“We were anxious, upset and close to becoming homeless.” It was a few weeks before Christmas when Cynthia’s landlord told her he was selling the house she and her sister were renting. He said the buyer planned to renovate the home and charge higher rent, so the sisters needed to move. They had just paid [...]
From a recent Google review:Community Action's Project Thrive, a funded program of United Way Blackhawk Region, teaches young people how to literally THRIVE! My son had issues in high school, Beloit Learning Academy, (BLA) and Job Corps. An unexpected turn of events caused him (a single father of two) to lose his job. Community Action [...]
When Sarah* first enrolled her son at Community Kids Learning Center, the two were staying at a domestic violence shelter. She didn’t have family in the area. “I had no job, no ID, no car. Nothing.” She and her two-year-old were homeless for nearly a year, living in shelters and motels. During that time, she [...]
Life was super rough before Community Action. I was homeless for four years. I had a couple suicide attempts. I was living outside in the snow. My daughter stayed with me but went to her mom’s house at night. I was trying to find an apartment, but I’m covered in tattoos. People see me and [...]
What’s better than a box of Cracker Jacks with a surprise? A box of kid-friendly foods with bigger and better surprises…art kits, games, activities and more! Since March, AWARE’s Snackpacker program has delivered boxes of food and fun each week, helping 109 low-income children maintain their nutrition, challenge their minds, and keep physically and emotionally [...]
“I never felt alone when I was at Twin Oaks, even during the darkest times.” Amy’s college career at UW-Whitewater skidded to a halt once the pandemic hit. As a non-traditional student she couldn’t go to class during the lockdown and lost her student housing. She lived in a tent for about two months in [...]
We are pleased to share a recent success story from Twin Oaks Shelter for the Homeless. Neil, Tara, and Neil’s son, Adam, became homeless when family members kicked them out. They had been staying in their vehicle and then in a motel with a motel voucher before coming to Twin Oaks. Neil had a part [...]
Carlos, a father of three, was an inmate in the Rock County Jail's RECAP program when Erick Williams gave a presentation on Community Action's Fatherhood Initiative. Carlos promised Erick, the program manager, that he would enroll in the Fatherhood Initiative upon his release. From the first day Carlos walked into group, he was serious about [...]
Linda’s husband John was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Their children were grown but John would no longer be able to work. Linda’s disability check was not enough to pay for everything. When bills piled up they turned to AWARE in Evansville for help. John’s condition continued to decline and he passed away six months later. Linda [...]
Starting a new school year can be nerve-racking for any kid, but it’s especially so when that big first day rolls around and finds you living in a homeless shelter. That’s the situation facing the nine school-aged children currently living at Twin Oaks, but thanks to one of their fellow residents, they can at least [...]