Grafton, WI – Ozaukee Nonprofit Center (ONC), a nonprofit organization that provides collaborative space and support to help sustain human service nonprofits in Ozaukee County, is excited to welcome the addition of Mr. Bob’s Under the Bridge to their new facility, located at 2360 Dakota Drive, Grafton, WI starting January 1st, 2021.
Mr. Bob’s Under the Bridge started in Cedarburg, WI, in 2007 with six backpacks and open hearts for distribution to friends in need. They became a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 2012 with a mission to foster a community of dignity, compassion, and friendship by providing basic necessities such as clothing and hygiene products to the homeless and those who need support.
The new space will provide Mr. Bob’s a permanent and physical location within Ozaukee County that will enable them to collect, sort, organize, and store weekly donated items for their friends. In addition, the space will provide a proper home for their new shower-trailer acquired back in 2019.
Homelessness is different in every community. In Ozaukee County, very few people are on the streets, but many are at imminent risk of becoming homeless. These are people who may have experienced a job loss, unexpected medical bills or a rent increase they cannot afford. Others may be doubled or tripled up with friends or relatives on a temporary basis. With COVID-19, these impending risks have increased.
Mr. Bob’s Board President, John Arcuri states, “The need for basic living necessities and more importantly, the need for a compassionate community has never been greater. At the same time, COVID was shutting down our state, we saw a drastic reduction in contributions from our donor base. We are in a difficult position where the need for our services has grown while our resources have been diminished.
“ONC welcomes Mr. Bob’s with open arms to our new facility and hopes to help boost a partnership in helping to meet more homeless needs in our community”, says ONC’s Executive Director, Carissa Barnes. “Nonprofits like Mr. Bob’s Under the Bridge is paving our way to inviting more human service organizations towards a collaborative and supportive space for nonprofits to grow. Our new facility and move will be completed by March of 2021, bringing together the following nonprofit partner and affiliated agencies: Advocates of Ozaukee, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ozaukee, COPE Line, Habitat for Humanity Ozaukee, Home Energy Plus, IndependenceFirst, Interfaith Caregivers of Ozaukee, Sirona Recovery, and now Mr. Bob’s Under the Bridge.