“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”
James 1:17
Christmas With Dignity
Our annual Christmas With Dignity event took place on Friday, December 8. We served 437 families and 1,207 children. We are so grateful for the generosity of those who donated the funds, toys, or gift cards that enabled us to provide over 2400 gifts for these families. We also had 250 volunteers covering the prep part of the week and Market Day to make this event happen. Seeing smiles on the faces of the shoppers as they departed with their gifts assures us that their holiday season will be a bit brighter as they see evidence of God’s love and receive the support of their community.
Thanks to all the Gift Donors and Volunteers for supporting this ministry!
Churches
Eagle Brook Church – Downtown
Emanuel Lutheran Church of Inver Grove Heights
Hosanna Church
Prairie Community Church
St. Joan of Arc Church
Trinity Lutheran Church of Minnehaha Falls
True Vine New Bethel Mission Baptist Church
Businesses
Animal Adventure
Bridal Aisles Boutique
Cushman and Wakefield
Excelsior Chiropractic
Executive Connections Network Group
Forte Real Estate Partners
Healthsource Chiropractic Minnetonka
Highland Path of St Paul
Holmes Corporation
Inner City Tennis
JE Dunn Construction
Macklin Publishing
Parallel Retail Group
SeQuel Response
Smith Schafer
Synergy Associates
TPAC Partnership
Twin Cities Orthopedics North
Westgate
Zapatos
Schools
Heritage Christian Academy
Non-Profits/ Foundations
Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ)
Penshorn Joshua 24 Wayzata MN
Twin Cities Cadillac Club
Trudi & Tom Canfield Salvation Army
Parallel Retail Group
JE Dunn Construction
New Basketball Teams
Hospitality House Youth Development (HHYD) offers basketball for ages 6-15 years old. This basketball season we have 4 teams, our younger group 6u and 8u division, our 11u team is co-ed, and we have the 14u defending champs.
Basketball has always been a staple here at HHYD, it provides team building, teamwork, and the ability to build a relationship with the Lord through sports. The teams have been practicing for about 3 weeks now, with the season set to start the 2nd week in January.
Encouraging Athletes for Christ!
JE Dunn Construction Donation
JE Dunn Construction, our Community Partner held their Minneapolis 6^th Annual Charity Golf Outing and it was a huge success! They raised over $18K for NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center (our neighbor) and Hospitality House Youth Development. We received a check in the amount of $9,149. What a great and wonderful gift.
On behalf of the Staff and children of HHYD,
THANK YOU JE DUNN CONSTRUCTION!
Birthday Cakes for Kids
‘For Goodness Cakes’ is a partner of Hospitality House Youth Development, they make custom birthday cakes for our scholars. Once a cake order is placed, the request is sent to one of their many volunteers who make up these beautifully designed cakes.
Thank you ‘For Goodness Cakes’ for putting smiles on our scholar’s faces.
Chapel
Children listen intently to David as he teaches them about how to deal with their emotions and how the Bible helps us deal with anger and hate.
Super Students of the Month
December 14th we honored our SUPER STUDENTS of the Month! The number of Super Students of the Month awardees increased since last month, when the older children realized the benefits of successfully completing their homework and spiritual journals while attending HHYD. Once the child has completed the requirements the HHYD teachers awards the SUPER STUDENTS of the month by serving them a special dinner. This month the teachers served chicken, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes with gravy.
CONGRATULATION TO ALL THE SUPER STUDENTS OF THE MONTH!
Board Spotlight
My name is Rick Smith and I’ve been on the Board of Hospitality House since July of 2023. My wife, Victoria, and I have been married since 1996 and we have two adult boys. I currently work as a commercial sales representative for Mannington Commercial. Prior to that I worked in startup companies in the network radio and food industries.
I became familiar with HHYD when a close friend from my Bible study group invited me to play in his golf tournament which was raising funds for Hospitality House. After meeting several of the youth at the event, I volunteered to tutor a student which I found to be a very rewarding experience. I also participated in cleaning and maintenance tasks.
I have been amazed how God has used HHYD to introduce Himself to the Northside community. For example, one time I went into a plumbing wholesale house on the Northside and told the clerk that I was working with HHYD and he told me he was an alumni. I have a soft spot for kids and want to help provide them with opportunities for success. I am a big advocate of using Strengthfinders and other resources to help youth foster their innate talents and develop identity and destiny in Christ.
I pursue a variety of interests including: skiing, adventure motorcycling, golfing, rock climbing, hunting, mountain biking and woodworking.
Would you or someone you know like to work at HHYD?
Did you know Hospitality House is hiring? HHYD is always looking for high-quality candidates to join our team. We’re currently looking for:
If you or anyone you know might be interested, please share this link to the job descriptions: https://hhyd.org/job-opportunities/
Site Visits
Former employee Nancy Wurm, Former Gopher and NBA Player Willie Burton, Missie Mothershed, Former Board Member Mike Tate, Walter Cox, and George Rowley
Mary Jo Malecha, St. Joan of Arc Church
Shawn Weems, Twin Cities Cadillac Club
Interested in a Site Visit? Contact Walter Cox, Development Officer wcox@hhyd.org or 612.522.4485 ext. 19
Volunteer
Hospitality House is looking for new volunteers. Would you like to get involved? Do you or do you belong to a church, company or other organization that would like to learn more? Want to tutor a student in math or reading? Are you good at coaching? Do you like to write or make phone calls? Do you like to help plan events? What is your God given talent you would like to share?
We would love to hear from you! Call 612.522.4485 or apply online today…