Spotlighting a Community Need
“Homelessness in Owatonna isn’t visible to many of us. People don’t often see the need. It’s hidden. People are sleeping on a friend’s couch, in their cars, or maybe one night at a hotel, because they don’t have a safe place of their own.” Nancy and Mike Keller are co-chairing a campaign to renovate Owatonna’s former Mayo Clinic into Oak Hill Community Connections, a shared space for partnering agencies to provide more collaborative support services.
During a recent conversation with an Owatonna School district social worker, Nancy was surprised to learn of the number of high school students in the district without consistent housing or are unaccompanied minors. “It’s eye opening,” she said. “These are kids!”
Housing insecurity occurs for a host of different reasons. Domestic violence or substance abuse are causes that quickly come to mind, but more often it might be one medical issue, or a broken-down car leading to missed work, that result in unexpected and insurmountable expenses. Many problems are intertwined. Sometimes the root causes run deep.
For people trying to stay afloat, getting behind on a single payment can quickly escalate. Nancy has encountered many of these kinds of situations in Owatonna, “These are hard working families that just need to get back on their feet.”
But the issues are growing throughout Steele County, and Mike and Nancy realized a more comprehensive approach will be needed. “To see one agency at a time try to impact all these needs is difficult…. We want to help address some of these issues collectively so that Owatonna continues to be poised for growth.” That’s why they are excited about the potential of Oak Hill Community Connections. Located in the center of town, the newly renovated social agency hub will be easily accessible for people seeking one or more of the many services soon to co-locate in the building.
But that’s not the only group Mike thinks will be drawn to this building. He hopes the centralized and shared location will also attract more people from the community who want to volunteer their help, but previously didn’t know where to partner. “The size of the building puts a spotlight on the needs of the community in a way that will raise awareness and create a higher profile for clients and volunteers.”
The Kellers believe this project is a key piece in meeting community needs, “How do we take multiple organizations that are good on their own, but bring them together to be even better – more effective and efficient in their missions? [Through Oak Hill Community Connections], we’re trying to tackle a community issue.”