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As the year draws to a close, many of us are in the midst of the
holiday season with its beautiful music, gifts, and gatherings of
family and friends. It is a time for reflection, a time to think
about meaningful celebrations and hope for the upcoming year. It's
also a great time to look beyond the glitz and glitter of gift
giving, and think about people right here in Minnesota who are
struggling and need a helping hand.
Your tax-deductible donation to Open Your Heart to the Hungry and
Homeless is so easy to do through our website. It will do so much to
help people who need our assistance right now to find some joy in
life this holiday season.
Here's what your gift can do to help others:
- Your gift of $50 provides three homeless Minnesotans with
voice mail connections for three months so they can seek
employment, education, and medical attention;
- Your gift of $75 provides a new bed at a homeless shelter;
- Your gift of $125 provides 100 pounds of fresh, nutritious
produce for a local food shelf to distribute to needy families;
- Your gift of $200 provides winter clothing and work clothes
for ten homeless youth living on the streets;
- Your gift of $250 provides 400 meals at a soup kitchen.
At a time of year when many of us think deeply about our
blessings, please make a donation to help those in need. --Arna
Yetter, Executive Director
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Spotlight: Normandale Housing Corporation, Edina
MN |
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Open Your
Heart to the Hungry and Homeless has given a grant of $8,500
to Normandale Housing Corporation, an affiliate of Normandale
Lutheran Church. The fund helped finance the installation, by
Renewal by Anderson, of 49 new double-hung windows at the
Normandale House on Chicago Avenue in the Phillips
neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Normandale House is a triplex that offers transitional
housing for three families moving from homelessness to
independent living. Families can live at the house for up to
two years. During their stay, they receive support in
budgeting their finances, education, employment and parenting.
The house previously had its original 1914 windows; they
were energy-inefficient and many needed repairs. Open Your
Heart to the Hungry and Homeless is happy to be able to
supplement donations from the Normandale Lutheran Church
congregation to make these improvements happen.
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| Agency
Spotlight: Family Pathways, Cambridge, MN |
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Open Your
Heart to the Hungry and Homeless has given a Food and Shelter
Grant of $4,995 to Family Pathways of Wyoming, MN. The grant
will be used to purchase metal shelving and office equipment
that will allow the organization to be in compliance with
Second Harvest for a food shelf in Sandstone.
Family
Pathways is a grassroots, community-based agency that has
served communities in Chisago, Isanti, Pine, Kanabec and Mille
Lacs counties for the past 28 years, and has extended into
other communities of East Central Minnesota, including Forest
Lake.
The
organization provides senior services, including companionship
and respite care; a food pantry and community advocacy program
for adults and children; and youth services programs.
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| OYH News
in Brief: Kowalski's Cares |
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Open Your
Heart to the Hungry and Homeless is participating in
"Groceries for Good Causes" at three of the eight Twin Cities
Kowalski's Markets--Grand Avenue in St. Paul, Chicago Avenue
South in Minneapolis, and Eden Prairie. Shoppers simply put
their receipts in the Open Your Heart containers near the door
as they leave. Kowalski's sends OYH a check based on the
number of receipts received, regardless of the amount
spent.
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| Did You Know? |
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Fact
of the Month:
Overall, 23.9% of homeless men are
veterans. While less than 11% of Minnesota's population is
made up of people of color, 42% of Minnesota's homeless
veterans were persons of color. (Source: Wilder Research,
November 2007)
Quote
of the Month:
In October, 600 University of Minnesota
students fasted for hunger relief at the Al-Madinah Cultural
Center's fourth annual Fast- A-Thon. "I think if our
generation makes these issues a priority, we can eliminate
hunger." --Jaylani Hussein, student who participated in the
fast, as quoted in The Minnesota Daily
(www.mndaily.com)
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"Reaching
Out:
A Celebration of Service" Event a
Success! |
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"Reaching
Out: A Celebration of Service," the second annual fundraising
event by Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless, raised
more than $5,000 for the organization. More than 160 people
attended the event October 25, 2007, at Christo's Union Depot,
St. Paul, MN.
Sponsorships of the event totaled $2,200, a significant
increase over 2006. In addition, a silent auction raised more
than $2,500.
"We are pleased with the turnout by
supporters and results of the event, especially given the fact
that this is only our second year holding something like
this," said Shannah Moore, event chair and member of the
organization's board. "We will continue to build on our
success to make future events even better."
Open Your
Heart to the Hungry and Homeless depends largely on workplace
giving campaigns for donations. In recent years, however, Open
Your Heart has sought new ways to raise funds, an urgent
mission given the growing needs of the hungry and homeless in
Minnesota. The 20th anniversary event in 2006 was a tremendous
success, leading to plans to stage an an annual
fundraiser.
"Reaching
Out" was emceed by Fox9 meteorologist Christine Clayburg. This
year, Open Your Heart recognized the top workplace giving
campaigns as a part of the event program. Shown in the picture
above are Tapemark Company representatives receiving the
outstanding new campaign award. Pictured from left to right
are Tapemark employees Aaron Harmon, Mark Habbeus, and Nancy
Brown, as well as Yoji Shimizu, OYH's Board president. Ms.
Brown, Community Relations Representative, is the Chair of
this year's Tapemark employee giving campaign.
Open Your Heart's 2007 Top Workplace Campaign Supporters:
Top Public Campaign: University of Minnesota's
Community Fund Drive
Top Corporate
Campaign:
C.H. Robinson Worldwide
Outstanding New Campaign: Tapemark Co.
Outstanding Supporter: State of Minnesota's
Combined Charities Campaign
2007 Event Sponsors:
Heart of Gold Sponsor -
$1,000
Minnesota Association of Professional Employees
Local 501 (MAPE)
Heart of Silver Sponsor -
$500
Associated Wealth Management
Heart of
Bronze Sponsors - $250
Mark Abner
Vital Systems
Inc.
Friend of Open Your Heart - $100
Ann
and Paul Jarvis
Louise
Seliski
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