Busy summer? Us too! Beacon e-news, August 2023
Beacon resident offers insight into homelessness & homecoming
“Not many people know this, but having a place to call your own after such uncertainty helps to get your dignity back,” reflected Naomi, a resident of Beacon housing, during the retirement farewell for Beacon CEO Lee Blons.
It’s easy to underestimate or underappreciate the impact that affordable housing can have on your life. But Naomi’s testimonial reminds us of what housing means emotionally and psychologically.
Discover Naomi’s entire testimonial and the restorative power of affordable housing by visiting our blog.
Beacon community packs Maplewood city hall to support deeply affordable housing for families
On July 10, over 40 Beacon advocates packed the Maplewood city council chambers. These advocates—dressed in blue—showed up to support land use for the proposed Gladstone Crossing supportive housing development, which city council officials voted unanimously to approve!
Based on how smoothly the evening went, we owe a tremendous THANK YOU (once again) to members of the Beacon collaborative who showed up to advocate on behalf of families who need affordable housing.
Your presence makes a difference, and this proves it. Thanks again for your support! To learn more about Gladstone Crossing, click here.
Efforts to secure Prairie Pointe continue
For the past two months, the Beacon community has been working hard to counter a local effort to unlawfully rezone our land in Shakopee approved for Prairie Pointe. This housing development will create up to 46 homes for families in need of affordable housing.
If you want to defend Prairie Pointe, we need you to join us on August 3 during the Shakopee planning commission meeting. You can learn more about and sign up to attend the meeting by clicking here.
Our work to advance Prairie Pointe takes resources from our community. By making a gift to Beacon, you help create affordable homes that meet the needs of people with the lowest incomes. Your donation helps Beacon advocate for a more just and equitable housing system because we know that all communities—from the city center to the suburbs—become healthier when all people have a home.
Donate today by clicking here.
What do we mean by “Housing First”? Discover what makes this approach to ending homelessness so revolutionary
We talk a lot about “Housing First.” But what does this term mean? What does it look like in practice, and how does it serve as a principle at several of Beacon’s affordable housing developments?
Our latest blog post, “How the ‘Housing First’ model meets the needs of residents at American House and Kimball Court,” answers those questions by exploring testimonials from Beacon residents.
Get a first-hand look at how this bold approach to housing changes the game and helps alleviate homelessness in Minnesota.
Click here for the full story.
Saying “Goodbye” & celebrating the impact of Families Moving Forward
After more than a decade of helping to manage the Families Moving Forward (FMF) emergency shelter program, Beacon is saying “goodbye” to the program as it transitions to new management under His House Foundation-Abundance.
However, we can’t say goodbye without celebrating the program’s success thanks to the contributions of our community members.
For one shelter guest in particular, FMF helped her move from living in her car to finding stable housing with Beacon for over a decade. And she’s not alone.
Discover additional stories by checking out our blog post “Celebrating the impact of Families Moving Forward.”
A simple, cost-free way to help Beacon spread our mission
Like you, we want to ensure everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home.
But to fulfill our mission, we need to know how to reach people effectively.
So, if you want to help us spread our mission and communicate successfully, we invite you to answer our short community survey.
Your answers will help us hone our messaging, distribute it more efficiently, reach new supporters, and provide more helpful information to our community.
Click here to access our short, four-minute survey.
Thank you for your support! You make a difference!
