The Financial Assistance in Times of Hardship or FAITH program was started in 2016 as a way to assist Capitol Lakes’ staff experiencing a small financial shortfall before it ballooned into a huge financial crisis. Over the last six years the program has succeeded in keeping great people at Capitol Lakes. In addition, it has allowed our staff to focus on their important jobs instead of worrying about eviction, utility disconnection, or transportation problems that could prevent them from getting to work.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the need for this program fluctuates and generally mirrors what’s happening in the overall economy. After receiving zero requests for help between September 2021 and January 2022, we unfortunately saw an uptick in the need for support starting in February. Since February we’ve disbursed over $15,000 in need based aid – already over the typical $9,000/year we disbursed prior to Covid. With continued inflation and a bleak economic outlook we expect requests from staff to continue to increase.
That’s why we are so grateful to generous supporters like you who make this important safety net possible. Here is what Steve Mellstrom, Capitol Lakes’ Human Resources Director, has to say about the program:
“I can’t express the amount of relief and gratitude I personally hear from staff who receive help from the Financial Assistance in Times of Hardship program. From an HR perspective, I also know that the program succeeds in keeping people working – ultimately benefiting our residents as well.”
With your continued assistance, we know that we’ll continue to keep FAITH with our team no matter what lies ahead.