Solutions Center Shelter & Support Services will transition services to St. Katharine Drexel Shelter

Solutions Center Shelter & Support Services is announcing an important transition in how they will provide domestic violence services to individuals and families throughout Fond du Lac County. As part of their continued commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the community, Solutions Center will be relocating its domestic violence program to the St. Katharine Drexel Shelter facility while expanding it’s focus on domestic violence prevention education, youth programming, and community-based outreach services.

The Solutions Center says they will continue to provide emergency shelter services for victims and survivors of domestic violence. Equally important, St. Katharine Drexel Shelter will continue providing emergency shelter and supportive services to homeless families through Solutions Center and to single men and women through St. Vincent de Paul.

This transition does not mean that any of the essential shelter programs are ending or being replaced. Rather, it represents an opportunity to strengthen how they coordinate and deliver services, maximize existing resources, and continue meeting the diverse needs of vulnerable individuals and families throughout the community.

They say this decision was not made lightly. Like many nonprofit organizations, Solutions Center has experienced significant reductions in grant funding, along with a decline in charitable contributions. These financial challenges have required them to take a thoughtful and responsible look at how they operate, how they allocate their resources, and how they can continue providing the greatest impact with the funding available to thems.

“Being fiscally responsible is not simply about reducing expenses” they say. “It is about making informed decisions that protect essential services, respect the generosity of our donors, honor our grant commitments, and ensure that our organization remains strong and sustainable for the future.”

The organization says they recognize that domestic violence continues to be a serious and growing concern in Fond du Lac County. The need for safety, advocacy, education, and support has not diminished. However, the ways in which victims and survivors seek assistance, access services, and work toward long-term safety and independence have evolved. These changes have challenged them to evaluate not only how they have historically delivered services, but also what services are most needed today and what our community will need in the years ahead.

At the same time, homelessness and housing instability continue to present significant challenges for families and single individuals in the community. The increasing cost of housing, limited affordable housing options, and financial hardships make emergency shelter and supportive services more important than ever.

Their responsibility is to ensure that as they expand and strengthen domestic violence services, they remain equally committed to the homeless families and single individuals who depend on the existing programs at St. Katharine Drexel Shelter.

“As we move forward, Solutions Center and St. Vincent de Paul will continue their existing shelter services while Solutions Center expands its domestic violence programming in the following areas:”

• Homeless Family Emergency Shelter — Solutions Center: Continuing to provide emergency shelter, case management, housing assistance, advocacy, and supportive services to families with children experiencing homelessness. Our goal remains helping families achieve stability, self-sufficiency, and permanent housing.
• Single Adult Emergency Shelter — St. Vincent de Paul: Continuing to provide emergency shelter and supportive services to single men and women experiencing homelessness. Through its established programs at St. Katharine Drexel Shelter, St. Vincent de Paul will continue its important work of providing safety, basic needs, advocacy, and assistance toward housing stability.
• Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter — Solutions Center: Continuing to provide emergency shelter and supportive services for individuals and families fleeing domestic violence. Our commitment to providing a safe environment, crisis intervention, advocacy, individualized safety planning, and assistance with achieving long-term stability remains a priority.
• Domestic Violence Prevention Education: Solutions Center: Expanding education and awareness efforts throughout our community to help individuals recognize warning signs, understand healthy relationships, and prevent domestic violence before it occurs.
• Domestic Violence Youth Programming: Solutions Center: Strengthening educational opportunities and support for children and teens, helping young people understand healthy relationships, recognize abusive behaviors, develop positive coping skills, and break cycles of violence for future generations.
• Domestic Violence Outreach Services: Solutions Center: Increasing community-based advocacy, support, safety planning, and connections to resources for victims and survivors, including individuals who may not need traditional emergency shelter but still require assistance in achieving safety and stability.

By bringing our domestic violence program into the St. Katharine Drexel facility, Solutions Center will have an opportunity to strengthen coordination among our services, make more effective use of existing resources, and provide a more comprehensive and holistic approach to assisting individuals and families experiencing crisis.

We understand that homelessness, domestic violence, financial instability, housing insecurity, and family challenges are often interconnected. Addressing these issues through coordinated services allows us to better support the whole person and the whole family.

Our vision is not to replace one population’s services with another, but to strengthen our ability to serve all populations while recognizing their different needs, circumstances, and safety considerations.

Our Commitment to Survivor Safety

The safety, confidentiality, dignity, and well-being of domestic violence survivors will remain at the forefront of every decision we make.

We recognize that individuals fleeing domestic violence face unique safety concerns and that seeking shelter often comes at one of the most difficult and vulnerable moments in their lives. Our responsibility is to ensure that survivors continue to have access to a safe and supportive environment where their individual circumstances are respected and their voices are heard.

As we transition our domestic violence program into the St. Katharine Drexel facility, we remain committed to maintaining appropriate safety measures, confidentiality protections, individualized safety planning, and trauma-informed services that recognize the unique needs of domestic violence survivors.

We understand that domestic violence shelter services require considerations that may differ from those of traditional homeless shelter services. Our approach will continue to recognize those differences and prioritize the physical and emotional safety of survivors and their children.

