A new day center for individuals experiencing homelessness in Sheboygan could open next month. Plus, more business news in the latest Streetwise.
Alex Garner, Sheboygan Press
7 min read
The exterior of Pay it Forward at 933 Michigan Avenue as seen, Friday, February 3, 2023, in Sheboygan, Wis.
SHEBOYGAN - Sheboygan Area Pay It Forward, Inc. could open a new office and Day Center at 933 Michigan Ave. as early as the beginning of March, if its permit is approved.
The Day Center would be a space for individuals experiencing homelessness and those who are at risk of homelessness to hang out and work on habit change, including setting goals and adopting positive thinking.
Individuals could also receive support with securing housing and finding employment through help with searching for jobs, honing interview skills and building a résumé.
The center would be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily from Nov. 1 to April 30 to offset the warming center hours, and then 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily during the summer, except Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Scott and Kathleen LaBonte, founders of Pay It Forward, are working to secure 501(c)(3) status for the charitable organization, building on their community work to provide Christmas gifts and family meals, help individuals and families experiencing homelessness move into their own homes and distribute more than 700 bags of hats, scarves and mittens in the area.
Scott and Kathleen LaBonte have been placing bags with hats, scarves and mittens throughout Sheboygan. For Kathleen, the mountain of bags covering her living room floor was an "eye-opening" moment.
“It goes hand in hand with everything else that we work on in our group to help fill emergency needs,” Kathleen said about establishing the Day Center. “And it was something that came to our attention very quickly once we started our group.”
Pay It Forward is able to support people sometimes quicker than larger established organizations in the area that have long waiting lists, Scott said.
“They tell them, ‘We can get your furniture. We can get you the household items you need, but it's going to be three weeks or a month from now, maybe even six weeks from now,” he said, adding people may be left without furniture and cooking supplies even if they can find housing.
“And that's where we come in trying to make sure that they are set up and they have a place to call home,” Scott said.
In other areas of need, however, Scott said individuals experiencing homelessness may not be supported as they should be.
“Everybody's telling these people what they're doing wrong. Nobody's giving them the tools that they need to change that or to get out of that cycle,” he said. “... There's a lot of them that don't know where to look to find the resources. They don’t know the first steps. They look at the big picture like, 'That's way too overwhelming. I can't get there. I'm not even gonna try it.'”
Pay It Forward guides individuals to work on one thing at a time in the hopes of breaking the cycle.
Scott said the mindset is that: “We'll worry about the end goal later. Right now, we're going to do this, and we'll work our way to that."
Alliant Energy set to bring energy storage to area
An Alliant Energy battery storage system in Portage, WI.
Construction on an Alliant Energy battery storage system in Sheboygan is expected to begin in 2024, pending approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.
The 99-megawatt system would be built adjacent to the Edgewater Generating Station on Lakeshore Drive and span 7 acres, with a storage capacity large enough to power more than 100,000 Wisconsin homes for four hours, a news release said.
Alliant Energy expects the Edgewater Battery Project to begin services shortly after the Edgewater plant retires in 2025.
The Edgewater plant was scheduled to close at the end of 2022, but the company called for delays, citing factors like expected energy shortages this summer.
In its PSCW filing, Alliant Energy noted the battery project would be a cost-effective solution to meet future customer demand.
“This battery system represents the next phase of energy generation that will enable more sustainable growth and greater resiliency,” David de Leon, president of Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin energy company, said in a news release.
“With a strong local workforce and robust infrastructure, the Sheboygan community has helped deliver safe and reliable energy to our customers for generations,” he continued. “The Edgewater Battery Project is a smart investment that strengthens our generation portfolio while leveraging the historic energy investments in the Sheboygan community.”
This is the company’s latest cleaner energy investment in the area, following the completion of two customer-hosted solar projects in the Sheboygan Business Center and Kohler Company property and plans for a 150 MW Onion River Solar Project in the town of Holland that is expected to be operational later this year.
Energy storage sites with a combined capacity of 175 MW will be built at Grant County and Wood County solar sites, too, as part of its Clean Energy Blueprint to eliminate coal dependence by 2040.
The Sheboygan-based retailer offers athleisure wear like leggings, joggers, athletic shorts and sweatshirts from sizes XS to 2XL for women's clothing and S to XL for men's clothing. As the business grows, Juniper Athleisure plans to include men's clothing sizes up to 2XL.
Sustainable products set Juniper Athleisure apart from online competitors and larger retailers that residents may have to drive to for shopping, the news release said.
The retailer aims to work with small brands using sustainable materials for products like hats made from recycled water bottles and fleece-lined leggings made from beech tree-derived materials.
“We’re excited to join the growing number of small clothing retailers in Sheboygan,” Brianna Schmidt, owner of Juniper Athleisure, said in a news release. “So many great small businesses have popped up downtown in recent years, like Mainstream Boutique, Six Turtles, or Klassy and Divine. Places like those filled needs that people would otherwise fill by leaving Sheboygan, and every shopping trip outside the city inevitably leads to shopping at other places on the trip, even when we might have a local alternative.”
Brianna Schmidt is the owner of Juniper Athleisure, a new Sheboygan-based athleisure retalier.
Free delivery by bicycle is available within a 2-mile radius of Vollrath Park. The delivery radius is expected to expand a little bit in the summertime. Orders can also be shipped by mail and picked up at pop-ups in local businesses, which Juniper is hosting as it finds a permanent storefront.
Upcoming pop-ups will be at Women Owned Business Pop-Up Market at 924 N. 14th St. (Optimal Health building) from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 10 and Elevate Yoga from noon to 3 p.m. Feb. 18.
More about Juniper Athleisure can be found at @juniperathleisure on Instagram and Facebook and at juniperathleisure.com.
Acuity expands insurance to Arkansas
The exterior of Acuity Insurance as seen, Tuesday, November 16, 2021, in Sheboygan, Wis.
Sheboygan-based Acuity Insurance has expanded personal and commercial insurance writing to Arkansas to assist independent agents in the state.
Sales Territory Director Courtney Fenske, a native of Arkansas who has 10 years of experience in the industry, will focus on building partnerships with local agencies.
With a portfolio of policy offerings and coverage enhancement endorsements, among other services, Acuity said it is “a strong business partner for independent agents.”
“Agents need the resources of carriers that have the proven ability to meet their commitments,” Ben Salzmann, Acuity President and CEO, said in a news release. “Acuity brings to Arkansas a nearly 100-year history of doing business with independent agents and a commitment to protecting and enhancing the well-being of the individuals, families and businesses who are their customers.”
Acuity insures businesses, commercial vehicles, homes and private passenger vehicles across 31 states.
