Messages of Hope 2200 Nicollet

If you would like to make a donation in support of the renovation of the building at 2200 Nicollet click here. Type "building fund" in the comments field on the donation page.

Messages of Hope

Though they may not see these messages, learners at Learning in Style will feel the strength and hope of the Sisters of St. Joseph for all time. The Sisters, Consociates and friends celebrated the Feast of St. Joseph the Carpenter by touring the emerging Learning In Style facility under construction at 2200 Nicollet Avenue in the Whittier neighborhood of South Minneapolis. As they toured, the visitors took markers in hand to inscribe their personal prayers and thoughts on the bare beams and walls of the reconstructed building.

Learning in Style, which has been operating at Calvary Baptist Church for 14 years, will open the refinished doors of its new location in Fall 2009. Waiting at that door will be learners from scores of countries, working hard to untangle the intricacies of the English language, to master computing skills, to learn everything from how to get a library card to how to obtain US citizenship. The CSJ community hopes that soon the building will also house child care facilities, as well as social, legal, health or other basic services.

Though most of those who left inscriptions will never meet these learners, their hopes are embedded in the very ribs of the building where these new Americans will spend their hours. See video of the blessings:

2200 Nicollet Avenue: Meeting the Needs of the Community

Another chapter in the nearly 160-year history of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in the Twin Cities is beginning.

For fifteen years Learning in Style, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph, has been flourishing in the Whittier neighborhood of South Minneapolis - flourishing to the point of bursting at the seams. Tucked into intriguing spaces and cubbyholes at Calvary Church on South Blaisdell, a global village of students intently focuses on learning the basics of reading, math, citizenship, nutrition and more from staff and volunteers including many Sisters of St. Joseph. Volunteers are everywhere, providing individual tutoring and support. There seems to be a computer on every flat surface, with a learner struggling with the intricacies of the English language or another subject. Included in the mix is one of the numerous neighborhood St. Mary’s Health Clinics, also operated by the Sisters.

As the waves of immigrants have expanded, the space has not. The vacated Albin Funeral Home at 2200 Nicollet Avenue, just a few blocks away, presented the Sisters with an option -- to invest in the neighborhood and to commit to the long-term.

The decision of the Sisters of St. Joseph to purchase and renovate the spacious building in the Whittier neighborhood continues a long tradition of assessing needs and creating programs and services that address emerging needs. History shows how the Sisters opened Minnesota’s first schools for girls, the first hospitals, the nation’s first school patrol, and many other firsts that they have been able to hand off to other agencies and organizations. In more recent times they have launched and supported Hope Community, Peace House, and St. Joseph’s Workers, a powerful program of leadership development for young women who will carry out the mission of the Sisters.

The list goes on, as does the vision of the Sisters. The move of Learning to Style marks just one visible example of that commitment to addressing human needs in innovative and compassionate ways.

A visit to Learning in Style is an inspiring reminder that the Sisters step in where others may fear to tread. Even more, it is a concrete reminder of what happens when a small group of committed people dare to take risks to help people with needs to fulfill their full potential. The Sisters set high standards, then provide the tools and support that ensure that people can meet the goals.

Your support and appreciation of the vision of the Sisters of St. Joseph amplifies the Sisters’ commitment to nurture the learning and spirit of our neighbors. As we have in past ventures, we depend on the generosity of those who truly understand and support the move and the movement. We hope you share our excitement as we express our commitment to the neighborhood and its residents.

If you would like to make a donation in support of the renovation of the building at 2200 Nicollet click here. Type "building fund" in the comments field on the donation page.

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