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Randlin Homes Media Coverage
Randlin Homes is grateful for the
press coverage we have received since our beginning.
With the help and
support of local media coverage, Randlin Home's uphill struggle has
been made a little easier.
We are very grateful for their help and support.
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Randlin Homes Offer More Than Just Shelter While snow covers the ground and the temperatures are expected get colder this weekend, some people struggle to keep warm. That's especially true if a car or an area under a bridge is what you call home. Some people in Wausau are not privileged to live in a warm house. Many circumstances can cause someone to be homeless. The president at Randlin Homes in Wausau said she does not care what their situation is. That is because her door is always open. "Some people would just rather shove these people to the side and say oh they choose to be homeless. I'm sorry, I don't agree with that," said Linda Schlitz. Randlin Homes take in men and women. They provide them with food, clothes, jobs and educational programs. The rooms at Randlin are filling up because of the growing number of layoffs and the rocky economy. The group has more than 45 beds and six homes. In 2010, Marathon County was one of the largest counties with a growth in homeless families, accordning to the Wisconsin Department of Commerce's 2011 Annual Report. |
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Randlin Homes 10 year anniversary:
Organizers and volunteers of Randlin Homes spent Sunday celebrating 10 years of helping homeless veterans and others recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. But as they looked back on their accomplishments -- including bringing housing and job assistance to more than 600 people -- Ralph Schlitz and his wife, Linda Larson Schlitz, already were looking to the future and the opening of a new store in Wausau. The couple, both in recovery for their own dependencies on alcohol and drugs, started Randlin Homes in 2001 to fill what they saw as a void in transitional care for others in recovery. They also sought to provide housing for veterans and others who, for a variety of reasons, were homeless. The organization started with one six-bedroom home in the first year and now maintains six homes with a total of 46 beds. Its residents have sold hot dogs, raked lawns and shoveled snow and worked in Randlin's HOPE Thrift Store and Training Center -- opened in 2009 -- to help the organization become more self-sufficient and to learn job skills. "It's nothing short of a miracle," Linda Larson Schlitz said Sunday during Randlin's anniversary celebration at St. John The Baptist Episcopal Church in Wausau. Geno Kressel struggled for much of his adult life with alcoholism and felt he had no reason to live or purpose in life until he met the Schlitzes. He's worked with Randlin for the past three years managing the furniture and antique inventory at the HOPE Thrift Store, among other jobs, and said the organization has been invaluable. "I am forever in their debt," Kressel said. "I can never pay them back for all that they've done for me." Ralph Schlitz named Randlin Homes after Christian musician Randy Thompson and his wife, Linda. Thompson's music had a profound impact on Schlitz as Schlitz worked through his drug and alcohol recovery. But until this weekend, Randy Thompson had never seen Randlin Homes' work firsthand. "I was absolutely blown away," he said. "I had no idea how many things they do, houses they run and people they minister to." Randlin Homes has taken on even more work as it looks to open a new store at the corner of First Avenue and Bridge Street by Oct. 15. Randlin will keep open its thrift store at 1006 N. Sixth Street, but plans to close its South Eighth Avenue store in November to focus its efforts on the new Wausau location. |
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Randlin Homes Celebrates 10th Anniversary By Dave Koy
When Ralph and Linda Schlitz first opened a 6-bed home for chemically dependent adults in 2001, they never imagined how God would use them to help homeless veterans and other less fortunate adults in the Wausau area. This fall, the Wausau couple, along with many volunteers and former homeless residents, will celebrate Randlin Homes 10 year anniversary of providing shelter, food, clothes, counseling and job training for those in need. Although the homeless population is comprised of people from all walks of life, Randlin Homes occupants are primarily military veterans. Many of their residents have been in trouble with the law, have legal problems, physical or mental illness, chemical dependency, poor work histories, and are often alienated from their families. Faith based Randlin Homes provides a safe, family type home environment where people can find a path back to self respect, independence, learn job skills, develop a renewed hope for the future and a relationship with their Creator. We would not be here today were if not for prayer and the generous help from our community, said Linda, CEO of Randlin Homes. Time and again God answered our prayers and needs through His people. Through the steadfast support of community leaders, local businesses and people throughout Central Wisconsin, Randlin Homes has continued to grow and expand ways they help the downtrodden and needy in our area. Today, 6 homes house 46 formerly homeless individuals, the majority being military veterans and their families. Since 2001, over 300 veterans of the Vietnam and other wars have received help through Randlin Homes. More than 350 additional homeless veterans are believed to reside somewhere in Marathon County. It just didn’t seem right that so many of our military who had faithfully served and protected our country should be living in dumpsters, vacant cars, under bridges or in cardboard boxes, exclaimed Ralph Schlitz, who went through his own recovery from chemical dependency. Ralph credits listening to the music of Christian Recording Artists, Randy and Linda Thompson, for helping him through his difficult times. It was their music and ministry that provided the inspiration for our Randlin Homes name, said Ralph. We try to model their ministry which is to trust that, If you do Gods will, He will provide through His people, added Linda. To the delight of the Schlitz couple, both Randy and Linda Thompson will make a special trip to Wausau on Sunday, October 9, 2011, to help Randlin Homes celebrate their 10th Anniversary. The Arizona couple will make two appearances; during the Sunday morning worship service at Wausau’s Nazarene Church and in the evening as part of a spaghetti fund raising dinner at St. Johns Episcopal Church in downtown Wausau. Proceeds will Benefit Randlin Homes. In addition to their current 6 home, 46 bed facilities, Randlin Homes also operates the Gallery of Hope and Thrift Store on 6th and Fulton streets in Wausau, where a variety of items can be purchased along with artwork from local artists. The building also houses their Training Center, and