As winter tightens its grip on the Madison area, the need for compassionate, community-driven support for those experiencing homelessness remains a priority. The Beacon stands as a vital lifeline for our community’s most vulnerable members. The challenges of 2024 brought a sharp increase in demand for our services, underscoring the urgent need for support to sustain our work.
Partnership for Sustainable Impact
As we look ahead in this new year, we find ourselves at a critical juncture. Catholic Charities’ commitment to The Beacon runs deep—currently funding 55% of annual operating costs—but the weight of this responsibility has grown increasingly challenging to sustain. This level of organizational commitment raises important questions about long-term sustainability in serving our community’s growing needs.
The landscape before us presents several urgent challenges:
- The face of homelessness in our community is changing, with 1,596 new individuals entering the homeless services system at The Beacon this year alone—each person representing a neighbor facing a housing crisis for the first time.
- Our guests arrive with increasingly complex needs, often requiring coordinated interventions across housing, healthcare, mental health, and employment services. While our team made over 3,600 referrals in 2024 to our partner agencies, the need continues to exceed the available resources.
- Transportation remains a significant barrier, with our program providing and coordinating over 5,159 rides this year—a resource-intensive but crucial service for accessing stability-building opportunities.
- Daily attendance consistently stretches our capacity, with dedicated staff and volunteers serving an average of 243 guests each day.
- The growing demands on local philanthropy to address persistent homelessness in Madison and Dane County require a united community response.
Catholic Charities’ commitment to serving those experiencing homelessness remains strong. However, we recognize that sustainable impact requires true community partnership. Our data tells a compelling story: The Beacon is not just a day resource center; it’s a vital community asset providing critical stability services for thousands of our neighbors.
But to continue this essential work, we need to strengthen and expand our base of support. The challenges facing our community members experiencing homelessness require a response that matches their scale and urgency.
As we plan for the future, we envision a community where the responsibility for supporting our most vulnerable neighbors is shared broadly—where public, private, and philanthropic partners come together to ensure The Beacon’s services remain strong and accessible to all who need them.
Dramatic Growth in Community Need
The scale of need in our community has reached exceptional levels in 2024. The numbers tell a powerful story:
- Each month, an average of 884 unduplicated adults and 14 children sought refuge and support at The Beacon.
- Daily attendance averaged 243 guests, contributing to 89,100 total visits in 2024.
- We welcomed 1,596 individuals newly experiencing homelessness into our care.
Each of these numbers represents a person—a story of resilience and hope. Behind every visit is someone seeking warmth, dignity, and a chance to rebuild their life. This growing demand for our services highlights the pressing need for community investment to continue this critical work.
Essential Services Delivered with Compassion
In 2024, The Beacon provided:
- 52,459 lunches to combat hunger.
- 7,079 showers and 8,280 loads of laundry to help restore dignity.
- 5,974 hours of partner agency services to connect guests with specialized support.
- 7,000 instances of transportation assistance through shuttles, bus tickets, and accessibility rides.
These services are more than just numbers—they represent opportunities for our neighbors to regain their footing and move toward stability.
The Power of Partnership
Collaboration is at the heart of our work. In 2024, we worked with more than two dozen partner agencies monthly, resulting in:
- 3,134 hours of housing services.
- 846 hours of medical services to care for physical health needs.
- 724 hours of SSI/SSDI services to secure financial stability for our guests.
- 196 hours of AODA services to support recovery and well-being.
Our team made 3,611 referrals, connecting guests with essential resources, including housing, medical, mental health, and employment services.
Your Support Makes the Difference
The heartbeat of The Beacon is our community. In 2024, 1,288 volunteers contributed 10,884 hours of their time, embodying the spirit of giving and solidarity. But as the need grows, so does our reliance on volunteer and donor support.
Your contributions of time and financial gifts fuel the meals we serve, the showers we provide, and the pathways to stability we build. Without your help, we cannot meet the rising demand or continue to be a beacon of hope for those in crisis.
A Call to Continued Partnership
As we prepare for the challenges ahead, we remain committed to providing both immediate relief and pathways to long-term stability. The numbers tell a story of growing need, but also of hope and transformation through community support.
Together, we’re not just providing services—we’re rebuilding lives, restoring dignity, and rewriting the stories of our community’s most vulnerable members, one day at a time.
Please support our work at thebeaconhelps.org/donate.
