Bending the Arc

The Winnebagoland Housing Coalition comprises three counties in Wisconsin - Fond du Lac, Green Lake, and Southern Winnebago. The coalition works with agencies in their areas to address housing issues. Fond du Lac has its own working subcommittee that meets virtually the first Monday of every month at 10 am. Tracy Abler represents CSA and serves as the secretary of this subcommittee. Let her know if you’re from a local agency interested in joining.

An important annual event coming up this month is the PIT (Point in Time) Count, which is a mandated count of the community’s unsheltered homeless population on one single night. Volunteers drive around designated areas of their respective communities to count those staying in shelters and interviewing (and counting) those suspected to be in places not meant for human habitation. PITs are conducted twice a year, January and July. Volunteers are still needed for the July 22 PIT, which begins late in the night and finishes the early hours of July 23. No experience is required. Training is provided. Sign up here. Later in the morning on July 23, ADVOCAP is hosting a Resource Fair and volunteers are needed for this too.

CSA Sisters and Associates have participated in Fond du Lac’s PIT count in the past. Equally valuable as the volunteer time is the hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards that Sisters and Associates purchase and donate for each PIT. These cards are given to individuals encountered overnight during the PIT Count and to those who attend the Resource Fair the next day. Tracy will also be serving up iced coffee and lemonade at the Resource Fair and hopes others will stop by and lend their care and support.

As of June 15, numbers reported from Continuum of Care (CoC) at ADVOCAP show that 689 households are on the Winnebagoland homeless list. This number includes those searching for housing in the Winnebagoland area, but may not be within the area right now. In the context of a CoC, a “household” is defined as either a single unaccompanied individual or a group of people who apply together for assistance and share (or intend to share) the same housing unit. Of the 689 total households, 206 of these households are on the prevention list (at risk of homelessness or impending homelessness). These include: 82 households without children and 124 households with children.

On a related note, members in the Fond du Lac community are noticing an increase in panhandlers across the city. It’s been reported that some of these panhandlers are not actually homeless, but are still vulnerable and likely in need of something. All of us are to respond as our heart and/or mind tell us, but when in doubt, at the very least, individuals can be directed to any of the many resources our community offers such as to: the ADVOCAP Opportunity Center, food pantries, the 211 Resource Hotline or a Community Resource Directory. All of this information is available on one quarter-size card and available in the CSA JPIC Office or email Tracy at tabler@csasisters.org to receive an electronic copy for yourself.