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A UMNS Report
By Amanda Yanchury*
7:00 A.M. ET July 16, 2012
Clients shop at the clothing closet at North United Methodist Church in
Minneapolis. The church has been awarded a major gift due to their
outreach programs. UMNS photos by Linda Koelman.
View in Photo Gallery
A Twin Cities church — North United Methodist — is about to see some
major changes. Cushman & Wakefield /NorthMarq, a commercial real
estate partnership, chose the church for its annual Give Back program.
The company plans to donate $10,000 in repairs to make the church more
inviting and up-to-date.
At an April neighborhood meeting where NorthMarq asked for
suggestions for this year’s project, a resident nominated North United
Methodist because of the congregation’s extensive community outreach.
“We thought it would be a wonderful way to not only help the
congregation, but (also) the community groups that utilize the
facility,” said Steph Molloy, associate director of brokerage services
for Cushman Wakefield/Northmarq and liaison for the program. “Through
the Pohlad Family Foundation, we made contact with the Lowry Corridor
Business Association, who helped us identify the church as a place in
need of some help and renovations that we could provide.”
The repairs will make the church “more welcoming,” said the Rev.
Linda Koelman, North pastor. “You aren’t always able to fix up and
repair stuff. This will make the church a more appealing place for
groups to meet.”
North United Methodist Church is the meeting place for many
community groups, including another congregation, two Qigong exercise
groups, a book club, a music school, a Girl Scout troop, political
groups and more. The building is also home to a day care, licensed for
up to 29 children during the workweek and serves as an evacuation
center for nearby Patrick Henry High School.
‘A community hub’
The church's biggest outreach ministry, however, is the clothes
closet. This ministry provides free clothing, toys and children’s books
for those who cannot otherwise afford them. Last year, about a
thousand people visited the closet, which distributed more than 20,000
items.
On the first Monday of every month, the Mobile Loaves and Fishes
truck serves a free meal to clothes-closet patrons. Health
professionals from the tenant congregation run medical fairs at the
church on a regular basis. They plan to provide medical and dental care
for clothes-closet patrons.
This extensive involvement with the community led NorthMarq to
conclude that assisting North United Methodist Church would benefit
many — and do the most good.
Two clients receive a meal at the Mobile Loaves and Fishes truck, which brings free meals the first Monday of each month.
View in Photo Gallery
“Part of Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq’s vision is a commitment
to serve the communities in which we live,” said Martha Nevanen, vice
president of marketing communications for the company. “In 2012, we’re
planning to renovate North UMC because it serves as a community hub for
their area.”
Anticipating extensive renovations, NorthMarq asked construction
companies and materials suppliers to donate funds, labor and materials.
Most updates will occur in July 2012.
Koelman is excited about the project. The upkeep of an old building
is overwhelming, she said, and the small congregation often cannot
make the changes they want.
One priority is to replace the church’s boiler with a new,
energy-efficient one. This should help lower utility bills and reduce
operating costs into the future.
‘Absolutely amazing’
New flooring and shelving, as well as a new layout, will make the
clothes closet more inviting and safe for patrons. Designer Jim Smart
is donating his services to redesign and update the closet.
Ceiling fans in the sanctuary will probably be replaced. Removal
of some old storage will give the building another meeting room, which
NorthMarq will fill with new furniture.
“With the addition of a new meeting room, we can provide even more meeting space for groups,” Koelman said.
In the day care, workers will cover heating pipes as a safety
precaution and replace a broken sink. The kitchen and landscaping will
be updated. The pastor’s office and meeting and storage rooms will get
new carpeting or tile.
All of these updates are pending the donation of materials and
funds from the suppliers. One construction company, RJM Construction,
is completing much of the heavy labor. The Pohlad Family Foundation
will pay for carpeting.
Cushman and Wakefield/NorthMarq plan to hold internal clothes and
toy drives to benefit the church’s clothes closet. On July 18,
employees will spend the entire day on site, similar to an “extreme
makeover” day, helping with the updates.
“It’s just absolutely amazing,” Koelman said. “It’s a huge boost to
our congregation. I don’t think it ever really hit them that what
they’re doing makes a difference to that many people — and somebody
else cares about it.”
*Yanchury is communications assistant for the Minnesota Annual (regional) Conference of The United Methodist Church.
News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470 or email newsdesk@umcom.org
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