At the same time, we recognize our responsibility to maintain a safe, supportive, and respectful environment for the homeless families and single individuals already being served within the facility. The safety, dignity, and well-being of every individual seeking shelter remain essential to our mission and to the shared commitments of both organizations.

No survivor should ever feel that financial challenges or organizational changes mean their safety is less important. Likewise, no individual or family experiencing homelessness should feel that their needs or access to services are being overlooked because of this transition.

Our goal is to ensure that each population continues receiving appropriate services while maintaining the necessary boundaries, confidentiality protections, and individualized support that their circumstances require.

This transition is intended to strengthen our ability to serve those in need, not diminish the importance of any of the services currently being provided.

Honoring Our Partnership with St. Vincent de Paul

An important part of this transition is recognizing and respecting the longstanding partnership and collaboration between Solutions Center and St. Vincent de Paul at St. Katharine Drexel Shelter.

St. Katharine Drexel Shelter was established through a shared vision of bringing organizations together to better serve individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our community.

Through this partnership, Solutions Center provides emergency shelter and supportive services for homeless families, while St. Vincent de Paul provides emergency shelter and supportive services for single men and women. Both organizations have worked collaboratively to create a facility where individuals and families facing some of life’s most difficult circumstances can find safety, compassion, resources, and hope.

Although our organizations maintain separate missions, responsibilities, funding structures, and program operations, we share a common commitment to dignity, safety, compassion, and helping individuals achieve greater stability.

As Solutions Center moves its domestic violence program into the St. Katharine Drexel facility, we recognize the importance of respecting our partnership with St. Vincent de Paul, the shared use of the facility, and the ongoing responsibilities of both organizations to the populations they serve.

We value the collaboration that has been established and understand that changes within a shared facility require thoughtful planning, open communication, and mutual respect.

Our intention is to work collaboratively to ensure that this transition supports the continued success of both organizations, protects the integrity of their individual programs, and does not diminish the essential services St. Vincent de Paul provides to single individuals experiencing homelessness or the family shelter services Solutions Center provides.

We also recognize that domestic violence survivors have unique safety and confidentiality needs. Those needs will be carefully considered alongside the operational responsibilities, safety considerations, and services already being provided within the facility.

This transition is not about one program, population, or organization taking priority over another. It is about working together responsibly, respecting each organization’s mission, and finding opportunities to strengthen the services available to our entire community.

We remain grateful for the partnership, dedication, and shared commitment of St. Vincent de Paul and look forward to continuing our work together to serve the most vulnerable members of Fond du Lac County.

Continuing Our Mission and Community Partnerships

This transition is not a step away from our mission or our commitment to victims and survivors of domestic violence or to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. It is a thoughtful evolution of how we fulfill that mission.

We remain committed to protecting vulnerable individuals, empowering survivors, strengthening families, assisting single individuals experiencing homelessness, and creating pathways toward safety, stability, and self-sufficiency.

Solutions Center also wishes to reaffirm our valued and longstanding partnership with Holy Family. We are grateful for the collaboration, compassion, and shared commitment that have helped support some of the most vulnerable members of our community. As we move through this transition and look toward the future, we remain dedicated to maintaining and strengthening that relationship, continuing to work together to identify meaningful solutions and respond to the changing needs of those we serve.

We also want to express our sincere appreciation to our donors, grant funders, community partners, volunteers, and supporters. Your generosity and trust have allowed Solutions Center to serve this community for many years.

We recognize the responsibility that comes with every dollar entrusted to our organization, and we are committed to ensuring those resources are used thoughtfully, effectively, and in ways that create meaningful and lasting impact.

Change can be difficult, especially when it involves services that are deeply important to our community. However, responsible leadership sometimes requires making difficult decisions today to preserve and strengthen the services that will be needed tomorrow.

Our mission remains the same. Our commitment remains the same. What is changing is how we deliver that mission to best meet the needs of our community, both now and in the future.

St. Katharine Drexel Shelter will continue to be a place of safety, support, and hope for homeless families, single men and women, and those seeking protection from domestic violence. Through the continued partnership of Solutions Center and St. Vincent de Paul, we remain dedicated to ensuring that individuals and families facing crisis are treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.

We look forward to this next chapter and to continuing our work of providing safety, support, resources, and hope to those who need us most.

Questions or Additional Information

We understand that changes of this nature may bring questions, and we welcome the opportunity to have open and meaningful conversations with our community members, donors, and partners.

If you have any questions or would like additional information regarding this transition, please feel free to stop by and speak with Amy Loof, Executive Director, or Britany Behring, Grant and Fundraising Coordinator, at our facility located at 358 N. Peters Avenue, Fond du Lac, WI 54935.

You may also call 920-922-8122 to schedule an appointment:

• Amy Loof, Executive Director: Extension 401
• Britany Behring, Grant and Fundraising Coordinator: Extension 410

We value transparency, communication, and the continued trust of our community. We welcome your questions and look forward to working together as we continue strengthening our services and fulfilling our mission of providing safety, support, resources, and hope to those who need us most.