Families Moving Forward Program Provides Shelter and Support for Homeless Families in Shakopee, Minnesota, Church

Mary Vega and her two children arrive at Cross of Peace Lutheran Church in Shakopee each evening around 5:30 p.m., where they find a place to rest on air beds in a church classroom. By 10 p.m., they have dinner prepared by volunteers and are settled in for the night. The next morning, they are transported to the Families Moving Forward-Southwest Program Center at Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church in Chaska, where Vega spends the day searching for work and caring for her 2-year-old.

Vega and three other families in the program follow this routine daily. After 10 days in Shakopee, they will move to another makeshift shelter in Prior Lake, Belle Plaine, or another location. The movement is intentional, allowing families to remain in the southwest metropolitan area without uprooting their lives.

Families Moving Forward is a Minneapolis-based initiative that expanded to Scott and Carver counties in 2014. Volunteers use church spaces to create temporary shelters, housing homeless families for one to eight weeks. Each night, families receive dinner and participate in activities. During the day, they work with case workers to save money, find employment, and locate permanent housing.

For the first time, a Shakopee church has joined the effort. From December 4 to 14, Cross of Peace Lutheran Church provided shelter for four families. Vega, who joined the program in mid-November, described the transition as difficult but necessary. She noted the constant change in people and settings for her children, but praised the program for its focus on making families feel welcome and offering nightly activities.

Sakinah Mujahid, program manager for Families Moving Forward, explained the initiative has grown to meet increasing needs in the southwest metro area. Before the program, many homeless families were living in hidden, unstable situations. The program helps them transition to more stable living conditions.

The federal definition of homelessness includes a wide range of situations beyond visible street homelessness. It encompasses people sleeping in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, motels, nonprofit shelters, and even those couch-surfing with friends or family. According to a 2014 survey, about 50 families in Scott and Carver County are homeless on any given night, with approximately 116 children affected. At Cross of Peace alone, 10 children between the ages of 2 and 16 were housed during the program’s stay.

Source: Read the original report