"Give Them Roots and Create Wings"

EPH E-News - October 2022

EPH Mission Ecumenical Partnership for Housing seeks to provide safety, stability, and solutions for families with children who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. We have provided housing and case management for 53 families, including 142 children, so far this year.

Open House Invitation We invite you to join us on Friday, October 21st from 11:00am-3:00pm for an open house! Stop in to learn more about our mission and programs, meet our team, and take a tour of an EPH home. The tour starts at the EPH office (200 S Monroe, Green Bay).  Please contact us with any questions a 920-676-3779.

One family at a time… By Wendy Nasgovitz, EPH Business Manager

Incoming phone calls are sprinkled throughout my day. When I see a current or past family’s name come on the caller ID, I pray for the best. In this line of work, we know that things do not always go as planned. If we could wish away homelessness, it would have been gone a long time ago.

On one very usual day I saw the name of a past family come on my phone. This family came from a shelter, moved into one of EPH’s transitional homes, continued the program to a Long-Term Supportive Housing unit, and recently moved out to a rental on their own. The mom’s voice was full of excitement as she told me that they had purchased their first and very own home. News like this is what we hope to hear - not necessarily the buying of the home, but success in making lasting changes for her and her children. This is where we are certain that every volunteer hour and every donor dollar is changing lives in so many ways. This is how EPH makes a difference one family at a time.

The definition of success… By Tess Patenaude, EPH Case Manager

Sometimes people ask how successful our families in our program are. I’ve even been asked (by a client) if I think case management works. The answer is yes. Yes, case management can work… if the client makes it work. Our successes are measured by each family in our program and always look different for each family. I typically measure client success by the way the clients’ faces light up when they tell me their good news, or how quickly they update me on something that was big in their lives. We always seem to gravitate toward the negatives, because we feel we have to “fix” the problems and navigate so many barriers to help our families move forward, that we don’t always highlight the positives.

Positives are sometimes kind of a breath of fresh air that gives us time to focus on something else we need to work on for the next family in crisis. I am finding myself trying to focus more on the positives for our families -not only for my own personal growth in this job, but also to really “cheer” on our families as they move forward. We have recently been granted the gift of freshly baked cupcakes/cake from someone in the community who really wanted to give back in a way we don’t often think of. It has forced me to look for positives for each family, so they know they have the whole EPH team (staff and volunteers alike) behind them. I am enjoying searching for positive accomplishments and updates to reward families with this sweet treat and it has really changed the way I am looking at the families on my caseload’s successes as well.

Some of my favorite highlights include families advancing to our long-term supportive housing program. These families are thrilled to continue with case management (asking if they can continue meeting weekly!) and meet the program needs as they work toward self-sufficiency. I have loved hearing the excitement when families discuss their move and realize they will be able to have their Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in their new homes and cook these large meals as a family!

The same excitement is evident in the voices of family members who have advanced to a new and better job when they realize they may be eligible for company benefits and an income that will allow them to pay bills and purchase food without any state/ government assistance. For some families, the concept of building a savings and raising a credit score as they attend budget counseling has been their major accomplishment! While these programs are a huge help and greatly appreciated, some families strive to one day no longer need these programs and if that is their personal goal, sharing that excitement with the family is huge. "

Life is hard and we all have good days and bad days, but the good days far outweigh the bad days here at EPH! The next time I take a bite of a cupcake, I will happily think about how positive life can be and the importance of enjoying any success in life - no matter how big or small.

Ecumenical Partnership for Housing  is a 501(c3) organization, dedicated to finding permanent solutions for families experiencing homelessness in Green Bay.