Living in shelters, outdoors, or in their cars, between 70 and 100 Dane County families are homeless any day of the week. Far more local families are at risk of becoming homeless while doubling up with family or friends. Schools and service agencies report that most of these fragile families consist of a single custodial adult (mom, dad, aunt, grandparent, etc.) raising minor-aged children. 

Rachel and her children, Marcus and Marina, are one of these families. They were staying with Rachel’s cousin and two kids for several months before it became too crowded and the landlord threatened to evict them for violating the lease.  

Rachel connected with YWCA Madison, which helps doubled-up families find permanent housing. But once in her new apartment, there was still a good chance Rachel’s family would fall back into homelessness without additional support.

Placing homeless and at-risk families in housing is not enough. National data on housing with long-term supportive services overwhelmingly shows greater housing stability, improved enrollment in early education, and better child welfare outcomes.

Local nonprofit housing providers, YWCA Madison and Catholic Charities of Madison, receive funding to place families in housing. But this funding does not cover ongoing help that keeps families in their new homes. Without supportive services to address challenges with transportation, mental health, financial literacy, employment, childcare, parenting skills, addiction recovery, and health care, families are likely to return to homelessness. 

This is where you and St. Vincent de Paul — Madison’s new St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program step in.

The Seton Program was created in the fall of 2022 to fill this glaring gap and help fragile families on the path to stability.

The Seton Program provides wrap-around, flexible, individualized supportive services to newly housed single adult families. Seton Program staff and volunteers accompany families to work on issues negatively impacting their well-being and help them create manageable goals that bring stability, prevent future homelessness, and help them thrive. 

Up to 20 families will be enrolled in the Seton Program in its first year, with the capacity to grow over time. Support is provided with no term limit; however, a two-year enrollment is expected.

Rachel and Marina

Getting help to thrive

In Rachel’s case, the help she receives through the Seton Program goes beyond material necessities. It’s a chance to connect with a trusted person and receive encouragement to push through challenges. Emotional support and accompaniment means she’s not alone during this stressful point in life. 

Seton Program Director and social worker, Priscilla Lentini, is that trusted person.

“I tell people, ‘You’re not a mess. You’re going through a lot of challenges right now. And you have a lot of strengths that you’re bringing to the issues you’re facing,” Priscilla said. “Their attitude flips to, ‘I can do this. I have the capability to face what I’m going through right now.’ Sometimes you just need to hear it from someone else to believe that you’re not your issues.”

You have made the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program possible. With you, Rachel’s life, and those of her children are changing for the better.

“The Seton Program complements existing efforts from SVdP Madison such as the food pantry and pharmacy that address the immediate needs of our neighbors,” Susanna Herro, Board Secretary, said. So many of us care deeply about our brothers and sisters in need and are eager to walk alongside them on a path of greater stability. This program makes that possible.”

To effectively and efficiently support fragile families, a central program space is under construction where families can meet with Priscilla, mental health, and human service professionals, search for job opportunities, identify affordable child care, and access additional resources.

The Seton Program will be housed above the St. Vincent de Paul Williamson Street Thrift Store, currently undergoing an extensive building redevelopment (see sidebar). Completion is expected in the fall of 2024.

Because of you, Rachel is participating in an addiction recovery peer group, has landed a job with good benefits, and is learning how to advocate for her children at school. Marcus has a tutor to help him with math and Marina is excited about art class in Pre-K. They are happy to have a place to call home where they can heal from the trauma of homelessness, and set a course to move from surviving to thriving.

Please keep Rachel and her children in your prayers. Click here to share your volunteer time or click here to make a gift to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program.

* Names changed to maintain the neighbors’ privacy. Photos are representational.

Madison, WI – The statewide kickoff event for Homelessness Awareness Month will be held at the Wisconsin State Capitol Rotunda on Nov. 1 at noon. This event is open to the public and everyone is invited to attend. Speakers will include state representatives addressing the concerns of homelessness in Wisconsin and individuals speaking about their lived experience of homelessness. This event is an opportunity to build much needed awareness of the homeless crisis in our state.

Local communities around the state may also be holding their own events in the month of November to mark Homelessness Awareness Month.

