Rent is Due: Day of Action - 12/1/21
2021-12-01 08:30 - 09:00 (America/Chicago)
Our vision is that all people have a home. The pandemic and economic crisis have been building into an eviction crisis, which could add to the already too large number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. We cannot let this happen, and home is the solution.
We need Bring It Home, MN, a rent subsidy program that will allow all low-income Minnesotans the security and reassurance of home.
On Wednesday, December 1, join us on Zoom at 8:30 a.m. for a thirty-minute update meeting, where we will learn more about the growing crisis, and reflect on how to take action together. This meeting will have Closed Captions available.
Please register below to let us know you will participate and to receive further instructions on how to access the meeting.

Beacon Now: Families Moving Forward - 12/1/21
2021-12-01 14:00 - 14:30
Whether you’re brand new to Beacon or have been a supporter for years, we invite you to attend a virtual “Beacon Now” session. In this session, we’ll touch on the basics of Beacon’s work, go in depth on one aspect of that work, and discuss how we can make a difference for Minnesotans now. Encampments of people without a home are again growing. Racial disparities in housing continue to harm communities of color. This session will cover our shelter program, Families Moving Forward. Join us to learn more and find out how you can get involved in Beacon’s work.
This Zoom event will have Closed Captioning available. To learn about our event accessibility and safety practices, please click here.

Beacon Now: Families Moving Forward - 12/8/21
2021-12-08 14:00 - 14:30

Joyful Urgency: A Beacon Convening
2021-12-09 18:30 - 20:30 | St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 8400 France Ave S, Bloomington, MN, 55431, United States
Click here for our Public Agenda – Joyful Urgency Convening December 2021
The Beacon collaborative has shown tremendous power and resilience over the last year, working hard to shelter families, create homes and advocate for our vision that all people have a home. We have continued to lead the growing Bring it Home, MN campaign. We have stepped boldly into new policy campaigns locally, pushing the Met Council and City of Minneapolis to live into their commitment to creating homes for those at the lowest incomes. And most of this work has been done all virtually over Zoom!
It is time to come together to celebrate this great work and move forward in joyful urgency! You are invited to our first Beacon Congregational Convening since the start of the pandemic. If you have not attended a convening before, join us to ground ourselves in our vision and collective story and learn the transformational power of the work we are planning this next year. All congregations are invited in whatever way they have participated in Beacon. We especially welcome you if you just learned about Beacon through a congregational in-reach. This event will be a great introduction to Beacon for those new to our work and nourishment for the journey for everyone working for the vision that all people have a home.
Do not miss this convening on Thursday, December 9th. Save the date.
This is a hybrid event, and everyone has the option of joining us either in person or virtually via Zoom (the link will be shared with you upon registering).
Our in-person venue will be:
St. Stephen Lutheran Church
8400 France Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55431
Masks are required for anyone attending in person, and we will provide extras at the door if you don’t have one. Accessible parking, seating, and bathrooms are available on site, and St. Stephen Lutheran Church welcomes all regardless of gender, sexual identity, religious preference, or ethnic heritage. Closed Captioning will be available on Zoom. For more information on our safety and accessibility policies, please click here.

Power Tools: Leadership For Change Virtual Retreat - December 2021
2021-12-12 15:00 - 2021-12-14 20:30
To create the change needed to ensure all people have a home, we need skilled leaders who are able to build meaningful relationships with decision makers, hold power and act effectively in the public arena. This three-part virtual workshop focuses on how we understand and use power to address issues of homelessness; ways to act on individual and congregational interest; how to build powerful public relationships; tools to plan and act strategically; and how to participate in actions and campaigns that channel power and build the capacity of leaders, congregations and the collaborative.
This workshop is composed of three virtual sessions:
1. Sunday, December 12 from 3-8:30 p.m.
2. Monday, December 13 from 4-8:30 p.m.
3. Tuesday, December 14 from 4-8:30 p.m.
Please attend all three sessions to experience the full training and be sure to register by Tuesday, December 7.
This virtual retreat will have closed captioning available. For more information about our safety and accessibility practices, please click here.
We ask participants to share in the cost of this workshop and suggest $50 per person. Congregations may also wish to cover costs to invest in the leadership of their members. We don’t want cost to be a barrier for anyone to attend, so please contact Deb Rodgers about a scholarship if needed.
Core training for Beacon Leadership Team members, key leaders, clergy and faith leaders in Beacon congregations. We recommend six months’ experience with Beacon or with your congregation’s leadership team before attending this workshop.

