How a Twin Cities church is working to end homelessness before it starts
What if one of the most effective ways to fight homelessness is to stop it before it starts?
That's the question Twin Cities pastor Kyle Robinson asked himself years ago, after a sobering conversation between with a local school district leader. It was then that the senior pastor at Wooddale Church learned hundreds of kids in the Eden Prairie School District were experiencing homelessness.
"I'm just embarrassed to tell you I had no idea," Robinson said. "I live in Eden Prairie. I mean, I had no idea. I had no idea the hardship that so many of our neighbors are dealing with, the things that are right there under the surface."
Robinson walked away from that conversation heartbroken, but was determined and committed to making a change. Three years ago, Robinson and Wooddale Church launched Brighter Futures — a program designed to help families before they lose their homes.
The program provides rental assistance to families who need it, while enrolling them in a program that provides them with one-on-one financial coaching, as well as relationships with church members who aim to support the families in any way possible.
The goal? To get families to a place where they no longer need the help.
Since launching three years ago, they've been able to help 30 families and 73 kids in total.
"That's 73 kids in our community that didn't become or experience homelessness," Robinson said. "And that's a really encouraging number. It's 73 that didn't experience a whole bunch of chaos. And 73 kids whose home is becoming more stable, who can be more confident in what's going on with their lives. And 73 families that are kids that their families now have more connections in the community."
Brighter Futures has no plan to stop there – in fact, they've since become a nonprofit separate from the church itself – with a mission to duplicate itself at churches across Minnesota and the country.
Pastor Kyle Robinson shares the entire story of Brighter Futures on this week's episode of Bigger Than Belief with Adam Duxter. You can find the episode wherever you get your podcasts.
