Spirit Garage gives 10% of the money that comes in through offerings back out to the community. We do this by providing grants a year to two partner organizations who are doing service work in the community. We also put our muscle where our money is and work with those organizations through service projects throughout the year. The organizations submit requests to Spirit Garage and the church community votes annually on which organizations will be our partners for the year. We are also regularly involved with Habitat for Humanity and other service work in the community.

Our Partners in Giving for 2007

The Bridge for Runaway Youth

There is a serious deficiency of bed for homeless teens in Minnesota. The Bridge for Runaway Youth works to ensure a safe and enriching environment for youth in crisis by providing shelter, building life skills, and assisting families in conflict. The goals are to reconnect young people with family and school, strengthen families, and prevent and remedy youth homelessness. The Bridge runs a comprehensive crisis center for homeless and runaway youth. They are open 24 hours a day for any youth in need, offering a free and safe place to stay as well as counseling.

Spirit Garage supports The Bridge with financial donations as well as lending our muscles to work projects around their site. Cleaning, organizing, gardening, and sorting donations. Because of confidentiality issues we do not work directly with the youth staying at The Bridge but we do try and help keep their facilities in good shape. The funds from Spirit Garage will be used to support the youth housing program, Independent 365, to help homeless youth find safe housing in their own apartments and learn skills to live independently. The program helps youth, who have no other options than to live on their own, get a good start in life. The program helps youth get an apartment, provides renal assistance and one-on-one support to develop independent living skills. To assist with The Bridge for Runaway Youth please contact Liz Rowe.

The Dwelling Place

We are pleased to announce that because of great support, we are able to add a third Partner in Giving in 2007. The Dwelling Place is a shelter ministry for women who have been battered – providing supportive services to their children and help for men who want to change. For more information contact Candice Headson the Spirit Garage champion for The Dwelling Place.

Community