Together, we are building economic opportunity and mobility.
Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul works in partnership with diverse faith and spiritual communities to drive significant change in our community. Check out below what we accomplished just last year, and download our 2022 Impact Report.
23,458
shelter-bed nights, with
doubled capacity (2021-22)
56
families moved from shelter into
permanent, affordable housing
181,688
pounds of food distributed
free to 2,271 hungry people
124
youth served in
American Indian Youth Enrichment programs
1,000+
hours of free legal advice
through Power-Up Legal Clinic & videos
66
average length of stay in our shelter (down from 83 the 2 years before)
1,500+
clergy and community residents engaged
in conversations about economic mobility
250
school backpacks provided for
children from low-income families
2,947
hours of volunteer tutoring
and job coaching
Link to: Learning Community Events
New initiatives to build economic mobility
Interfaith Action continually seeks ways to build stability and economic mobility and to engage diverse faith communities in effective action. Here are a few highlights of new initiatives.
Project Home at the Provincial House
In March 2021, Interfaith Action joined with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Ramsey County to relocate our family shelter to the Provincial House, the former home of the Sisters, in the Highland Park neighborhood of Saint Paul. This site allows us to provide shelter for up to 100 people at a time rather than 40. Families can also access employment and other resources to relocate to more permanent housing sooner.
Department of Indian Work (DIW)
- Expansion. In November 2021, DIW moved to a spacious new location in Little Canada that doubles the size of the food shelf, adds a clothing closet, and provides community gathering spaces.
- Covid Community Coordinator. DIW was chosen by the State of Minnesota to serve as the Covid Community Connector for the American Indian community. Our Covid hotline answered thousands of calls about vaccines, Covid testing, supplies and more for 18 months. We also co-hosted more than a dozen vaccination clinics.
- Economic Mobility Hub. Design is underway for an economic mobility hub where the American Indian community will access multiple resources for housing, employment, food and clothing, youth enrichment, early childhood education, and more in one accessible location.
Building the Beloved Community Safety Project
Interfaith Action convened lay leaders and clergy from across the state to a series of compelling conversations with Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety John Harrington about creating a better system of public safety and policing in Minnesota. The work is culminating in a report of collective feedback.
