A year-end message from WayForward Executive Director Ellen Carlson

It’s been another year of unprecedented growth at WayForward. For an organization that focuses on providing the basic building blocks of stability–food and housing, growth is both positive and negative.

On one hand, we have made an impact on more people’s lives than ever before. Thanks to the support of the community, we have been able to serve over 13,000 people last year–more than twice as many as the year before. That means twice as many people have been able to avoid eviction and stay in their homes and have received the nutritious food they need.

On the other hand, our organizational growth has been driven by the tremendous rise in demand for our services. That’s why unprecedented growth is also cause for concern. We are seeing three times as many visits to our food pantry as we did just two years ago, and our case managers are booking emergency housing appointments out weeks in advance.

Numbers like these mean many visitors are coming to our food pantry for the first time. In fact, 50% of people who came to the food pantry last year were first-time visitors. Children and families with children are overrepresented. Around 75% percent of people who received food were in households with children. And nearly 100% of families served by our Connections program, a housing program that works with those in doubled-up housing situations, have children.

Key factors in this increased demand for our services include the rise in food prices, the population growth in Dane County and in Middleton and west Madison specifically, and perhaps most significantly, the increase in housing prices in our area. While we have a very low unemployment rate in Dane County, many of these jobs don’t pay enough to cover the rising cost of living here. Community members who were just barely making ends meet before are now unable to absorb a $150/month rent increase. With no increase in pay and nowhere cheaper to rent, they are turning to WayForward to bridge the gap.

These are big problems–problems that are greater than anything WayForward can address alone. And with the affordable housing gap widening and housing prices continuing to rise, we expect the number of people unable to cover the basic expenses of food and housing to continue to grow. We are committed to continuing to adapt, innovate and expand and to do all we can to make sure people have the food and stable housing they need to lay a solid foundation.

We also know that problems that are larger than us require solutions that are larger than us. We have already seen the community responding with growing support. Thank you. As we have shared with you what we are seeing, we are continuously met with offers to join the effort to build a strong community where everyone has the basic building blocks of stability. Because of your support, we have raised more dollars and brought in more community donated food this year than any previous year in our history. This is what has made it possible for us to serve more people than ever before.

In the months and years ahead, we will continue to need your support. As we expect to see demand continuing to increase, the only way we can meet it is with increased support. There are a number of ways you can still make a tax-deductible financial donation this year. Donations of your time or donations of food can also make an immediate difference. You can purchase items directly from our wish list or use our top 10 list to purchase items locally.

Donations like these help us address the immediate needs of the people coming in our doors every day. But we know that we must do more and dig deeper to address the larger issues that are leading to this increased need for food and housing support in our community. We invite you to learn more about these issues and add your voice to the conversations to develop larger, community-wide solutions. We will be hosting some opportunities in this coming year and sharing some opportunities hosted by others.

Our mission statement says we bring the community together to create food and housing security. We know the only way to create stability is through a community-wide effort. Thank you for joining with us this past year. We look forward to continuing to work together in 2025.

Sincerely,

Ellen Carlson, Executive Director

Donate

Food and housing are the basic building blocks of stability. When we work together, we can build a strong community where everyone has food to eat and a warm place to sleep.

*Jenna had always ensured that she and her son had the basics covered – a safe place to sleep, enough food and funds to cover medical appointments, clothes and other essentials. Then last year, her apartment rent rose beyond what she could afford. The stability she had worked so hard to maintain disappeared and the little family suddenly found themselves homeless. “I was afraid, devastated, and demoralized,” Jenna said. She temporarily moved back in with her parents, but the situation was not sustainable. Unsure how to move forward, she felt like she didn’t have any options.

That’s when Jenna learned about WayForward. She began visiting the food pantry, relieving the stress of knowing where their next meal would from. She found free clothes for her son at the Clothing Center. Meanwhile, Jenna enrolled in one of WayForward’s housing programs which provided rental assistance as well as case management to keep her and her son in stable housing and avoid a return to homelessness. “With my case manager’s help, I was able to secure a two-bedroom apartment this year in a safe and beautiful part of town!” Jenna is also preparing for the future, “I have taken classes to help me budget wisely and learn to manage my money so when I have to pay rent alone next year, I will be able to do so with confidence,” she  said. Jenna is no longer afraid for the future. Instead, she sees a path forward filled with possibilities. *name and identifying details changed

The basic building blocks matter. Everyone needs healthy food and stable housing to thrive. Children do better in school and have better mental and physical health outcomes when they have reliable access to food. Families who stay in their homes and avoid eviction have stronger employment opportunities, lower level of toxic stress and fewer hospital visits.

