Our affiliate partner, the Waupaca Area Community Foundation (WACF), has awarded a $2,000 grant* to the Mission of Hope House in Waupaca to support the “Meet the Need” program, which accepts requests from individuals and families in distress for items such as furniture, bedding, winter clothing, and hygiene supplies.

The full-time shelter opened last February in New London. In addition to providing a place to sleep, a place to eat, and recreational areas, the Mission of Hope House also hosts educational programs open to all community members, with guidance on life skills like personal finance, cooking, and job searching.

“We are the first and the only 24/7 resource homeless shelter in Waupaca County,” says Lori Prahl, one of the organization’s co-founders. “The classes are offered as a preventative measure to folks in the community, not just the clients that are staying here. Everything we do here is training, mentorship, and coaching.”

Spaces include several wheelchair-accessible bedrooms and bathrooms, classrooms, a three-seasons room, a serve-safe kitchen and laundry facilities.

The Bridge thrift store

The WACF grant will allow Mission of Hope House to purchase items that they cannot source from their Bridge Thrift Store, located across the street from the shelter.

Open just three days a week, the store generated $40,000 last year in income. Generous donors also provide clothing, furniture, home goods and other items for free for individuals and families in need.

Mission of Hope has a lot of support from the Fox Valley, and collaborates with local school districts, Fox Valley Technical College, CAP Services, and a human services collaborative called Waupaca Partners.

If you’d like to volunteer at or donate to the Mission of Hope House, there’s information on how you can do so here.

*Note: this post originally published with an inaccurate grant amount. We deeply apologize for this error.