|
The rustle of leaves, a hint of cooler weather ahead-- it must be
time to crack open new school textbooks. This is a time of
excitement for our children. For homeless and hungry families in
Minnesota, it's also a time to look forward to receiving at least
one reduced-price or free school meal daily, as well as to donations
of much-needed clothing, shoes and school supplies. Ninety percent
of homeless children who are still with their parents attend school,
according to the Wilder Foundation.
This is the time of year when Open Your Heart to the Hungry and
Homeless awards its education grants for the new school year. Open
Your Heart education grants help students in K-12 stay engaged in
school and in school activities. Getting an education is an
important factor in breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness.
In 2007-2008, Open Your Heart distributed $94,547 to 47 agencies
statewide. From 1996-2007, over $1 million in funding has been
granted to 510 organizations, reaching more than 34,000 students.
These grants go toward school supplies, required clothing and gym
shoes, and activity fees, along with other education-related items.
The need has never been greater. Through your support, you help
us assist thousands of hungry and homeless children in Minnesota's
schools.
| Agency
Spotlight: People Serving People |
 |
Open Your
Heart to the Hungry and Homeless has given a 2007-2008
education grant of $5,530 to People Serving People. The funds
will aid PSP in its ongoing mission to provide education,
social and life skill programs to people in need.
PSP is one of the largest emergency shelters in Minnesota,
serving up to 350 people per night. It provides educational
activies for children between 3 and 18 years old, including
tutoring, library resources, computer skills programs,
cooperative games and educational field trips. One of its
initiatives is a summer education and activities program for
children and teens.
People Serving People served more than 212,000 guests in
2006. Seventy percent of its guests are children with an
average age of seven; in 2006, PSP provided educational
programs to 1,000 children. Open Your Heart's educational
grant will support PSP's efforts to provide educational
services to children in need.
|
| Agency
Spotlight: Hunger Solutions Minnesota, Arden Hills,
MN |
|
Hunger
Solutions Minnesota distributes nearly $1.3 million each year
to the state's 300+ food shelves through state-allocated
funds. During the last five years alone, it has moved or
assisted in moving approximately 100 million pounds of food.
This year, Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless granted
Hunger Solutions Minnesota $167,000 for the purchase of food
to be distributed throughout the group's food distrubution
services.
Hunger
Solutions Minnesota is a state-wide partnership of
organizations dedicated to eliminating the root causes of
hunger. The organization manages the procurement and
distribution of donated food-- packaged, canned, perishable
and non-perishable-- among the six America's Second Harvest
food banks.
HSM works
with food shelves and America's Second Harvest food banks to
ensure that food goes to individuals, children and families
who lack adequate nutrition due to poverty. OYH's grant will
help it continue this important work.
|
| Did You
Know? |
|
|
Fact
of the Month:
Thirty percent of the children helped
through Open Your Heart's education grants are in grades K-4;
26% in grades 9-12; and 23% in grades 5-8. (Source: Open Your
Heart Education Grant Survey 2006-2007)
Quote
of the Month:
In the last Wilder Research study, 23% of
those surveyed said they had been homeless as children. "The
problem with this persisting over such a long period of
time...is that you create the likelihood of generational
homeless....This is something we've got to respond to." --Greg
Owen, consulting scientist, Wilder Research, as quoted in the
Southwest Journal (www.swjournal.com)
|
|
|
Reaching
Out:
A Celebration of Service |
|
|
|
Come help
us celebrate another year of service to homeless and hungry
Minnesotans at our annual fundraiser on Thursday, October
25th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Our theme this year is
"Reaching Out: A Celebration of Service."
Our
program, which will begin at 7:00 p.m., will include
recognition of sponsors and campaign donors, as well as
several speakers. As part of the event, we will have a silent
auction, which will close at 7:15 p.m.
The
fundraiser will be held at Christo's Union Depot, 214 Fourth
Street East in Saint Paul. Help us celebrate the 20 years of
important work we've done, and support us as we continue to
reach out to the homeless and hungry in Minnesota.
|
More Links of
Interest...
|
