This GoFundMe is to support the ongoing rent relief work being provided to Anoka-Hennepin School District families who are sheltering in place during the ongoing Metro Surge operation in Minnesota. Families have been supported in large part for the past months by the district Homeless Outreach and Prevention and Education (HOPE) office through grant funds they seek each year; however, need has exceeded what the office is able to do, and those funds, which generally last the entire year and are used for many different supplies and needs, are quickly depleting. This means families may not be able to receive assistance from the district going forward.

We hope to raise $10,000 to offset some of the burden and allow the HOPE office to continue to distribute funds to families in need. The HOPE office has an established process to vet requests, staff to oversee the distribution of funds to families, and a process to get the funds directly to landlords, utility companies, and other vendors. This GoFundMe will provide the funds directly to the HOPE office so they can continue the good work they do for families in the Anoka-Hennepin School District.

While the main impact of the Metro Surge operation has been in the Minneapolis area, the Anoka-Hennepin district is large and borders Hennepin County. Many students live near Minneapolis and have been directly impacted, while dozens of others are sheltering in place with their families. Families are reaching crisis points and facing eviction, without the funds to cover rent, utilities, and grocery costs while they are unable to work. Many families have had one or more of the primary income earners detained or deported. At all times, the HOPE office works with students and families who are homeless, highly mobile, and those identified and protected under the Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, during the current crisis, they are working with more and more families seeking aid of all kinds. There is a large and growing population of immigrant, refugee, and asylee families in the district who have found a home here in suburbs where the cost of living is lower, and there is low-income housing. They bring incredible value to our schools and communities, and we want to be able to provide them with support and care through trusted channels already established and functioning in the community.

School social workers and support staff in the district have been working hard to provide aid in the form of groceries, gift cards, and transportation to families in need through the incredible work of Parents for Good (Parentsforgood.org) in Anoka, MN. Please consider donating to their mutual aid fund if you would prefer your donation go towards food and household needs. You may also contact social workers at your local AH schools to ask if they are taking donations at their school site and what the specific needs are in your neighborhood if you would prefer a more hands-on or direct approach to your contribution.