Daystar Inc

Daystar, Inc. was founded in 1986 by Sister Irene Kay whose order, the Sisters of Mercy, was once at the center of health, education and social justice ministries in the region.  At the forefront of the domestic violence movement, Milwaukee already had two emergency shelters for victims by that time, both of which teemed with the voices of the children who also found safety inside their walls. What did not exist was a haven for women without children, a sanctuary into which a mature battered woman could retreat to focus on her own needs and goals. Sr. Irene’s vision was for just such a space, a transitional facility where women could heal. Her vision became Daystar.

 Our mission is: "To be the foundation on which, woman who have experienced abuse, can gain power, re-build their life and change their world."

Nearly thirty years later, Daystar stands true to this mission, a two-year transitional home, dedicated to victims of domestic violence. Our staff work to build a trusting and respectful relationship with our clients allowing them to accept our guidance and encouragement as they strive to be self-reliant. Our legacy lives in the nearly 600 women who committed to themselves and did the challenging work necessary to build up their character through integrity, create sustainability through stability, and be empowered through bringing value.

 Program Goals

Every woman who comes to Daytar is unique; therefore her experience at Daystar is equally unique. After settling in to thier private room, clients work with our Program Manager to establish meaningful goals and begin to map out their journey. Those goals typically can be catagorized in one of the following areas.

• Healing from the impact of physical and/or emotional trauma
• Overcoming obstacles to independence
• Building skills, resources and a team to become self-reliant
• Improving physical, mental and/or behavioral health
• Acquiring life skills, education and/or training that strengthens prospects for employment and sustained independence
• Improving financial stability through earned income, access to benefits and effective resource management
• Achieving stability in safe, permanent housing

Kay married her husband when she was 18, she will tell you now that the abuse began day one, but she hid it for nearly 20 years, not telling a soul about her secret. 

She shared, "When I got to Daystar, I was scared, and lost. I felt worthless and like I didn't deserve love."

"At Daystar, I’ve had time to reflect on what I want to do with the rest of my life.  I’m feeling stronger. I’m feeling more like myself, my old self. I feel that there’s a future, where before, I didn’t really care about the future."

Daystar’s residents are diverse; bound only by abuse and poverty. Experiencing our core values of trust, respect, commitment, empathy, encouragment, guidance, support, growth and self-reliance within the framework of setting and achieving goals, virtually every resident makes measurable progress toward achieving their goals. 

Friendships are formed, and residents put into practice the relationship skills they learn in our support group. They learn about encouragement - acknowledgement, gratitude and celebration of who you are, imagining where you want to be and inspiring others to do the same. Encouragment plays out in group celebrations that mark achievements, like a month free of cigarettes, or a job interview scheduled, or a hard-earned "A" on a paper.  Ann lends clothes to Barb, who has a job interview; Carol helps Diane figure out how to use the software provided for her class. When Ellen finds out that her daughter from out of state has been hospitalized with cancer, the entire house goes into a scramble to help her get to the airport on time.

It would be nearly impossible to quantify or measure the emotional healing that takes place at Daystar. We haven’t yet identified a tool that would enable us to do that. We are content to observe it, to experience it and to document it in the only way we know how by sharing those observations with others who share our vision.

This is Daystar.  And this is what can be accomplished with your support.