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July 2009
Dear Heading Home Minnesota Supporter,
Thank you for your interest in Heading Home Minnesota.
Communities of faith have a long history of supporting people living on the margins. This month we take a look at several faith-based organizations across Minnesota working to serve people experiencing homelessness and to end homelessness. Their efforts are largely comprised of volunteers and represent a sampling of the efforts taking place across the state.
As always, we welcome your comments and ideas. Thank you for supporting our work to end homelessness.
From the Director
This is the space where we typically have a message from the director. As you may have heard, Heading Home Minnesota Director Kit Hadley was recently appointed by St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman as the new director of the St. Paul Public Library. As a result, she will be leaving Heading Home at the end of the month.
Kit joined Heading Home at a time when it was in need of strong leadership. She brought extensive knowledge of the issues, a great track record of public service and executive leadership and--most importantly—a passion for ending homelessness. She leaves Heading Home with a clearer focus, a higher profile in Minnesota’s communities and the momentum we need to end homelessness in Minnesota. Her leadership will be missed, but the impact of her work remain. We wish her the best in her new endeavor.
Thank you, Kit, from all of us at Heading Home Minnesota!
Up Close and Personal
The Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness in Minneapolis Reflects Innovation, Collaboration
In downtown Minneapolis, a unique organization has formed among faith communities to work together to end homelessness. The Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness (DCEH), a network of 13 faith communities, formed in 2007 to broaden and strengthen the efforts in the downtown area surrounding homelessness and poverty. Read more...
News from the State
New Report Finds Assisted Households are Staying Out of Emergency Shelters
Thoughtful program administrators continually ask two core questions: What are we trying to do? How do we know when we are successful? With regard to two state initiatives – preventing and ending homelessness – the primary measures of success relate to people entering and maintaining permanent housing. We know when people remain in housing; measuring success is challenging, however, when people leave housing programs. Read more...
Regional Initiative Update
Introducing Heading Home Northeast, the Newest Plan to Join Minnesota’s Statewide Campaign to End Homelessness
Heading Home Minnesota welcomes the thirteenth plan to join the campaign to end homelessness, Heading Home Northeast. Covering a largely rural area, the Heading Home Northeast plan covers the broad region with one comprehensive plan, and six smaller, county-focused plans. Read more...
Special Feature
What Connects a Lutheran Church in Edina and Homeless Families Living in the Phillips Neighborhood of Minneapolis?
What connects a Lutheran congregation in Edina and homeless families in the Phillips neighborhood? For 6 years, Normandale House, operated by Normandale Lutheran Church in Edina, has provided transitional housing to families living in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. Read more...
In the Community
MICAH Plays Integral Role in Urging Support of Lincoln Place
Last month, Lincoln Place, the first suburban large-scale supportive housing development in Minnesota for young adults broke ground in Eagan. Behind the scenes, Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing (MICAH) helped make it happen. Read more...
In the Spotlight
GRACE House Provides Shelter, Supportive Services to People Experiencing Homelessness in Itasca County
Fancy hotels aren’t the only places to ask their guests to complete a courtesy survey on ways to improve each guest’s stay. GRACE House, in Itasca County, describes itself as a "people-driven mission" and treats each person who comes through their doors with the same respect and hospitality you could expect to find at bustling hotels in tourist destinations. What’s the difference? GRACE House is a homeless shelter for individuals and families, and it's the only one in Itasca County. Read more...
About Heading Home Minnesota
The Heading Home Minnesota Steering Committee, co-chaired by Jim Frey of the Frey Foundation and by Carleen Rhodes of the Minnesota and Saint Paul Community Foundations, consists of community leaders from the public, business, nonprofit, faith, and philanthropic sectors. For more information about Heading Home Minnesota or to suggest a future e-news topic, please call 612-335-3586 or email info@headinghomeminnesota.org.
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Photography Credits
by Wing Young Huie | Model Cities in St. Paul | courtesy of the Family Housing Fund | 
