NCJW Minnesota

Thank you for supporting NCJW Minnesota's Rapid Response Fund program through Give to the Max Day!

NCJW is continuing its partnership with Minneapolis and St. Paul Public School Districts’ homeless and highly mobile programs for a sixth year, providing critical support to keep families in their homes. Social workers working on the frontline in these schools share that the ease and speed with which we are able to act has literally prevented homelessness—and helped students to remain in school—time after time.

During the 2022-2023 school year alone, the Rapid Response Fund distributed $29,894, in quantities ranging from $30-$1,800, of financial support for housing and basic needs. This funding fulfilled 41 requests to help meet student and family needs ranging from rental assistance, resources needed to maintain employment, to transitional support for moves and family illness or emergencies. Of the Minneapolis families served, 100% were able to maintain housing through the school year, and all but one was able to keep its children within a stable school environment.

Additionally, the Rapid Response Fund program enabled NCJW launched a free student clothing at Patrick Henry High School, outfitted and staffed by NCJW donors and volunteers. The closet has been so popular that it expanded to a larger space in the 2023-2024 school year and is providing high quality (and warm!) clothing to dozens of students in need each month.

Despite this massive impact, NCJW hopes to further expand the capacity of the program, as partners have made clear that there is an even greater need than we are currently able to meet. This has been proven through the recurring challenge of funds being exhausted before the school year concludes, as well as the growth of the program since its inception in 2018-2019, when $3,723 was allocated to serve 13 families. In the past couple years, we have seen an increase in requests for rental payments and deposits, increased need due to the loss of emergency rental assistance available through COVID relief programs, and additional challenges reported by undocumented families that are unable to access government-funded assistance programs.

The unique value of NCJW's Rapid Response Fund is its ability to sidestep red tape, providing immediate relief to students and families who may not qualify for state and federal assistance programs, as well as to those who will be able to sustain themselves after one-time assistance.

Thank you for keeping your faith in the future and belief in action by investing in our work. We pledge to keep working for progressive, positive change.     

NCJW Minnesota Goals:

Promote equity through community service
Promote social justice through coalition building and advocacy
Empower our NCJW network to be progressive change agents

To learn more about NCJW, contact the NCJW Minnesota office at 952-922-7900, send an email to info@ncjwmn.org, or visit us at http://www.ncjwmn.org/.

NCJW Minnesota. A Faith in the Future. A Belief in Action.