What a day!

The Staff and Board of Hope Community are so appreciative to all who joined us on Saturday, May 19th, for our final 40th Anniversary Event!

Joined by over 150 of our community of residents, program participants, funders, donors and partners, we explored Hope’s Campus, connected with some of the many people who have shaped Hope over the last 40 years, and built new relationships as we enter a new era.

During our 40th Anniversary Open House, we were honored to unveil our newest video in our #40Stories of Hope Campaign. This story embodies the legacy of Hope & our commitment to our community. If you missed the program, or just want to see the wonderful video again, you can find it below! A very special thank you to our friends at Line Break Media for producing this powerful piece.

Here’s to Another 40 Years of Hope!!

As 2017 comes to a close, we are so grateful for all that you have helped us accomplish here at Hope. Please enjoy our 2017 Year End Newsletter!

Our warmest wishes to you and yours as we celebrate this new year together. From all of us at Hope,

Thank you.

What happens here matters…

Thanks to you.

Our 2016 Annual Report lifts up what we have done and what we have learned about our work over time: it’s not what we do that makes us successful, it’s how we do it.

Thank you to our community of supporters. Together, we are building a stronger city.

Eager to share Hope with your friends? Watch our video and share it with those you care about. Donate or become a monthly sustainer today!

Thank you,

Shannon Smith Jones

view/download photos

If you had pictures taken at the “Share Your Hope Story” photo booth, you may view and download them here!

Dear Friends of Hope,

Wow – what a night. The Staff and Board of Hope Community are so appreciate to all of you who joined us last Thursday evening for our big celebration. Joined by over 250 of our friends and supporters, we shared stories, connected with some of the many people who have shaped Hope over the last 40 years, and built new relationships as we enter a new era.

There was a lot to celebrate:

• 40 years of building community and making a difference here at Franklin and Portland Avenues; particularly the vision and leadership of Char Madigan – who founded St. Joseph’s House and has helped move the organization throughout the years – and Deanna Abbott Foster – who boldly led the organization from shelter to community development.
• The work and legacy of Mary Keefe, whose leadership over the last 20+ years built an infrastructure and a reputation for the organization as community-connected and credible on organizing and equity.
• And of course the arrival of our new Executive Director, Shannon Smith Jones, who is the perfect leader to take the reins at Hope as we move into the next 40 years.

We were honored to have all four of our Executive Directors share the stage and also their reflections on the legacy of the organization in our new video. If you missed the program, or just want to see the wonderful video again, you can find it HERE. A big thank you to our friends at Line Break Media for producing this video.

Also, if you shared your Hope story with us through the photo booth, please check out the link to the photos at the top of this post.

As a reminder, we’ll have more to share between now and next March about the 40th Anniversary year, so be on the lookout. But our dear Char Madigan perhaps best summed up the organization’s history in the video when she said:

“We moved from charity to justice, from guests to leaders, and from crisis management to focused community development.”

Thanks again for being part of Hope Community!

RSVP / Donate

Over the last 40 years, from our beginnings in St. Joseph’s House, your support has helped shape Hope Community into a treasured community asset.

Hope’s Board and Staff invite you to share in our excitement as we celebrate the beginning of Hope’s 40th Anniversary year, our remarkable achievement’s during Mary Keefe’s tenure, and our vision for the future as Shannon Jones begins her new role as Hope Community’s executive director.

As an additional way to celebrate the legacy of Hope’s many leaders across the last 40 years, we invite you to contribute to our new Founders’ Fund – a special fund to support Hope’s key initiatives and honor the tenure of Mary Keefe and Hope’s many “founders.”

Hope Community Legacy Event

Thursday, May 11th, 2017, 4:00-6:00 PM

Celebrating Hope’s 40th Anniversary and Executive Leadership Transition

Location

Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 Third Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55404

Directions and Parking

Open House

Program Begins at 4:45 PM, Light Refreshments and Cash Bar

RSVP / Donate

Welcoming Hope Community’s Next Executive Director, Shannon Jones

Hope Community is pleased to announce that Shannon Jones will join our organization as the Executive Director. Shannon succeeds Mary Keefe, who joined Hope in 1994 as the Associate Director and has served as Executive Director since 2006.

Mary announced her intention to retire last fall, and we wish her well as she moves on to her next adventure. Mary’s last day at Hope will be March 24th. Shannon begins at Hope on March 27, and you will have multiple opportunities to get to know her, including at a special event in May, at which time we’ll also be officially sharing our appreciation with Mary Keefe for her incredible work with Hope over more than 20 years.

Shannon joins Hope after having served as the Director of Community Engagement at Urban Homeworks, a dynamic, resourceful community development organization with headquarters in north Minneapolis. Like Hope Community, Urban Homeworks combines an emphasis on quality affordable housing with a strategic focus on engaging and building an equitable community.

We are so thrilled to welcome Shannon to our community. In some ways, Shannon has spent her entire career preparing for this new role. Though she is a lifelong resident of north Minneapolis, she first got to know Hope as one of the first residents at the Children’s Village Center at Franklin and Portland Avenues when it opened in 2004. She has worked with many Hope Community partners in her career, and in 2015 participated in SPEAC (Sustainable Progress through Engaging Active Citizens), Hope’s intensive year-long community organizing training that is now into its 10th cohort.

Shannon earned her BA in Family Social Services at University of Minnesota, and has completed graduate-level coursework in Leadership and Management at Concordia University in St. Paul. In addition to five years at Urban Homeworks, she brings to Hope an extensive background in civic leadership and professional development. She has previously worked at Hennepin County in Human Services, and at Sabathani Community Center as a case and project manager. Shannon has two sons – Hassan, 17, who attends Henry High School, and Khalil, 16, who attends Downtown Fair School.

Hope’s board decided to hire Shannon following an extensive search process headed by a committee of board members and Hope staff. While they met many qualified candidates, the committee was unified in their recommendation to hire Shannon as the next leader for this dynamic 40 year old organization. Shannon brings Hope the focus on innovative, collaborative leadership and community engagement expertise that will continue and enhance the strong work of Hope as we move into the future.
Sincerely,

Heidi Barajas
Steve Shapiro
Hope Board of Directors

90 new rental homes on Franklin and Portland avenues! Learn more about the new and final South Quarter building: The Rose. Looking for a beautiful rental home? Apply for Rental Housing.