Community support makes successes like Jenna and her son’s possible. Give today to build a strong community.

GIVE TODAY

The first day of school seems far away, but you can help kids start the year ready to learn right now by supporting our programs that provide them with the tools they need to succeed.

Hundreds of families with students from 4K to college rely on WayForward for school supplies, as well as food to help kids learn and grow and housing assistance to prevent eviction.

• 75% of the households that use our pantry have children.
• Children who live in households without enough food face barriers to reaching their potential.
• Food insecurity is linked with lower skills in math and reading.

Your gift of $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or any other amount can help us buy school supplies, provide nutritious food to fuel students and ensure children can remain in their homes and don’t have to change schools.

 

Donate

When Rafa*, 21, and his younger sister Gabriela, 19, came to WayForward, they were staying in an overcrowded apartment with a relative.

The siblings have lived in the United States for a couple of years while their parents remained in Mexico due to immigration issues. In the meantime, the environment they were living in became increasingly hostile and complicated. It did not feel like home.

A community member referred Rafa and Gabriela to WayForward’s Connections Program, which assists people in doubled-up living situations with finding and moving into homes of their own. With support from WayForward’s Connections bilingual case manager, the two young adults learned everything about the process of finding housing, including what to look for and potential costs. Within the first month, WayForward found an apartment that was perfect for them, both in price and location. They moved in over the summer and, after a long and complicated journey, they are motivated about the future and working hard on their next steps to be stable.

For Rafa and Gabriela, having a case manager who speaks their language and understands their culture meant the world as they navigated this major step to adulthood. They trust that their future is off to a great start and they don’t feel alone anymore. In the words of the community member who has kept in touch with the brother and sister over the last year: “You guys are changing lives.”

The pair were recently joined by a younger sibling who joined their household to finish high school. They recently shared their experience with their case manager.

How did the Connections program help you move into your own apartment?

The housing navigation along with the financial support that our family has received from the Connections/Wayforward program has helped us to move on from our vulnerable situation. Being a new renter and also a head of household at this young age it is hard to navigate the systems and also afford housing on our own in this market.

How has your life changed since you started working with WayForward?

There has been a positive change in our lives. Thanks to the support of WayForward and our caring case manager, they have made a huge impact on the well-being of me and my siblings. The most important being that we now have a place to call home. I am now even saving to get a car as my next goal.

What would you tell a friend or neighbor if they asked you to describe what it was like working with WayForward?

The hard work of the staff at WayForward makes a real difference. This is an experience where I have learned and felt supported. I would recommend for anyone in need to reach out since their work and support is exceptional.

*names and identifying details changed

Joel Baker, Doubled Up Housing Case Manager, recently joined WayForward’s team after relocating to Wisconsin from Kentucky. He assists doubled up families who enroll in our Connections Program by providing housing search assistance, advocacy services, case planning, and referrals. He has worked in a number of roles serving families in his career, including Head Start (serving low income families with children from birth to 5 years old), therapeutic foster care, and as a teacher working with at-risk youth. He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and criminal justice from Western Michigan University, post baccalaureate Elementary Teaching Certification from Oakland University and a masters in education from Western Kentucky University. Joel has raised twin boys who are now young adults and in his free time enjoys e-biking and traveling, including van camping.

Many people in our community think of WayForward Resources as a food pantry.

While WayForward (formerly Middleton Outreach Ministry) is home to one of the largest food pantries in Dane County, it also operates housing stability programs that provide case management, referrals and financial assistance. This support helps families stay in their homes so they avoid the trauma of homelessness. Last year we provided assistance to more than 600 households.

There is a housing crisis in our community. The most significant shortages are among rental units affordable for the lowest-income renters, according to the city of Madison’s most recent Housing Snapshot Report. In fact, a recent study found that Madison is the fifth-most competitive small rental market in the United States. 

