St. Olaf's Catholic Church's Samaritan Ministry revitalizing downtown Minneapolis
How one Minneapolis church helps those in need
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent for Christians around the world, and a common theme of the Lenten season is almsgiving — performing acts of charity. And in downtown Minneapolis, St. Olaf's Catholic Church truly embodies the meaning of the Lenten season by helping those who need it most in their community.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent for Christians around the world, and a common theme of the Lenten season is Almsgiving — performing acts of charity.
In downtown Minneapolis, St. Olaf's Catholic Church truly embodies the meaning of the Lenten season by helping those who need it most in their community.
How St. Olaf's helps those in need
The backstory:
The church has a program called Samaritan Ministry which aims to serve those living on the margins of the downtown Minneapolis neighborhood by providing food, clothing, toiletries, and other goods. It's been around for more than 40 years, and provides a safe and comfortable place of hospitality, hope and service.
What we know:
St. Olaf's Samaritan Ministry has developed partnerships with businesses in the downtown area, like Starbucks at 1st & Hennepin, Benchmark Reporting Agency in the Campbell-Mithun Tower and the League of Catholic Women, who donate financial and physical resources to the program.
The Samaritan Ministry is open from Monday to Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. St. Olaf's also accepts those who would like to volunteer their time with Samaritan Ministry to serve as greeters, sorters, advocates, or just simply those who would like to have a conversation to provide some warmth and hospitality to someone who may need it most.
What you can do:
It's the perfect way to give back to the community this Lenten Season and beyond, and you can learn more by visiting their website.