STEPing Forward Capital Campaign

STEP Dedicates Its Permanent Home

St. Louis Park, MN. It was a day that had been long awaited. STEP dedicated its permanent home at 6812 W. Lake Street in St. Louis Park on September 27, honoring the more than 500 donors to date who have made the project a reality.

With the Star Spangled Banner playing softly in the background from the St. Louis Park High School athletic field down the block, prayers were offered by Rabbi Kravitz and Reverend Paul Allick. Campaign Co-Chairs Elissa Heilicher and Camille Schroeder were thanked for leading the Capital Campaign Steering Committee, and presented with a touching poem written by STEP social worker Julie LaPointe. The ribbon covering the entrance was then cut by lead donors Roger and Nancy McCabe and Deera Tychman, assisted by STEP board chair John Steffenhagen. Mrs. Tychman remarked that it was a project that her late husband, Al, would have loved.

All donors to the capital campaign are honored in STEP’s new building. Local mosaic artist Stacia Goodman designed the welcome sign and all commemorative signage with an eye to STEP’s mission.

Although the building is dedicated, STEP’s capital campaign is not quite done. About $100,000 remains to be raised and both campaign co-chairs have vowed to continue working until it is completed.

Requests for Service Increasing: STEP has experienced increasing numbers of service requests this year as people in St. Louis Park face tough economic times. STEP now serves 1 in 10 residents of St. Louis Park and continues to receive requests for service from 40 new families each month. STEP is open five days a week and distributes more than a ton of food each day. Many people who come to STEP have run out of their unemployment benefits and rely on STEP for food so that they can continue to stay in their homes. Unfortunately many have lost theirr homes that they have worked do ahrd to keep.

Consequently, STEP is working hard to meet the needs for food and emergency financial assistance.

The need for kosher food and food for people with special dietary needs is especially pressing, because STEP must purchase these items from grocery stores and they are more expensive. STEP has the largest kosher food shelf in our region and people who live outside of St. Louis Park can access this source of kosher food. No other food shelf in our region provides the amount of kosher food that STEP does, including kosher chicken, salmon, and eggs. Of the food that STEP purchases, 25% is kosher; STEP spends more than $1,000 each month on kosher poultry alone.

Please help STEP to raise the last dollars to pay for its permanent home by giving generously. Thank you!