Friends of the State Street Family

08/11/2026

https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/madison/news/2026/08/10/madison-s-new-men-s-homeless-shelter-to-open-next-month--but-concerns-remain-about-capacity

The public got its first look Monday inside Madison’s new men’s homeless shelter on Bartillon Drive.

08/05/2026

The past two weeks have been difficult for our Madison community. As our city continues to process the tragic loss of Corey Ruiz, many of the friends who had been staying near the W***y Street/Baldwin Street intersection have been temporarily relocated to hotels throughout the city.

Friends of the State Street Family has been asked to help coordinate meals for those staying in the hotels. We are looking for individuals, families, businesses, churches, and community groups to help provide meals Thursday through Sunday.

You can prepare a meal for all of the hotel locations or sign up to serve just one site—whatever works best for you. All hotel rooms have microwaves, so meals that can be reheated are welcome. To make distribution as easy as possible, it is especially helpful if meals are individually packaged and labeled with the assigned room number (we'll provide room assignments when you sign up).

If you can help or would like more information, please email [email protected].

Thank you for helping us make sure our friends have meals during this transition.

Our Mission is to provide help, hope, and friendship to our neighbors struggling with the challenges of homelessness.

08/03/2026

We're excited to launch our new Community Laundry Kit. Each kit provides everything needed to wash up to three loads of laundry and dry two loads—giving our friends the flexibility to do laundry when it works best for their schedule.

Because this is a pilot program, supplies are limited.

💚One kit per person
💚 First come, first served
💚Available while supplies last

To reserve a kit, call or text our Outreach Line at (608) 535-9394.

A huge thank you to CleanWard Laundry Services & Laundromat for partnering with us to make this possible. Together, we're helping build a stronger, more compassionate community—one load of laundry at a time.
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08/03/2026

We're excited to launch our new Community Laundry Kit in partnership with CleanWard Laundromat! Each kit provides everything needed to wash up to three loads of laundry and dry two loads—giving our friends the flexibility to do laundry when it works best for their schedule.

Because this is a pilot program, supplies are limited.

💚One kit per person
💚 First come, first served
💚Available while supplies last

To reserve a kit, call or text our Outreach Line at (608) 535-9394. We'll set one aside for you while supplies last.

07/31/2026

July challenged all of us. Unseasonably high temperatures, humidity, and periods of wildfire smoke made life even harder for our friends living outside. Those conditions reminded us why showing up—week after week—matters.

Our volunteers didn't stop when outreach ended. They stocked community water stations, delivered extra water during dangerous heat, prepared meals, assembled supplies, and continued building the relationships that are at the heart of everything we do.

Thank you to every volunteer, meal donor, partner organization, and supporter who made this work possible. Because of you, our friends know they are seen, valued, and never forgotten.

Take a look at what we accomplished together in July. 💚

07/28/2026

Unfortunately, our Tuesday outreach is cancelling tonight. We will be back next week!

07/24/2026

Friends of the State Street Family joins our community in mourning the tragic death of Corey Ruiz.

Corey's death is a heartbreaking reminder of how fragile life is and how, in just a few seconds, countless lives can be changed forever.

This tragedy also reminds us of the profound challenges and vulnerabilities many of our friends face every day—circumstances that often go unseen. While we cannot change every hardship, this loss strengthens our resolve to continue showing up with help, hope, and friendship, ensuring every person we meet is treated with dignity, compassion, and humanity.

We hold the entire Madison community in our hearts as we mourn this profound loss. This tragedy only strengthens our commitment to being there for our friends when they need us most.

07/21/2026

We're making a few changes to our Saturday and Sunday outreach schedule to better connect with our friends where they are. As always, our times are approximate and may vary depending on traffic, weather, and where we're finding people.

Please take a look at the updated schedule before heading out to meet us, and feel free to share this post with anyone who relies on our outreach. We're looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend. 💚

07/21/2026

💚Can You Help Feed Our Friends This Weekend?💚

We need 60 lunches on Saturday and 60 lunches on Sunday for our outreach teams.

You don't have to provide all 60! Every contribution helps. Could you provide sandwiches? Bags of chips or fruit? Homemade cookies?

If you can provide any part of this weekend's meals, please sign up on our meal train calendar, send us a message, or email [email protected].

Our Mission is to provide help, hope, and friendship to our neighbors struggling with the challenges of homelessness.