South Chapter - January Report
submitted by Renee Pfenning
MICAH South is pleased to have been the nominating chapter for 360 Communities, one of the Community Hero Awards presented at the MICAH Annual Meeting. 360 Communities is dedicated to reducing the cycles of violence and poverty through programs that focus on family stability and reducing homelessness.
A community meeting will be held two times at Mt. Cavalry Lutheran Church, 3930 Rahn Rd, Eagan, MN 55122, to present information about shelter needs and a proposed shelter in Dakota County. Meeting times are on Sunday, Feb 12 at 11:00a following the church service and Wednesday, Feb 15, at 6:30p. Community residents are encouraged to attend.
Dakota County has nine community food pantries, some with multiple service locations. One of those pantries, The Open Door Pantry, has moved to a new location in Eagan that also better serves the needs of the many families that use their service and includes storage space and refrigeration that allows them to store food between service days. In addition to their fixed location, Open Door has several satellite locations and a mobile pantry service at over 30 low-income apartment complexes.
Dakota County has 10 sites providing community meals on various days of the week as well as five Loaves and Fishes locations and others not affiliated with the county or Loaves and Fishes.
The hotel emergency shelter in Dakota County is requesting donations personal hygiene items, socks, and cold weather gear for residents and for of basic household and kitchen supplies for residents moving on to permanent housing. Contact to arrange drop off of donations is Alejandra Espinosa Gonzalez: Alejandra.GonzalezEspinosa@CO.DAKOTA.MN.US
The MICAH South Legislative Breakfast is scheduled for Friday, February 24, 8-9:30a.