Across Mercy Housing Lakefront communities, we have continued to provide support and assistance to residents facing difficulties during the pandemic.

We are so grateful for our partners who have assisted us in supporting Wisconsin residents, and we are happy to highlight partnerships that provide emergency assistance for residents and property staff. We thank all partners, donors, and volunteers – you are making a difference for so many residents.

Hope at Home

Mercy Housing Lakefront was grateful to receive assistance from individual supporters and institutional partners specifically to assist the highest-need residents in our Milwaukee communities with short-term, emergency rental assistance during the coronavirus pandemic. Residents of MHL pay an affordable portion of their incomes toward rent, and some MHL properties receive rental subsidies which can be adjusted to cover a higher portion of the rent when residents lose income. However, Mercy Housing Lakefront has noted that loss of income has impacted some residents’ ability to pay rent. This has especially been a challenge for working families with children who live mainly in affordable properties without subsidies.

We received a grant of $20,000 from the Milwaukee Responds Fund to support high-need residents at McAuley Apartments and Greenwich Park Apartments, both of which are communities serving working families where MHL staff identified residents facing difficulties due to loss of income. To alleviate the profound impact the pandemic is having on Milwaukee and beyond, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation established and manages the MKE Responds Fund, which is further supported by a coalition of funders and collaborators. The MKE Responds Fund provides resources to organizations working in the greater Milwaukee area with communities disproportionately impacted by coronavirus and its economic consequences.

Mercy Housing Lakefront was also grateful to receive donations from partners to provide additional assistance for the women of St. Catherine Residence, some of whom were also impacted by a loss of income. In total, partners gave $6,050 specifically to provide emergency assistance to residents of St. Catherine’s during the coronavirus pandemic.

With this grant, as well as support specifically for emergency assistance for Residents of St. Catherine’s, staff were able to notify residents that some emergency assistance was available. Residents submitted forms to property staff requesting assistance, and an administrative team separate from the property staff reviewed and approved assistance requests for residents who had lost income. In total, with support from the Milwaukee Responds Fund, MHL was able to provide one and a half months rental assistance to 15 households at McAuley and Greenwich Park. Additionally, with support from other partners, we provided three months’ rental assistance to six residents of St. Catherine’s.

Residents have appreciated the support and one resident shared “My heart is comforted! I am truly thankful and grateful. This has motivated me to do more acts of random kindness.” Thank you to everyone who has supported and continues to support emergency assistance for high-need MHL residents in Milwaukee.

Food on the Table

With the support of the Walmart Foundation, St. Catherine Residence partnered with the Women’s Club of Wisconsin to provide 472 pre-packaged meals and with Jennaro Brothers to provide 1,700 pounds of fruit and vegetables. Friends of St. Catherine’s Rita Larsen and Diane Hicks assisted with facilitating these efforts. Additionally, other pop-up pantries were created and various food distributions occurred at the Johnston Center, Jefferson Court, Saxony Manor, Marian Housing Center, Assisi Homes of Kenosha, Assisi Homes of Neenah, and Greenwich Park Apartments.

Masks and More

St. Catherine Residence, Jefferson Court, Greenwich Park, McAuley, Marian Housing Center, Assisi Homes of Kenosha, and Johnston Center Residence received generous donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies including face masks, disposable gloves, and hand sanitizer from our local partners, including the Friends of St. Catherine’s, Twisted Path Distillery, Milwaukee County DHHS, and the City of Milwaukee.

Technology Support

As part of a national grant from The AARP Foundation for Mercy Housing, Inc., Mercy Housing Lakefront received a donation of 127 fully loaded T-Mobile Tablets. The tablets come with T-Mobile internet access and are dedicated to helping seniors access online resources, closing the digital divide. This generous donation included five tablets for Assisi Homes of Neenah, five for Assisi Homes of Kenosha, five for Marian Housing Center in Racine, 11 for Saxony Manor in Kenosha, and 15 for Jefferson Court in Milwaukee. These tablets will help seniors without access to personal devices or the internet to reduce social isolation, connect with family and friends, access benefits, connect with medical professionals, and manage their finances online — as well as providing entertainment and diversion while they are staying home.