“The Advocates are truly remarkable. You have to want to help yourself, but whenever I take two steps forward, I feel like they take 10 steps toward me and my son. I’ve never had anyone help me the way that they have.”
Corleone - father, guest of People Serving People, Downtown, 2025
Family
Advocacy Program
Supporting families from shelter to stable housing
At People Serving People, we employ an approach to family advocacy that is client-centered, recognizing families as the experts. We empower, support, and assist families based on their unique needs, focusing on equity and empowerment as they work toward stability.
A pathway for every family
We honor every family’s journey to People Serving People because no family’s situation and story is the same as another’s. Flexibility and equity are the heart of our Family Advocacy Program, which successfully supports families from shelter to stable housing. We do this by providing:
Family-driven goal setting
Families choose if, how, and when they engage with our program. We meet families where they are and provide one-on-one personalized support. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Some families need help with resume writing, others with securing childcare, while some need only help looking for an apartment.
Unconditional support
Our Shelter Advocates build deep trust and partnerships with our families. Advocates are a nonjudgmental and consistent listening ear and an unconditional source of support that many families have never experienced. This partnership is often the difference maker in a family’s journey to stabilization.
Systems navigation
Our families often have to navigate numerous complex systems, some of which were not set up to best support our families. We provide advocacy with landlords and help our families navigate systems such as the Hennepin County Coordinated Entry system, applying for benefits, and communicating with social workers.
Direct resources
We provide a wide range of resources directly to families, including clothing, Metro Transit passes, and cell phones. For example, parents often need clothing for a job interview or help paying for a job uniform and transportation. We also provide parents with strollers, car seats, bottles, and other essentials for their children.
Resource referrals
Simply knowing what resources are available can be a barrier to receiving assistance, especially for families who are unfamiliar with the county or state. We help connect families to resources, such as childcare assistance, to support their journey to stability.
Flexible financial assistance
We help remove barriers to stability by providing financial assistance, such as rental application fees, back rent, and fees for securing legal documents, including birth certificates.
Supporting families from crisis to stabilization
In 2024, our Down Shelter Advocates supported our families by meeting with families on 10,245 occasions. This powerful model of on-site advocates who listen deeply, support, and help navigate complex barriers and systems is key to family stabilization.
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20.3% Increase in employment
We helped increase the number of employed guests by this percentage in 2024 through job search support and assistance.
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$200,020 in financial assistance
We provided direct financial assistance to families to pay for barriers to housing, such as rental application fees, back rent, and obtaining vital documents in 2024.
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123 Move-out baskets
In 2024, we provided move-out baskets containing apartment essentials to 123 of our families who transitioned from shelter to stable housing.
Our community partners
We couldn’t support our families with the wrap-around services they need and deserve without the support of a whole family of community partners. We are especially grateful to the following partners:
Our Hennepin County partners
Our housing partners
- Hennepin County Coordinated Entry System
- Housing Referral Programs (Agate, Simpson Housing, etc.)
Our health partners
- Hennepin County Health Care for the Homeless
- Hellen Keller International
- Hennepin County Mental Health Center
Our legal services partners
- Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
- Volunteer Lawyers Network
- The Advocates for Human Rights
- Hennepin County Adult Representation Services
Additional partners
For Our Guests
Looking for support services? Our Advocates are here to help you with anything you need. See any advocate on the 2nd floor of our Downtown Shelter to get connected!
Kathryn Gerrick – Advocacy Services Manager
kgerrick@peopleservingpeople.org
612-277-0229, Ext. 229
Lucy Vue – Lead Advocate
lvue@peopleservingpeople.org
612-252-4010, Ext. 4010
Brii McDonald – Advocate Associate
bmcdonald@peopleservingpeople.org
612-277-0253, Ext. 253a
Gaby Diaz – Advocate Associate
gdiaz@peopleservingpeople.org
612-277-0244, Ext. 244
