Download 2008 Grant Recipients PDF
Lutheran Social Service (LSS)/Crisis Nursery
Central Minnesota LSS is a non-profit corporation that provides birth parent services, mental health counseling for individuals and families, temporary care for children of parents experiencing a crisis, day treatment for emotionally disturbed youth and customized living services for older adults.
Funds from Finnegans Community Fund will assist in the start-up of the Parent Tip Line, which provides free, confidential, 24 hour support for area families resulting in much-needed bridge between services as well as a base for families in crisis.
Three Rivers Community Action Head Start
Head Start is a Federally Funded pre-school program that supports not only pre-school children living in poverty, but their families as well. Three Rivers Community Action supports Head Start centers in Zumbrota, Wabasha, Red Wing, Northfield and Faribault.
Funds from the Finnegans Community Fund will be used for a variety of classroom needs and resources for family involvement including: a set of Spanish language backpacks, filled with literacy activities for children to take home and work on with parents.
Dakota Woodlands
For 27 years, Dakota Woodlands has served Dakota County as the only shelter for homeless women and children in our community. Dakota Woodlands assists families to help them to achieve residential stability, become more economically stable, demonstrate educational advancement, improve their health, strengthen their families and are more integrated into a community.Funds from the Finnegans Community Fund will go towards helping children and their families in school related after-school activities.
St. Paul Area Council of Churches
The Saint Paul Area Council of Churches (SPACC) is a nonprofit organization composed of 700 member congregations from the East Metropolitan area. The Finnegans Community Fund grant will support the American Indian Parenting program. This program uses the Early Childhood Family Education model to build parenting skills and educate parents on the growth, development, and academic readiness of their children in an American Indian context.
Person to Person
Person to Person’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty by supporting the efforts of our low-income neighbors as they strive to achieve self-sufficiency. The Finnegans Community Fund grant will support the Independent Living Skills Program which helps stabilize low-income families during critical times in their lives. The program provides occupational therapy based evaluation, intervention, workshops and individual coaching to teach independent living skills.
Pillsbury United
Pillsbury United Communities (PUC) addresses the complex causes and effects of poverty in the core neighborhoods of Minneapolis Minnesota. Full Cycle is transforming into a fully operational bicycle repair and maintenance services for the neighborhood’s low-income residents at reasonable prices. The grant from the Finnegans Community Fund will be used to pay homeless and street dependent youth a stipend after completing the bike mechanics course, in which they learn how to build and maintain their own free bike, learn bicycle repair skills and take a break from the stress of street life.
Youth Express
The mission of Youth Express is to provide youth with an outlet to build positive relationships and participate in opportunities that improve their lives and the communities where they live. The Finnegans Community Fund grant will be used to support the Youth Internship Programs. By focusing on improving business literacy, entrepreneurship and work skills through experiential learning, this program seeks to provide urban youth with the knowledge, skills and confidence to successfully compete in the marketplace and maximize their potential.
New Pathways
New Pathways provides comprehensive support services to families during the day with the goal of enabling families to become self-reliant through skill development. The Finnegans Community Fund grant will help support the Brainerd Day Center’s ability help to get personal care items, clothing, etc. for these families that are in need.
Project GEM
Project G.E.M. (Growth Experience Motivation) addresses problems and needs of special needs youth, ages 10 to 17. The Finnegans Community Fund grant will go towards art supplies and general operating expenses for the Creative After Thoughts (CAT) program. CAT is a free after school art class that serves low income/at-risk youth ages 9-15 years old in the south central region of the state to develop their creative self-expression through the art media. This program enriches their out of school time by doing something productive and educational, along with building relationships with volunteers who serve as positive role models.