Why? There is simply not enough housing to accommodate the growth. Madison is on the cusp of a population explosion. The metro area is expected to add 115,000 residents between 2020 and 2050, a 42% increase. Housing experts project the community will need at least 10,000 new homes every five years to keep up, and the development of new housing has not kept pace with these projections. 

One of the challenges to building enough housing is the high cost of building new apartments, driven by competition for land, drastic construction cost increases since the pandemic, limited federal funds for supporting affordable housing, and zoning restrictions. As a result, the affordable housing sector has seen an average cost increase of around 30%, according to industry leaders.

Projects that secured low-income housing tax credits since 2019 have found themselves facing unexpected financial shortfalls, leading many to seek additional funding sources to bridge these gaps. Affordable housing developers need to find money to subsidize rental costs on behalf of future residents in addition to money to build the building.

One of the ways that WayForward Resources supports the creation of more affordable housing in our community is by partnering with developers who are building through the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. WayForward currently has active partnerships with two developers. We also provide housing stability and food security supports to residents at 15 different LIHTC developments in our housing service area of West Madison, Middleton and Cross Plains (our food pantry serves all of Dane County).  

In the fall, WayForward joined the celebration of the opening of Uno Terrace, one of west Madison’s most recent LIHTC projects, developed with Northpointe Development, under the leadership of Principal Sean O’Brien. The housing project on Mineral Point Road has 64 units and is designed to serve those making between 30% and 80% of Dane County’s median household income. 

Most importantly, the rents in the building don’t exceed more than 30% of a tenant’s wages. Affordable housing costs less than 30% of household income, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The units are located on the Bus Rapid Transit line that is under construction and within walking distance to grocery stores and schools.

At Uno Terrace, Housing Stability Director Taylor Rozman (at right in the photo) worked with the city of Madison, the developer, and the property manager to pave the way for Case Manager Claire Baker (at left) to support low-income new residents as they moved into their new apartments. WayForward also provides ongoing case management and access to other services, including our food pantry. This is one of many similar partnerships WayForward has in the community, including in Middleton.

The development even incorporated the 1890s stone farm house — previously a Uno Pizzeria restaurant — and converted the local west side landmark into a community room. Over the Thanksgiving weekend last fall, according to a recent article in the Wisconsin State Journal, several families reserved the space for their holiday celebrations.

Celebrating major events at home in community with others. That’s the ultimate reflection of WayForward’s vision of building a community where everyone has the stability to thrive.

Lia and Sofia* had only a few things in common when they first met.

They were both mothers of young children and had come from the same country. They were also doubled up together in the apartment of someone they did not know very well.

With support from their case manager, they decided to become roommates when they enrolled in WayForward’s Connections program. The move allowed the two families to leave their overcrowded living situation.

In June 2022, WayForward launched the Connections Program to focus on people who are living doubled up without housing of their own. Since then, 16 families have graduated from the program and no longer need financial assistance from WayForward. Now, with help from a new pilot program grant from the Dane County Department of Human Services, Connections is expanding to help more double-up households find stability.

Over the last year, Lia and Sofia worked with the Connections case manager on budgeting, tools for being reliable tenants and understanding lease agreements. The case manager works with program participants in obtaining stable housing, and helps them navigate issues like a lack of credit and rental history. Households stay in the program for 12 months, with financial assistance decreasing over the course of the year as participants become self-sufficient in their new housing.

Both women have found work and more recently, they parted ways as roommates to move into housing of their own. They remain friends and recently shared updates with their case manager.

“We will always be grateful for your support,” Lia wrote. “We are all very stable and grateful to you for all the hard work.”

“I wanted to let you know that I have already moved with my son to our new apartment and everything is going well, thank God,” Sofia wrote. “We have work, health and stability. We are very grateful for all the support you have given us since the first day we met you.”

*names and identifying details changed

A year-end message from WayForward Executive Director Ellen Carlson

At WayForward, we believe that when everyone has access to key building blocks for stability, we can transform our community into the kind of place we want it to be. 

This year has presented many challenges to this vision of our community. When I sat down to write this letter last year, our food pantry was providing the equivalent of 54,000 meals per month. Now we’re distributing 115,000 per month. We see the same pressure on our housing stability programs, setting a record for the amount of financial assistance we provided in November.

When I look ahead I see no sign of the demand plateauing.

