Sharing Center’s work is never done

Need knows no season

Agency seeks support to continue beyond the holidays

by Sandra Landen Machaj

CORRESPONDENT

As 2022 begins we hope to leave the pandemic behind and face a year filled with health, and happiness. Unfortunately, need still exists for many families who are living on the brink of poverty or who continue to be in need of basic necessities.

During the holidays, many embrace the needs of others and giving is part of the spirit of the season. But needs remain after the holidays have ended. Helping those in need cannot end once the Christmas tree is taken down and the ornaments and sparkling lights are packed away.

“People are in need all year long. Poverty doesn’t go away because a new year begins,” said Sharon Pomaville, Executive Director, of the Sharing Center, Inc. “People still need food, housing, medical care, and jobs.”

The Sharing Center, at 25700 Wilmot Rd., Trevor, is available to help provide these basic needs and empower people in their transition to independence in an environment of respect and dignity.

According to Pomaville, the center assists 3,500 residents of Western Kenosha County in a variety of ways, ranging from providing food, housing, and medical care, to learning new job skills as they springboard them to a new life of financial independence.

Food is a basic need and must be provided for those who lack the nutritious foods needed to stay healthy, according to Pomaville.

“Kenosha County has been able to keep up with the needs of the community to provide enough food,” she said. “For over two years under the direction of the past two United States Presidents, more federal aid for food has been available. In addition, donations and other local programs aid in keeping our food bank filled. We are fortunate that we don’t need to purchase food as it is provided by federal and state programs and by the donations received.”

Sharon Pomaville, executive director of the Sharing Center, stands in front of a portion of the toy selection at the independent social service agency in Trevor.

More than just food

In addition to food for the family, the center also provides pet food, cleaning supplies and hygiene items that are not always available at food banks, thanks to the donors who support the work of the Sharing Center.

The food area is arranged as a grocery store with aisles of canned goods, coolers with milk and other refrigerated items where visitors may select items just as they would in a grocery store. There are limits on how much of an item each family may procure on each visit to be certain there is enough for all in need.

Young children have special needs including the unending need for diapers. To protect the safety of infants and children, car seats appropriate for the child’s age are needed and must be replaced as the child grows. For school age children it is often difficult for the family to provide needed school supplies. The Sharing Center is available to lend a hand in finding these items.

Clothing is also an essential needed, especially for children who seem to outgrow their clothes faster than parents can provide new items. This is especially important in winter when warm coats, shoes, and boots are needed to keep them safe and warm in the Wisconsin winter.

Although most parents think more about their children’s needs than their own, clothing is also needed for adults.

A visit to the Sharing Center is always a pleasant experience for those coming into the store looking for help. They are greeted with a pleasant smile and a helpful attitude by the volunteers.

The center is a well-organized building with a variety of items reminiscent of a department store. Racks of clothing, a toy department, and even a small library along with the huge grocery area makes this a onestop shop for those who qualify.

Volunteers offer help guiding clients through the process and connect them with other programs that provide the aid that is needed. The goal, according to Pomaville, is to help the visitors with respect.

Homelessness on the rise

There has been an increase in homelessness or near homelessness since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people have lost their jobs due to reduction in staff or closure of businesses. Others have been reduced to part-time work. For those who were living paycheck-to-paycheck this reduction has made paying rent or a mortgage difficult if not impossible.

“Homelessness may not be the only problem a family must deal with so we have staff work with them to stabilize their needs and connect them with the right agencies to return them to a stable life,” shared Pomaville.

Whether it is financial needs, medical needs, mental health needs, or homelessness, the Sharing Center will work to provide the means for families to get back on their feet. Because of the increased needs in recent months, they are using more staff time working with visitors to be certain that each family is connected to the appropriate resources.

According to Pomaville, the Sharing Center is heavily networked with the providers that the homeless might need as they work to keep a roof over resident’s lives.

“A state agency oversees the homeless housing program to provide rapid rehousing for those who are without shelter,” Pomaville said. “They provide shelters for those in immediate need. For others vouchers are given to help with rent or to pay for immediate housing, and to help with utilities if needed.”

Often it is not just a need for a place to live but there is also a need for furniture and other household items to make a house or apartment a home. Sheets, blankets, towels, dishes, appliances and furniture may be needed.

“We keep a list of the items that some of the families need.” Pomaville said. “While we don’t keep appliances and furniture here, when someone has some to donate, we will match them up with a person who has a need for that item. They have to arrange transportation for the item.”

from top: The Sharing Center is at 25700 Wilmot Rd. (Highway C) in Trevor and is easily recognized by this sign. The center offers food, clothing, household goods, and assistance with housing and health issues; The food pantry at the Sharing Center has racks of canned goods to provide food for people in need.

Health care concerns

There is an ongoing need for medical care. The working poor may not be able to pay for health insurance but may earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. Often a medical facility that accepts their insurance may not be within a distance that the family can reach.

Programs are available at the Sharing Center to give information and sometimes treatment from providers. Kenosha

from top: The library at the Sharing Center provides a variety of books for visitors to take, read and pass on to others. The library is maintained by a retired librarian, making it easy to find books; Growing children are always in need of new, larger clothing. The Sharing Center has a good supply of warm items for parents to choose from. Community Health Center and the Silver Lake Clinic offer medical help either at their facilities or in special clinics held at the Sharing Center after hours. They work with Medicare and Medicaid and offer sliding scale fees based on income to help those who are in need of care.

Dental work is also needed by both the adults and children of client families. It is often one of the first thing put off when money is tight. Small dental problems can fester into major problems involving loss of teeth and infections. The Sharing Center aims to avoid such problems.

Eyeglasses are also important and expensive. Finding a reasonable way for families to procure glasses is part of the medical needs. How often do we hear about children who are found to have difficulty in school only because they cannot see? The Sharing Center works with the whole family to connect them with programs to meet their needs.

Mental health services

“It is not only homelessness that has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic but there has also been an increase in mental health problems, domestic violence, and child abuse,” Pomaville said.

Providing families with the help they need to get them on the path to a healthy lifestyle is important for the entire family. By working to connect families to needed resources the volunteers attempt to reduce some of the stress that leads to abuse.

The meeting rooms at the Sharing Center provide space for many of the providers to reach the clients in need. Agencies such as the Aging and Disability Resource Center, Women, Infants and Children food programs, the Veteran’s Administration and mental health programs often have representatives available at the center. They may also use the facility when it is closed to provide one-on-one or group meetings for participants in the program.

In addition to donations, volunteers are always needed, according to Pomaville.

She reminds people to keep the needs of others in mind throughout the year and continue to support programs that improve life for those in need.

The Sharing Center, 25700 Wilmot Road, Trevor can be reached at 262-298-5535. The office is open to receive donations on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The food pantry is open for pickup on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m.