SIDE BY SIDE INC.
Lake Geneva, WI
Website | Phone: (262) 581-5927
Side by Side provides financial assistance for rent and utilities. Side by Side volunteers work with clients to identify appropriate Social Services, Resources and Financial Education that can improve their situation.
Mission: Volunteers responding to neighbors in need of compassion, hope, community resources and financial assistance. Residents who live in the Badger High School District who do not have enough money to cover their rent/mortgage, utility bills and prescription medications can seek assistance from Side by Side once a year. We listen to their story to provide them not only with the financial portion of their request, but to find additional ways to assist through other organizations we can direct them to, such as clothing, food and job leads. Offering words of encouragement that they can make it through this rough patch of life’s journey can be just as impactful as our financial help.
Community Resources: In 2020 Side by Side distributed over $30,000 to landlords to cover back due rent. Volunteers call each landlord that a check is written to, confirming the clients’ past due rent. The landlords are so appreciative of the support from Side by Side, particularly during this past year when so many tenants have fallen behind on their rent. Just this past December of 2020, a single mother came to Side by Side in need of rent, amid hearing more about her story she shared that she did not have any extra money for Christmas gifts and even food was going to be very tough to provide. Using Side by Side’s network of resources, we were able to obtain a wallet that was filled with several gift cards to local stores. The most widely impactful seems to be the Quicklist of Resources. Other local organizations and churches request this from Side by Side to assist those that come to them for help. It provides phone numbers for a variety of resources to contact for almost every category of need they might have.
Most Urgent Need: We are hoping to be able to double the amount of money that we can provide each family that comes to us. We are anticipating that once the moratorium on evictions is lifted, the amount that families are going to owe in back rent is going to be significant. We would like to be able to help prevent those that come to Side by Side from becoming homeless.