Amanda shares how Emerson Village will empower families
It’s official! Construction on Emerson Village HAS BEGUN! When complete, Emerson Village will provide around 40 new apartment homes for low-income families living in North Minneapolis. On September 21, 2023, our collaborative gathered to celebrate the beginning of the construction with a groundbreaking at Church of the Ascension.
We’d like to extend a special thank you to all our community members, volunteers, donors, and partners who helped us get to this day! Your generosity, advocacy, hard work, planning, donations, conversations, vision, trust, leadership, and belief made this day possible! As our very own Rev. Emily Goldthwaite said, “It takes a village to build Emerson Village!”
Thank you to Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, Temple Israel Minneapolis, Wayman AME Church Minneapolis, Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities, and the many other faith communities that support Beacon.
At the event, we got the opportunity to hear from Amanda from Cranberry Ridge, family supportive housing from Beacon. Amanda knows firsthand how homes like Emerson Village change lives. Read her speech to learn family supportive housing empowers families:
“How My Home Empowers Me” by Amanda, Beacon Resident
Hello and good afternoon, my name is Amanda, and I am a resident at Cranberry Ridge – family supportive housing from Beacon. I am so excited to be here as we celebrate the groundbreaking of more homes for families at Emerson Village! I can tell you firsthand how homes like this empower families and the community.
Living in my Beacon home has helped me change my family’s narrative from surviving to living! I feel so empowered by my home. Years ago, I couldn’t have ever pictured myself standing up here and sharing my truth with you all. But, having the dignity of a place to call my own has changed how I see myself.
Not only that, but my home has changed the way my whole family sees themselves. Living at Cranberry Ridge has been a steppingstone for the greater.
The day I got that phone call saying I could move in felt like winning the lottery. Suddenly, we no longer had to carry the burden of living out of our car, in a shelter, or on the street. We have somewhere to call our own. No matter what life throws at us -and trust me life throws something at all of us- at least we know we have the stability of our home to come back to. We have a roof over our heads, heat in the winter, and a bed for each of us.
My home has allowed me to focus on the positives and helps me be a more productive community member. Most importantly though, my home has given me more quality time with my three kids.
Coming home after a long day of school and work, we check in with each other. We share a meal together, settle in and watch a movie. It feels so empowering to know that my kids get to make their own memories in their home.
I have a daughter and two sons. My boys play high school football. Both my boys just helped their freshmen and JV teams pick up their first two victories of the season. My daughter takes dance classes, she’s a pro already, and gets to meet kids from different cultures and backgrounds.
Usually up at 6 a.m., my boys feel confident waking up, walking to school and going off to football practice. Seeing them walk around their community with confidence means so much to me. My family is thriving as we now have access to a beautiful community we love.
It makes me so excited to know that there are families out there who will soon get the same call I did that will change their lives forever; that they can come home to Emerson Village. Soon they won’t feel the burden of driving past an apartment home, wishing it could be theirs. Soon the families here in North Minneapolis will feel empowered by their own homes.
No matter the circumstances, homes like Cranberry Ridge and Emerson Village are important. These homes change lives for the better, give hope to families, and empower everyone in the community.
Thank you all for supporting the creation of Emerson Village. Now let’s get to work and empower families everywhere.
More Photos From The Groundbreaking
