HOOO May 2020 Newsletter

COVID-19 hasn’t slowed down Prairie Haus development, but it has put a damper on our fundraising events and community fun. Read on to learn how you can get involved and help us reach our final fundraising goal. We also want to share some exciting updates and exclusive behind the scenes moments with you.

On Tuesday May 5th we will be participating in #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving and unity organized to meet the growing needs of nonprofits during this pandemic.

COVID-19 is quietly but profoundly affecting those who are differently abled. Our loved ones rely on routine, familiar caregivers, a safe living environment, and their friends in the community to feel secure and stable in an often confusing and uncertain world. Their lives have been flipped upside down overnight.

These times confirm how important a community like Prairie Haus is. Those with different abilities need a secure and familiar home and routine. Also, the need for affordable rental housing for hourly workers has risen to crisis level. Reasonable rentals create the opportunity for a financial cushion for the unexpected, not struggling to live paycheck to paycheck as so many of those who have lost their jobs do.

The pandemic is a powerful reminder of how important your help is to build Prairie Haus, a safe home in an inclusive community for those in need. We still have about $200,000 to raise for our capital campaign to complete the building. Our Spring and early Summer fundraisers have been canceled and our late Summer fundraiser is uncertain. Organizations providing grants are shifting their funds to immediate Corona relief. We have no certainty in how we should proceed to meet our fundraising goal.

We need your help.

We invite you to join HOOO on May 5, 2019 to celebrate “Giving Tuesday Now”.

We are so close to completing our capital campaign, but we are not there yet. HOOO is looking to raise the last $200,000 needed for its required capital contribution for Prairie Haus construction and special needs amenities.

Visit homeofourown.org/donate to find other ways to donate directly

Thank you for your donations!

Be sure to tune into our Facebook Live Updates on Prairie Haus Development each week to see how your efforts are helping us make this dream a reality

Attention sports fans and collectors! HOOO is excited to announce that we will be hosting a ‘Sports Memorabilia On-line Auction’ soon! There will be a wide variety of rare and memorable items for sale, such as:

Wally Orzechowski is the Executive Director at Southwest Wisconsin Community Action Program (SWCAP), an anti-poverty non-profit serving a five county area, including Green County. He’s an outside-the-box thinker who actively pursues community-level projects that extend beyond SWCAP’s own programs. Examples include providing leadership to the startup of several free health and dental clinics in the area and recent partnerships to address the opioid crisis and rising incidence of farmer suicide.

Closer to home, Wally has been a tremendous asset to HOOO. Wally believed in HOOO and its mission from the start, gave us important and strategic advice, and generally is a huge source of moral support and encouragement! Prairie Haus would not be under construction right now without him! Thanks Wally for all you do!

The services provided by SWCAP include food pantries, thrift stores, Head Start programs, transportation services, weatherization, addiction recovery services, and much more. Visit www.swcap.org or Facebook.com/SouthwestCAP for more information!

Book a 60 minute 1:1 consultation with HOOO's founders
At HOOO, we are often asked by families from all over the United States “How do we create something like Prairie Haus in our hometown?” Our answer is that your FIRST and MOST important step is to create a group of people who are as invested in the goal as you are. Find others through your local organizations supporting the differently abled. If an organization's contacts are confidential, write an open letter explaining your dream and ask them to share it. When you find a few motivated individuals, start to meet weekly. Get to know and appreciate one another. Share your visions, your needs and your dreams. HOOO met weekly at a coffee shop for two years before we began the process of finding a developer. We knew one another well, could rely on each other and had a clear, shared vision of what we wanted to accomplish. This solid foundation is the core of our success!

If you are interested in pursuing a project like Prairie Haus, HOOO offers consulting for guidance and assistance. Please inquire for more information on consulting support via email (homeofourown2020@gmail.com).

*Donation to HOOO requested in exchange for consulting services

Seems like a year ago, but only 7 weeks ago HOOO was having in-person board meetings. Just looking at this picture makes us happy. Although the pandemic is keeping us all at home, when the social distancing is lifted we are planning some exciting inclusive community events. We are looking forward to celebrating with you!