By Molly Snyder Senior Writer Published Oct 14, 2016 at 9:05 AM

The visual concept of "home" appears differently to everyone, but if you take a photo of what it looks like to you, it could result in a $500 Steinhafels gift card.

OnMilwaukee, Steinhafels and ACTS Housing have partnered up to offer a new contest that challenges people to take a photo of their home – literally or figuratively – and put it on Instagram with the hashtag #milwaukeemeanshome.

The contest runs now through the holidays, and every month one photo will get randomly picked as the winner. The person who took the photo will receive a $500 Steinhafels gift card.

At the same time, Steinhafels will also award a $500 gift card to a person or family associated with ACTS Housing, a not-for-profit organization that empowers individuals through home ownership.

ACTS reaches out to families who have barriers that prevent them from becoming homeowners, including low income, poor credit scores, language barriers and more. The group provides financial and credit counseling, real estate brokerage services and home rehab counseling.

"We also provide micro-loans for home repair so that families can finance the purchase and rehab of their home," says Rebecca Stoner, development and marketing manager at ACTS. "It is our role to be a supportive guide to families as they transition from renter to homeowner."

Since 1992, ACTS has helped more than 2000 families become homeowners throughout the city of Milwaukee and 850 of these families purchased and reclaimed foreclosed properties. The families save money switching from renting to owning and become a stabilizing force in their neighborhoods.

"While we guide them every step of the way, it is the family that makes decisions about where they want to live and what type of home they want to live in, right down to what paint color they want on their walls," says Stoner. "We are grateful for our partnership with Steinhafels."


Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.

Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.