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Lake Geneva group helps struggling families

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LAKE GENEVA — Lake Geneva might be a summer resort destination for wealthy families, but the lakeside city also is home for hundreds of regular people—many just one paycheck from poverty.

Side By Side, a nonprofit group made up of representatives from local churches, service organizations and businesses, provides emergency financial assistance to struggling families in Lake Geneva. The nonprofit group empowers people to not just take a handout but to work to change their lives.

"We don't want to just write people a check once a year," said Lori Hartz, president of Side By Side. "We want to help people get back on their feet—be that helper in between ‘We're really in trouble' and ‘We're back to doing all right.'"

Lynn Connors, treasurer of Side By Side, said people often live paycheck to paycheck, and just one catastrophe could throw everything off.

"We help people make it over the hump," she said.

Side By Side started in 2006 after community groups such as the 14th Apostle in Delavan and Hope Now in Elkhorn suggested Lake Geneva churches band together to help the people in their community.

"Lake Geneva is seen as this wealthy little town," Hartz said. "But it's not."

Almost 50 percent of Lake Geneva elementary school students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and more than 1,000 households in the city have an annual income of less than $20,000.

The group helps families pay their rent or utilities, buy prescription medications or cover other bills that might be stopping them from making ends meet.

Side By Side board members screen families who need assistance to learn what kind of financial assistance might make the most difference and what other resources could be helpful. Families in the Lake Geneva school district, which includes Lake Geneva, Genoa City and surrounding townships, are eligible for assistance, and families are limited to receiving one grant per year.

"We try to be good stewards of the money people entrust to us," Hartz said. "This is emergency help. This is not something people should rely on. We try to point them to other places that can help them, other things available to them."

Side By Side turns away some people, usually because they are deep in debt.

"Our little $300 gift is a drop in the bucket," Hartz said. "We aren't going to throw good money at bad … if we could give it to a family with four kids who could really use it. We work to problem-solve with those people instead."

Side By Side works with domestic violence prevention organizations, housing assistance groups, child-care centers, clothing and food banks and others. The group refers clients to such places to supplement the emergency financial assistance a family might receive.

Side By Side has seen an increase in families seeking assistance every year since it started serving clients in 2007.

The group helped 82 families in 2007, 138 in 2008 and 173 in 2009. Rental assistance is the majority of the money doled out. Utility payments are the next biggest chunk. The average payment hovers around $300 a year.

Side By Side leaders aren't sure if the increase in families seeking help is the result of the sour economy or growing awareness about the group. They are sure, however, the group is making a difference for people in the Lake Geneva area.

"We've had such wonderful success stories," Connors said. "When people come to us, they are desperate and ashamed, but when they leave, they feel like there is something they can do for themselves—even if we don't give them anything.

"They feel like somebody finally cares. They think there still is some hope for them."