Beacon Academy: Building Your BLT - 12/14/21
2021-12-14 18:00 - 20:30
Beacon Leadership Teams (or BLTs, as we like to call them) are the necessary liaison between the congregation and the collaborative. This workshop focuses on who to look for in creating your team, how to develop leaders and engage your congregation, and how to develop an organizing plan that connects your faith traditions to the work of the collaborative in housing and policy.
This Zoom training will have Closed Captioning available. Please register below to receive the link to join.

Beacon Now: Families Moving Forward - 12/15/21
2021-12-15 14:00 - 14:30

Beacon Now: Families Moving Forward - 12/22/21
2021-12-22 14:00 - 14:30

Beacon Academy: Unpacking Race and Housing
2021-12-30 18:30 - 20:30
As the collaborative continues its race equity journey we are increasingly aware of the importance to understand the history behind the disparities that exist in the ongoing housing crisis. Unpacking Race and Housing provides an opportunity to ground ourselves in an understanding of the levels of racism, the way race has been used to oppress communities of color and Indigenous communities and the impact of that today. Unpacking Race and Housing is offered as a two-part series, so participants have ample time for discussion and reflection.
This training consists of 2 virtual sessions with Closed Captioning available:
1. Thursday, December 30 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
2. Thursday, January 6 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Please attend both to experience the full training. Register below to receive the login information.

Rent is Due: Day of Action - 1/5/22
2022-01-05 08:30 - 09:00
Our vision is that all people have a home. The pandemic and economic crisis have been building into an eviction crisis, which could add to the already too large number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. We cannot let this happen, and home is the solution.
We need Bring It Home, MN, a rent subsidy program that will allow all low-income Minnesotans the security and reassurance of home.
On Wednesday, January 5, join us on Zoom at 8:30 a.m. for a thirty-minute update meeting, where we will learn more about the growing crisis, and reflect on how to take action together. This meeting will have Closed Captions available.
Please register below to let us know you will participate and to receive further instructions on how to access the meeting.

Beacon Now: What Happens at a Legislative Session? - 1/5/22
2022-01-05 14:00 - 14:30
Whether you’re brand new to Beacon or have been a supporter for years, we invite you to attend a virtual “Beacon Now” session. In each session, we’ll touch on the basics of Beacon’s work, go in depth on one aspect of that work, and discuss how we can make a difference for Minnesotans now. Encampments of people without a home are again growing. Racial disparities in housing continue to harm communities of color. This session will cover what happens at a Legislative Session and why impacting policy is so important to the mission that all people have a home. Join us to learn more and find out how you can get involved in Beacon’s work.
This Zoom event will have Closed Captioning available.

Beacon Academy: Unpacking Race and Housing
2022-01-06 18:30 - 20:30
As the collaborative continues its race equity journey we are increasingly aware of the importance to understand the history behind the disparities that exist in the ongoing housing crisis. Unpacking Race and Housing provides an opportunity to ground ourselves in an understanding of the levels of racism, the way race has been used to oppress communities of color and Indigenous communities and the impact of that today. Unpacking Race and Housing is offered as a two-part series, so participants have ample time for discussion and reflection.
This training consists of 2 virtual sessions with Closed Captioning available:
1. Thursday, December 30 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
2. Thursday, January 6 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Please attend both to experience the full training. Register here.

