The paths of two men on different missions converged recently to bring hope, connection, and spiritual growth to the local community.
Bill Lochte, organizer for this summer’s Praise in the Pines Christian music festival, and Kent Kohn, who is spearheading the transitional housing efforts to help mothers with children find affordable housing, have teamed up in what they hope will provide big benefits for their respective initiatives.
The inaugural Praise in the Pines, scheduled to take place in Eagle River on Sunday, July 21, will bring an estimated 2,250 people to the Northland Pines field house to enjoy national Christian music sensation Big Daddy Weave, keynote speaker Bob Lenz, and other musicians and guest speakers for a day of fun, spiritual renewal, inspiration, and transformation.
A portion of proceeds from this event will go toward the Esther’s House transitional housing program which aims to extend a helping hand to homeless women and children.
“Northwoods Share established Esther’s House as a community response to the growing homeless crisis among Eagle River area families headed by single moms,” Kohn said. “We are pleased to join Praise in the Pines organizers and performers to provide the rare opportunity to experience top-level Christian entertainment July 21.”
Although Praise in the Pines is billed as a Christian festival, Lochte believes it will impact the community in a much wider and ongoing spectrum than just one day of fun.
“We believe in the transformative power of faith, and we want Praise in the Pines to be a conduit for positive change,” Lochte said. “Supporting Esther’s House aligns seamlessly with our Christian values, and we hope to inspire others to join us in this journey of giving.
A growing crisis
Homelessness is oftentimes an issue that is overlooked in the North Woods.
But last year, Kohn approached Northwoods Share — a nonprofit service organization dedicated to sharing the love of Christ in tangible ways through events, activities and prayer — after a series of encounters in the local community that brought the issue into stark focus for him.
“I had encountered a number of homeless people in Eagle River — a mom and her kids at Northwoods Share, a man in Riverview Park, and another man who was cleaning himself in the bathroom of Kwik Trip,” Kohn explained. “I contacted the school and found out there were a number of homeless teens, as well as mothers and kids within the district.”
With volunteer support and interest from the friendly faces at Northwoods Share, the team began moving forward on ways to help mothers and their children who are in a transitional state.
Kohn stressed that Esther’s House will not be a crisis center, sober house, or nightly homeless shelter, but instead help address the lack of affordable housing in Eagle River that is affecting a family’s ability to secure a place to live.
Lack of housing
There is a severe shortage of affordable homes in the area for families that live and work here. This is attributed to a number of factors, including unstable employment, mental health and substance abuse, or domestic abuse situations.
“When a family’s breadwinner encounters one or more of these issues, the rest of the family also suffers,” Kohn said. “While homelessness can sometimes be attributed to an individual’s underlying mental health issues, in Eagle River the rampant use of illegal drugs and alcoholism are far more likely to be the root cause.”
According to Kohn, another contributor is the number of short-term rentals that have popped up in recent years.
“Increasingly, families that have never missed a rent payment are finding themselves homeless when landlords convert monthly rental units to the more lucrative short-term rentals,” he explained. “Currently, dozens of people are living in campers or couch-surfing in and around Eagle River. Oftentimes families double-up in one living space, and then both of them suffer.”
The need is evidenced by the more than 500 families Northwoods Share serves each year. Approximately 20% of these families are headed by single moms, Kohn noted.
How Esther’s House can help
The name Esther’s House came from the Biblical heroine Esther, who persuaded her husband, the king, to retract an order to annihilate all the Jews in his kingdom.
The vision for the facility is to acquire a home with two to four small living units where single mothers with children will be provided a stable environment while they recover from emotional, financial and/or relational crises as they prepare to transition into their own home.
Kohn said it is being modeled after the Hagar House based in Wausau and aims to provide residents with a variety of services to relieve daily living expenses while restoring and rejuvenating the lives of those staying there.
Beyond just providing an affordable place for families to live, personalized assistance such as life skill classes, budgeting and financing planning, counseling, female Christian mentorship, and more will be provided by volunteer members and professionals within the community.
“Self-sufficiency and healthy living decisions are a big emphasis of this effort,” Kohn said. “Residents will often be reminded that real change and real hope requires time and commitment.”
Based on operations from Hagar House, he expects the average length of stays to range from six to 18 months, with an average of about 12 months. Esther’s House will serve those within the Eagle River, Three Lakes, St. Germain/Sayner, Phelps, and Land O’ Lakes areas.
Community Assistance
This endeavor would not be possible without the aid of the many giving community members who have exerted efforts to bring Esther’s House to life. The search is currently underway to find the perfect location for the transitional facility.
“We are working with the city and looking into grants to help fund the initiative,” he said. “Seven local realtors have been helping to identify local properties, and over 50 people outside of Northwoods Share have come forward to help so far.”
To date, Kohn has looked at approximately 40 properties and has three in consideration right now.
Support from a big event like Praise in the Pines is expected to go a long way to bringing awareness and aid to displaced mothers and their children.
“The community response to Praise in the Pines has been overwhelmingly positive, with local churches, businesses and residents rallying behind the event’s mission,” Lochte said. “The anticipation goes beyond the promise of inspiring speakers and uplifting music — it extends to the shared vision of positively impacting local lives and bringing hope to the North Woods.”
Lochte said the festival is not just an event, but faith in action. “Praise in the Pines stands poised to become a beacon of hope for the community, embodying the true spirit of Christian love and charity.”
To learn more or get involved with Esther’s House, visit esthershouse-nws.org or call 715-891-4254.
To lend a hand volunteering or sponsoring the Praise in the Pines Christian music festival or to purchase tickets, visit praiseinthepines.org or call Lochte at 715-891-6096.
By Michelle Drew
Vilas County News Review
