Beacon

Consistency, Lunch, and Home – Jessica’s Story
Written by Dylan Novacek, 

“Home is the people around you and the memories you make together,” Jessica smiled, reflecting on her time at Audubon Crossing in Minneapolis, family supportive housing from Beacon. “For my two sons, home means consistency. It’s a place that will always be ours. We don’t have to worry about a five o’clock shelter curfew anymore.”

Jessica is surprised to realize that it has been twelve years since she and her sons found home at Audubon Crossing. Time has flown as she has watched her boys grow up, with her oldest entering his senior year of high school. Meaning that for the entirety of their time in school, Jessica’s boys have had the consistency of home.

“We had a great meeting at school the other day,” Jessica shared. “They spoke so highly of my oldest. They said he has a great relationship with all his teachers. Most importantly, he’s on track to graduate!”

Tearing up with joy, Jessica is proud to have had a front row seat to her son’s success. For Jessica’s family, being stably housed has meant they’ve had the chance to plant roots in the community they love. Her sons thrive in school and participate in band. Meanwhile, Jessica has spent the last nine years working for Minneapolis public schools in the cafeteria, where she has had the opportunity to connect with students.

“This is my ninth year working as a lunch lady. I love it! It’s my way of repaying what people did for me growing up,” she exclaimed. “I try to help my students in the same way I was helped. I just love seeing their faces light up when I connect with them. I feel protective of these kids. I let each of them know that Miss Jessica is there for them.”

Kind, caring, and accepting to all the students who come through her lunch line, Jessica knows the importance of a good education. Growing up, going to school and helping others were established as her core values. After previously experiencing homelessness, Jessica feels it’s important to support the students she sees struggling.

“I can tell if a student doesn’t have a stable home. They struggle,” she paused pensively. “It stands out when they look sad and down. There are bags under their eyes. They ask for extra portions. For some students, a school lunch is the only meal they get. And if they can’t afford it, I always am going to let them eat. I am here to take care of my kids.”

A one-night study conducted by public and charter schools across Minnesota identified over 6,000 students experiencing homelessness on October 1, 2020. We know this is just a point-in-time count, and many more students experience homelessness through the course of a year. It’s evident that too many children across Minnesota are without a home.

For families with children experiencing homelessness and housing instability, the result is often poor performance in school and struggles for students to achieve their fullest potential. Jessica is thankful for her home and realizes that too many of her students don’t have that same stability and consistency.

At Beacon, we’re working to change the landscape of home. 

“So many students have a place to call school, but not a place to call home,” she asserted.  We know that there simply aren’t enough affordable homes for families to meet the need. This is why we’re looking to drive the development of deeply affordable, supportive housing to ensure that those most impacted by homelessness have a home.

“A home like Emerson Village will change things for the Northside and Minneapolis public schools,” Jessica said.

Emerson Village, one of four family supportive housing developments Beacon has in process across the Twin Cities metro, will be high quality housing tailored to families who make 30 percent or less of the Area Median Income (about $35,000 for a family of four).

Additionally, the building will keep families connected to the schools and communities they love, so that they can plant roots like Jessica’s family has been able to do for the last twelve years.

“What stands out to me is that Jessica cares about her community in the neighborhood and at the schools,” reflected Sharon Idowu, Jessica’s case manager from Volunteers of America, our onsite service provider at Audubon Crossing. “Having people like Jessica in communities make these places better. Jessica is impactful to the generation that is coming up. Her kindness matters.”

“For these students, I am one of the consistent faces that feed them every day. I want to make sure these students don’t have any regrets like I did. I’ve sponsored them to go on band trips, and even bought eight prom tickets for some of my students as a graduation gift,” Jessica smiled. “I was lucky enough to be invited to three different graduations last year. One student even ran up to me, thrilled that I was able to make it. I love our schools, I love our communities, and I love ensuring my students are in a good place.”

For more information on Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative visit: www.beaconinterfaith.org
See the full article: https://www.beaconinterfaith.org/blog/housing/create-homes/jessicas-story/