Social Justice News

Social Justice invites us to live the call of Catholic Social Teaching for further engagement as community to live out our faith.

Fair Trade Coffee-Decaffeinated now available
We have added decaffeinated 1 pound French Roast Decaf – Ground, 
French Roast Decaf – Whole bean, Peru Decaf and Peru Decaf – Whole bean. We still have fair trade coffee from San Lucas Mission. It is available from the lovely display cabinet made by Rich Pierret in the social hall for $10.00/lb. This is an opportunity act on our Catholic Social Teaching by being in solidarity with our Guatemala brothers and sisters. It provides a fair consistent wage for more than 650 families and allows only the highest quality of beans to be produced.
Coffee can be found in St. Joseph Hall

Grant to Exodus Lending July 2018 In July,
St. Joseph the Worker granted $2000 to Exodus Lending (located in Minneapolis). Exodus Lending allows Minnesotans a way out of crippling loan debts by providing interest-free loans and eliminating payday lending. In doing so, Exodus Lending is providing many individuals and families a way out of debt and giving them opportunities for a better life. The funds raised will be used to make Exodus Lending a credit reporter. By paying for the Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) membership fee, a loan portofilo, and marketing. For more information, go to https://exoduslending.org/

Immigration in Minnesota & Building a Community of Hope, Support and Action – Aug 2
Join us for an evening unpacking the current realities around immigration in Minnesota with John Keller of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) on THURSDAY, August 2 at 6:30 - 8 PM at the Carondelet Center (1890 Randolph Ave., St. Paul). FREE WILL OFFERING supporting the crucial work of ILCM in our community at this critical time. Sponsored by our parish’s social justice ministry, the Sisters of St. Joseph’s Justice Commission Immigration Task Group and the Association of Archdiocesan Social Justice Staff (ASJS).

THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE TO HOME FREE COLLECTION!
Once again our parish has demonstrated its generosity for those in need. Thank you for your overwhelming contributions of needed items to the Home Free Shelter. Their supplies were especially low, so your donations were truly heart-warming and helpful for the women and children escaping domestic abuse and staying at the shelter. You are life-savers!

 

Compassion Kits for the Homeless
Have you ever passed a homeless man or woman on the street? Have you wondered, "What is their story?" How can I help them? St Joseph the Worker has a solution for you. We collect toiletries such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste toothbrushes, plus granola or protein bars, McDonald coupons and new Adult size socks. All items will be assembled into zipper bags. Place items to share in the box marked "DONATIONS FOR THE HOMELESS" located in the faith formation gathering area. We CAN make a difference.
 

Immigrants Contribute More Than They Cost
There is a belief by some that paints a picture of the "costs" of immigration by compairing taxes paid against benefits used, but fails to tell the whole story. Left out is the massive contribution to the economy made by immigrants:nationwide Hispanic businesses owners alone provided jobs to an estimated 1.5 million employees, had receipts of over $222 billion, and generated $36.7billion in prayroll dollars in 2002 alone. In addition, the roughly 26 million immigrants now in the US who arrived after the age of 18 represent a windfall of roughly $2.8 trillion to US taxpayers, who get the benefit of their labor without the cost of their upbringing and education.
Source The Advocates for Human Rights

 

Taking Heart

Ramadan is a holy month of the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Fasting during Ramadan, which falls during the summer season, is one of the “five pillars” of Islam and is performed to learn compassion, self-restraint, and generosity. A meal called an Iftar breaks the fast each day. In 2018 Ramadan falls between sundown May 15 and June 14. Taking Heart is a long-running program coordinated by MCC and the Muslim American Society of Minnesota (MAS-MN) to bring Christians and members of other faith communities together with Muslims for food and conversation during Ramadan.

You are warmly invited to attend a Ramadan dinner at a mosque near you! Ramadan begins May 16, and 40 Minnesota mosques are opening their doors for an evening celebrated with their neighbors. For locations, dates, and to register, please  visit the website.
 

Meals on Wheels Drivers Needed
Meals on Wheels has had an increase in the number of clients requesting meal delivery in the Maple Grove/Osseo area.  Consequently, there is a need for additional drivers.   Volunteers may sign up for weekly, bi-weekly or monthly driving assignments.  Meals are picked up at CROSS in Rogers and delivered to 8-12 clients.  The total time commitment is approximately 1-1/2 hours.  Drivers must have a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance.  Please contact Brenda Snell at CROSS if interested in this opportunity at 763-267-5182.


