Hope shines for county’s single mothers

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In addition, House of Hope provides case management to assist in goal planning, time management and referrals to other resources in the community.

Above all else, House of Hope provides an environment that promotes healthy living and the development of life skills that ultimately enable these young families to move out of poverty.

"House of Hope gave me and my child a safe place for us to come to every day,” said Patricia, a former House of Hope resident. “I would love to tell anyone that could come here because they will be in for a big change in life, not in a bad way, but in a good way. This is a very good place to start over.”

House of Hope is primarily supported by generous community dollars and item donations. Annually it receives more than $30,000 from the Brown County United Way in addition to hundreds of basic needs products donated through the BCUW’s Health & Hygiene Drive. Other locally donated goods such as comforters, curtains, pillow cases, sheets and dish sets prove to be invaluable for the residents, especially during the bitter Wisconsin winters.

With around-the-clock care and hands-on service, in a few short years House of Hope has impacted dozens of families that may not have survived without it.

"Without our program in this community, these young families would continue to move from house to house, living with a cousin one week and a friend they just met the next,” said Jennifer Allen, House of Hope’s director of community support and program development. “They would not be able to access the resources in the community or obtain employment, both of which require a steady address and phone number. The majority of our moms come into the program without their high school diploma and because they get to live at the House free of charge, they are able to take the time to work on attaining it.”

By providing the proper resources, House of Hope helped 13 residents attend GED programming; one resident returned to receive her high school diploma and five residents enrolled in secondary education within the past 12 months.

"House of Hope is a safe, comfortable and secure environment,” said Sandy, a former Hose of Hope resident. “The staff has helped me become more independent, organized and ready to be on my own again. Being here is something I will always remember.”

By allowing these young women to stay at the center for up to 18 months—significantly longer than most shelters in the community—House of Hope truly is a symbol of hope and love, Allen said.

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