September 25, 2023 – We are in need of food items for our pantry. Each week we serve the food needs for about 20-30 homeless people. We are a small pantry that typically gives out one day's food to each person that rings our bell. Any help with our list below would be great. We are the only pantry operating in the downtown area currently. Your help can mean the difference between someone being fed and someone being turned away without food. Thanks!

September 22, 2023 – We're looking for a new team member as one of our current team members moves to her next big challenge. We are looking for our next Admin Specialist that helps keep us all organized and ready. Primarily office work with some off-site meetings, no bookkeeping required. Office Admin experience is preferred as is being comfortable with office machinery and M.S. Office. We have a great team, making a difference every day for homeless families in the Chippewa Valley. Why not come be part of it? You can find a link to the job description and application at https://www.familypromisecv.org/ #nowhiring #MakeADifferenceEveryday #endinghomelessness

September 22, 2023 – A HUGE thank you goes out to @https://www.facebook.com/AutomationDisplaysInc for all your hard work at the Beacon House on United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley Day of Caring. They removed, and stumped out, 7 bushes to make way for our raised bed garden that will be going in early next spring. Did a ton of yard work (removed weeds and junk that had accumulated in our landscaping), cleaned out an area in the back of our building that had been being used as a garbage dump by people, organized our storage area, and cleaned a whole gaggle of lights in our common room (it's so bright now I hardly recognize the place). Events like this mean the world to non-profits. As much as the work needs to get done most of us are badly understaffed and just don't have the resources to do the larger jobs. Days like today help us get to know new people, and new people get to know us. We were pleased to meet this amazing company and it's team members!! Automation Displays Inc...YOU ROCK!! #automationdisplayincorporated #uwgcv #dayofcaring #volunteersrock #familypromiseofthechippewavalley #beaconhouseec

September 21, 2023 – Myth: Bad decisions lead to homelessness. They just need to start making better decisions. Fact: Everyone makes mistakes, but the descent into homelessness is not necessarily the direct result of “choices.” Far more often a sudden illness or an accident, losing one’s job, or falling into debt leads to eviction—and then doubling up with family or friends becomes untenable so suddenly and unexpectedly a family is living in their car or tenting in parks. Our process is to keep families together and provide them with what they need to get back on their feet. To continue to support them through case management and assistance even after they have transitioned out of our shelter. Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley is so much more than just a shelter. Go to our website at https://familypromisecv.org to learn more and to find out how you can help us fulfill our mission of creating a world where every child has a place to call home and an opportunity for a brighter future. #familypromiseofthechippewavalley #beaconhouse #somuchmorethanjustashelter #caring

September 20, 2023 – Our pantry shelves are almost bare. We rely on donations of food for our walk-up pantry. We are running very low on food and could use some donations of the following items. You may drop items off or have them delivered to 309 E. Lake Street, The Beacon House. If the current demand for food continues, we will need to shut down our walk up pantry sometime next week due to the shelves being bare. Thanks for anything you can send our way so that we can continue to serve those experiencing homelessness in the Chippewa Valley.

September 19, 2023 – Our thanks to Don and Paul for two days of hard work installing 12 lights in our rooms. Our old lights were still the original from the days when our rooms were exam rooms for a medical facility. The were old, very inefficient, and many were on the verge of breaking down. The new lights are LED, very efficient, and they look WAY better than the old ones. Also a HUGE thank you to Eau Claire Community Foundation who provided the grant that paid for the new lighting. Our guests LOVE the extra light they provide to the rooms. If it weren't for our volunteers like Don and Paul, this project would have been significantly more expensive and most likely outside of our budget to pay for the installation. Thanks Don and Paul, you have no idea what an impact you have made on our guests and on our operation here at Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley/Beacon House. If you'd like to get involved in helping here at the Beacon House contact us at 715-834-4357 or go to https://www.familypromisecv.org/get-involved We have all kinds of projects and things we would love to have you help us with. Be a Paul and Don! What questions do you have about us that we can answer in ore social media posts? Leave a comment below and we will add the topic to our list of informational posts that will be coming up. #familypromiseofthechippewavally #beaconhouse #weloveourvolunteers❤ #somuchmorethanjustashelter #changinglivesinthechippewavalley

September 16, 2023 – The fastest growing population of homeless people is children. A great story from rethinkhomelessness.org. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwEqqoGOC0k Leave us a comment on what you learned from this video.

September 14, 2023 – Two names, one service. Opened in 2001 as The Beacon House by Eau Claire Interfaith Hospitality Network, Beacon house is the name of our shelter at 309 E. Lake Street. In 2016 Eau Claire Interfaith Hospitality Network affiliated with Family Promise, a national affiliation of homeless shelters across the US and Canada with over 200 Affiliates. They brought us significant resources that help us be more efficient and to be better at what we do. Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley runs The Beacon House, our family shelter, as well as a transitional house that we can use to help our guests transition from shelter to a more permanent housing situation. We provide case management for our guests and for those that have transitioned from our shelter to more stable housing. We help them get back on their feet AND help them stay there. Money or items donated to Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley and/or The Beacon House stay local and are used by us to house and rehouse homeless families in the Chippewa Valley.

September 2, 2023 – 34% of the homeless population is under 24 -- and she used to be one of them. Christina Burkenroad shares her personal journey from being homeless as a young adult in San Diego to becoming a forward for the Orlando Pride. Listen to Christina's story here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPi_m0g52Fk Do what Christina says, take a few hours a month and volunteer, show kindness to those experiencing homelessness, purchase some supplies for a pantry or shelter. Caring played such an important part of Christina's recovery from homelessness. Too many young people are experiencing homelessness and the reasons are as many as there are people who are unsheltered. Go to http://familypromisecv.org/get-involved to find our Volunteer application, fill it out, send it to us. We have opportunities, what we need are people.

August 31, 2023 – A big thank you goes out to Caravel Autism Health! This month, they have been collecting much needed items for Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley - Beacon House. Look at this huge donation that was dropped off at our shelter on Tuesday! Because of caring people like you, we are able to continue providing our guests with "Welcome Home" kits when they move into their very own homes ❤️ #caravelautism #familypromiseofthechippewavalley #beaconhouseec #caring #endinghomelessness