A Movement in the Making

It is a new and exciting world for homeless community organizing as grassroots efforts really get rolling in Minnesota.

After the formation of the X Committee in St. Paul, groups like HAH (Homeless Against Homelessness) of Minneapolis and TPAC (Twin Ports Action Council) of Duluth have built strong foundations for future successes through action in their communities.

These movements are truly innovative and it is crucial that nonprofit homelessness and housing communities support this new breed of organizing.

Local organizations like the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, St. Stephen’s Human Services, and CHUM have all helped guide homeless and formerly homeless organizers in their group’s formation and community initiatives.

Though the importance of the support of local organizations cannot be denied, it is really the tangible work of the people that needs to be celebrated. Homeless and formerly homeless organizers give hundreds upon hundreds of hours of volunteer work to their communities in an effort to create change and empower the homeless.

HAH recently published their first annual newsletter, entitled Unfinished Business. This publication is one avenue toward carrying out the group’s mission “to bring forth solid solutions to help homeless people regain their independence through available resources.”

In order to create the newsletter, members of the group visited local shelters and drop-in centers to find out what information those in the community needed. This month’s issue features articles on affordable housing through Alliance Housing, bus pass tips, and information on Twin Cities Community Voicemail, health care centers for the low-income, birth certificates, IDs, and social security cards, plus much more. If you’d like a copy, call (612) 874-0491 or email hah@hahmpls.org.

Recent successes of both HAH and TPAC illustrate the power of operating from the grassroots level. In addition, these groups have inspired the X Committee to get back to their roots. The group recently formed a Social Justice/Community Action subcommittee. They hope to start a Literacy Program that will help teach people to read and gain basic skills they need for day to day life. They plan to tap into resources they already have and then partner with teachers, churches, drop-in centers, and libraries to hold classes that are accessible to the homeless.

Expect to see continued development of homeless and formerly homeless leaders in our communities in the near future. In October, four X Committee members will be attending the Midwest Academy’s Training for community organizing, an elite school that provides training and consulting for progressive organizations.

In addition, the MCH/MYSA Annual Conference will have representation from members of TPAC, HAH, and the X Committee. The conference will feature a community organizing workshop that organizations interested in supporting organizing efforts in their communities will find extremely helpful.

Be on the lookout for future articles highlighting the work these groups are doing in their communities. It will be exciting to see the ways in which these leaders bring back their new knowledge to the Duluth, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul homeless communities.