Our Partnership with LSS Is Up and Running!
We are grateful that our partnership with Lutheran Social Service is now fully up and running. Our three current families, their volunteer support teams, and Liz, our LSS case worker, have begun meeting together—and we have heard nothing but positive things from both our volunteers and our families.
Having the support of professional services is an important part of helping families create an individualized work plan and build a pathway toward long-term housing stability. Together, families are identifying goals and developing the skills and resources they will need as they prepare to transition from Normandale House in December 2027.
One important area of focus is financial literacy. But we are learning, as many of us know from our own lives, that managing money is about much more than math.
It includes budgeting, understanding credit, building a history of paying rent on time, and learning how to make thoughtful decisions when there is something you want alongside the things you truly need. Staying on a budget can also involve emotional and behavioral challenges. How do we enjoy life and occasionally say yes to something special without allowing those choices to derail the larger goals we are working toward?
These are important life skills. Over time, building a stronger credit history and demonstrating a consistent record of paying rent can make a significant difference when a family applies for housing after leaving Normandale House.
Our hope is that when families are ready to move on, they will do so not only with a new address, but with greater confidence, stronger skills, and a much better opportunity to be approved for stable housing.
Welcoming a New Family
At the end of August, we will welcome a new family to our 3rd Avenue property.
At our recent Back-to-School event, I had the opportunity to meet her young son. When he told me how excited he was about moving, his biggest reason was simple: he is going to have his own bedroom!
Sometimes housing stability begins with something as basic—and as meaningful—as having a place to sleep, a door to close, and a space that feels like your own.
We cannot wait to welcome this family home.
A Back-to-School Celebration Filled with Joy
Each student received a backpack filled with school supplies. Honestly, it felt a little like Christmas.
The excitement was contagious as the children opened their backpacks and discovered what was inside. The water bottles and headphones were big hits, but it was equally fun to watch faces light up over new pens, folders, binders, notebooks, and all the supplies that help make a new school year feel special.
Their happiness and anticipation came right through the phone.
These moments may seem small, but they matter. Starting a new school year with the supplies you need, shoes that fit, and the excitement of something new can help a child walk into school feeling prepared and confident.
Before the school year begins, our families and volunteers gathered for a special Back-to-School celebration at Mudluck Pottery.
Together, children and adults played with clay and created fun keepsakes. It was wonderful to see everyone engaged, laughing, experimenting, and simply enjoying time together. We shared a meal, spent time visiting, and then came one of the highlights of the evening: the backpacks!
| And then there were the gift cards for shoes that fit.A few days later, I received a phone call from one of our parents. He and his boys were on their way to the Mall of America to pick out their new shoes. Everyone was talking at once, excitedly sharing what kind of shoes they hoped to find. |
This fall, 10 Normandale House children will attend Hope Academy. Among them is a high school senior who will soon begin applying to college. His goal is to become a teacher, and he hopes to attend the University of Minnesota.
We are also grateful one of our volunteers, will be walking alongside him as an additional resource and encouragement during the college application process.
This is what community looks like—people using their experience, time, and care to help open doors for someone else.
Save the Date: Hope in Action
Please mark your calendars for Hope in Action, an upcoming gathering to support Normandale House and help raise money for our Emergency Relief Fund on Sunday, September 27th at 10:15 in Fellowship Hall at Normandale Lutheran Church.
This fund provides timely assistance when families face unexpected expenses or urgent needs that could otherwise disrupt their progress toward housing stability.
The event and brunch is FREE – Come listen, learn, and share a simple meal with us.
You will hear the voices of people who have been involved with Normandale House and learn more about the difference this community is making in the lives of families.
Did I mention the event is free? And everyone is welcome. We hope you will join us!
| Pam Werley Volunteer Engagement and Family Relations Director, Normandale House |