Beacon Now: What Happens at a Legislative Session? - 1/12/22
2022-01-12 14:00 - 14:30

Leadership Assembly - 1/13/22
2022-01-13 18:30 - 20:30
Are you a leader of a Beacon Leadership Team or a Campaign Action Team? Interested in learning more about the work we do together to create change? Need some inspiration? Leadership Assemblies are a place for established and emerging leaders to come together to get grounded, energized and connected. The January leadership assembly will focus on the legislative session and how we can move the Bring it Home, MN campaign forward. We’ll spend time on Lobby Week of Action and other actions for congregations to engage in to build their base, their power and the power of the collaborative to ultimately win Bring it Home.
We will have Closed Captioning available on Zoom. Please register below to receive the link to join.

Minneapolis BIHZ Committee Watch Party - 1/18/22
2022-01-18 13:30 - 15:30
Emerson Village in North Minneapolis will depend on awards of capital funding from the city and state to become a reality! Join the Emerson Village team to watch the live stream of the meeting where this year’s Minneapolis Affordable Housing Trust Fund awards will be presented. Watch with us over Zoom, chat your questions and stay for a debrief of what we witnessed. Register now and instructions will be sent closer to the date as any changes or updates come up.
You do not need to be a Minneapolis resident to attend, and you’re welcome to join us for all or part of the meeting. This Zoom event was rescheduled from November 30, 2021 and will have Closed Captioning available. Please register below to receive the link to join.

Beacon Now: What Happens at a Legislative Session? - 1/19/22
2022-01-19 14:00 - 14:30

Clergy and Staff Gathering - 1/20/22
2022-01-20 10:00 - 11:30
A quarterly virtual gathering space for clergy and staff of congregations to build relationships and skills for the work we share as a collaborative. In January, join us for a special conversation to contribute clergy and staff perspectives to Beacon’s strategic planning process. How do you see the future we will live into together?
This Zoom meeting will have Closed Captioning available. Please register below to receive the link to join.

Beacon Now: What Happens at a Legislative Session? - 1/26/22
2022-01-26 14:00 - 14:30

Lobby Days Training: Hosting a Virtual Visit with Your Legislator - 1/31/22
2022-01-31 18:30 - 20:30
As the Minnesota state legislature opens their session to debate and legislate on a projected surplus of nearly $8 billion, Beacon leaders will gather to make sure Bring It Home, MN is on the legislative agenda in 2022. In order to get a vote in the House this year, Beacon leaders will need to coordinate our House visits early-on, and turn-out our congregations in a big way this February. That’s why, on January 31 and February 1, Beacon will prepare our leaders to host and facilitate a virtual visit with their legislator leading up to Beacon’s week of Lobby Days from February 14-18, 2022.
At one of these trainings, Leaders will learn how to set-up and coordinate a virtual visit with their legislator, and host participants from their legislative districts by providing technical support and experience to enhance the virtual conversation. Leaders will work with organizers to determine their Beacon Leadership Team members’ roles to focus the 45 minute conversation for their legislator on Beacon’s bold policy initiative, Bring It Home, MN. We will also go over turn-out strategies to increase participation from their congregations in lobby day activities.
Please register for one session either on January 31 or February 1, or for both if you would like more practice. Closed captioning is available at these virtual trainings.

Lobby Days Training: Hosting a Virtual Visit with Your Legislator - 2/1/22
2022-02-01 08:00 - 16:00, 2022-02-01 16:00 - 18:00

Beacon Now: What Happens at a Legislative Session? - 2/2/22
2022-02-02 14:00 - 14:30

Beacon Now: The Met Council's Role in Affordable Housing - 2/9/22
2022-02-09 14:00 - 14:30
Whether you’re brand new to Beacon or have been a supporter for years, we invite you to attend a virtual “Beacon Now” session. In each session, we’ll touch on the basics of Beacon’s work, go in depth on one aspect of that work, and discuss how we can make a difference for Minnesotans now. Encampments of people without a home are again growing. Racial disparities in housing continue to harm communities of color. This session will cover the role of the Metropolitan Council in supporting affordable housing, and why it is so important to the mission that all people have a home. Join us to learn more and find out how you can get involved in Beacon’s work.
This Zoom event will have Closed Captioning available.

