'This Isn't The Only Way, But It's One Better Way': An Update On Eau Claire's First Day Resource Center
One Better Way Capital Campaign aims to fundraise remainder of $6.4 million goal, officially launches at Nov. 13 event
McKenna Scherer, photos by Alex Barber |
While many look to the New Year as the official earmark of new beginnings or self-improvement resolutions, the city of Eau Claire, too, will welcome the start of a new chapter: For the first time ever, Eau Claire will have a year-round daytime resource center for unhoused individuals.
About six months ago, Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council (WDEOC) announced it neared the $2 million-mark of its $6.4 million capital campaign to open a day resource center (a project the organization announced in April 2025). As of early November, over $3.2 million had been raised.
The campaign, formally known as the One Better Way Capital Campaign, is the foundation of a highly collaborative, ambitious project. While WDEOC will house roughly 28 team members on site in one side of the day resource center – located in downtown Eau Claire at 1 Better Way – the other half of the building will be staffed and overseen by Hope Gospel Mission.
A project of this kind and scale has never been done before in the wider Chippewa Valley. The day resource center – which will be called The Community Haven House, keeping with the current name of the only other daytime shelter in Eau Claire, which the new center will replace – will bring numerous services by a variety of organizations and providers under one roof.
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WE LOOK AT IT AS, IF NOT US, THEN WHO? IF NOT NOW, WHEN?
ANNA CARDARELLA
CEO OF WESTERN WISCONSIN DAIRYLAND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL
During a recent tour led by WDEOC’s Communications Coordinator, Dale Karls, Volume One saw the in-progress construction and extensive renovation efforts underway within the 18,560-square-foot building. The new Community Haven House will offer double the amount of space and significantly more on-site services than the current location has.
The current daytime shelter site in Eau Claire, formerly a pawn shop located at 416 Washington St. and now operated by Hope Gospel Mission, was always meant to be temporary. It is not up to health or ADA codes; there is a hole in the roof, water damage and moldy carpet; and is too small for the amount of resources needed and individuals which require its services, Karls said.
Its conditional use permit, extended by the City of Eau Claire in order to support unhoused individuals and keep them safe from outdoor conditions, only runs through Dec. 31 of this year.
WDEOC CEO Anna Cardarella, also present during the tour, said the new site is on track to open by or on Jan. 1, 2026.
“This is all about collaboration,” Karls said. “Western Dairyland, Hope Gospel Mission, The Community Table, Sojourner House, Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services, we’re all in this together and we’re going to collaborate on this and make sure that we do not really have competing services because we all complement each other so well.”
The new day resource center’s goal is not to duplicate services already available in the community, but to bring them – and homeless individuals – together in one place.
“There are currently 28 families and 152 individuals in the Eau Claire area on the Coordinated Entry list, an intake system utilized by local homeless services providers,” Karls said.
Beyond that singular list, WDEOC estimates there are between 500-700 homeless, temporarily unhoused, and housing insecure individuals in the area.
What The Day Resource Center Will Offer
Beyond the offering of more space for individuals – the center could potentially accommodate about 100 people if necessary, Cardarella said – it is the abundance of services and resources which will be most valuable.
“Western Dairyland staff went on a five-day, five-state road trip this past winter to look at different day resource centers (to) look at best practices, what works, what doesn’t,” Karls said. “We realized that we have the same vision; what works is collaboration and partnering agencies.”
Currently, there are about 26 partners involved in the project and Hope Gospel Mission hopes to see about 40 more — such as providers or organizations beyond the 20-some person staffers from WDEOC who will work on site.
Those additional partners and providers include The Chippewa Valley Free Clinic, Vivant Health, Mayo Clinic Health Systems, SEEK Careers, Alcoholics Anonymous, the Eau Claire Tenant Landlord Resource Center, a volunteer physician, chiropractor, music and art therapists, among others.
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THE NEW COMMUNITY HAVEN HOUSE, ONCE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, WILL OPERATE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FROM ABOUT 9AM-6PM, 365 DAYS A YEAR.
Those hours also align with the area's only overnight shelter, The Sojourner House, which opens around 6pm and closes at 8am daily.
A front desk area will be staffed to welcome individuals and place any belongings they may have safely aside, take calls and offer information. There will be lines of sight to all communal spaces as well as to the entrances of the restroom and laundry room, for staff and volunteers to ensure the safety of its guests.
The most expensive part of the new building’s renovation has been the addition of the latter. There will be six bathrooms (half with showers) and a separate laundry room, all with necessary supplies offered on-site.
“Right now, people are not showering and doing their laundry at the library because they want to. It’s really the best option they have sometimes,” Karls said.
There are four office spaces for those providers to share and rotate in and out of; numerous private spaces for WDEOC case managers and social workers to meet one-on-one with its clients; a conference room for organizational and community meetings; a computer bar and TV lounge area; a food pantry and supplies space; an outdoor patio; and additional space for other programming and services.
The new Community Haven House, once open to the public, will operate seven days a week from about 9am-6pm, 365 days a year. Those hours also align with the area’s only overnight shelter, The Sojourner House, which opens around 6pm and closes at 8am daily.
The One Better Way Capital Campaign Kickoff
To this point, the campaign for the new day resource center has been in its “silent phase,” Karls said. The One Better Way Capital Campaign will officially launch on Thursday, Nov. 13, with a community event held at The Florian Gardens Conference Center in Eau Claire. Karls said they anticipate 200-300 attendees.
Speakers and presenters include representatives of WDEOC and Hope Gospel Mission as well as community members who have experienced homelessness. A virtual tour of the day resource center will be shown, additional information shared, and hopefully, more funds raised.
Perhaps the most significant, if not singular, reason behind there being no other day resource center in the wider Eau Claire area is lack of funding, Karls and Cardarella agreed. If not for the City of Eau Claire approaching both the WDEOC and Hope Gospel Mission teams, this project would not exist, Cardarella said.
“This is an expensive undertaking,” Karls said. “Historically, Western Dairyland has been federally funded – about 75% of four funding comes from grant funds, and none of that was available to do a project like this.
“It really takes a capital campaign and a lot of effort to bring together the resources and the money to do a project like this.”
“We look at it as, if not us, then who? If not now, when?” Cardarella said.
“This isn’t the only way, but it’s one better way,” Karls said.
Anyone can donate to the One Better Way campaign online through the Eau Claire Community Foundation or through the mail by using this form online.
Learn more about and keep up with the One Better Way Capital Campaign and day resource center project online at onebetterway.org.
