Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery

North Woods Stewardship Center

d community QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF PEOPLE SERVING PEOPLE To serve homeless children and their families and provide a new opportunity for a healthy, stable family life. The Children s Center at People Serving People: A Model Learning Center for Families in Transition An exciting, innovative vision for child and family development became a reality at People Serving People (PSP). Collaborators from PSP, the University of Minnesota, and the Minneapolis Public Schools worked together for more than two years to establish an on-site Pre-School Children s Center at PSP. The Children s Center is a model learning center that achieves state-of-the-art practices, promoting positive child development and support to homeless families. The team successfully designed a model center for families in transition based on their combined experience, education and expertise. The focus of the Children s Center began with toddlers because of the large gap between needs and resources for families with kids in this age group. Toddlers need a safe, fun, and educational place to develop the cognitive, social, and emotional skills required for success in school. While toddlers are being cared for, parents have the opportunity to look for housing and employment, as well as the opportunity to consult with our teachers on toddler development. Parents also have the opportunity to connect with community resources for toddlers, as their children often need evaluations for school readiness or health. Developing a fi rst rate, licensed child care program for toddlers at an emergency shelter is a complex undertaking, involving many requirements and steps. Fortunately, the team gained support from teachers at one of the oldest and fi nest preschool training programs in the nation, The University of Minnesota s Shirley G. Moore Laboratory School. The Lab School trains more than half of all certifi ed early childhood teachers in the State of Minnesota. Two of the Lab School s most experienced teachers, Victoria Barker and Frances Durkin, were enlisted to develop the project, with the full support of the Lab School and the College of Education and Human Development at the U of M. Working closely with Kelly Stillman, Director of Children s Services at PSP, and the support of other team members, these teachers guided the licensure and implementation of the new program for toddlers and their parents. continued on page 2 WHAT S INSIDE Program Stories 2 3 Events Stories 4 LETTER FR O M THE PRESIDEN T : Our Community Continues to Grow Where is the beginning and where is the end of homelessness? We often ask ourselves, as we continue to serve the homeless community Foreclosures: Effecting the Poorest of Poor Recently, at People Serving People, we have seen a dynamic rise in families with children needing emergency housing and support. Event Calendar 5 of the Greater Minneapolis area. In looking at the que s tion, we see as our goal to create an environment of hope for those that may Historically, we experience a decreasing need for housing in winter months, but this year, we are seeing something different. Since late be hopeless and support for those with little or no support. People Serving People has now committed itself to an even greater role in Volunteer Opportunities 6 supporting the dignity and self-respect of our residents. We have redefi ned our role at People Serving People with the mission to Awards 7 providing lasting support for those in the greatest need. expand our services beyond the shelter, to reach beyond our walls in summer in 2007, our guest numbers increased steadily each month and peaked in October and November. For the fi rst time in years, we were near full capacity. There are generally many reasons that cause a family to become homeless. Sometimes it is bad luck, a family illness, or an abusive relationship, but in the last several months a new cause has entered 614 South Third St. Minneapolis, MN 55415 www.peopleservingpeople.org SPRING 2008 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 8 It is our responsibility to increase our visibility within our community to the growing needs of homeless families. For more than twenty our community. Foreclosures have effected the poorest of the poor. The effect that the housing market has on the poor is devastating, and often, these people are unaware of what is happening until it is too l ate. continu e o n page 3 support from many stakeholders help p lease contact Mar c ie W agner Wolterstorff at ervingpeople.o r g. e expanded can Childr en s Center r and donors. For more informat ion about how y o u 612.277.0246 or e-mail at marciew@people s quir es ealizing the full vision for People Serving People

People Serving People