Shining a Light for Home
Building Power In Suburban Ramsey County. Written by Justin Lewandowski, Senior Congregational Organizer
Standing silently in a vacant lot in Maplewood, I began to hum a tune to myself.
Slowly, I walked around the perimeter of the plot of land that had gone unused for years. Shuffling through the tall grass, I began to hum louder. I started to imagine the sound of children playing, parents in conversation about their summer plans, and new neighbors greeting each other.
I touched the side of a building that had been locked for years and began to imagine the day when a new development would take its place, its doors opening to dozens of families in my community who would be able to call it home. The song in my heart grew louder.
Closing my eyes, I imagined how home feels beyond the brick and mortar. It’s a place for memories with family. It’s a place to heal and rest. It’s a place to grow and learn. It’s a place to dream.
After taking in this plot of land and knowing what it could mean for dozens of families in search of home, I couldn’t help but sing aloud the words my mother taught me when I was a child:
“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”
As simple as this song is, it is still a powerful anthem to me as a Congregational Organizer.
For me, the act of congregational and community organizing is an expression of my faith tradition because its foundation is built on our faith in each other. Organizing allows us to create and foster the spaces we need to shine a light on the very real barriers that we need to break down. The barriers that keep us from actualizing a multi-racial, interfaith, and transformational expression of community that has the power to address the growing challenges facing our neighbors in suburban Ramsey County.
Through our relationships and joining together in common cause and shared purpose, we can be a beacon that shines a light on what is possible when we take action together. That is why I am very excited about the opportunity we have in suburban Ramsey County. We’re coming together to create a new supportive housing development that would serve young families who are experiencing homelessness in suburban Ramsey County.
(Pictured: a young family from Beacon’s Families Moving Forward shelter program).
As a person of faith, a soon to be parent, and as a resident of Ramsey County, this development is important to me. As members of our collaborative gathered at our preview event, we launched our vision of the kind of community we want to build and learned how our faith in action will get us there.
Together we continue to grow deeper in faith, community, and collaboration. I hope that you will join us in shining a light on this vision as we build power for home.
We’re excited to announce our next development in suburban Ramsey County! Click here to learn more about Gladstone Crossing.
