A Message from CEO Redd – Spring 2023

Spring is here, a time for new beginnings and new energy. Are you feeling it? Here at Sabathani, our team is definitely feeling the vibe with many good things happening.

Responding to Our Community  

We know our community is in a pivotal time, and as an organization we are uniquely positioned to create a significant impact as we build back better and beyond.  

To meet this moment, we are developing a new strategic plan with our community’s input, aligning with our commitment to doing with our community and not to the community.  

To gather perspectives for the strategic plan, we have held three listening sessions and collected more than 1,300 responses to our Community Needs Assessment. Thanks to all who have contributed. (If you missed submitting a response, please know that we always welcome your contributions. Email info@sabathani.org if you have something share.)  

We’re proud to be the Heart of South Minneapolis and know our new strategic plan will be a blueprint for living up to our mission of building a thriving community. 

Serving as a Resilience Hub  

I’m so proud of all the ways Sabathani serves as a hub for South Minneapolis, whether it be through our food shelf or our employment support, or our programs for youth or seniors, and so much more.  

The building itself is a key component as it allows us to host all these important programs as well as the 27 organizations who call Sabathani home.  

But it’s an old building! 

Just last week I was testifying at the State Capitol to secure funding for a new geothermal HVAC system. A geothermal system will allow us to save money on heating and cooling our 188,000 square-foot building so we can reinvest in our community and help decrease our carbon footprint.

Growing Our Team 

In the past month we’ve added two new staff members to help support our work. 

Jimelle Duncan is our new Chief Financial Officer. He was recognized as the 2022 CFO of the Year by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal for his work in the nonprofit community.  

Also, please welcome Justin Leaf as our new Communications Coordinator. Justin’s role will be grounded in connecting our vast resources to the community. Justin, a Central Neighborhood resident since 2006, has previously led communications for two other nonprofits, Compassionate Action for Animals and Minnesota Dance Theatre. 

Expect to see more from our blog, email news, and social media. We hope to keep it fun and informative and inspiring.  

Join Us!

There’s a lot happening at Sabathani and we would love for you to get involved. 

Click here to learn more about each of our programs and see what might interest you. 

Thanks to all the foundations, corporations, and individuals who support our work. We appreciate you! If you have the means and feel inspired to help us do more, please consider making a gift to Sabathani today.  

Stronger Together!!!

Scott Redd