FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2021
Contact:
Heidi Prahl
Donor & Community Relations
Office: 800-236-9364, Desk: 920-702-7856
heidip@thefamily.net | www.thefamily.net
The Family’s 2021 “Help for the Homeless” Hygiene Drive Tops $500,000
90 Wisconsin Crisis Programs Say, “Thank You!”
Appleton, Green Bay, Wausau/Stevens Point, Sheboygan, Eau Claire WI – 91.9/91.5/91.3/88.5/99.9FM The Family: The Family Radio Network’s 2021 “Help for the Homeless” hygiene drive received a record-breaking $502,000 worth of donated hygiene and cleaning supplies this spring for 90 crisis agencies in 19 of their listening communities. In spite the number of collection sites decreasing by 20% due to COVID, donations surpassed last year’s total by $68,000, making this year’s amount the highest ever. Thank you!
Since 1992, “Help for the Homeless” donations have provided more than $4.2 million dollars’ worth of hygiene supplies to local Wisconsin crisis programs and those they serve. Donations remain in the communities where they are collected. The goal of “Help for the Homeless” is to supply a year’s worth of products to each agency.
“People come here every day for shelter or outreach services. Their biggest needs are food, shelter, and hygiene supplies. Their faces just light up because now they know they can take a shower and their shampoo, soap, razor, and deodorant will still be there tomorrow. Children come out of their rooms with sheer excitement because they have their very own toothbrush and toothpaste. It’s like we gave them a new toy at Christmas! This gratitude from these people and their children is so extremely heartwarming and humbling… it helps us remember that even the simplest of things like hygiene supplies can help to bring a family out of crisis. We are truly grateful.” – Amy Loof, Director of Homeless Services, Solutions Center
“By providing this family with shampoo, body wash, lotion, deodorant, and some detergent to wash their clothes, you’d think we had given them the world. Mom had grateful tears in her eyes and a smile on her face for days.” – Elizabeth Webb, Green Bay Public Schools – Homeless Children & Youth Program Coordinator
The Family works together with area homeless coalitions, inviting people to donate hygiene and cleaning supplies to their local crisis agencies so that they can direct their limited financial resources to providing qualified staff, education, programs, shelter and food to those they serve.
Businesses, churches, and schools participate by placing collection boxes in their high traffic areas and inviting their own staff, members, and students to donate. Financial donations are also welcome.
The Family Radio Network, Inc, along with the 90 participating crisis programs, thanks everyone who hosted boxes, donated, volunteered for, and sponsored the drive!
Save the date! Next year’s dates are Feb.13 -March 6. More info at thefamily.net or call 800-236-9364.
Sponsored in Northeast & East Central Wisc. by Festival Foods Stores, Fox Communities Credit Union, McCain Foods, US Venture Schmidt Family Foundation, Allcox and Associates, and Fox 11 WLUK
Sponsored in Central Wisc. by Buska and Buska Insurance, Century 21 Gold Key Inc., Brokaw Credit Union, and Festival Foods Stores.
PARTICIPATING AGENCIES:
Northeast Wisconsin – APPLETON/FOX CITIES: Appleton Area School Dist. Homeless Children & Youth Prgm, ADVOCAP Housing Prgm, Apricity, B.A.B.E.S., Inc. Child Abuse Prevention Prgm, Boys & Girls Clubs Home Base, COTS, Hortonville Area School Dist. Homeless Children & Youth Prgm, LEAVEN, Menasha Joint School Dist. Homeless Children & Youth Prgm, Vida, Partnership Community Health Ed. Cntr, Pillars, Riverview Gardens, Ryan Community Housing Prgms, Salvation Army Fox Cities, St Vincent de Paul Neenah, SOAR Fox Cities, VIDA CHILTON/CALUMET CNTY: Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul Kiel/New Holstein, St Vincent de Paul Hilbert FOND DU LAC: ADVOCAP, Beacon House, New Beginnings Pregnancy Cntr, Solutions Cntr, The Salvation Army, GREEN BAY/BROWN CNTY: Brown Cnty Human Svcs. Child Protective Svcs, Family Services Crisis Cntr/Open Door Youth Svcs, Family Services Housing Services, Freedom House, Golden House, Green Bay Area Schools Homeless Children & Youth Prgm, Green Bay Community Church Circles and The Giving Tree, House of Hope, Howe Resource Cntr, NEWCAP (Permanent Supportive Housing, Family/Youth Rapid ReHousing, EHH, Motel Vouchers), St John the Evangelist Homeless Shltr, The Salvation Army Basic Needs, The Salvation Army/Ecumenical P’ship for Housing (EPH) Trans. Housing Prgm, Wellspring MANITOWOC: Core Treatment Srvcs, Hope House, InCourage Domestic Violence Shltr, Lighthouse Recovery Comm Cntr, Marshfield Public Schools Stangel Boutique, Painting Pathways Clubhouse, The Crossing, The Haven of Manitowoc Cnty, The Salvation Army
NEW LONDON: The Salvation Army (shared with NL Community Cupboard) OCONTO / MARINETTE: NEWCAP Marinette (Community Access & Housing), NEWCAP Oconto (Community Access & Housing), OSHKOSH: ADVOCAP, Christine Ann Center, Day by Day Warming Shltr., Father Carr’s Place 2B, The Salvation Army SEYMOUR: Community 2000, St. Vincent de Paul, The Salvation Army Outagamie Cnty Ext., SHEBOYGAN: Catholic Charities, Foundations Runaway & Youth Services, Lakeshore CAP, Safe Harbor
Central Wisconsin: ANTIGO: Avail Inc., CHIPPEWA FALLS: Family Support Cntr, EAU CLAIRE: Apple Pregnancy Care Cntr, Bolton Refuge House, Hope Gospel Mission, MARATHON COUNTY/WAUSAU: Community Corner Clubhouse, Peyton’s Promise, The Neighbors’ Place, The Open Door of Marathon Cnty, The Salvation Army of Marathon Cnty MARSHFIELD: Mary’s Place Boarding House, PDC Orenda Center, Shirley’s House of Hope, St. Vincent de Paul Outreach, The Hannah Cntr, MENOMONIE: The Bridge to Hope STEVENS POINT: Evergreen Community Initiatives – Place of Peace WAUPACA: Agape Center, CAP Services, Foundations for Living Inc., WISCONSIN RAPIDS: The Family Center, SWEPS
###
About The Family: The Family Radio Network, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing contemporary Christian music and programming, as well as community outreach support to Central and Northeast Wisconsin since 1969. The radio network has 11 signals and 5 stations in Wisconsin: 91.9FM WEMI Appleton/Oshkosh, 91.5FM WEMY Green Bay, 91.3FM WSTM Sheboygan, 88.5FM WGNV Wausau/Stevens Point, 99.9FM WGNW Eau Claire. For more information go to www.thefamily.net.
