Changing Lives One Family At A Time

Changing Lives One Family At A Time

All of the families we serve at Shelter From the Storm Ministries have a unique story, past and current situation. Our goal is to first and foremost serve families within the Sun Prairie School District who are either facing homelessness or are currently without a place to rest their head each night. At the beginning of this school year, 116 children in the district were homeless. We work closely with school and community social workers for referrals and resources so families can be supported and successful.

In our first year of operation, a mom with two children entered into the program. The mom had recently gone through a divorce and was left with many challenges and repercussions from that relationship. She had a wonderful, stable job and had always been able to provide for her children prior to this but quickly found herself without enough resources to pay monthly rent and all the expenses.

This family entered Shelter From the Storm Ministries reluctantly yet also out of options. SFTSM provided weekly case management meetings where goal setting, prayer and encouragement happened. The mom met weekly with a budget volunteer and learned how she could pay off debt and start saving to get an apartment. There were definitely challenges and the winter months became long, with three people living in a small shelter suite but she kept going and moving forward.

This family had great connections in Sun Prairie, the children went to school in Sun Prairie and the mom worked in the city so they wanted to stay local. After almost 10 months of working with SFTSM staff and volunteers, in addition to being connected with community resources, this family found an apartment still in the community!

The mom worked so incredibly hard to follow the steps, to stick to the plan and was able to secure a two bedroom apartment for her and her children. They moved out of shelter and into their own place! SFTSM staff are still in contact with the family and they are doing well, the kids are thriving in school and the mom continues to excel at her job. She is a strong single mom who is committed to her children and providing the very best for them.