Ramsey County, Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet are exploring an opportunity to use the Provincial House at 1880 Randolph Avenue in Saint Paul (part of the Sisters’ campus, building photo featured to the left) for safe shelter for families with children experiencing homelessness. The building served as offices and a residence for the Sisters for nearly 100 years and has been underutilized since 2010.
The Sisters would lease the site to Interfaith Action, which anticipates it would serve approximately 20 families through its Project Home program. Project Home serves families with minor children, with nearly 90% of children under the age of 12. With support from Ramsey County, Project Home at the Provincial House would help address the significant waiting list for shelter, which is expected to grow when the eviction ban is rescinded.
As a first step in the exploration process, the community will be invited to two town hall meetings from 5 – 6:30 p.m. on December 21 and January 5. Meeting information was just posted on the Ramsey County website.
The Sisters believe this arrangement aligns with our long history of caring for the “dear neighbor” and our pursuit of “moving always toward the profound love of God and love of neighbor without distinction.”
“We are very sensitive to the impact this decision may have on those who live and work on our CSJ campus and our dear neighbors whom we deeply value and respect,” said the Sisters’ Leadership Team. “We look forward to working with our neighbors who have been open and supportive of our work serving our dear neighbor here in St. Paul. It seems particularly fitting during this Advent as we recall the Holy Family who was in need of a home.”
Also, see these related articles from the Star Tribune and the Pioneer Press, and a video from Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul detailing their Project Home Overview 2020.
December 15th, 2020