Supporting Bimosedaa residents and showing up for home
Written by Dylan Novacek, Content Specialist
Kat Vann believes in home. A congregant from Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Kat has helped engage her faith community around our shared Beacon mission.
Previously, Kat worked at Beacon as a Congregational Organizer. Now retired, she continues to show up for home. Recently, she helped organize a donation drive to get the new residents at Bimosedaa supplies they needed to start life in their new homes.
Read more about Kat’s experience with this work and learn how you can take action too.
A Q&A with Beacon Supporter Kat Vann from Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church
What does home mean to you?
Home is an anchor. Without it, you are adrift.
When I think about home as an anchor, the residents at Bimosedaa come to mind. Before, many of them were adrift in encampments. Now that Bimosedaa is open, it feels like a momentous step in giving these individuals a platform to rebuild and stabilize their lives.
Pictured: A home at Bimosedaa.
I’ve been hearing stories about the first residents who moved in. Many are becoming neighbors with people they shared space with in encampments. In some cases, families are coming back together, and friends are reuniting. There is a shared sense of community at Bimosedaa.
For me, Bimosedaa represents home in action.
How have you contributed to changing the landscape of home?
I have a long history with Beacon. I started engaging in this work around the time Riverview Apartments was being created. Back then, Beacon had a staff of about four people. That’s when I first learned what it takes to create homes like this. It was also the first time I got to advocate with elected officials.
Pictured: Riverview Apartments.
Over time, several of us got our congregation involved in hosting Beacon’s former shelter program, Families Moving Forward. This experience eventually led me to join the Beacon staff as a Congregational Organizer. And I loved it! It was the job I should’ve had from the beginning. I was so grateful to be there.
I retired in 2020 and have continued showing up for home as a supporter. Most recently, I helped organize a donation drive to get the residents at Bimosedaa all the supplies they needed to get started in a new home.
I’ve helped change the landscape of home by being led by my values, showing up, and believing that this is the right thing to do.
What motivates you to do this kind of work?
I come from a Christian background. The Bible verse Micah 6:8 has always resonated with me.
“And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice, love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Justice is what love looks like in public. That was a wake-up call when I got involved in this work. I believe this is what faith communities are called to do. This is my purpose and where I can find my meaning.
I remember one night when my congregation was hosting Families Moving Forward. We stayed up late talking with some of the families. One of the guests said something I’ll never forget.
“We never meant for this to happen. We never figured we’d be without a home.”
I can always picture her and her kid staying at our congregation. Whatever we can do to help people beyond that point is so important.
What has your experience been like collecting donations for Bimosedaa?
It has been really rewarding. It’s been great connecting with other members of the collaborative, some of whom I haven’t connected with much since retiring.
We made the first few welcome baskets for residents but quickly realized that the residents would need a lot more. We had partners in my faith community make a checklist and identify what was missing. I made sure people knew that these residents were coming from encampments and to assume nothing. We made sure that they had all their basic needs met.
Pictured: Bimosedaa rendering.
Bimosedaa means let’s walk together. I reminded my congregation of that, and it kept us motivated to collect donations and to gather others to help out.
We didn’t know much about the experience of people who had been living in encampments before. This was our chance to step into this space and make a difference.
What items were being donated, and which stood out most?
It’s the same stuff you’d want to have in your own home. Some were pretty basic things like toilet brushes, trash cans, and plungers. People seemed to love picking out bed sheets the most.
The most unique items donated were handmade quilts. The congregation at Edina Community Lutheran Church had a quilting group that made them for the residents. We all put our hands on the quilts and blessed them. It was such a special moment. It makes me so happy to imagine the residents using them.
These residents are people who need homes just like you and me. Housing is a right, and we all deserve to feel welcomed with nice things.
How can supporters like you help sustain supportive housing beyond donation drives?
We need to keep showing up. We need to keep putting pressure on the systemic issues that keep people from being stably housed. It’s important to acknowledge that this is long-haul work. It’s important to put our time and energy across the whole continuum of this work.
Pictured: Kat and members of her congregation at the 2024 Start with Home Rally.
I am proud to be a Beacon donor. Individuals and congregations alike can make a gift if they are able. A personal budget is a moral document – and I believe sustaining homes like Bimosedaa needs to be part of my budget.
Our actions reflect our morals too. That’s why I show up for home.
My congregation recently identified a new vision statement: Enough for everyone.
I believe we have enough for everyone to be stably housed.
What does it look like to get involved with Beacon?
Working with Beacon is a way to bring focus into your advocacy work. Beacon’s congregational organizers help guide us in the ways we can take action. They share opportunities with us, invite us to trainings, take us to the Capitol, prompt us to email our elected officials, and provide chances to give.
Beacon enables people to take action in ways they didn’t think were possible before. Housing is a big issue, but with Beacon, we have tangible ways to ensure all people have a home.
What else would you like to share with our readers?
We can’t lose sight of why we’re doing this work. We can’t have people waiting for a home.
Beacon is a leading developer of deeply affordable and supportive housing in Minnesota. It takes the power of individuals like Kat to help sustain the work we do. Click here to learn how you can help us change the landscape of home.
