North Minneapolis

We feel prompted and called to be a presence in, and a part of bringing the Presence into, inner-city North Minneapolis. We give and receive in authentic and transformational ways through our service involvement and relationships with communities on the Northside. In a place where the teen pregnancy rate is the highest in the nation and domestic and gang violence are part of everyday life for many youth, we seek to partner with organizations who know this community and its needs as we join what God is doing in this place by supporting them financially, prayerfully, and with our people.



Sanctuary Community Development Corporation (CDC)

Mission/Vision: The Sanctuary Community Development Corporation will build on the strengths in North Minneapolis to ensure that the people of our community are educated, employed and physically and spiritually healthy. We will work in partnership to create economic opportunity on the Northside.

Ways to Support:

  • Work with junior high girls, focusing on leadership, identity and life skills through the Beautiful program, by assisting with homework or activities and curriculum.
  • Be a guest speaker for the Momentum program, become a mentor to a recent graduate, help participants work on valuable skills such as writing resumes.
  • Help form a network of potential employers or provide a job for Momentum participant.

E-mail Neeraj Mehta, Program Director

Love Minneapolis

This new Sanctuary CDC program is focused on bringing organizations, people and resources together to love Minneapolis. Each month there is an event which provides an way to join others in serving the community of Minneapolis. Information about upcoming events is available at Love Minnneapolis.




Hospitality House Youth Directions

Mission/Vision: Hospitality House Youth Directions exists to provide a Christian outreach focused on the spiritual, intellectual, and physical development of urban youth.

Ways to Support:

  • Education: Tutor K-8th graders, one-on-one, in homework, math, reading, writing or computers, while giving them personal encouragement and modeling the way of Christ.
  • Athletics: Teach skills, keep records and encourage the kids and teens in our basketball, track, baseball, football, dance, after school and summer school programs.
  • Outreach: Organize a group to supply the meal for Midnight Basketball which reaches out to urban youth with great Friday night basketball in a safe atmosphere, including a Christian Power Talk.
  • Christmas With Dignity: Help promote, donate gifts, set up, or walk a recipient through the shopping experience, which allows them to choose and buy gifts for kids at 10% cost.
  • Administration: Support staff by making copies, keeping the library organized, updating the website, tutoring staff in computer skills, entering data, or through building improvements

E-mail Deb McCullough, Volunteer Coordinator


PEACE Foundation

Mission/Vision: PEACE Foundation strives to support street-level solutions to local violence in North Minneapolis, focusing public conversation on the realities of violence, and calling the broader community to collective action.

Ways to Support:

  • Peace Vigils and Peace Across the Northside: gathers the greater community together to show support for peace.
  • Peace Games: hosted by Peace Foundation, this is a city-wide athletic competition and artistic venue for youth held in July.
  • Join Open Door and Sanctuary Church in sponsoring a block party event with food, games, and music.
  • Cheer on young athletes or register your team for basketball, softball, tennis, or track and field.
  • Celebrate young artists in the Northside Arts Crawl located in the businesses and organizations along W. Broadway and at Penn and Plymouth.

E-mail Michelle Martin

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Healing House

Mission/Vision: Healing House is the first Residential Christian Ministry in Minneapolis that serves women without asking them to abandon their children. It is a ministry for women designed by women. Their services address four target areas: Prostitution, Women Leaving Prison, Addictions, and Women Living in Chronic Poverty.


Ways to Support:

  • There are periodic opportunities to help with their facility (work project days).
  • Groups can lead worship services and devotion time.
  • Individuals can get involved with the women and children in a variety of ways, including driving the women to necessary appointments, caring for kids, and doing craft nights.
  • Children’s Day Ministry Assistants assist with children’s programming for infants through school age children. No curriculum planning required, training is provided.
  • On Thursday and Saturday evenings, Children’s Evening Assistants prepare and teach the Bible study, and oversee crafts and snacks.

E-mail Mary Akehurst


Urban Homeworks

Mission/Vision: Urban Homeworks mission is to perpetuate the hope of Jesus Christ through innovative community development that produces: dignified housing for low-income families, a strategic network of good neighbors, and redemptive development of real estate.

Ways to Support:

  • Volunteer to help improve neighborhoods through home reconstruction and building projects
  • Provide dignified housing to low income families through monthly support to subsidize families making $10/hour or less.
  • Use your professional skill in a volunteer capacity to help improve how UHW does business. Your professional skills can be used to have a kingdom IMPACT.

Email Jon Lundberg (volunteering)

Email Ryan Petersen (financial support and IMPACT volunteers)