People Serving People Homeless Shelter is part of the mission outreach supported by the women of Faith Lutheran. The homeless shelter is located in downtown Minneapolis. It is a secure facility for families. In late July 2012, the shelter housed 395 people (249 children) in one night. While they work hard to make sure families move into one of their 99 emergency shelter rooms, they still make use of lounges, the library and additional spaces when rooms are full. When a new family arrives at People Serving People, volunteers greet the new children and parents. Donated diapers and baby wipes and bottles are given to parents of infants. Meals are served by volunteers. Health checkups are provided, as are immunizations. The Minneapolis Public Schools representatives help families prepare for the upcoming school year. The shelter’s family advocates support families in reaching their goals for housing and income, and the employment assistance staff helps adults know about job resources.
Early this summer, Faith Lutheran’s women donated over 50 baby receiving blankets, several crib quilts and 10 adult quilts to the shelter. The people at the shelter sent a heartfelt note to thank them for the gift, which ended: “With such a full house, it would be a daunting task to take on alone. It is really the work of the volunteers, donors and community partners that allows People Serving People to continue offering a welcoming and safe environment to homeless children and their families. It is clear that when people make room in their hearts, there is more room in our shelter. Thank you to all who have been caring so much this summer.”
Click here to learn more about Faith Lutheran’s mission work.
