are involved with Connections?
MOM has hired Nicole Verhagen as the dedicated Connections Case manager. Nicole joined MOM after providing 2 years of case management support to the Latinx community in Dane County. She is passionate about community development and social justice. Through Connections, she is looking forward to providing opportunities for those households that are in need of stable housing.
Nicole will also be supported by MOM’s Housing Stability Director, Taylor Rozman, and other staff within the Housing Stability Team.
How can community members get involved with Connections as a participant?
At this time, most referrals to the program come through community partners, such as school social workers and Joining Forces for Families (JFF) social workers. However, if you or anyone you know is experiencing doubled-up homelessness, you can email Nicole (nicole@momhelps.org) or call MOM (608-836-7338) to make an appointment with a case manager who can help you determine whether you are eligible for the Connections program.
What is the current process if you are accepted into the program?
Incorporating principles of Housing First, the Connections Case Manager works with participants to prioritize finding permanent housing in the initial stages. Together, we complete a housing needs assessment that defines the household’s needs, preferences, and challenges related to the housing searching process. Based on participant preferences, the Case Manager can assist in searching for units, submitting applications, negotiating with property management, and/or providing other types of support to ensure a prompt transition into housing. Connections can provide financial assistance with costs like security deposits or rent, as the household gets settled in their new housing. During the remainder of program participation, the Connections Case Manager continues to check in regularly to hear how things are going and provide support as needed, as participants pursue personal goals and continue improving their quality of life.
(Top image by rawpixel.com)
WayForward’s garden provides fresh produce and a space for gardening training to a dedicated group of families. Each week, volunteers and clients work together to tend a half-acre garden in west Middleton. When the work is complete, each client family takes home a share of the harvest. This year we have a children’s garden that will offer straw bale and container demonstrations as well as composting and natural weed controls. Thank you to our dedicated volunteers, client families, and Mark and Mari Brunsell, who donate the land. We hope for rain as the gardeners continue to water and mulch to keep our gardens producing healthy food for our clients.
We gladly accept garden produce from home gardens. Please follow the guidelines below to donate your produce:
- Clean as much mud and dirt as possible off the produce you plan to donate, but do not wash.
- Remove stems and leaves.
- Only donate produce that you would buy for your own family. We are unable to use produce that is overripe, overgrown, moldy, seriously blemished, covered in dirt, or has mushy spots.
- If you use pesticides in your garden, always read and follow the label recommendations.
- Whenever possible, package produce in family-sized portions in new and clean plastic bags.
- Check our website to see our donation hours.