CHEF — Community Housing Equity Fund — is a new nonprofit being built right now in Winona. One door. Every system. Housing, childcare, jobs, and benefits — all at once, from day one. No cost to start. A small program fee kicks in only once you are working.
What We Are Building
Right now in Winona, services exist but they do not work together. A person in crisis has to navigate five different organizations, five waiting lists, five sets of paperwork — alone. CHEF eliminates that gap. One intake. One case manager. Every door opens at the same time.
Placement within 48 hours of intake. CHEF leases properties in Winona and places residents from day one — no readiness requirements.
A licensed three-track childcare hub — drop-off, in-home overnight, and CCAP navigation — for Winona parents who work when everyone else is asleep.
Connections to Winona employers. CareerForce partnership. Workforce readiness. Employers who hire CHEF residents can access up to $9,600 in tax credits.
Savings match program. Deposit guarantee letter. A pathway from transitional housing all the way to homeownership — right here in Winona.
Where We Are Right Now
Minnesota Nonprofit Corporation — February 2026
Registered with the IRS — EIN 41-4540291
Winona Foundation grant submitted February 2026
Hiawatha Valley, CareerForce, Winona Health, County Human Services
Actively searching for first CHEF house in Winona
Federal tax-exempt application in process
Seeking licensed provider partnership — launching 2026
Targeting placement within 60–90 days
"Nobody should have to figure it out alone. I built CHEF because I have lived on the other side of that gap — and I know exactly what needs to exist."— Adrean Burros, Founder & Executive Director
Why Winona Needs CHEF
Winona has good services. What it does not have is someone who holds the thread between all of them. That gap costs people their jobs, their housing, and their families.
Licensed childcare closes at 6pm. Third-shift starts at 10pm. That four-hour gap is why working parents in Winona lose jobs every single night.
Young working families are leaving because stability feels impossible here. CHEF is designed to make Winona a place people choose to stay.
Every existing organization in Winona does one thing. CHEF does everything — together, at once, from day one.
CHEF is funded entirely by people who believe Winona's working families deserve better. Every dollar goes directly to securing our first house, launching our childcare hub, and placing our first residents. No overhead. No bureaucracy. Just people helping people.
Donate Now — Email UsCHEF's 501(c)(3) application is in process. Contact us at chefwinona@proton.me to discuss donation options. Every contribution is appreciated and will be acknowledged.
Get In Touch
Whether you need help, want to refer someone, want to donate, have a property CHEF could lease, or just want to know more about what we are building — reach out. Adrean responds personally within 24 hours.
We read every message and respond within 24 hours.