Julia Weston ’16 and I founded The Homeless Outreach Project (THOR) at St. Olaf at the start of our junior year. In just over two years, we collected over 1,000 pounds of toiletry items from students to donate to homeless shelters in Faribault and the Twin Cities. We also raised $2,438 for the Community Action Center’s Emergency Rental Assistance Fund through Caf Fast and selling frozen chocolate-covered bananas.

During that time, it was so impactful to experience Oles stepping up to support fellow community members well beyond the hill. Now, as someone working in place-based work, I bring this experience with me to my career supporting St. Paul families and scholars in the Promise Neighborhood.