Prairie Pointe is My Foundation
Roosevelt and his son, Junior, are residents at Prairie Pointe in Shakopee. Roosevelt delivered the following speech at the Prairie Pointe Grand Opening Celebration on May 14, 2026. Prairie Pointe, with 42 family supportive homes, exists because a community chose to show up over many years for families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in Scott and Carver Counties. Learn more about Prairie Pointe here.
Good afternoon, everybody.
I just want to introduce myself. My name is Roosevelt. I am one of the residents here at Prairie Pointe. Me and my son, Junior, he is 4 years old, we were actually one of the first families to move into the building.
I am a polite person so I speak to everybody. “Hello, how are you? How’s your day?” Sometimes I get a crazy look, sometimes I get a hello back. But that is just who I am. I speak to everybody. Today, I want to say… HELLO and Welcome to Prairie Pointe!!
In A Spiral
I was asked to speak about the importance of Prairie Pointe in my life. I can tell you this: it is almost unbelievable. It is almost too good to be true. I am a hardworking person, and I understand what it means to take care of my responsibilities. I had a job. I had everything pretty much. I was the person that had it all. And lost it.
I worked in the entertainment industry. That’s a powerful industry. It kind of puts you on a rollercoaster. The money is good but there is a lot of other stuff that is not. It’s blinding almost. I did it for so long that I had begun to spiral. I did not realize I was spiraling. I even lost my job and still did not know I was spiraling. I kept thinking, oh yeah—I will get my job back. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I was homeless.
For 2 and a half years I was homeless. Yes, people did reach out to me and say, “Hey, man, you’re spiraling. What’s going on?” I did not want to admit it. Or, I was in denial. People offered help, but I knew there was an “ask” in what they were giving. They give me somewhere to stay, only if I give them a plug for their work or help them with something else.
I wasn’t in a position to help anyone out. Let me tell you. I needed the help. I couldn’t accept a lot of the help that was offered to me because I knew they wanted something else in return. I couldn’t accept it. I didn’t think I deserved it.
Taking the First Step
But I finally said to myself, “I’m not doing this anymore.”
It was one day when a friend and I were talking. I had turned to him for some help because I’ve helped that person out before, so I could count on him and trust him. He knew my situation and he told me “I found this place; it’s called the CAP Agency. It is here in Shakopee.
He told me they can help me find housing and get the help that I needed so I could get the foundation up under me. I have strong connections here in this area and this friend thought it would be a step in the right direction for me. But I stepped into the door.
At the CAP Agency I was greeted by a lady named Angel. Yes. Her name is Angel. Ms. Angel, I called her. My guardian angel. That day changed everything and that is what led me here today. Me stepping into that building on that day and meeting Ms. Angel, it got me here, today. I am still thinking, is this real? It is still almost too good to be true, but here I am. I was able to get off the streets and into Prairie Pointe.
The People Make the Difference
Because the people here are so good to me, I continue to do what I can to be helpful. I’m a bigger guy. I come off as intimidating to some people. But now that I’ve been here awhile, people are starting to know—I am a kindhearted neighbor. Because this place has been so good to me, I ask staff, “What do I owe you in return”? I was told, “You just raise your son. You’re good. Really. Just live, man. And, if you need help from us, we got you.”
They helped me get my son enrolled in school. I’ve asked if they can help me get a dentist appointment. I needed help with paperwork for me and Junior, they helped with that too. I’ve never experienced this kind of kindness in my life. They make it easy for me to WANT to give back.
I work with Dom [and other onsite Volunteers of America services staff] and organize clean up days around the building. We are looking at starting a resident group to give Dom and the staff ideas about the kinds of programs residents want here. Dom asked me to be a resident leader—I’m not sure what that means yet—but, sure. I also like to give back by helping other families.
One day I saw some kids playing on the playground. I went to the store with my son to get some fruit. He loves fruit. I bought a bag of apples and some grapes and I brought it back to the playground and sat on the bench. That’s how you get to know your neighbors. Always say hello and always try to help each other out.
“I can feel the love”
Now that I have a home, so much has changed.
I have some health issues I am dealing with. I take care of my son. My granddaughter spends time with me. I enjoy that. Her mom, my daughter, lives close by. She helps me and I enjoy helping her by watching her daughter. My other daughters are also back in my life too.
I am just filled with gratitude at this point. I am content. I am happy. I am at peace. I have peace of mind here. It’s peace. And I can feel the love. I can feel it. Prairie Pointe is my foundation. It’s a place where I can plant my feet, so I can do what I need to do for somebody else and be a great dad to my son and a better father to my daughters.
Thank you.