a newly added Light House Coffee House, operated by Shelly Miller, a Randlin resident. The Training Center helps residents learn various skills such as woodworking, arts and crafts, window display, customer sales and service, and marketing. Future plans include a liquidation sale at the Hope Warehouse location on 8th avenue and Sherman St. and the opening of the new Randlin Bridges of Hope Store on 1st avenue and Bridge St. We hope our new store location will give us greater visibility in the community, said Linda. A November 2011 Veterans celebration and fund raising drive is also planned, as well as a recently introduced raffle ($20,000 Harley Davidson motorcycle and $9,000 cash) that will conclude with a Valentines Day Celebration in February, 2012. Randlin Homes new Marketing and Sales Director, Larry Payne, is a Vietnam era Veteran with 13 years experience working for the Veterans Administration and the homeless veteran population. I became very familiar with the needs of military veterans and their families, said Larry. After working another 22 years in the competitive Hotel Business Larry realized his life had little purpose or impact on society and sought a change. Then he met Linda Schlitz who offered him a new career opportunity. In the time I have left here I want to make a difference in the lives of people, said the Chicago native. Randlin Homes offers me that opportunity. There are many other success stories at Randlin Homes. A homeless vet in 2008, Troy Johnson, admits to being screwed up and without direction. He credits Ralph and Linda with helping him get his life in order. In 2010 Troy became the first African-American to operate a business in Wausau when he opened Sgt. Troys Veteran Hott Dogg Stand. I could not have made it without their help, said the Vietnam vet. They walked with me and encouraged me, convincing me I could make it, and that I wasn’t alone anymore. You can usually find Troy and his hott dogg stand at the VFW or at various events in the city. Once a homeless Army veteran, Niron Bonitz, describes the help he received from Ralph and Linda as, Not a hand out a hand up! Niron enjoys the family atmosphere at Randlin Homes. I love being here, he said. I care about every one of these guys. I consider them my brothers. Additional success stories can be found at their website, RandlinHomes.org. The Bible in Hebrews 13:1 tells us that we are to, Keep on loving each other as brothers. In John 15:17 Jesus also reminds us that we are to, Love each other as I have loved you. For ten years Ralph and Linda Schlitz have provided Wausau’s homeless veterans, and others, an environment that offers plenty of brotherly love, compassion, a listening ear, and much, much more. To many who have temporarily lost their way, Randlin Homes has truly been a lighthouse in the storms of life. With an annual budget of more than $300,000 and a waiting list of people needing help, the Wausau couple continue to place their trust in God and the people of the Wausau Community and beyond. God always provides through His people, said Linda, with her usual air of confidence.
To learn how you can help Randlin Homes lend a helping hand to homeless veterans in the Wausau area, call 715-846-7874 or contact them by e-mail at RandlinHomes@Charter.net. Information can also be obtained from their website at RandlinHomes.org.
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Cover Feature by Pat Peckham Drewek during a brief visit at the Humane Society with his long time companion. Veda is living in a temporary animal foster home The scene at the Humane Society of Marathon County spoke volumes. A 60-yearold man and his 11-year-old husky-Labrador At the time of the visit Jan. 14, Drewek didn’t know where he would sleep that night. The situation with the dog and Drewek is only part of the tangle that will have to be undone for both their sakes. Before the pair can settle somewhere, Drewek needs to be fit enough to hold down a job and pay for a roof over their heads. Over the past several years that Drewek has been essentially homeless, agencies and organizations in town could have provided him a place to stay. But they wouldn’t take in his 150-pound dog. Not wanting to give up his dear companion, Drewek declined those options. On Jan. 7, police ran across Drewek and Veda living in a car. Veda was confined to the space between the car’s ceiling and the deep pile of Drewek’s earthly possessions on the sedan’s back seat. The officer reportedly said Drewek could make his own decisions, but the dog should not spend hours on end in a space where she could not stand. During that Jan. 14 visit with Veda at the Humane Society, director Mary Kirlin, with Veda’s interest foremost, refused to release the dog to Drewek until assured she would go to a decent home. Drewek has since given permission for Veda to be placed with a volunteer foster home. Drewek, meanwhile, was hospitalized briefly, dropped out of sight for nearly a week, and early this week finally agreed to receive help at one of the Randlin Home facilities in the city. His needs are many. Problems that normally functioning people would address and resolve one at a time seem to pile up and compound, he explained during one of several interviews in recent weeks. As anyone who has suddenly lost a job can attest, a person’s spirits can plummet. If combined with even mild clinical depression, the individual becomes ineffectual. People who have known him confirm that Drewek is hesitant to “bother” others for even simple help. “Sometimes you wonder if you’re worth the trouble,” he says in a sad and candid assessment of himself. Drewek used to be an independent businessman, running City to City Charter in the 1990s. And people who have come on hard times after operating their own business often have the most difficult time adjusting to the challenges, says Tom Rau, director of The Neighbors’ Place. He has not met Drewek, but has known others like him. “If you’ve been independent and run your own business, you want to be independent. In our situation, we might say, well, you have to make adjustments (like getting rid of the dog in order to have a warm place to sleep), but people are who they are.” Drewek has lost one of his eyeglasses lenses, and though he knows he could get it replaced through the Gift of Sight program, he has not returned to The Salvation Army to finish the application for a one-time free optometry appointment. He found it difficult to get there because his car had broken down and he has no income to pay for repairs. He might qualify for disability income — he had quadruple bypass surgery last fall and is often short of breath — but those at the Aging and Disability Resource Center couldn’t reach him. He has his mail sent to, “General Delivery, Wausau,” with his name on it and stops by the post office every week or two to collect it. A friend in town, Brian Mach, gave him a prepaid phone, but Drewek left it in the cluttered car that contains all of his possessions. The car, plowed in on Third Avenue by this time, was towed and impounded. Besides, the battery had