Met Council: Project Based Voucher Listening Session - 2/10/22
2022-02-10 10:00 - 11:30
The Metropolitan Council Housing and Redevelopment Authority (Metro HRA) is inviting members of the public to a listening session on their Project Based Voucher program on Thursday, February 10th from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
No decision has been made on whether or how many Project Based Vouchers (PBVs) the Metro HRA will offer in 2022. Without access to PBV’s, Beacon developments such as Prairie Pointe and our new east and west metro developments are virtually impossible to build.
Register today to show your support for Project Based Vouchers in 2022! You’ll receive information on how to watch this virtual event in your registration confirmation email.

Lobby Days Training: Hosting a Virtual Visit with Your Legislator - 2-10-22
2022-02-10 18:30 - 20:30
As the Minnesota state legislature opens their session to debate and legislate on a projected surplus of nearly $8 billion, Beacon leaders will gather to make sure Bring it Home, Minnesota is on the legislative agenda in 2022. In order to get a vote in the House this year, Beacon leaders will need to coordinate our House visits early-on, and turn-out our congregations in a big way this February. Beacon will prepare our leaders to host and facilitate a virtual visit with their legislator leading up to Beacon’s week of Lobby Days from February 14-18, 2022.
At this training, leaders will learn how to set-up and coordinate a virtual visit with their legislator, and host participants from their legislative districts by providing technical support and experience to enhance the virtual conversation. Leaders will work with organizers to determine their Beacon Leadership Team members’ roles to focus the 45 minute conversation for their legislator on Beacon’s bold policy initiative, Bring it Home, Minnesota. We will also go over turn-out strategies to increase participation from their congregations in lobby day activities.
Closed captioning is available at these virtual trainings.

Rent is Due: Week of Action Kickoff - 2/14/22
2022-02-14 08:30 - 09:30
It is time for Bring it Home, MN and we are going to kickoff this 2022 legislative session strong! With a $7 billion surplus, we have the opportunity to bring housing stability to all Minnesotans, but it will only happen if we show up.
Join us for our February Rent is Due and Kickoff for our Bring it Home, MN Week of Action Monday, February 14 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Then, during the week of Feb. 14, congregational teams are going to be meeting with their legislators to deliver the message, “We want Bring it Home, MN passed!”
For our Monday morning kickoff, we invite everyone who will participate in a lobby visit and everyone who wants to support them. We will educate everyone on the campaign, hear from our champion legislators, train those preparing for lobby visits and give everyone a concrete action to do. We look forward to seeing you there!
Our Zoom meeting will have Closed Captioning available. Please register below for the link to join.

Bring it Home, Minnesota: House Hearing - 2/15/22
2022-02-15 10:30 - 12:00
Join us for an important hearing on Bring it Home, Minnesota rent support legislation in the House! Partners working on Bring it Home, Minnesota – including Beacon – will be testifying to legislators about the impact and timeliness of the bill. Show up to demonstrate to the Minnesota legislature why now is the moment to pass this transformative legislation and ensure every Minnesotan gets the rent support they deserve.

Beacon Now: The Met Council's Role in Affordable Housing - 2/16/22
2022-02-16 14:00 - 14:30

Beacon Now: The Met Council’s Role in Affordable Housing – 2/23/22
2022-02-23 14:00 - 14:30

Rent is Due: Day of Action - 3/1/22
2022-03-01 08:30 - 09:00
Our vision is that all people have a home. The pandemic and economic crisis have been building into an eviction crisis, which could add to the already too large number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. We cannot let this happen, and home is the solution.
We need Bring it Home, Minnesota, a rent support program that will allow all low-income Minnesotans the security and reassurance of home.
On Tuesday, March 1, join us on Zoom at 8:30 a.m. for a thirty-minute update meeting, where we will learn more about the growing crisis, and reflect on how to take action together. This meeting will have Closed Captions available.
Please register below to let us know you will participate and to receive further instructions on how to access the meeting.
