Impact House Helps Young Adults Aging Out Of The Foster Care System

We recently completed an important project for the Focus Church in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The church created Impact House to help young adults who have aged out of the foster care system transition to independent living. Abe Degnan designed, arranged, and managed the project. Dozens of volunteers were enlisted from the church and joined with local business leaders to remodel this home with a minimal out-of-pocket cost.

The project started as a smelly, dilapidated two-bedroom, two-bath 1970s duplex, which the team transformed into a comfortable, midcentury-inspired, five-bedroom, four-bath home! Remodeling this duplex into a modern, safe home is the work we were all involved in. However, it is equally important to understand the mission of the Impact House program.

Building a Bright Future

In Dane County, Wisconsin, there are around 150 young adults who have aged out of the foster care system. They no longer have the support structure of their original or foster family. The primary goal of the Impact House Program is to help these young women transition into responsible adults.

Far too many of these young adults end up homeless or in jail. Many have endured various traumas and are not as ready to move on to adulthood as the average 18-year-old. Some do not possess the life skills to hold a job or rent their own apartment. Upon aging out of the foster system, it becomes easier for a faith-based organization, like the Focus Church, to help. Every potential resident of Impact House must apply to be there, choose to follow the rules, and graduate from the program.

A Remodeled Duplex and a Chance at a New Life

One side of the duplex is home to the adult mentors, program director Mandy, and her husband Dustin. The other side was remodeled to have five bedrooms to become home to five young women as they transition to their new lives. Every resident signs a 6-month lease, pays a nominal rent, and lives by the house rules as they work through the program.

Upon completing the program, half of their rent will be returned! Leases can be renewed for up to 2 years, helping to ensure that the residents who need the most help receive it. When a resident graduates and is ready to move on, they free up a spot for another young woman. The residents have one-to-one mentoring, attend church services, volunteer at the Focus Church, and take care of the home.

How This Duplex Was Remodeled

Volunteers and donors transformed what began as two-bedroom duplexes with unfinished basements into a safe, comfortable home. New egress windows allowed three more bedrooms on one side and two on the other. Each side of the duplex went from one bathroom to two, and the mentors now have main-level laundry in what used to be a portion of the garage.

Kitchens and bathrooms were gutted, and all new flooring, painting, lighting, and other finishes were installed. An element of the program is giving residents an attractive and serene place to live, a respite from a tumultuous life, and a comfortable environment to ensure the resident's engagement. It is a proper home to help normalize and stabilize lives.

As Focus Church developed the plan for Impact House, they determined that the existing two-bedroom floor plans were too small for the goals of their program. Too many young adults need the support. Because one side of the duplex was to house the program director and her family, it was crucial to finish the basement.

Donations for digging and cutting the egress windows were secured, and the project was begun. The team completed extensive plumbing, framing, and electrical work in the basement. The program director's side now has four bedrooms for her family and a downstairs family room in the newly finished basement. On the other side of the duplex, a 5th bedroom replaces the family room, allowing another resident to participate in the program.

The décor is carefully chosen as a part of the plan for creating a comfortable and serene home. Each of the five resident bedrooms has a color scheme for bedding and linens, and every resident has a color code for their personal stuff, right down to the kitchen utensils. This system helps to build a sense of pride, ownership, and responsibility, and everyone knows what belongs to each resident. When a resident graduates and move out, they get to take all of their personal linens, bedding, and dishes to help get them started in their new home.

This project gave everyone involved, the volunteers, the donors, and the members of the Focus Church, a true sense of accomplishment and a source of pride. For Abe Degnan, this project is one of personal passion and reward. In 2021, God Himself inspired Pastor Ryan Foldhazi to bring this vision to Focus Church and it has become a reality. We all look forward to changing lives for years to come and, expanding the Impact House Program to include young men and more as we continue to “Love God, Love People, and Do Something” at Focus Church.

Volunteers and Contributors

Major 100% Donors

They contributed 100% to the largest and most expensive parts of the project! These companies displayed the highest level of generosity, truly going above and beyond expectations.

• Project Management: Degnan Design-Build-Remodel, Abe Degnan

• Plumbing: Kruchten Plumbing, Kevin Kruchten 608-712-0359

• Electrical: American Enterprises, Dave Miller 608-577-8465

• Landscape, Driveway Removal & Egress Window Cutting: Best Buds Landscaping, Casey Davenport www.thebest-buds.com 

• Framing: Degnan Design-Build-Remodel, Abe Degnan, Dylan Degnan, Austin Guenther 

• Framing & Trim: Drexel Building Supply, Marc Medema, Keith Batenhorst and Rachel Rapacz www.drexelteam.com

100% Donors

They provided a full aspect of the project at no charge.

• Project Design: Zach Degnan, Degnan Design-Build-Remodel 

• Basement Design: Abe Degnan, Degnan Design-Build-Remodel 

• Cabinet Design: Dondi Szombatfalvy

• Cabinet Installation: Degnan Design-Build-Remodel, Abe Degnan, Kelly Lawton

• Egress Excavation: Brian’s Custom Digging, Brian Ulrich 920-252-1021

• Egress Windows: Window World of Madison 608-200-3860

• Bathtubs: Kohler Sterling, Steve Schmidt 

• Laundry Room Fixtures: Kohler, Gerhardt’s First Supply, Trish Endres www.firstsupply.com/madison 

• HVAC: Dischler Heating & Cooling, Nathan Dischler www.dischlerheating.com 

• Insulation - Elite Insulators, Kyle Driessen 608-669-1135

• Countertop Materials: Linnstone, Jaye Finn www.linnstone.com 

• Backsplash Tile: Hetzel Tile, Brad Bauer www.hetzeltm.com 

• Window Coverings: Prairie Shade & Shutter, Jeff Rohrer www.prairieshade.com 

• Financial Donor: Livable Communities by Don Tierney www.livablecommunities.com 

Major Contributors

They provided significant and generous discounts on huge parts of the project.

• Bathroom Fixtures & Accessories: Moen, Ferguson Supply, Michelle Cusak www.ferguson.com 

• Light Fixtures: Madison Lighting, Lovisa Champion and Tom Woodward www.madisonlighting.com 

• Drywall & Painting: J&E Drywall, Jesse Morales 608-2287-7185

• Cabinets: North Point Cabinetry, Bella Domicile, Dan Luck www.belladomicile.com

Special thanks to Michael Conway (means-of-production.com) and AJ Griesen (www.ajphotographyinc.com) for their volunteer work on the webpage, blog, and photography!