died when Drewek had no place to recharge it. Uncontrollable coughing spells and shortness of breath leave him with almost no stamina; therefore he’s nearly unemployable. On that visit to see Veda at the Humane Society two weeks ago, he had to pause to catch his breath after walking just 100 feet from the parking lot to the front counter. He even found himself short of breath when trying to bend over Veda to hug her as she wiggled and made happy whimpering sounds. Sometimes Drewek appears listless, nods off, and seems barely able to converse. Other times he’s lively and alert. It all depends on whether he found a good place to sleep the night before. Drewek is one of the area’s chronically homeless “residents.” They’re not often noticed by people with more normal lives, but a man last summer who ran an impromptu soup ministry reportedly would regularly find more than 20 people waiting for him and his hot kettle under the Scott Street bridge. Rau, at The Neighbors’ Place about a mile up Scott Street from that bridge, says there are all sorts of reasons behind homelessness. “It’s remarkable the kind of stories you find out there.” Things were looking good for Drewek in the mid-1990s as the owner of the nowdefunct City to City Charter service based in Mosinee. Making a lot of runs to area casinos and similar destinations, he started with one 14-passenger van, went to two vans, added a limousine and some buses. Congenial, chatty and smart, Drewek and his personality made City to City Charter a success. Then his mom had a heart attack early in the winter of 2001. He says he took on around the clock care, thinking he could run the business from her home. Without him front and center, the operation faltered. “Suddenly, when I couldn’t go, this group didn’t like this driver and this group didn’t like that driver.” He went from having a bustling business and a nice house on 40 acres near the Nine Mile County Forest to losing the business altogether and facing foreclosure. “I eventually lost it. I lost my property. I lost everything.” Court records tell the tale. Unable to cover all the expenses of payroll, he was taken to court in 2003 for being late in paying $71.24 in unemployment compensation taxes. Later that year it was $767 in worker’s compensation fees. Foreclosure on his Pepperbush Lane property came in 2004, along with another court date for late payroll taxes. He managed to hang on to a piece of property in Wausau, but that went to foreclosure in 2010. Drewek couldn’t put an exact date on when he became homeless, but it was at least a year before the foreclosure became official, so around 2002 or 2003. He hasn’t paid for lodging since, but for a time had emergency housing assistance pay for a stay at the Marjon Motel. He estimates he has stayed in 30 to 35 different places, at least, none long enough to establish a mailing address. He has also qualified for emergency housing payments for a night or two at a time at the Day’s Inn. Friends and acquaintances who learn of his predicament have put him up for a few days to a few months. A friend with an old camping trailer parked up in Lincoln County gave him the key and let him stay there. The place, though, was so rodentinfested that he couldn’t sleep inside, so he, Veda and Veda’s brother (since died) slept around the campfire in all kinds of weather. Memories of that time include finding fresh bear tracks in the morning. He never heard the bears, but the dogs sometimes growled. There were wolves, too, that he heard howling, then go silent as they sensed activity in the camp. The wolves were curious and circled him and the dogs. By that time, his mother had gone to a nursing home, so he came to Wausau to be near her. “I eventually borrowed money and came home and was able to be with her when she died.” Drewek says he came to see himself as a homeless man, but one who enjoys cooking, tries to be a good guest and will never part with the wok that is in his car trunk. “I’m a home-body. I want to have a hot tub to sit in every night. I miss these things.” He recalls a recent offer of a hot bath. “Oh, my god, I got into that tub and I think I heard the music of heaven.” He’s divorced with a married son who lives in the area, about 20 miles outside Wausau. “I’m a grandpa and I have not seen my grandchild.” His ex-wife told him about the little girl, but he hasn’t made arrangements to see her. It’s complicated, he says. He and his daughter-in-law “don’t get along.” His son would have a hard time reaching him by either phone or mail. Yet, during a visit to the City Pages office, Drewek declined an offer to use the phone to call his son. He acknowledges that seeing a new grandchild would be important in normal situations, but his is not normal. For him, making those sorts of phone calls are tantamount to standing before a tall wall. “It just becomes overwhelming. People say those are little things, but they become debilitating,” he says. These were delicate topics and he did not want to initiate the conversations through voice mail. And Veda his dog wasn’t the only reason Drewek previously didn’t want to stay at Randlin Homes. “They have a lot of rules,” he says. When people say things like, “I bet you wish you could turn the clock back to before all this started,” Drewek says he’s not sure how to react. He would have missed rich experiences, he says, examples of generosity and compassion. In good weather, he and Veda hung out in front of the Bridge Street Pick ‘n’ Save, engaging shoppers in conversation. He says people whose heart might not be touched by seeing a homeless person can be touched by a pet. In an anecdote he prefaces by saying that none of it was wasted, he tells of how people started buying them bags of groceries. “At one point, I had 19 55-pound bags of dog food in the car.” Drewek himself can get about $200 worth of groceries per month through the federal FoodShare program. He has a credit-card-type card, but with no refrigeration or stove, that isn’t enough money for 90 meals. He has learned to get lunches at The Salvation Army or through elderly nutrition programs. He turns up at free meals offered by local churches — one place on Tuesdays, another on Thursdays and a third on Sundays. Last August, he got himself to the Aspirus emergency room because he knew something was wrong. He soon learned four heart arteries each had significant blockage and he would need $189,000 worth of bypass surgery to live. With the surgery scheduled and everybody clearly understanding that his only coverage was through BadgerCare, he wondered what level of care he’d get. The nurse told him his doctor would be heart specialist Fernando “Fritz” Riveron, “about the best you can find.” Drewek was moved that a homeless man with no resources would get a surgeon who’s counted among the very best in the state. To this day, Drewek is grateful for the respect and compassion Riveron gave him. “I believed everything he said, because it came from the heart. I felt pretty good that I didn’t live in Lower Slobovia or somewhere. I was fortunate to get decent care and decent treatment.”
