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About Bethel House

Meet our Staff

Megan Hartwick
​Executive Director

Megan Hartwick (she/her) started at Bethel House in December of 2022 as the Interim Director and is now serving as a contracted Executive Director. Megan brings almost a decade of experience as a nonprofit leader to Bethel House and also has years of experience serving as a volunteer for our organization.  Megan is deeply passionate about community engagement and is honored to serve in a role to help provide needed support & assistance to families in the Whitewater community. Megan's professional core values are collaboration, education and compassion.

Megan also serves with the Fort Atkinson Kiwanis Club, the Fort Atkinson Police & Fire Commission, and is a board member for the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation. She lives in Fort Atkinson with her partner, Sam, her two young boys and her Boston Terrier. She enjoys reading, spending time outside, and watching baseball games with her family.
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To contact Megan, email director.bethelhouse@gmail.com

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History

In the spring of 1993, a family practice doctor in Whitewater, Wisconsin, found out that one of his patients, a single parent with two young children, had spent the winter living in a camper.  While she was working, she did not have the money for a security deposit and first month’s rent for an apartment.  He set out to see what could be done about this, starting in his church.  Almost two years later, Bethel House, a faith-based ecumenical non-profit, housed its first family.  

Bethel House started with a house and a duplex leased from the large Methodist church.  Later an anonymous donor generously allowed Bethel House to use three of his properties.  In 2015, our anonymous donor informed us that he needed to sell the properties, so Bethel House lost three of our homes.  We launched a Capital Campaign to raise money to purchase one single-family home and one duplex.  The Methodist church also let us use an additional house.  This brought us up to seven homes.   
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Six local churches originally agreed to support Bethel House, and nine churches now participate in the mission.  United Way funding accounts for 18% of the $106,000 budget.  Bethel House is also supported financially by the Kiwanis Club, Lions Club, and other organizations, university groups, businesses, and individuals.  Bethel House participates in three annual fundraisers: a spring quilt raffle, a fall dinner and wine pairing, and the Discover Whitewater Series.  

Board of Directors

Executive Board:
​President: Jessie Dugan
Treasurer: Amy Zahn
​Secretary: Megan Hartwick