Strength born from hardship
By Crystal Madison
program manager
For some, moving day is a paradox. It’s a new, stable beginning, yet it can also feel overwhelming. No towels. No shower curtain. No cleaning supplies. A new home should feel like a fresh start, but without the basics, it often becomes an echo of how much rebuilding is still needed.
In honor of the McKinney-Vento Act — which Onward clients, past and present, have benefitted from — our July house meeting took on special meaning. Clients unanimously chose to redirect their entire meeting budget toward household goods for Carver County residents moving into housing after homelessness. Our Board of Directors and Committees matched that spirit, donating a large amount of essentials themselves. As Program Manager, when I say our leadership “walks the walk” …I mean it.
Household essentials collected by Onward residents, board members, and volunteers to help individuals and families moving into stable housing through Carver County.
There’s a misconception that people entering homelessness don’t know how to live independently. In fact, 78 percent of people entering homelessness come directly from some form of housing (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2023). Most have already lived on their own. Losing housing doesn’t erase their skills or their pride; it simply removes the resources they once had.
At Onward, we work hard to bridge that gap. When clients move in, they’re welcomed with a new bed, essential furniture, and stocked home with cleaning supplies donated by our incredible supporters. It means they can wash a plate, wipe a counter, and begin to feel grounded again. And our clients know exactly how it feels to go from nothing to something.
The young adults at Onward are endlessly inspiring. Their determination shows up in job searches, graduations, college acceptances, and the courage it takes to move into independent housing. Their resilience is humbling — and when they use their lived experience to give their time, energy, and resources to others, it becomes its own form of leadership. As one client said, “There are people who have a lot more that do a lot less than us.”
Housing does more than provide a roof — it restores the ability to look outward and Onward.
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