Drewek was struck by the effect surgery had on his heart. It’s more than an organ, he believes. “The heart is the seat of emotion and is the seventh chakra in Hindu spiritualism. You feel love with your heart.” He becomes emotional and tears sometimes flow for no discernible reason. He once was in County Market’s produce section when a sobbing spell began. A woman asked if there was something she could do. He recalls saying, “A hug might help.” She obliged. “There, between the apples and the oranges, there we were.” Next week, things could be different, but this week he has been accepted into the nonprofit Randlin facility at the corner of Sixth and McClellan. The house manager, Rebeca Argiro, is there doing an internship for a master’s program in social work. Drewek spent the weekend, was accepted Monday, and Argiro went to work. She has helped with an application for Social Security disability income, arranged for the optometrist appointment next week, and contacted the police department about his impounded car. Drewek is one of 20 residents, and Argiro spent four of her eight hours Monday chasing down various things just for him. “There is no magic door in this town. You have to navigate all these services and they’re all backed up.” For example, another man at the facility, unable to read his mail, missed his Badger-Care deadline by three days. “Now I have to appeal it and that will be a months-long process,” she says. Agencies like Randlin Homes and the Salvation Army have requirements, they aren’t simply free lodging, Linda Larson-Schlitz says. The Salvation Army has a 90-day limit and requires people to work at getting on with their lives. Randlin allows a longer stay, up to a year, but does testing and develops what they call a “treatment, training and transition program.” As Larson Schlitz, co-founder of Randlin Homes, puts it, “Clearly, if you have been chronically homeless for years, there is something wrong with the way you’re doing things.” Drewek says he has hope things will get better. He retains his sense of wonder and talks about a highly-magnified Reader’s Digest photo of a bee’s wing, an image that looked to him like a windblown island in the middle of the sea. “I think the reason I hang onto life so dearly is that it is amazing.” Veda’s foster home stay probably can’t last a year. “Are you going to leave me again?” he had said tenderly while petting her at the Humane Society. “Not by choice, Veda, not by choice.” *Story reproduced with permission of The City Pages of Wausau* You can also read Linda's personal thoughts about this story on her blog @ http://randlinshope.blogspot.com/ | |
Randlin Homes seeks funds to stay open
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Randlin founder wins Athena Award
ROTHSCHILD -- Linda Larson Schlitz, in 1976 began her transition from battling alcohol to eventually helping others with similar problems. Nearly 35 years later, the 55-year-old Wausau woman on Wednesday received the Athena award for her efforts to help chemically dependent veterans through Randlin Adult Family Care Homes, which she and her husband founded in 2000. "I try to do the best I can, but it's only through (God) that I am a vessel," Larson Schlitz said during the award ceremony at Stoney Creek Inn. The Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce award, now in its 25th year, recognizes professional excellence and a commitment to leadership opportunities for women. Randlin offers a safe, family-type home environment for homeless veterans, many of whom need help recovering from drug and alcohol addictions. Larson Schlitz, president and chief executive officer of Randlin, was honored for her efforts to help veterans facing barriers to employment and her involvement with other services, including the Wausau Pregnancy Hotline. She said the Athena award is a tremendous honor, and she is hopeful it will shed light on Randlin Homes' mission to help a growing population of homeless, out-of-work veterans. "What (the award) means is the community has noticed," she said. "That's my whole point in this." Young Professional award Bao Vang, a news anchor at WSAW News Channel 7, received the Athena Young Professional award for her devotion to mentoring children and speaking at schools and community programs. Vang, one of the first Hmong news anchors in the U.S., dedicated her award to her mother, Shou Vang, who risked her life to leave Laos to head for the U.S. with Vang's father in September 1978. She didn't have a lot of money growing up in the projects of Minneapolis, but Vang's mother always had "time," Bao Vang said. "The time my mom invested in me was the most valuable thing she could have ever given me," she said. "That's why I dedicate it to her." Organizational Award In its first year, the Athena Organizational Award was given to Ministry Saint Clare's Hospital. The award is presented to organizations that devote time and energy to the community and help create leadership opportunities for women. Saint Clare's, which has a predominantly female leadership team, has helped women through its community outreach programs as well as in the hospital, President Mary Krueger said. Reproduced with permission of Wausau Daily Herald |
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More on the Athena Awards
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Video reproduced with permission of WSAW Channel 7 |
Background information on 2010 Awards
Video reproduced with permission of WSAW Channel 7 |
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Local Veterans Homeless Shelter Needs Donations
There are more than 350 homeless veterans in Marathon County alone. Organizations like Randlin Homes in Wausau try to provide a place for drug dependent, ill and homeless veterans to live and get better. But the people who run the homes say they're not quite making ends meet. The Randlin Homes Gallery of Hope in Wausau is full of donations waiting for a good home. The group sells second-hand household goods to raise money for homeless veterans. "I think a lot of people don't realize that we have the problem with the homeless veterans in our community," says owner Linda Larson Schlitz. But Randlin Homes is struggling to find the money to support their five shelters. Especially now, because owners estimate their gallery warehouse needs $15 thousand of repair. Among many other improvements, the building needs electrical repair, and a handicapped accessible ramp. And even though nearly all their help comes from volunteers, they can't make ends meet because there is just too much need. "I really support the fact that they're helping homeless veterans and others become self sufficient," says manager Candi Brach. The store's manager hopes the community will support the organization, because she's seen first hand what changes come when someone goes from having nothing to having a life after Randlin Homes. "It's great to see things actually turn out for people," says Brach. Randlin Homes is holding a fundraiser on November 11th to celebrate their renovated warehouse. If you're interested in helping out or finding out how to donate, visit www.randlinhomes.org or call 715-679-1819. |
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Randlin Homes raises flag, gives hope
WAUSAU (WAOW) -- Honoring our heroes: It's the theme of the Randlin Homes program in Wausau. Randlin has five homes in the area that give housing to homeless veterans, who may suffer from post traumatic stress disorder or addictions. They rose a flag at HOPE Warehouse Store with hope that more people will extend their commitment to help our heroes. They invite the community to attend the Multi Estate Sale on Oct 2nd and 3rd from 7am to 7pm. For information or for volunteer opportunities, call 715-679-1819. Online Reporter: Patrick Manning. |
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Marathon Co. Real Heroes: Community Heroes
MARATHON COUNTY (WAOW) -- Ralph Schlitz and Linda Larson-Schlitz dedicate their lives to helping others through Randlin Homes. The non-profit organization started almost a decade ago and continues to grow. All that hard work makes the Wausau couple this year's Marathon County Red Cross Community Hero. In 2000, Ralph Schlitz had a dream and a vision. He wanted to help chemically dependent, mentally ill primarily homeless veterans by giving them a roof over their head and a safe, sober and supportive environment for recovery. Ralph Schlitz says, "Being in recovery myself I knew how many people were out there with the same problems that I did and they had nowhere to go and so I felt the need to start a home where they'd be able to go and get the same kind of help I was doing." In February 2001, Ralph and his wife Linda Larson Schlitz opened their first home in Wausau and instantly Randlin Homes made its mark on the community. Ralph Schlitz says, "They need more places like us because there's a lot of people out there and we don't even know it." Now they have several homes. Plus, a snow removal and lawn care business and the Hope Thrift Store; all to help fund Randlin Homes. Linda Larson Schlitz says, "I'm a visionary and I always look at what can be, but this wasn't in the plan to be where we are today." So many dealing with addiction, yet alienated from their families with no where to go. They turn to Ralph and Linda for direction. Over the past decade they've helped countless people get back on their feet after reaching rock bottom, people just like Troy Johnson. Troy Johnson says, "I was so screwed up and my direction was confused still cloudy. I knew what I wanted to do I just didn't feel like I could do it alone and with their help and support it made things a lot easier, simpler and I wasn't afraid." Johnson was homeless in July of 2008 - Now, he's self-sufficient, employed and doing well. He owes it all to Ralph and Linda. Johnson says, "Seeing my future at my time and I didn't feel or think I could be self-sufficient again with the situation I was dealing with I was faced with but they helped me and walked with me the whole way and showed me that it wasn't that unbearable to deal with because I wasn't alone anymore." It's success stories like this that keep Ralph and Linda going and what makes real heroes in the community. Larson Schlitz says, "It gives me hope for much more to come that we've only scratched the surface of where we as a community need to be going because we've just helped a handful of the people that need help." Troy Johnson is working to start his own business and plans to open his hotdog stand later this month in Wausau. Ralph, Linda and the other Marathon County Real Heroes will be honored for their accomplishments, April 15th. Online Reporter: Colby Robertson |
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Not a handout, a hand up BY ROBERT IMRIE • WAUSAU DAILY HERALD • APRIL 10, 2010
A large, framed poster with this inspiration -- "Possibilities: Go beyond the possible and discover your dreams" -- screams out above Linda Larson Schlitz's desk as her phone rings.