Compassion Kits for the homeless available
We have kits ready to be shared with homeless in the faith formation gathering area. Keep them in your car and share as you say a prayer for those that are homeless at this time. The colorfull sheets on the outside are a reflection from a youth of our parish to read prior to sharing your kit with a homeless person. 
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR OUR HOMELESS BROTHERS AND SISTERS?
Have you ever passed a homeless man or woman on the street? Have you wondered, "What is their story?" How can I help them? St Joseph the worker has a solution for you. We collect toiletries such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste toothbrushes, plus granola or protein bars, McDonald coupons and new adult sized socks. All items will be assembled into zipper bags. Place items to share in the box marked "DONATIONS FOR THE HOMELESS" located in the faith formation gathering area. We CAN make a difference!

Hear the stories of those you worship with here in our parish community
Who is My Neighbor faith filled conversations were experienced at SJTW on March 15. We had the chance to hear Lorenzo Cerda, a Social Justice board member and Lidia Hadera share their experiences growing up with parents who emigrated here. They did an amazing job sharing their stories with our community. Alondra, a Deferred Action CA DREAMER share her story of coming to the US at 1½ years old and all the challenges it has been for her without documented status. In spite of that she was names Super Senior at Cooper High School as well as working a part time job and involved in 6 extra curriculum activities.  Lucienne Fru Tilong did a presentation on how migration is good for the economy. “Research underscores once again that we must welcome immigrants if Minnesota’s economy is to continue to develop and grow,” said Bill Blazar, (Minnesota Chamber senior vice president of public affairs and business development).  You can see and listen to them at ________________. Mary Roers from the St Joseph Carondelet Sisters talked with us about what does our faith call us to do?

Your neighbors need food
CROSS our local food shelf meets the needs of our neighbors when there is financial hardships.
Items most needed at this time include: Cannned meats and fish, peanut butter, childrens’ healthy snacks, spaghetti sauce, cereal, pasta and jelly. Paper products such as paper towels, tp and kleenex are also appreciated. Please place items to share in the bins in both gathering areas. 
Thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ to your neighbors.

Legislative Campaign Begins
"Passing the bonding bill is the single most important thing we can do in 2018 to create more homes," says Beacon Executive Director Lee Blons. 
February is the start of Beacon's Bonds that Build Homes campaign. Bonding is the biggest investment Minnesota makes when it comes to affordable housing. 
This no time to rest on our laurels! Affordable homes are in short supply. Currently, there are 100,000 households in the Twin Cities metro area that pay more than half of their income toward home. 
The bonding dollars of recent session have made a difference in the lives of many. In the last six years, 85 projects were funded through bonding which equals more than 5000 homes throughout Minnesota. This includes the building of Prior Crossing in St. Paul and 66 West in Edina, allowing for 83 homes to be built for young adults experiencing homelessness. 
Beacon joins with advocates from across the state in supporting the legislative proposal that designates $140 million to preserve and build affordable homes through the statewide Homes for All campaign. The proposed investment in affordable homes would help Beacon projects such as Cranberry Ridge.
This is a phenomenal opportunity for your congregation to get involved in making sure that all people have a home. Contact Roxanne Smith to learn more at rsmith@sjtw.net. We will be having a group going to the Capitol on March 13 for Joint Religious Day on the HIll and on March 6 for Homeless Day on the Hill.


Families Moving Forward helps a young Mother Gains Stability
Taking care of your family is hard work, and can be a significant challenge when you are 20 years old. Yakiana came to Families Moving Forward after losing her home. Case managers were able to get her into Audubon Crossing, where she could grow independently as a mother. Read more of Yakiana's journey towards self-sufficiency on our blog. St Joseph the Worker will be hosting FMF guests here August 12-26. Sign up will begin in May. http://www.beaconinterfaith.org/blog/

Helping Hands assistance thank you
"Thanks for the great assistance through your church with my home mortgage payment. I appreciate it and God bless."
K F in the Jobs Transitioning and Networking Group

Thank you for supporting our Helping Hands Justice fund. It allows us to support those in transitions in their life. For more information contact Roxanne Smith at rsmith@sjtw.net or 763 400 7208.
 

Fair Trade Coffee for Sale
St. Joseph the Worker sells ground and fair trade coffee from San Lucas Mission. It is sold in the social hall for $10.00/lb. Checks should be made payable to St Joe's. This is an opportunity act on our Catholic Social Teaching by being in solidarity with our Guatemala brothers and sisters. It provides a fair consistent wage for more than 650 families and allows only the highest quality of beans to be produced. It is located in the parish social hall as you enter from the worship area.
 

St Joseph the Worker parishioners were living their faith out in the community in support of Cranberry Ridge development. Present were Roxanne Smith, Louise Rau, Jason Wittak, Deb Carlson and Jane Warren.
The Plymouth City Council approved the land use change to allow Beacon Interfaith to build a new 47 unit affordable housing for families. Providing these families with housing they can afford will create stable families that can care well for their families.

We would love to know your story!
St Joseph the Worker is blest to be a culturally diverse parish. We would love to get to know you better. Leading up to our January 13-14 Immigration Sunday Celebration we will be sharing stories of members of our community who have journeyed a long way to get to SJTW.  If you would be willing to share your story with us please contact Roxanne Smith at 763-400-7208.

