People Serving People - So Much More Than Emergency Housing

I remember noticing the neatly painted People Serving People(PSP) building while standing on the Light Rail platform at the Dome, and wondering what is was.  Well, now I know.

Amy Jenkins, Director of Development, and Lauren Rimestad, Development Coordinator, recently gave Dave and me an in-depth tour. We were amazed at what an incredible facility it is, and I'm almost at a loss as to where to begin sharing all the positive programs they have in place.

PSP has come a long way since 1982, when it began as a temporary homeless shelter for men with chemical dependencies. The first location was the former Francis Drake Hotel at 416 South 10th Street. 

Over the years homelessness changed from affecting mostly men with chemical and mental health problems, to affecting families with children.  Now located at 614 South 3rd Street, PSP has evolved to address that change.  It is a family-only shelter, which last year averaged 318 guests per night, with an average family size of three.  While there's no time limit on how long a family can live there, the average stay is 38 days. Click here for additional statistics.

Because it's so much more than emergency housing, extensive planning went into the current 10-floor facility.  This assured PSP could fulfull their mission to serve homeless children and their families, providing new opportunities for a healthy, stable family life, as well as self-sufficiency.

In addition to the 99 hotel-size rooms and 10 two-bedroom apartments, PSP houses:

22 Collaborative agencies, such as Minneapolis Public Schools, At Home Group Partnerships for Independence, and University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development.   The full list can be viewed on their website.

There is both an Infant Center and Early Childhood Development Center.  The schedule maintained at the ECD center provides daily structure to help children feel safe and ease anxieties.  There are 52 available spaces for children under 5, and PSP partners with Head Start when the demand is higher than spaces available.

The full service dining hall serves 1,000 meals every day, all prepared in the industrial kitchen.  In addition, the Culinary Arts Training Program takes place here.  This progressive program offers specific skills to those interested in culinary arts.  Students train for 13 weeks in areas of sanitation, food preparation, equipment, soups and more. Each graduate is given a uniform, cookbook, a set of industrial kitchen knives and a certificate.  More importantly, they are given an opportunity to earn a livable wage.

 

In the Technology Center, parents learn how to navigate the Internet for help with job searches and creating resumes.  Each family is assigned a Employment Counselor.  There are also classrooms for tutoring and after school activities, as well as a children's library.  Upon leaving PSP, children can take books with them.  Donations of children's books are always welcome, along with both children's clothes and items for the Career Ware Closet for adults.

The onsite health clinic is staffed by a Nurse Practioner, RN's and Public Health Nurse.  Hennepin County works with residents on health insurance matters.

To assure the facility is a safe environment for residents, staff, volunteers and collaborative partners, everyone entering PSP must first go through the security station (including metal detector). Just beyond security is the service center.  There are 5 Case Manager/Advocates on staff, and each family is assigned their own Case Manager. 

Thanks to funding from Cummins Power Generation and anonymous donors, PSP will be adding a rooftop vegetable garden this year.  Ecological Gardens of Minneapolis is designing and installing the project.  Their rooftop designs include features such as earthboxes, SIPs (sub-irrigated planters), raised beds, light weight soil mixes, trellising and shade and hail netting.  Although designed to be low-maintenance, PSP will be looking to volunteers to help make the vegetable garden a success. 

Each family's situation and challenges are unique, and the transition from being homeless to having a home is not easy.  PSP tries to stay in touch with families, but lack of a phone number and frequent address changes makes follow up communication difficult to maintain.  A new initiative being discussed is basic life skills training, such as personal finances.

In addition to a full time staff of 60 and the collaborative agencies, PSP operates with the help of numerous volunteers.   Last year, 1,000 volunteers performed 30,000 hours of service! Lindsey Tiede is PSP's Volunteer Coordinator.  She can be reached at 612-277-0256 or lindseyt@peopleservingpeople.org.

I've really only touched the surface, but luckily PSP maintains an informative website where you can learn more.

Mill City Times looks forward to partnering with PSP to assist with visibility, fundraising, and promoting volunteer activities.