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Our motto is that "Our neighbors are all those who share the streets with us." Our mission: The Madison Homelessness Initiative nurtures our capacity for change by transforming relationships among neighbors who live in homes and those who are homeless. As our city, the capital of the state of Wisconsin, experiences one of the toughest impacts of the American economy, homelessness, we feel compelled to action, to assist our homeless neighbors. We do this through dialogues among the homeless and those who live in homes, through outreach to the homeless and to those capable of making a positive difference in their lives, and by creating collaborations to provide for needs not addressed by traditional social services. Volunteers operate our grassroots programs and a local non-profit stewards the tax deductible gifts of money that we receive to help with our work. Our Programs: We launched our first programmatic efforts in 2007 with a series of Dialogues on Homelessness at the Madison Public Library. These dialogues are now entering their fifth year. Professionals facilitate conversations that transform neighborly relationships and develop advocacy skills among homeless participants and local volunteers, building our toolbox as agents of change. We began Neighborhood Outreach Work (NOW) in 2007 also. This program is based on one-to-one relationships between volunteers and the most vulnerable individuals in our neighborhood. Homeless individuals learn how to navigate the system of social services and how to advocate for themselves. Volunteers guide their mentee, learning more along the way about gaps in social services and how to overcome trauma-induced barriers homeless individuals suffer in attempting to exit homelessness and build a fulfilling, secure life. We call our focus on finding and addressing gaps in our community systems that trigger homelessness Plugging Up the Gaps (PLUG). We are especially concerned to remove impediments to each individual homeless neighbor's movement from homelessness to a home life. Like all our activities, this program is centered on the individual and consequently fosters advocacy. We launch new collaborations that deliver resources right in the neighborhood, like distributing survival winter clothing and providing a warm, secure place to bathe regularly. Our partners are remarkable and wonderful. Together we take the initiative. To learn more about the Madison Homelessness Initiative, enjoy the slide show. To contribute financially to our work, click on the Center for Community Stewardship's Donate button. Be sure to make a note directing your donation to the Madison Homelessness Initiative. Thank you so much for your interest in and support of our work. |
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