The Added Value of Collaboration

No new agencies are created with W.I.S.H. nor are any community services duplicated.  The W.I.S.H. Program is a “pure” collaboration among existing organizations or programs.  The City of Charlotte has stated numerous times that the W.I.S.H. Program has been the most collaborative initiative in 30 years.  Below are our main partners:

Project HOPE - Read more about how federal stimulus funds will help house an additional 100 homeless families, with this new sister program. 

Crisis Assistance Ministry provides coordination with participating landlords and payments of rental subsidies and bonding of security and utility deposits.  The final W.I.S.H. Client Review Committee consists of experienced Crisis Assistance Ministry staff and meets as part of the normal operating procedure of W.I.S.H.  Crisis Assistance Ministry also provides W.I.S.H. office space and certain administrative support.

Goodwill Industries provides proceeds from their “Cars for Work Program” to W.I.S.H. to in turn, provide transportation assistance for our families as they strive to improve their employment and economic independence.

Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas (LFS), provides family support social work for W.I.S.H.  LFS, one of the region’s largest non-profits, is also known as a provider of services for children in crisis, adults with special needs, refugees and disaster relief.

Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services provides family support social work for Project HOPE.

Family Promise & Crisis Assistance Ministry share their furniture warehouses with the W.I.S.H. Program.  Both agencies allow our families to access free (high quality) furniture and house wares.  Family Promise also provides W.I.S.H. access to their moving truck - which is a tremendous asset needed on move-in day.

Charlotte Saves has provided financial literacy workshops for our families to help them learn the strategies necessary to manage debt, improve credit and build wealth, along the path to self-sufficiency.

Referring Partner Agencies:  Families enter the W.I.S.H. Program through existing human services providers.  Organizations like Salvation Army, Charlotte Emergency Housing, Family Promise, Uptown Men’s Shelter, Mecklenburg County Homeless Support Services and the YWCA provide short-term stabilization for potential W.I.S.H. families.  These partners assess and identify the potential W.I.S.H. clients for recommendation into the program.

Area Faith Organizations:  Numerous area faith organizations have committed to the W.I.S.H. Program to provide faith volunteers or Hope Teams under the professional supervision of W.I.S.H.’s Volunteer Managers and our Family Support Social Workers.  W.I.S.H. provides these volunteers the opportunity to enter into deep, meaningful and long lasting relationships with fragile working-poor families.