Many of you know that my workplace runs emergency shelters and permanent supportive housing for folks who have experienced homelessness.

I am excited to be helping start a new support group, called the EMPOWER group, for women at the Steve O'Neil Apartments, where 44 families who have previously experienced homelessness can safely raise their children. Most heads of household are single moms, and 68% are women of color. These women are courageously finding their way and ending the cycle of homelessness for their families. The apartments are deeply affordable, and the on-site wraparound services are provided by a very skilled staff, most of whom have cultural backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences that give them insight on what it means to navigate systems that weren’t built for them.

The EMPOWER group was born out of an overwhelming resident request for connection, real community, and skill building. Staff are designing and facilitating the curriculum themselves, targeted to the women's specific requests and needs. They are looking for furniture, lighting, and a few other items to create a comfortable meeting space, as well as donations for refreshments and shared meals.

Ways to give:

1. If you want to donate items in Duluth, take a look at the multicolored wish list columns for items you might already have. Reach out to me for delivery options.

2. If you'd like to make a GoFundMe contribution, you can do it here! All funds raised here will go directly to furnishings and supplies for the EMPOWER group, and I will be in touch to let you know how your donation was spent.

3. If you'd like to buy a specific in-kind item, message me and I'll send you their wish list. Specific items range from $35 to $150.

I believe we could meet all their support group needs for about $2,000.

The synergy, trust, and collaboration among staff and residents have never been stronger in this building. This is the first time staff themselves are developing curriculum based on the specific wishes of the women they work with every day. The group had their first month of sessions in July, with thirteen participants delving into topics of healing, compassion, and self-forgiveness. The space has been real and vulnerable. Women who don’t usually speak opened up. There was laughter, storytelling, and a collective sense of being seen. There is a level of truth-telling and safe space for vulnerability that allows for deeper healing. The group energy is grounded and strong, and many expressed how meaningful it was to have a space like this, without pressure, but full of purpose. There is a sisterhood forming.

Future topics will include mental health and the effects of trauma on the brain, drawing on cultural power, financial literacy and résumé building , and tools for emotional self-regulation.

Even before this incredibly dynamic group started, the Steve O'Neil Apartments is a place where families have been beating the odds. Every year less than 1% of residents return to homelessness, in a town that, per-capita, has one of the largest homeless crises in Minnesota. I created this fundraiser because I am deeply moved by the systems change that I see happening with every interaction, every day in this building. This GoFundMe is an invitation for you to participate in the profound good that is occurring here, to join your good heart with theirs. No donation is too small to make that connection.