First Christian Makes a Difference Along Currie Avenue
Late last year, First Christian made a donation of $3000 towards something called the Currie Avenue Partnership. This partnership was a collaboration between the downtown faith community and businesses in downtown Minneapolis. Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness, a faith-led coalition of which First is a member, put forward $130,000 of the $350,000 needed to make the dream to move 150 persons out of homelessness into permanent housing a reality.
The idea started last December when Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman and Cathy ten Broeke of the City/County Office to end Homelessness visited a Salvation Army Shelter along Currie Avenue in Downtown Minneapolis. During their visit, they met number of clients with disabilities, which qualified them for existing state aid. What they needed were case managers that would walk the shelter guests through the process in order to receive state assistance and move out of the shelter.
As of late April, more than $350,000 has been raised, 8 of the 10 needed case managers are now in place and at least 10 persons are moving into their new homes after spending more than 500 consecutive nights in a shelter.
“I am so blown away by the response from the congregations,” said Heidi Johnson McAllister of Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness. “This is not only a good thing, it is the right thing to do. People with disabilities are moving off the streets where they have been living in substandard conditions for years. Not only is the housing decent and dignified, it is also cheaper to house them than to pay for living in shelters.”
First Christian might not be a large church, but the money pledged to the partnership along with the Welcome Basket Drive taking place during the month of June will go a long way towards making a big difference in the lives of “the least of these.”
Thanks be to God that First Christian was able to help bring about another sign of God’s kingdom.
A video about the Currie Avenue Partnership, produced by Hennepin County, is here.
An article about the Partnership in the StarTribune is here.
