Grants Archive

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People Serving People

October 3, 2022

Amount Requested$20,000.00

Address

614 South Third Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415

Gigi Kreibich

Institutional Giving Officer

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  • Food and Housing Security
Proposal Information

Funds are Being Requested for:

General Operating

Mission Statement

People Serving People (PSP) exists to see families thrive.

Amount Requested

$20,000.00

Program Budget
Organizational Budget

-$411,965,067.00

Relationship to the Olseth Family Foundation

Yes

Summarize Your Request

PSP respectfully requests a grant of $5,000 so no family has to experience a single night on the streets. From a responsive homelessness prevention program to safe emergency shelter rooms to systems change advocacy, PSP is Minnesota’s largest and most comprehensive family shelter. Using a trauma-informed approach, children participate in top-rated education programs while parents work with advocates to reach long-term stability goals.

While PSP was originally founded in 1982 as a shelter for single men, it soon became clear that there was a significant need for high-quality family shelter spaces. Thus, the board changed its focus and in 2002, PSP’s downtown Minneapolis shelter opened. With ten floors, 99 private shelter rooms, and 10 permanent supportive housing apartments, PSP has between 300 and 350 individuals who call it home on any given night. Families receive three warm meals a day, have private hotel-style rooms and bedrooms, and can access basic needs items. But PSP is more than a warm place to stay. Through a multi-generational, asset-based approach, families have access to the programs and resources they need to reach long-term stability. This includes advocacy, employment assistance, homelessness prevention funds, and high-quality childcare.

Although PSP does receive some government funding, those dollars are used to keep the building open and lights on. PSP relies on private donations like yours to offer a full range of programs and systems change advocacy in an effort to end family homelessness.

Overview of the Grant Request

Population Served

PSP serves Hennepin County families experiencing homelessness or are at-risk of becoming homeless. All families either have children under the age of 18 or are expectant parents. Two-thirds of PSP guests are children, with the average age being six.

Geographic Area Served

Hennepin County, MN

List Three Measurable Goals That This Funding Will Help You Achieve.

PSP exists to see families thrive. Its long-term goal is to end family homelessness in Hennepin County by preventing families from becoming homeless, efficiently and effectively moving families experiencing homelessness to being housed, and advocate for systemic change. While this long-term goal is always in mind and at the heart of PSP’s strategic plan, it also focuses on the following goals of its ongoing direct services:
• PSP will provide shelter to Hennepin County families experiencing homelessness so they can remain safe, secure, and healthy
• PSP will offer robust comprehensive services to families during and after their stays so they can reach their long-term sustainability goals
• PSP will give children high-quality care and education that focus on their social, emotional, and mental development

How Will You Accomplish These Goals?

As mentioned, PSP offers 99 hotel style rooms with private bathrooms and lockable doors for security and dignity. PSP also supports families that need more permanent, supportive housing options with 10 two-bedroom apartments. While there is no time limit for long families stay with PSP, the average stay is just under two months. During their stays, families receive three hot meals a day, access to donated clothes, personal hygiene items, books, toys, and school supplies. In addition, PSP offers a full range of services and programs aimed at helping families reach their stability goals.

These programs include the following:
• Family advocacy to support parents and guardians reach their goals
• Technology Resource Center for job, housing, and resource searches
• Employment assistance
• Financial literacy and empowerment classes
• Early childhood development program located at the shelter
• K-12 afterschool and summer programming located at the shelter
• Center of Excellence, an off-site childcare center for former guests and community members
• Homelessness prevention assistance, offering financial and resource help to interrupt housing crises

Looking Forward, How Will You Measure These Goals?

To measure its progress towards these goals, PSP examines and tracks the following:
• Number of people housed over the course of a year in both emergency shelter and permanent supportive apartments.
• Number of meetings between advocates and guests to work towards stability goals.
• Percentage of guests who gain employment while staying at the shelter.
• Qualitative data gathered from guests at departure, including what could have improved their stays, what else PSP could offer, and where they are moving to.
• Number of children served by both shelter-based and CoE childcare programs.
• Percentage of children who demonstrate growth in at least one key development area on the GOLD Assessment.

Implementation Plan

Start Date

10/01/2022

End Date

09/30/2023

Describe Most Significant Collaborations With Other Organizations And Efforts.

PSP is committed to creating a wide support network for guests to offer them choice and flexibility. Examples of these include:
• Hennepin County Health Care for the Homeless Clinic provides free medical services for guests on site at the shelter. Located on the first floor of the shelter, the clinic was especially vital for support around COVID and continues to offer vaccines and boosters every day to guests, staff, and volunteers.
• Minneapolis Public Schools Shelter Services Office is also located on the first floor of the shelter. The school district staff work closely with families to make sure children can continue to attend their home schools, get transportation to and from school, and have the supplies they need to succeed. PSP worked closely with the office during the pandemic to support students who were learning virtually.
• Additional partnerships that provide additional wrap-around and enrichment services for our education program are: Family Partnerships, Imani, HOME Line, HousingLink, Head Start, University of Minnesota, MacPhail Center for Music, Mill City Kids, Align, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Hennepin County Libraries, and other family shelters in the region.
• Numerous colleges and companies also support PSP by sending individuals and groups to volunteer on-site at the shelter and coordinate projects off-site.

What Is The Projected Timeline For The Proposed Activities?

PSP’s programs are offered throughout the year. Through the comprehensive services discussed above, families can choose what types of programs they want to engage. Families have the autonomy to identify their own needs and strategies. PSP believes that every family, no matter what their circumstances are, have the ability and right to advocate for themselves and choose their own paths. This respect helps families feel confident in their decisions and invested and in control of their futures. Thus, when they do participate in programming, they are committed to being involved in the process, leading to even better long-term results.

In PSP’s childcare and education programs, children are given the support, permission, and space to be children. They are encouraged to express their emotions in productive ways, explore their passions, develop the skills they need, and bond with teachers, volunteers, and peers in a non-judgmental environment. Art supplies are always available, colorful tactical toys are abundance, and consistent teachers and volunteers offer trauma-informed care and education. While they might be experiencing great stressors in their lives, the childcare programs offer them a safe space to concentrate on their growth.

Supplemental Information

Current Year Organizational Budget

2022-PSP-Organization-Budget.pdf

Program Budget For Proposed Funding Period
Audited Financials (if applicable)

PSP-2021-Audit.pdf

Other Entries
Approval Status

Unapproved