If anyone believes the Lord works in mysterious ways, it’s Vanessa Jenkins, the founder of Project HOPE MN. She never dreamed she would move to Minnesota, much less launch a nonprofit.
Her life changed on April 4, 2014, the day her Minnesota-based son’s car rolled over and caught fire. Jenkins, a lifelong Chicagoan, rushed to her son’s hospital bed. She stayed with the 23-year-old, first in the hospital and later in his apartment, as he recovered.
In addition to undergoing burn treatments and surgeries, Jenkins’ son experienced emotional trauma when his live-in girlfriend left without a word. “I watched him go through a lot of depression,” Jenkins recalls. “That was the catalyst. He needed someone to talk to.”
Tragedy Brought Her to Minnesota
After her son’s accident, Jenkins ended up transferring from Chicago’s Social Security Administration office to SSA’s St. Paul location. There, she met her new boss, who had survived a similar accident in his 20s and mentored her son during his recovery.
“Little by little,” Jenkins’ son started healing. He confided in his mom how many of his friends were struggling with emotional challenges despite appearing fine on the outside. That was the genesis for Project HOPE MN, in which the “HOPE” stands for Helping Overcome Poverty through Empowerment. Jenkins realized young Black men needed help, help which she wasn’t equipped to provide. She would need to bring in professionals.
Mental Health Services for Black Men by Black Men
Jenkins applied for a $5000 grant from Hennepin County for comprehensive health improvement. She used the funds to provide stipends to a small group of Black men who were mental health practitioners. In exchange, they agreed to facilitate healing circles and offer one-on-one support on the second Saturday of each month.
“Black men don’t talk about their feelings and their emotions, and the only emotion that they’re allowed to have is anger. Anything else, they get chastised or ridiculed or belittled,” said Jenkins. She named the Saturday men's mental health sessions “Permission to Grieve.” The goal is to normalize grieving and vulnerability for young men of color.
In addition to the mental health practitioners, Jenkins found a Black man who teaches yoga. Jenkins said, “I told him, ‘I don’t want you to do the yoga part, but I want you to teach the breathing and relaxation.’” By coaching young men to calm themselves, Jenkins hopes they’ll be less likely to act violently.
From her volunteer’s chair outside the gatherings, Jenkins witnesses the aftermath of the healing circles. One man emerged with a smile and said, “I didn’t realize I wasn’t breathing!” Another time, a participant who planned to retaliate against someone who’d wronged him handed over his gun to the facilitators.
Helping Survivors of Domestic Abuse
By helping men acknowledge and deal with their feelings, Project HOPE MN prevents domestic abuse. The non-profit also addresses domestic abuse with a program called “You Good, Sis?”
“I myself am a survivor of domestic violence,” said Jenkins, who sharpened her advocacy skills helping recipients of Social Security disability payments. As Project Hope’s executive director, Jenkins shares her “lived experiences of what people need, legal resources to be able to move or break a lease without getting an unlawful detainer, getting the children transferred, and just being able to have that support, someone to talk to, to know that you’re not alone.”
As part of the domestic abuse prevention arm, Project HOPE MN holds classes for girls and young women aged 11 to 18. The program, A Girl’s Safe Space, focuses on practical life skills–everything from building solid credit scores to avoiding teenage pregnancy. “We teach them life skills to help them return to their self-esteem, so they know the first time somebody puts their hands on you, it’s time to go. You can’t fix them; you’re worth more than that, and it’s not your job to heal somebody else.”
Housing Help
The final part of Project HOPE MN’s mission is housing stability, helping line up housing for people who struggle to find it. “We help find safe, affordable, permanent housing for individuals and families, particularly those with barriers, people who may have had a felony,” or a poor rental record. “We have a cohort of property managers as well as companies that are willing to give people a second chance because regardless of your background or your situation, everyone deserves a roof over their head,” said Jenkins.
Jenkins has relied on a $10,000 grant from the Allina Foundation to help people secure housing. One of her goals is to raise more money to guarantee reluctant landlords six months’ rent so they’ll consider providing housing for people with poor rental records.
Upcoming Gala
Jenkins and a team of volunteers run Project HOPE MN. They have accomplished a lot, but the group’s grant money will run out soon. That’s why the organization is throwing the first annual HOPE Gala on May 18. Senator Amy Klobuchar will be the keynote speaker at the event, emceed by Sheletta Brundidge and held at the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Community Center in Minneapolis. The event's honorary co-chairs are Metropolitan Council member W. Toni Carter, who is also St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter’s mom, and Patina Park, who heads up tribal state relations for Governor Tim Walz.
The gala will include dinner, drinks, dessert, live music, dancing, a silent auction, and door prizes. For more information on the event and Project HOPE MN’s services, visit https://www.dontlosehopemn.org.