WayForward Resources

Executive Director Ellen Carlson reflects on another year of unprecedented growth at WayForward Resources in her end-of-year message for 2024. "For an organization that focuses on providing the basic building blocks of stability–food and housing, growth is both positive and negative." Last year, thanks to community support, we made an impact on more people's lives than ever before, serving over 13,000 people - more than twice as many as the year before. But this organizational growth has been driven by the tremendous rise in demand for our services, which is a cause for concern. Read Ellen's full letter: https://lnkd.in/gbgt7k_q Join us in creating food security and housing stability in our community by donating before the end of the year. https://lnkd.in/gCJkcQkU

Thank you for supporting the Holiday Art Market at FCI on December 7 and 8, which raised more than $50,000. Over 50 local artists and makers participated in the market, donating at least 20% of their sales to WayForward. ReMitts sold lots of their warm and colorful mittens at the market, donating 100% directly to support our programs. We love seeing what happens when people come together to support building a strong community where everyone has access to nutritious food to eat and a warm place to sleep! We're extremely thankful to Latitude Graphics, our Presenting Sponsor for this year's Holiday Art Market, and to FCI for their generosity and gracious hosting of the event at their beautiful and welcoming space.

We were honored to have Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez visit WayForward Resources on Tuesday as one of five Dane County area food pantries she met with that same day to highlight the critical work our collective organizations do year-round. Thank you to Wisconsin State Representative Alex Joers, who joined us for the tour of our warehouse and food pantry and conversation about the rising needs we are experiencing in our community. We truly appreciated the opportunity to discuss these concerns and how we can partner to create food security and housing stability in our neighborhood together.

What a night we had! Thanks to your incredible generosity, we raised $11,876 last night! That meant we could unlock two anonymous challenge gifts of $5000 each,bringing our final #GivingTuesday total to $83,890 from 198 donors. Amazing! You can see us #BuildTogether in this video. Your support means more neighbors in our community will be able to access nutritious food and maintain safe, stable housing. Thank you!

🚨 FINAL CHALLENGE GIFT ALERT! 🚨 We’ve reached the #GivingTuesday home stretch, and it’s time to go BIG! Two incredible anonymous donors have pledged $5,000 each for a combined total of $10,000 that can be unlocked if we can raise $5,000 more by the end of the day! 💥 Every dollar counts towards providing food security and housing stability for our neighbors. Give now and let’s finish strong! https://lnkd.in/gsQwy7gP #BuildTogether

We’re in this together! 🎉 #GivingTuesday is underway and we’ve raised $27,157 already, but we are still a ways from meeting our $75,000 goal and building our full brick community together. If we can raise $3,000 more by noon—a $5,000 challenge match from Terry Hankes-Smith will be unlocked! Don’t miss this chance to amplify your impact! #BuildTogether #GivingTuesday https://lnkd.in/dDnu-zjQ

It’s finally here! Today is #GivingTuesday and we're going to #BuildTogether—literally! Donate now and watch our block house grow as we work toward our $75,000 goal. We already received some donations and are off to a solid start! Help us build our house through our #LinkInBio!

This #GivingTuesday (Dec. 3), make your impact go further! Check with your employer to see if they offer a matching gift program—your contribution could be doubled! When you donate to WayForward, you’re helping families in our community find stability and hope. #BuildTogether

Make the Holidays Sweeter! We’re collecting Holiday Baking Baskets to share the joy of baking with pantry visitors! Each basket should contain basic ingredients like flour, white and brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Plus any fun extras you’d like to add—think sprinkles, spices, cocoa powder, cookie cutters, or a festive spatula! Your donations help spread warmth and joy this holiday season. Drop off your baking baskets at our main office by December 18. Want more information? Contact Community Engagement Manager Jill Bradshaw, [email protected] or (608) 836-2751.

💜 November is Homelessness Awareness Month 💜 Did you know that purple is the color for homelessness awareness? Some of our team members wore purple to help kick off this important month. Together, we’re raising awareness of the challenges faced by our neighbors experiencing housing insecurity. Join us in wearing purple this month and supporting WayForward—let’s work toward a community where everyone has a place to call home. #HomelessinWisconsin https://lnkd.in/gCJkcQkU