One of the speakers at the Nov. 1 statewide event will be state Rep. Patrick Snyder (Assembly District 85). According to Rep. Snyder, “Collaboration and coordination among government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community groups are crucial to ensure efficient delivery of services and resources to homeless individuals. Establishing interagency partnerships can help streamline processes and maximize the impact of available resources.”

Michael Basford, Director of the Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness, is also scheduled to speak at the statewide kickoff event. “As we reflect in November on the issues of homelessness in our communities, we must recognize that homelessness affects too many people in Wisconsin. It is happening in every area of our state – whether urban, suburban, or rural. It is on all of us to provide help and resources for Wisconsinites experiencing homelessness and ensure that people who need it get access to safe, affordable housing,” said Basford, in preparation for the event.

The Nov. 1 statewide kickoff event will also feature a Ribbon Tree designed to showcase and measure the different types of homelessness experienced in Wisconsin. Works of art, of various media, created by artists depicting how they see, or have personally experienced homelessness, will be on display and available for purchase. Through these events we hope we can come together to find better solutions to address this growing issue of homelessness in our state and communities.

Beginning Sunday, April 14th for up to five weeks, the St. Vinny’s Willy Street store will temporarily close to complete major steps in the renovation process. The store will be closed for both shopping and donations. Thank you for your patience.

Background, Plans & FAQ

Current Plans and Renderings Background and FAQs

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison will conduct a building project near the intersection of Williamson Street and S. Baldwin Street in Madison. The zone currently hosts the St. Vincent de Paul Williamson Street Thrift Store and the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program office.

The intent is to demolish two structurally compromised buildings along Baldwin Street – as well as the Williamson Street store’s book room, which shares the lot with one of those buildings. A two-story building at the Baldwin Williamson corner will be erected and a single-story building will be expanded retail space, while the new corner building’s second floor will house the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program, supportive services for single parents of minor children to stabilize their housing and lives.

Brief history

The core mission of the District Council of Madison – Society of St. Vincent de Paul is helping Dane County neighbors in need. A nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, the Society has been engaged in that mission in Madison since 1925 and has had a physical locus in the Williamson-Marquette neighborhood since 1941, when SVdP Madison opened a store on Baldwin Street. From that location, St. Vincent de Paul’s retail and service complex grew organically around the Baldwin corner to Williamson Street to become the Society’s local flagship thrift store. The parcel at the corner of Williamson and Baldwin streets has since served as the Society’s busy food pantry and then as the office location of the Seton House women’s transitional housing program – as well the site of the adjoining Willy Street store’s book room.

The Williamson-Baldwin corner property and the original Baldwin Street portion of the thrift-store complex have clearly reached their end of life. SVdP Madison has been advised that the corner “Seton 2” building, an old balloon-frame structure, is not sound enough to salvage and remodel. Compromised wooden roof trusses of the Baldwin retail property have led the Society to empty that space and leave it unused for its usual purpose. The century-old concrete structure of the Baldwin store space is of unknown design capacity. After carefully considering options, St. Vincent de Paul is seeking to rebuild in the footprint of these two parcels. New construction designed to sensitively honor the look and feel of the local traditional shopping street and historic district will best serve the interest of safety, modern code compliance, energy efficiency, sustainability, and avoidance of unintended consequences.

These are key objectives for the future of properties SVdP Madison intends to continue using for purposes toward which the site has long been put. Those purposes are supporting and meeting the Society’s mission by selling and giving away donated goods and by offering other charitable services to local households in need. Through new, historically sensitive construction, SVdP Madison’s plan is to devote almost all first-floor space to retail and – for the corner – parcel create second-floor space focused on serving neighbors in need through SVdP Madison charitable programming.

Selected news coverage

Madison.com: The changing face of Willy Street: St. Vincent de Paul to demolish 3 buildings by thrift store

Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce: St. Vincent de Paul — Madison announces the groundbreaking for its new building

NBC15: St. Vincent de Paul of Madison breaks ground on store expansion project

Channel3000: (begin video at 08:30) News 3 Now at Five – March 13, 2023

The Catholic Herald: St. Vincent de Paul breaks ground on new renovations

The Cap Times: St. Vincent de Paul plans expansion on Willy Street