Helping homeless women with mental illness finding housing, recovery, stability.
Statistically speaking
Major Depressive Disorder is the most common disabling mental health condition. According to Mental Health America, women experience this illness twice as often as men. Approximately one in eight women experiences Major Depressive Disorder during their lifetime. Severe and persistent mental health conditions can disrupt a woman’s ability to carry out everyday tasks such as caring for their personal needs, completing household chores and maintaining employment. Untreated, far too many women with persistent mental health issues can find themselves homeless. Conservative estimates indicate that people with untreated psychiatric illnesses constitute one-third of the homeless population. 

 Improving the odds
In 2018, the Women and Girls Fund (WGF) awarded a $10,000 grant to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for their SSI/SSDI Outreach Access and Recovery (SOAR) program. The WGF funding is earmarked to help 10 Waukesha County women in the SOAR program who are homeless and diagnosed with mental illness. As part of the SOAR program, the women will receive assistance navigating through the complex application process for Supplemental Security disability benefits. Each woman will be paired with a SOAR specialist who will work with her one-on-one to develop a personalized plan to ensure she has the resources she needs to attain safe, affordable and permanent housing. The emphasis of each plan is to connect the woman to mainstream resources such as mental health, physical health, FoodShare, Workforce Development, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and SafeLink Phones that maximize each woman’s abilities to attain a better quality of life. 

In 2018, thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Women and Girls Fund awarded grants totaling more than $90,000 to area agencies delivering innovative programs that achieve results and empower Waukesha County women and girls. Positive change is happening.
What a Difference a Day Makes!

Today is  #GivingTuesday  when individuals, families, businesses and community organizations come together to give back after the holiday shopping weekend and the kick off of the giving season.

Please join the celebration and consider supporting the Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County helping us to improve the odds, one grant at a time.

Your gift, combined with the generosity of many other donors, helps improve the odds in Waukesha County.
Help us reach our $125,000 goal!
View our video to see how we are making a difference one grant at a time.
The Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County, established in 2004, seeks to aid and enrich the lives of women and girls so they become thriving residents of their communities. Since 2005, the Women and Girls Fund has awarded nearly $900,000 to nonprofit organizations that promote the welfare, independence and self-sufficiency of women and girls of all ages.
Now accepting nominations for the 35th Anniversary
2019 Women of Distinction Awards

For 35 years, the Waukesha community has been honoring outstanding women - those who excel professionally, academically and in the public arena. Since 2005, the Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County has had the distinct pleasure of continuing this tradition by sponsoring the Women of Distinction Luncheon. As a friend and support of the Women and Girls Fund, we ask you to consider nominating an exceptional woman, or young woman, for these honors.

A $1,000 grant will be awarded in the name of each honoree to a nonprofit organization of their choice that supports programs and projects that benefit women and girls in Waukesha County.

Nominees must be able to attend an event reception on Thursday, May 9, 2019 and accept her award at the luncheon on Friday, May 10, 2019.

Questions may be directed to Barb Tewes-Berndt, co-chair of the judging committee at 414.879.2285 or send an email to contact@wgfwaukeshacounty.org.