It's another call about her dream come true -- Randlin Adult Family Care Homes Inc. The nearly decade-old, money-strapped, but still growing nonprofit "safety net" in Wausau provides hope, a sense of family and some job training, primarily for men left homeless because of alcohol abuse, war wounds, mental illness and hard luck. The sagging economy makes money to finance the network of homes harder to find, but many needs remain, and the program is looking to expand even more, Larson Schlitz said. "In 2008, we were going to lose everything if we didn't do something differently," said the 54-year-old entrepreneur and jobs counselor. "We borrowed $70,000 last year after a second mortgage to keep afloat. ... We are doing what everybody else is -- tapping into everything we possibly can, paying bills the absolute minimum to keep people at bay." Next week, she and her husband will be honored as Wausau-area heroes by Marathon County's American Red Cross chapter. Some 200 people, typically middle-age veterans of combat in places such as Vietnam and Kosovo, have been helped by Randlin Homes, Larson Schlitz said. Matthew McFee, 21, said he lived in his car for two months in the dead of winter in Rhinelander because he had no place to go as a result of family turmoil. His mind is tormented by depression and his own poor life choices. Now he is the youngest man living at Randlin Homes, and he considers the place his lifesaver. "I had nowhere else to go," he said. "If I wouldn't have found this place, I would probably be dead right now." Gene Kressel, 47, returned to Wausau two years ago with no job, no money, multiple drunken driving convictions and this description of himself: "a pretty big alcoholic." Randlin Homes offered him a bed in 2008, and his days are now busy managing the home's new thrift store. "Oh, God, it's been huge to me," Kressel said. "Without it, I probably wouldn't have kept my sobriety. They give you this hope, and there is a lot of spirituality in it."
Rooted In Faith Larson Schlitz and her husband, Ralph, founded Randlin Adult Family Care Homes in 2001 as a faith-based shelter for homeless men, primarily veterans, most of them in trouble with the law. It opened with six beds and has grown to 43 beds scattered in five buildings, including the 20-bed former Crossroads Mental Health Service. The organization has an annual budget of nearly $300,000 and a waiting list for services, Larson Schlitz said. "Some of the guys come in without even a pair of underwear," she said. "One guy came from a hospital in a surgical suit. We are getting referrals from all over the place." Troy Johnson, a Vietnam War vet and heroin addict, made enough poor choices to land him in prison for 13 years. Today, he has received two years of help from Randlin. Just out of prison, he went to Randlin Homes, stayed sober, followed the program, got a job at the VFW and has started his own business -- Sgt. Troy's Veteran Hot Dogs, a portable concession stand, Larson Schlitz said. "He's our poster child," she said. Ron Schnyder, executive director of the North Central Community Action Program, a private nonprofit group that provides help to poor people in Lincoln, Marathon and Wood counties, said Randlin Homes deals with the most difficult cases in the area -- those left homeless because of alcohol and other drug abuse. "Having Randlin Homes is a huge, huge plus to the community," he said. "Lord knows how much in lodging we would be spending every year if it weren't there." Larson Schlitz said keeping the home going remains a struggle. Grant programs that once awarded $30,000 have now shrunk to $5,000, she said. The program's seed money -- an anonymous donation of a home that sold for $114,000 -- is almost gone, she said.
Need To Evolve The need for money and ways to develop job skills for its residents, or students, recently triggered big changes. First, the program opened a summertime hot dog concession stand. It then expanded into lawn care and snow-shoveling service Next, the founders started a thrift store that sells donated items to raise money -- $85,000 last year -- and provides jobs such as cashiers and bookkeepers. "Talk about growing fast. We got so much stuff when we opened the thrift store," Larson Schlitz said. "We were overloaded." A warehouse now is being remodeled to expand that venture and to provide a place where appliances, lawn mowers, snowblowers and other equipment can be repaired and resold, too. It should open soon. And the program has gone high-tech, offering an online auction to sell some of the better goods, including real estate, at its Web site, www.randlinhomes.org. "The online auction site is a gold mine waiting to happen once people learn about it," Larson Schlitz said.
