The Fresh Start Fund provides financial support to clients in our housing programs for emergency expenses that may destabilize their ability to remain safely housed, as well as for eligible educational and employment training expenses that support their path to self-sufficiency.
By addressing urgent needs and investing in long-term goals, the Fresh Start Fund ensures survivors and their families can focus on healing and growth without the threat of financial crisis.
How the Fund Helps
In FY24, the Fresh Start Fund provided over $181,000 in direct support to survivors and families.
Here’s a breakdown of how those funds were used:
| Category | Amount | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Housing Support | $52,788.73 | 29.2% |
| Job Training and Employment Resources | $49,947.55 | 27.6% |
| Bills | $40,004.12 | 22.1% |
| Education | $12,342.01 | 6.8% |
| Transportation | $10,681.32 | 5.9% |
| Food | $8,871.60 | 4.9% |
| Family | $2,643.93 | 1.5% |
| Clothing | $1,279.07 | 0.7% |
| Health/Wellness/Hygiene | $928.00 | 0.5% |
| Supplies/Home Goods (multiple clients) | $765.00 | 0.4% |
| Electronics | $460.00 | 0.3% |
| Legal | $124.30 | 0.07% |
| Other | $192.00 | 0.1% |
The three major categories — Housing Support, Job Training & Employment Resources, and Bills — accounted for nearly 79% of all spending.
Roxanne’s Fresh Start*
Roxanne’s journey shows how transformative the Fresh Start Fund can be. With support from the Fund, she was able to enroll in and complete a paralegal program while participating in MSP’s housing program. Her hard work paid off—she secured a full-time position as a paralegal and even applied to college to continue building a strong future for her family.
Because of her new employment and stability, Roxanne successfully moved from our RISE program into independent housing this past year—achieving the safety, stability, and independence she had worked so hard for.
*Names changed for client confidentiality.
How You Can Support the Fund
Every gift to the Fresh Start Fund directly helps survivors build safer, more stable lives.