Welcome to Edgerton Outreach
Edgerton Community Outreach provides support for
families and individuals in need throughout northern Rock County, Wisconsin. The Food Pantry at Edgerton Community Outreach provides a two week supply of nutritious food to low income families in the Edgerton School District. People are able to utilize the food pantry once a month. If a family is facing extreme need or hardship they are able to visit the food pantry more than once a month. Persons that have limited access to an adequate food supply for all family members through normal channels (purchasing food from the store) are considered to be food insecure. ECO feels that no person should go hungry.
Emergency Rent Payment Assistance:
Edgerton Outreach is able to provide a payment of $400 to the landlord of a qualified participant if the participant is homeless, at risk of homelessness or if they are facing hardship. ECO strives to keep people in their homes. Each year ECO assists over 50 families. Over 75% of the participants receiving assistance from ECO remain in permanent housing for at least 6 months after the assistance is given.
Utility Bill Payment Assistance:
Many (low-income client) families are able to access financial assistance through Energy Services of Rock County for with their heating costs once per heating season (November – April). If these services are not available through Rock County, Edgerton Outreach may then be able to provide energy bill payment assistance to these families during the months of March –October.
Emergency Lodging:
Homelessness is a hidden problem in our community. The Edgerton area does not have a large number of persons sleeping on our street corners (or under bridges) so few residents realize homelessness exists in Edgerton. In 2008 ECO provided over 350 voucher nights to homeless individuals through our hotel voucher program.
Medical Needs:
Edgerton Outreach is able to assist low-income families with costs associated with their medical needs. This program covers many types of needs and clients will be assisted depending on those needs and the availability of funding.
Transitional Living:
In 2006 Edgerton Outreach received a donation of $100,000 to be used specifically for the purchase of a property for our Transitional Living Program. ECO’s Lawton Street Home provides housing for two households that were formerly homeless. Participants in the program work closely with a case manager on a variety of life skills with the end goal of the participant being able to rent successfully when their term is completed at our Lawton Street Duplex. Participants are eligible to live in the property owned by Edgerton Outreach for an initial 18 months. If monthly program benchmarks are met throughout the program then participants can continue in the program for an additional 6 months making their total program stay 24 months. (Edgerton Outreach currently would like to be able to house many more families but that will take the help of additional monies and properties!)
Edgerton Community Outreach, Inc. is a not-for-profit
agency that has existed for 35 or more years. Our organization was formed by a vision of the members of the Methodist Church who felt it was important to help the needy in our community. Their venture was called the Lake and Street Mission. Their main focus was feeding the hungry. In the eighties this group worked with the St. Paul Society that operated a Thrift Store on Fulton Street. In the late eighties the Thrift Store on Fulton Street was going to close and a small group of concerned citizens decided to form what we now know as Edgerton Community Outreach. They moved to our current location of 106 South Main Street. Edgerton Community Outreach is a partner agency with the Salvation Army, The United Way of North Rock County, ECHO of Janesville and many other organizations and friends.
Thrift Store
106 South Main Street
Hours:
Monday ---- 10am-4pm
Tuesday --- 10am-4pm
Wednesday -- 1pm-6pm
Thursday -- 10am-4pm
Friday ---- 10am-4pm
Saturday -- 10am-3pm
Food Pantry
106 South Main Street
Hours:
Monday ---- 10am-2pm
Tuesday --- 10am-2pm
Wednesday -- 1pm-5:30pm
Thursday -- 10am-2pm
Friday ---- 10am-2pm
Saturday -- By Appointment