Outreach Grant Process, Fall 2022

This message went out to the congregation in our Enews on Friday, August 19. 

Dear St Dunstan’s community,

We, the Outreach Committee, are seeking your input on the distribution of funds from our Outreach Fund. The Fund was established in 1995 by the vestry and is managed by Diocese of Milwaukee Trustees of Funds and Endowments. Every year, the Outreach Committee makes recommendations to the Vestry for spending a percentage (approximately 5%) of the Fund to provide donations to organizations addressing basic human needs. These gifts are in addition to the allocations we make from the Outreach line in our annual budget, which is funded from members’ yearly pledges.

This year, the Outreach Committee is seeking your input to identify the two organization to whom we should donate. We are focusing on two basic human needs: housing and hunger/food insecurity. The Committee reviewed a comprehensive list of non-profits in Dane County and identified three choices in each of those two categories.

We are asking for your input to help select one organization in each category, to which we will make a donation on behalf of the parish. While all of these non-profits are deserving, we want to have an impact, so the Committee has decided to make two contributions of $2500 each.  

We will seek your input on which two non-profits should receive our contributions. You’ll be able to share input through one of two methods: voting in person at church on a Sunday, or voting online at your own pace. We plan to begin the voting process in early September. Watch for more details soon.

Below you will find information about the six non-profit organizations under consideration. Please note that the church has already donated to a number of non-profits throughout the year, such as Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM). Those organizations to whom we have already donated this year were not included on this list.

Right now, we encourage you to read about these organizations and begin to prayerfully reflect on which two you would like to vote for.

Thank you for your input!

Sincerely,

The Outreach Committee

FOOD PANTRIES 

Allied Drive Pantry

https://alliedfoodpantry.wixsite.com/allied-food-pantry

The Allied Pantry provides food to those who live in the neighborhood and are in need.  It serves those who cannot, at the moment, support themselves. The pantry is open one day a week and provides clients with perishable and non-perishable food items, as well as toiletries and hygiene products.

The pantry provides food to more than 6,500 individuals annually, who live in about 1800 households.  At least one family member is employed in about 50% of client households.

 

Grace Episcopal Church Food Pantry 

http://www.gracechurchmadison.org/grace-food-pantry

The Grace Church Food Pantry has been a welcoming place for the hungry on the Capitol Square for over 45 years. Although housed at Grace Church, the pantry has its own budget and relies on federal and state funding and donations from community members to fill the shelves with food week after week.

Volunteers serve over 300 families each month with fresh produce, meat, packaged goods, diapers and toiletry items.  The pantry is open four days a week.

Long-term relationships with government agencies allow them to maximize the purchasing power of each donated dollar used for obtaining food. As the quality and variety of donated foods fluctuate each year, monetary gifts provide Grace with the flexibility to provide the optimal nutritional mix of foods.

Badger Prairie Needs Network 

https://www.bpnn.org

The food pantry, located in Verona, has operated for 34 years. The pantry was started in a closet in a church in 1986 and now operates from a 9000 sq ft building.  They help households with limited resources make ends meet.  They are open four days a week.

The food pantry carries fresh and frozen produce, dairy, and proteins including milk, eggs, hamburger, chicken, and even frozen pizza. With the help of Second Harvest, the Community Action Coalition, community food drives, and cash donations they also offer packaged goods including baking supplies, cereal, pasta, canned tuna, fruits, vegetables, and soups.

Badger Prarie’s Kitchen to Table food recovery program provides the pantry with items donated from area grocers and ready-to-eat food from local companies with cafeteria services.

 

HOUSING

The Road Home

https://trhome.org

The Road Home develops long-term relationships with homeless families with children.  They started 21 years ago and work with families, to relieve the immediate crisis of homelessness, and to build skills, resources and relationships that set the stage for long-term success. Their last annual report showed 95% of the families they supported remained stably housed.  They served 252 families with 482 children during that year.

 

Tenant Resource Center  

https://www.tenantresourcecenter.org

The Tenant Resource Center is dedicated to promoting positive relations between rental housing consumers and providers throughout Wisconsin. By providing information and referrals, education about rental rights and responsibilities, and access to conflict resolution, they empower the community to obtain and maintain quality affordable housing.  They provide a Housing Mediation program and provide mediators to work with Tenants and Landlords.  They offer education programs to tenants and landlords on rights and responsibilities.  They offer assistance in preventing eviction and finding housing for those evicted.

 

Just Dane Journey Home Program

https://justdane.org/journey-home/

JustDane offers direct service programs for individuals and families involved in the criminal justice system. These services include prison reentry programs, services for children who have an incarcerated parent, jail and prison in-reach programs, and community education events. Their Journey Home program works to reduce recidivism (return to prison) by creating a stronger safer community for those returning. It focuses on the areas of residency, employment, support and treatment—as well as transportation and education.