West CAP staff were surprised by a recent donation of 25 kits for our Homeless Intervention Program! A group of Faith Formation youth from Glenwood City’s St. John The Baptist Catholic Church collected donations of towels, blankets, socks and hygiene products to create 25 kits as a service project to help families in need through West CAP’s Homeless Intervention services.
The kits come at a critical time, as the cost of living has increased dramatically over the past year, and we are facing an increasing housing shortage across the state. The worst feeling for a case manager is finding someone a place to live after they have been on the street or in other inhabitable living conditions, and they are brought to a completely empty unit with no basic essentials. Thanks to these kits, our Homeless Intervention staff and case managers can distribute them directly to individuals and families who are homeless or are at risk of homelessness and seeking our support to find stable housing.
Katie Swenby helped organize the service project as a 4th grade Faith Formation teacher at St. John’s and also as an Associate Representative for Thrivent – Glen Hills Group in Glenwood City.
“This was a great service project completed by our Faith Formation students.” Katie shared. “Generous parishioners donated many hygiene-related items and we used a Thrivent action team to supplement the donations with cloth baskets to put everything in, including a new bath towel and fleece blanket for each kit. Everyone had fun pulling it all together.”
We apprecaite the support from St. John’s and all who made this project possible!
Each year, West CAP’s Homeless Intervention program serves over 6,000 individuals across seven western Wisconsin counties through program enrollment, case management, and referrals. The program focuses on providing one-on-one case management and housing assistance, with little to no funding available for home essentials to support individuals as they transition into housing. Donations allow us to provide essential items they need as they get back on their feet and become self-sufficient: hygiene products like soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine products, towels, and hygiene items for children if needed. We also often get requests for help with dishes, utensils, pots and pans, brooms, mops, and cleaning products as well. Items can be dropped off at either our Glenwood City or Menomonie West CAP office locations.