'Not Enough Boxes' Even during tough times, Larson Schlitz isn't sitting idle. She wants Randlin Homes to expand again to provide shelter for women who also are down on their luck and battling inner demons. She seeks a landlord to provide free rent, at least for a while, to get another recovery home off the ground. "They are homeless. What do you do? We do not have enough boxes to put these people under bridges," Larson Schlitz said. Last year, North Central Community Action Program helped 1,152 households that were homeless or faced homelessness in central Wisconsin -- compared with 914 in 2008, Schnyder said. "It is one of those hidden problems that is going to explode in coming years if the economy doesn't get better," he said. Niron Bonitz, a 43-year-old Army veteran troubled with a personality disorder and depression, said Randlin Homes kept him from having to live in the woods about a year ago, after his stepson told him to move out because he couldn't get a job. Last week, working on a laptop computer, he loaded a picture of a book up for sale on Randlin's new online auction site. Bonitz talked proudly about qualifying for a $5,000 federal grant to enroll in a technical college to study computer support -- his ticket, he hopes, to getting a good job. "Randlin Home for me isn't a handout. It is a hand up," Bonitz said. "I am happy. I am around people. I care about the guys who are here. I consider them my brothers." |
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Randlin Homes Co-Founders offered hope to needy
Editor's note: This story is just one in a series of stories about Wausau-area heroes to be recognized by the American Red Cross Marathon County Chapter. American Red Cross Real Heroes: Community It takes courage and strong faith to create businesses with a goal to be not profit, but that give the less fortunate in our community the opportunity for a better life. Ralph Schlitz and Linda Larson Schlitz are entrepreneurs of hope for the homeless and for those whose lives are in peril because of economic loss, mental illness or drug and alcohol addiction. Many of those served are homeless veterans. Over the years, Ralph and Linda have provided not only shelter, but opportunities for individuals to work and learn employment skills. In nominating Ralph and Linda, their volunteer house manager wrote: "Many of us had legal problems and poor work histories. Family ties were often severed and our hope for the future was gone. Some of us suffered physical problems from our military service, yet others had illnesses caused by a less-than-healthy lifestyle. Many of us had already attempted suicide and others were seriously contemplating it when they arrived at Randlin Homes." Linda and Ralph opened the first Randlin home in 2001. With support from the community, they opened three additional living facilities. In May 2009, they purchased a 20-bedroom facility near downtown Wausau. Also in 2009, they opened the HOPE Thrift Store to help financially support the organization, and to provide work and job training for those Randlin Homes serves. Randlin Homes offers people a sense of belonging and purpose. Its programs help people find value in their lives and opportunities to transition to independence. -- Nominated by Dennis Stephens, Randlin Homes manager, and others; contributed by American Red Cross. Source: Wausau Daily Herald |
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A Letter To The Editor Response... LETTER: Randlin Co-Founders are real heroes April 14, 2010
EDITOR: I would like to congratulate Ralph and Linda Larson Schlitz on being nominated for the "Real Heroes" award from the Marathon County Red Cross. I've known both of them for about 10 years. They have some of the best group homes in and around Wausau. They give not only care but also compassion 100 times over to their clients. Whether it is by staying up all night at the group home during a crisis, taking clients to the hospital and staying with them at 3 a.m. or just holding a hand and listening to someone's problem, no matter how bad -- they will do it. They've stuck by our community through thick and thin. Even in their own crises or health problems, they've still been there for their clients. I for one am very proud to know them. Good job to them and all of their staff. Lanette Steinagel, Wausau |
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Local non-profit to host online auctionPosted: Dec 09, 2009 6:07 PM CST
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When it Seems There is No Hope, Give Thanks and Trust God
A recent Channel 9 newscast asked the question “Will Randlin Homes have to close it's doors to the many homeless veterans and others in our community?” For those who don't know the foundation in which Randlin Homes has been built, it is a legitimate question.
In the world's eyes, it doesn't seem possible that in the midst of our waning economy when even Salvation Army Thrift Store had to close, that an organization that is almost completely operated by it's previously homeless residents would thrive. The Reintegration Assistance Program that is providing education and training through the HOPE Thrift Store and Training Center is the springboard from which the business enterprises are developing and it's doing pretty well at paying the bills for the majority of the 30+ residents that reside at the 4 transition homes. How can this be? What's the catch? We call it “A God Thing.”
You see Randlin Homes is a “faith based” organization. Faith is defined as the “substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1. In the nuts and bolts of our reality what that means is that no matter what happens, God has a plan bigger than our finite minds. Bigger than the seemingly obvious deficit at the end of the month and bigger than our enemies who appear to be trying to destroy us. He is even bigger than our own faults and failures and He never gives up on us despite our momentary relapses in both faith and for some of our most damaged people, their sanity and sobriety.
What we know for sure is that there is no human explanation for how Randlin Homes has pulled off the things that have happened in 2009 without the grace of God working through his people including all of you in the community who have given so generously.
We started the year with the purchase of the HOPE Thrift Store at 1006 N. 6th Street in February. Crossroad's Mental Health Services made it possible for us to begin the purchase of Randlin's Crossroads 20 bed home at 529 McClellan Street in May with the help of grants from BA Esther Greenheck foundation and the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin.
We became the proud owner's/operators of two vans donated by Crossroads Mental Health Services and one from Hadley's Office Supply and a car and a pick up donated by other community members. We grew in our snow removal and lawn care business enterprises to include nearly 100 accounts. We sold brats to people from all over the U.S. and received $100 for one of those brats from a local supporter.
In July we opened our first three homeless veteran family apartments located in the two homes that we hope to own in a couple of years right next to Randlin's Crossroads.
By fall we were so overloaded with donations at the Thrift Store that we needed to get a warehouse that we are planning to open permanently at 8th Avenue and Sherman Street in Wausau.
Is this craziness to grow this fast with no capital in hand...or is this faith? Is this poor planning...or is it HOPE? Is it sheer will power and determination, or is it God?
Though we will be canceling our first annual fundraising dinner due to NO ticket sales, we are pressing on with our after THANKSGIVING sales at the HOPE Thrift Store that will offer the community tons of great holiday gifts. We are also excited about the Z104 Pigathon fundraiser they are doing for us and online auction on December 10th that will feature the many silent auction dondations from many community members giving gold outings, getaways, goods and services.
We adopted the belief that was repeated over and over again in The Field of Dreams that, “If you build it they will come". We heard the voice telling us to do it even if you can't afford it. Do it even if it seems impossible. Do it even if no one believes in you. Do it even if you aren't quite ready because they, the homeless veterans and others needing a fresh start in life need you NOW, not when you are comfortable in this new venture.
