Catholic Charities Twin Cities

Thanks to one of our generous donors, learners at Catholic Charities Northside Child Development Center have been able to attend swimming lessons at V3 Sports free of charge this summer! The best part is – the brand new V3 Center is located within walking distance of the childcare center in North Minneapolis. The V3 Center is a community-inspired health and wellness center that is poised to elevate the North Minneapolis community and showcase the talents of individuals who live there. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3LEjFTg

It's #NationalInternDay, and this summer, Lily Noble from Visitation School, and Alexandra Nitabach from St. Louis Park High School are volunteering 6 weeks of their summer break at Catholic Charities administrative office in Elliot Park. They are working with the communications team to help share stories from across Catholic Charities programs. Read about our student volunteers & how you can get involved here: https://bit.ly/4fbXGRb

Volunteers from Prior Lake High School’s Junior Optimist Club are a group of student volunteers that spend time at Catholic Charities sites across the metro area. The Junior Optimist Club has helped nurture a culture of volunteerism at Prior Lake High School – thanks to the students there. One of their student ambassadors, Maren, explained how the club has created a culture at the high school that attracts new students to their cause. “When younger students get to the school they meet and look up to people who are in the Junior Optimist Club”, she said, “so when people become a part of it, and even after they outgrow it, volunteering is something they want to do.” Peyton, a student at Prior Lake, is a great example: he got involved with the Junior Optimists right away his freshman year thanks to a friend’s recommendation. Learn more about student volunteers at Catholic Charities here: https://bit.ly/4fbXGRb

Dorothea Watson is an undergraduate student at the University of Notre Dame and began volunteering with Catholic Charities Twin Cities when she came home from school during winter break of 2023. “I started volunteering because I’m part of the Notre Dame Club of Minnesota,” explained Dorothea, “but I keep coming back here because I really enjoy it – it’s super convenient and I get to spend my time helping people.” She has completed nearly 100 hours of service so far – exclusively at Catholic Charities Endeavors Residence. Endeavors provides deeply affordable, permanent homes to 173 people who need housing stability in downtown Minneapolis. Dorothea is studying abroad in Rome next school year but has plans to return to Endeavors to volunteer while she’s home over winter break again. Read more about student volunteers at Catholic Charities Twin Cities: https://bit.ly/4fbXGRb

Last year at Catholic Charities Twin Cities, volunteers worked over 40,000 service hours across the agency. And while not all volunteers serve food, these service hours helped us serve over 1,000,000 meals to more than 25,000 men, women, and children during that time. Although most volunteers are adults, many students volunteer at Catholic Charities—both in school groups, and individually. Learn how you can get involved, and read about a handful of student volunteers who have made a big impact this summer: https://bit.ly/4fbXGRb

In 2023, the average cost of an overnight stay in a hospital in Minnesota was over $2000; the average cost of an overnight stay in the Emergency Shelter at Dorothy Day Place was $23.81. We know that our most vulnerable community members frequently become stuck in cycles of crisis between the criminal justice system, homeless shelters, emergency departments and other costly government services. Emergency shelters provide specialized support to people in crisis with a safe, stable and cost-effective place to stay when they have nowhere else to go. Current research shows that individuals in shelter experience fewer hospitalizations, arrests, and detentions than those who are forced to live on the streets or in encampments. Read more about the work of Catholic Charities’ Housing-Focused Behavioral Health Support Team: https://bit.ly/4cPH7Ja

Meet Catholic Charities Housing-Focused Behavioral Health Support Team (HBST): a specialized group of case managers and behavioral health professionals who provide intensive support to meet the unique needs of individuals with complex health conditions. Embedded within the emergency shelters located on our Dorothy Day Place campus, the HBST connects people in crisis with resources that help them make progress towards stability. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4cPH7ja

Catholic Charities Twin Cities was featured in this Kstp Tv-Channel 5 story regarding the recent Supreme Court Grants Pass decision and its potential local impacts. The story included interviews with Chief Program Officer Keith Kozerski, and Evergreen Residence resident Sandra Johnson — watch it here: https://bit.ly/464wsrx

(3/3) “I’m so grateful to have opportunities again,” Kristine said, “I have my own things, I have people to help me, and I’m starting to meet people that I feel like I can laugh with again.” Kristine is spending her evenings in the women’s shelter and walking across the street to the day center for meals and services. Her current goal is to move into group housing upstairs — all at the Dorothy Day Campus “I can’t wait to have my own room again, to be able to cook in my own kitchen, and grow some houseplants,” explained Kristine. “I’m 58 years old now, but I’m still going to persevere.” Full story: https://bit.ly/3xKSwek

(2/3) “I had never felt more disposable in my life,” Kristine stated, “it began feeling like I was just a waste of resources.” When Kristine found shelter at Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Place in St. Paul, she began feeling seen again. “People wanted to help me . . . I was motivated to keep going,” she said. At Dorothy Day Place’s shelter, Kristine was finally able to let her guard down. “It has been a long few years,” said Kristine, “but here I’m safe, I’m warm, I’m fed — if you get down to it, what else do you really need?” Beyond access to necessities like showers, laundry, mail, and a place to sleep, Kristine has also found the resources that will help her move forward. She recently connected with a psychotherapist and got a cell phone for the first time in months. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3xKSwek