Catholic Charities of Madison, the operator of The Beacon homeless day shelter in Madison and Housing Navigation Services program, announced Carly Sobye has joined the organization as its first director of homeless services.
Tag: homelessness
Bishop Hying visits The Beacon
On August 8, Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison visited The Beacon in Madison for the first time since becoming the bishop of Madison.
Hope does shine at The Beacon
Most of us have seen people holding signs at intersections saying, “I’m homeless. Please help me!”
We feel sorry for them and want to give them some money. But we get the sinking feeling that the money won’t help them break out of the cycle of homelessness.
However, since The Beacon opened almost a year ago in Madison on October 16, 2017, I feel more optimistic about homeless people. And I wonder if I should carry a card with me to give those people begging for money information on The Beacon.
Removing life’s roadblocks
My wife and I recently celebrated our 25-year wedding anniversary and wanted to plan a special vacation. After talking about a variety of options, we landed on visiting a few national parks.
We thought that a trip out west to Yellowstone and the Tetons would be the perfect get-away. We spent a lot of time laying out a two-week itinerary to include rest stops, B&Bs, tourist attractions, and peaceful hiking in the mountains. Everything was going as planned, but on the morning of day two, that all changed.
We hit a deer on the road. Unfortunately, I didn’t respond fast enough when that deer jumped onto the highway. It was a sad ending for the deer and my vehicle.
Hope shines here!
For the past year, we’ve been anticipating the opening of The Beacon, the new homeless day resource center operated by Catholic Charities.
The day finally happened, and The Beacon shined as a light of hope in the lives of over 200 men, women, and children experiencing homelessness in Dane County.
Here’s a way to help the homeless
The National Alliance to End Homelessness states that there are 564,708 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the U.S.: 36,907 (6.38 percent) are children, 47,725 (8.33 percent) are veterans, and 269,991 (47.6 percent) are disabled and unable to work.
Many factors can contribute to a person becoming homeless. These factors include (but are not limited to):
• Poverty
• Lack of affordable housing
• Job loss
• Lack of health care
• Mental illness
• Substance abuse
• Domestic violence
Coach Gard: Step up to help those in need
MADISON — Using a baseball analogy, University of Wisconsin Head Basketball Coach Greg Gard said, “We need to step up to the plate and help those around us.”
He gave this advice during a talk at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s Care Café, a community fundraising breakfast held May 5 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
And the name is . . . The Beacon
It is a sad fact that many men, women, and children continue to be homeless in the city of Madison and Dane County.
Here we are in the capital city of Wisconsin, a city known for its progressive character. Yet each year, about 3,500 people experience homelessness, nearly half of them being children.
Working together
How can we reduce or even eliminate homelessness in our city? A bold effort is underway to work on this problem. It is a collaboration of the faith, business, nonprofit, government, and neighborhood communities working together.
Homeless in Wisconsin: good news and bad news
Which would you rather hear first, the good news or the bad news?
When it comes to homelessness in Wisconsin, let’s talk about the good news first.
Wisconsin statistics
According to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the number of homeless people in Wisconsin has decreased. In one category — homeless and unsheltered veterans — Wisconsin has one of the lowest rates in the country at 3.6 percent.