Now, at a Crossroad's, we trust that you, the people who are concerned about our homeless, who want to intervene in the destruction of those with mental illness and substance abuse problems, and those who would like to see alternatives to incarceration through having these people serve the community instead of take from it, will join us and God, in doing your part in this test of faith and hope.
Let's give them, especially our homeless veterans who sacrificed to us, and the non-veterans who are now helping them a hand up, now a hand out. They want another chance to do it right this time. Let's take advantage of this Holiday Season to let them know that we too, see their field of dreams and are willing to help build it, with God's help. |
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Portraits of the homeless Link to story: Click Here |
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Reported by Wausau Family on Ireport.com iReport.com is a user-generated site.
While attending this years “Artrageous” festival, in Wausau, Wisconsin, my wife and I visited with artist David Anthony Hummer. We learned that his work has been in over 11 exhibitions, as well as 12 Selected Corporate Collections. Some of his private collections have found homes across the globe.
This story is not about his artistic talents, it’s about how he has helped make the world a better place. According to David “In 1989, while he was in Manhattan on a business trip with a fellow gallery owner he realized his work was about to take a different direction. He had just exited a building where they were showing Hockney’s latest work. A gallery where one with means could purchase a work of art priced in the millions. It was then that he noticed a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk with a sign on his lap asking for help. This extreme contrast of wealth and poverty came as a shock.
A few years later his work transformed into realist portraits of homeless people in an attempt to create an awareness of an ever-increasing problem in the US. He abandoned his gallery business and would spend the next 15 years producing these portraits and working with homeless shelters and nonprofit organizations”.
David has returned to the city of his roots and now is helping a local program named The Randlin Homes. Its program helps homeless Vets get back on their feet. He has recently donated 7 portraits from his homeless collection to offer as a benefit to Randlin Homes. The Midwest Biennial has a cash donation box in the gallery as well as a collection bin for canned and dry goods. His future plans involve projects that will highlight hope.
The city of Wausau is fortunate to have David return to the community. His actions are an example of an artist using his talent to help improve lives. Its not fame and fortune that drives him. Its simply the desire to do what his heart is inspiring him to do. It’s people like David that show us there is a lot of good taking place, especially during a time when our world needs it the most. People working together, sharing what they have, will get us through these challenging times. After my wife and I met David (and his mother) we were very impressed. A humble man who is using his brush for a better tomorrow. |
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Homelessness in focus: Wausau artist's work examines humanity, social problem
By Keith Uhlig • For the Wausau Daily Herald • August 28, 2009 David Anthony Hummer was an emerging artist and an art gallery owner in Milwaukee when he took a business trip to New York City. That was in 1989, and he was being shown around by a fellow Milwaukee art gallery owner. The two visited an upscale New York gallery, the kind that features high-end pieces by such artists as David Hockney. As the pair walked out of the gallery, Hummer's eyes fell upon a guy sleeping on the sidewalk. A cardboard sign in his hand said he was homeless and needed money. "He looked like a clay sculpture," Hummer recalls. "It was devastating to me." From then on, homelessness became a recurring theme in his art. He specializes in portraits of homeless people, and he employs a hyper-realistic style that evokes both humanity and hopelessness in his subjects. Through the years, the Wausau man used his art to both raise awareness about homelessness and to raise money for organizations battling the social problem. He acts as his own agent, and whenever a piece sold, half the proceeds went to the cause. It's no small amount; he says his work has sold for prices ranging from $5,000 to $100,000. Now, after going through various chapters of life, he has linked up with Randlin Homes, a Wausau nonprofit organization that cares for homeless veterans. Starting next week, he will direct the "Midwest Biennial," a juried fine art exhibit featuring works of diverse artists from across the region. The show won't include his work -- he views that as a conflict of interest -- but he's hoping it will catch on and become a part of the Wausau art landscape. He also is working with Randlin to use art (his and others') to raise money for a shelter that will help homeless vets get back on their feet. Hummer's new work will have a different look. He will create portraits of people who have overcome homelessness. Instead of hopelessness, the work will focus on hope. It's no coincidence that it's coming now, as Hummer is re-establishing himself in Wausau at age 46. And it's no coincidence that it's coming at a time when hope and the future are playing large roles in his own life. He was 11 years old when his father died in Milwaukee. His mother moved to Wausau after his father's death with Hummer and his five siblings. Hummer attended John Muir Middle School and graduated from Wausau West High School in 1981. But he never felt comfortable in Wausau, and after a year at the University of Wisconsin Marathon County, he headed back to Milwaukee. He graduated from UW-Milwaukee, and for years owned two art galleries there. He took a break from art and moved to Chicago, where he renovated and sold Wrigleyville homes. After that, he moved to Las Vegas, where he worked in real estate, but he also resurrected his art career as well. Vegas was interesting, he said, but it ultimately wasn't a satisfying place for him to stay. Moving back to Wausau, in part to be close to family, has meant a new start for him. This time around, it feels like home, and it has given him new energy and contentment. It'll be a case of art reflecting life. "I want to be uplifting," Hummer said. "I feel like my life is just starting." Keith Uhlig is a writer for the Wausau Daily Herald. He can be reached at 845-0651 or kuhlig@wdhprint.com.
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Helping The Homeless WAUSAU(WAOW)--For many people, homelessness seems like a big city problem. But that's not the case. Kelly Benz of Wausau knows it all too well. He says he spent a week living out of a tent at Marathon Park in Wausau. Then a friend told him about Randlin Homes, a faith-based not for profit shelter in Wausau. He has been staying there for the past 7 weeks.
Randlin Homes can provide shelter for up to 47 people. Most of the people it serves are homeless veterans needing shelter. But, the co-founder of the Randlin Homes says those who are homeless due to substance abuse or mental health issues are also welcome.
Linda Larson Schlitz says, "We have helped people ages 18 through 80. There is a huge need out there."
These challenging economic times may see the need grow in the future. To help ends meet, volunteers organized a brat fry and "fill the washer with cleaning supplies " fundraiser along Grand Avenue in Wausau. The ideas is to raise money and gather cleaning supplies, detergent, toilet paper and other toiletries to ease the financial burdens for those staying at Randlin Homes.