Home Free Shelter Needs your used cell phones
SJTW collects used cell phones for Home Free, a shelter for women and children escaping domestic abuse. The phones can be any brand and do NOT need to be in working order. Please do not include accessories. The collection boxes are located in the hallway outside the social hall. THANK YOU – recycling used cell phones provides much-needed revenue for the shelter.

Youth Homelessness in MN
Youth homelessness is becoming one of the highest populations of homeless individuals in MN. How does a 16-22 year old make decisions about how to get to school, where to eat, how to pay for a meal, or paying for a bus pass to get to that PT job when they do not have a permanent place to stay? Where do these youth find support? How did they find themselves in these situations? Join us for an interactive session June 12, 7-8:30 at St John Neumann parish as you learn how each and every decision a youth makes will impact a future decision often the same day, the next day, or later that week. 
Sponsored By Catholic Charities Office of Social Justice and St. John Neumann’s Building the Common Good Ministry.

Compassion Kits for the homeless available
We have kits ready to be shared with homeless in the faith formation gathering area. Keep them in your car and share as you say a prayer for those that are homeless at this time. Thanks for sharing them.

Justice Funds shared with (Northside Achievment Zone(NAZ)
With your support, NAZ collaborative is working to end multi-generational poverty one family at a time, and building a culture of achievement on the Northside so all youth graduate from high school ready for college.
• NAZ has more than 1100 families & 2300 enrolled scholars.
• NAZ children are significantly more prepared for kindergarten than their peers.
• NAZ scholars are jumping ahead academically through after-school and summer programs.
Thank you for supporting our SJTW Justice/Helping Hands fund

Tithe Grant to Mobile Hope, Dayton
In August, St. Joseph the Worker granted $2000 to Mobile Hope, Dayton Founded in 2015 and located in Dayton, Mobile Hope’s mission is to honor God by building a culture of achievement within mobile home communities where families succeed, students excel and the community has a hope for the future. Mobile Hope requested funding to help pay for rent and utilities on the trailer used by students and the volunteers that help them with homework after school. Funds are also needed to pay for legal services and to cover costs for books, tables, chairs, book racks, a computer to log activities. For more information, go to www.mobilehopemn.org or contact Cathy
Walters at 763-306-6943

Tithe Grant to CTUL
In August, St. Joseph the Worker granted $2000 to Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL). CTUL organizes low wage workers across the Twin cities and empowers them to seek fair wages and better working conditions in their workplace. The purpose of funds requested will go towards CTUL’s Defensores program which offers workplace rights education, leadership development coaching and structures for peer to peer mentorship which enables these low income workers win back stolen wages and also fi ght for changes that would prevent wage theft.
For more information, go to www.CTUL.net.


Job Transition & Networking Group
St. Joseph the Worker Job Transition & Networking Group is offered every Tuesday from 7-8:30 a.m. The purpose of the group is to create a place where people who are unemployed or under-employed can meet to network, share ideas and learn about new techniques to assist them in the job hunting process. Likewise, we also welcome those who are employed (company owners or those actively seeking new employment), people re-entering the job market and college students. If you have any questions please contact Bob Bruno or by phone at 203-578-5572. 

Online Sign-up for CROSS Food Shelf Volunteers
We have started online sign up for CROSS food shelf volunteers. We need people to sign up for the 2nd Friday of each month. Time can be anywhere from 7a.m. to 1p.m.  Sign up now.

CROSS Food Shelf needs
CROSS is committed to serving families and individuals in times of need providing mercy and compassionate supportive services.We support them in their support of families in our community by collecting food items most needed for them. Items needed at this time are spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, pancake mix, salad dressings, baking supplies, jelly and crackers. Cleaning supplies are always needed by families also. Thanks for your support of our community in need.
Easter Basket Needs: Desperately NEED…Baskets, egg dyeing kits, Easter books or toys.

Loaves & Fishes 
Loaves & Fishes provides a nutritious meal to guests who are hungry in the South Minneapolis area in an atmosphere of hospitality. Your help is needed to prepare and serve the 5:30pm dinner to the guests. Holy Rosary Church is at 2424 - 18th Ave South. Parish groups are welcome to help. Please sign up on the Social Justice bulletin board located in the hallway between the worship and faith formation wing. If you have been thinking about sharing your time in this ministry this would be a great time to come forward.

“Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.” Luke 6: 20-21

Home Free Shelter Needs your Used Cell Phones! 
SJTW collects used cell phones for Home Free, a shelter for wom-en and children escaping domestic abuse. The phones can be any brand and do NOT need to be in working order. Please do not include accessories. The collection box are located in St. Joseph Hall. THANK YOU – recycling used cell phones provides much-needed additional revenue for the shelter.