Numbers like these can be overwhelming. But I’m sharing them with you because they tell us a lot about what is happening in our community. And these numbers represent the experiences of people in our community: people who are standing in line outside in the cold two hours before our food pantry opens and people who are sitting in our lobby waiting to meet with case managers to discuss housing assistance. 

Experts report the rise in demand is due to the end of pandemic-era support, general inflation and the steep increase in housing costs in our community, which causes people to focus even more of their income on paying rent. We have never turned anyone away from getting food, but we have had to put some limits on the amount of food people can take. We worry about how we and other local food pantries can continue to ensure that everyone in our community has access to nutritious food.

It is hard to hear these things. But this challenging moment also includes milestones to celebrate. 

In the week prior to Thanksgiving, about 3,000 people received food from our pantry, including additional ingredients needed to make holiday meals for their families. We are on track to distribute the equivalent of more than one million pounds of food this year.

More than 600 households received financial assistance last year. As the Madison area continues to experience some of the highest rent increases in the country, this support allowed families to avoid eviction and stay in their homes, where they can eat dinner together and have a place for kids to do homework at night. In addition, the first participants have graduated from our Connections program, which means over the last year they have transitioned from doubled-up housing into homes of their own and no longer need financial assistance.

Your support is how we have continued to meet the need up to this point and stay focused on our mission. You ensure that families have access to nutritious food, including the nearly 3,000 people who received food for holiday meals. Your support also meant more than 600 students started the school year with backpacks loaded with the supplies they needed and 1,700 people received gift cards to help stretch their dollars a little farther this holiday season.

Every day, I am grateful for our volunteers, who have grown in numbers and put in more hours this year than last year. They adapt to our changing needs and adjust their to-do lists to tackle what is needed. We see so much patience and generosity as they work to help ensure people have critical access to food. I’m also thankful for the people in our community who recognize the impact of our work and serve as powerful advocates for WayForward and the people we serve. We will continue to need your strong voices in the year to come so our neighbors can go to bed at night knowing local food pantries – the last safety net for the most basic of all needs – will still be able to serve them.

There are a number of ways you can still make a tax deductible financial donation this year. Donations of your time and food can also make an immediate difference, including buying items directly from our wish list listed on our website, to help us continue to offer a variety of options to the people who visit our pantry.

By joining forces to provide our time, expertise, and resources, we can provide more people access to nutritious food and stable housing.

Donate

Moving to Dane County promised a brighter future for David*, a single father with two young children.

He had been accepted to UW-Madison to study special education, a field with strong employment prospects after graduation. David also secured a full-time job to provide for his kids, Michael and Sara. But despite working day and night juggling school and work, David was in danger of falling behind on rent and losing the stable home he was building for his children.

Rent has risen faster here than anywhere else in the country, which threatened the dream David was working so hard to reach. A friend referred him to WayForward Resources, where a case manager connected David with rental assistance from our Housing Stability Program so he could maintain a home for his young children.

WayForward provided David with much-needed relief and peace of mind that allowed him to focus on getting his degree and taking care of his kids.

Thanks to our programs, David believes our community is where his dreams for his young family can become a reality. “I moved to Madison for a better and happier life; we felt as if we fit in.”

*name and identifying details changed

When Rafa*, 21, and his younger sister Gabriela, 19, came to WayForward, they were staying in an overcrowded apartment with a relative.

The siblings have lived in the United States for a couple of years while their parents remained in Mexico due to immigration issues. In the meantime, the environment they were living in became increasingly hostile and complicated. It did not feel like home.

A community member referred Rafa and Gabriela to WayForward’s Connections Program, which assists people in doubled-up living situations with finding and moving into homes of their own. With support from WayForwards’s Connections bilingual case manager, the two young adults learned everything about the process of finding housing, including what to look for and potential costs.

Within the first month, WayForward found an apartment that was perfect for them, both in price and location. They moved in over the summer and, after a long and complicated journey, they are motivated about the future and working hard on their next steps to be stable.

For Rafa and Gabriela, having a case manager who speaks their language and understands their culture meant the world as they navigated this major step to adulthood. They trust that their future is off to a great start and they don’t feel alone anymore. 

In the words of the community member who has kept in touch with the brother and sister over the last year: “You guys are changing lives.”

*names and identifying details changed