Those who stay at Randlin Homes are given shelter, can take part in counseling and learn job skills. Larson Schlitz believes it the program can change lives,"They have been forgotten. They're battling addictions and other issues. But, once you give them a chance, they are the best." |
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During these tough economic times Randlin Homes
An area business that continues to do well during the tough economic times is the Randlin Homes Thrift Store. Hope store leaders believe some of their added services are what bring customers in.
Gene Kressel said, "The community really has helped out a lot...we did have a snow blowing business in the winter, so a lot of people knew of that and we also ... a big reason is, we do deliver and pick up stuff. I think that's a big difference of other thrift stores. People that buy couches and bigger stuff, they don't want to haul it over to their house and carry it up the steps...where I'll have two guys that will be happy to do it." The store manager says that he has been meeting his goals despite just opening, but also stresses the fact that continued donations such as furniture, clothing, and appliances are just some of the many items accepted. Online Reporter Cristina Ortiz |
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Randlin Homes shovelers help community and learn valuable business skills
Randlin Homes shovelers help community and learn valuable business skills. For full story click on image, or..click here |
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Shoveling service benefits Randlin Homes residents
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Click here to read story....Source Wausau Buyers Guide |
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Rebecca Epperson: Healthcare Hero
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America's other fallen soldiersLocal homes help struggling veterans Wausau's John Blahuta is a 60-year-old Vietnam-era Army veteran who for most of his life worked as a corporate tax preparer. When he was laid off from his job five years ago, he expected to be able to find work quickly. "I come from a very hardworking family, a strong work ethic," he said. "I'd rather work than get a handout." But Blahuta did not find a new job. He was told he was "overqualified" for the clerical and retail jobs for which he applied, he said. His bills began to go unpaid, and more bills were added to those. Eventually he lost most of his possessions and his home. "I don't have alcohol (addiction)," he said. "I don't have drugs, I don't have mental illness. But I am a homeless veteran." Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor fallen American veterans -- those who have died in war. But there's another group of fallen vets -- those who face tremendous challenges when their service to the country ends. Some, like Blahuta, may simply fall on hard times. Many others face substance abuse or mental health issues. Nearly a third of veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with some form of mental illness. "It's bad when all these men and women go over there and serve their country, and then they come back and ... wind up living in the streets or under bridges," said Kelly Ferguson, 44, a house manager at Wausau's Randlin Adult Care Family Homes, which provides transitional housing for veterans and others in need. Blahuta, who came to Randlin Homes as a resident in October, has been able to apply his professional experience within the organization, and in March he was elected treasurer of Randlin's board of directors. Rebecca Epperson, 51, of Wausau is another house manager at Randlin Homes, as well as a Navy veteran who served during Vietnam. She came to Randlin as a resident after a period of homelessness, and she has faced physical and mental health issues. But she said the biggest problem among the homeless veterans she sees is substance abuse, particularly alcoholism. "They can get a job, and they'll have that job for awhile," she said. "Then they start drinking, they relapse. They lose their job. They lose their home, they lose the friends that they just got. They start that cycle all over again. We're here to break that cycle." Linda Larson Schlitz, who co-founded Randlin Homes with her husband, Ralph, said the organization's environment is crucial to its mission. "We provide a family environment of people who care about them, who remember their birthdays and celebrate their sobriety days," Larson Schlitz said. About 25 percent of Randlin's residents are not veterans. Tanya Throop, 33, is Blahuta's daughter, and she has struggled with mental illness, substance abuse and homelessness in her own life. Residency has provided her with structure and help with everything from taking her medications on schedule to learning how to make crafts. Throop also works on painting plaster figurines in part as a way to learn patience and attention to detail. The homes work with other residents, both veterans and non-veterans, to develop skills that can be applied to other parts of their lives. The issue of how society should provide for veterans is an ongoing discussion, and organizations like Randlin Homes are only one part of it. In late May, the U.S. Senate passed a bill that would expand educational benefits for veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, making them eligible for the equivalent of full tuition at state universities following their service. Expanded educational opportunities and job training were other subjects mentioned by Randlin staff, including Christine Oestreich, 30, of Wausau, a Navy veteran of the Afghanistan war. "Places like the (Marathon County) Job Center give opportunities to veterans who are actively looking for jobs," Oestreich said. Another subject that came up again and again in conversations with residents and staff was the distance most veterans must travel to get medical care. The outpatient clinic for veterans in Wausau has a long waiting list, and is not equipped to treat some conditions. Many are forced to travel to Madison or Tomah to get treatment. As organizations like Randlin Homes try to meet the needs of homeless veterans in Wausau, Larson Schlitz said veterans are also working in her organization to help one another. "We couldn't do it if we didn't have veterans helping other veterans," she said. --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Shelter to add store, training.By Robert Mentzer • Wausau Daily Herald • May 29, 2008
A local veterans shelter plans to open a thrift store where its residents would sell crafts while learning job skills. The goal of the new venture by Randlin Adult Family Care Homes of Wausau is to create a functioning business that provides skills training for the veterans and other Randlin residents, said Linda Larson Schlitz, a co-founder of the organization. Many of the agency's residents battle substance abuse, mental illness and homelessness. The project would be modeled after one offered by the Delancey Street Foundation, a successful residential education agency based in San Francisco, Larson Schlitz said. "What I liked the most (about the Delancey project) was the idea of having their own enterprises," she said. "They use this business as a training tool to re-educate and retrain people who, for whatever reason, either don't have the skills or need new skills in order to become self-sufficient again." In addition, the experience would provide those with gaps in their work histories an opportunity to learn how to work in a structured environment. Employees will learn "organizational skills (and) how to be accountable to someone else," said Christine Oestreich, a house manager at one of the residences. Money generated by the business would be reinvested in the organization, including the residential homes, Larson Schlitz said. Though no location has been identified, Larson Schlitz said she hopes to have the new store open by late July using portions of a grant the organization received last week.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- Learn more about the very successful Delancy Street Foudation by following the link below. |
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Recovery House Needs Help With Renovations.
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Randlin Homes Still Need Two Rooms Adopted.
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Wausau Couple Opens Home To Help OWI Offenders Recover.
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Staying Sober During New Years.
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Still Images by permission of WAOW
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Thousands of Recovery Links At |
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