People CES Serves
While attempting to meet as many emergency needs (food, housing, utilities, transportation and miscellaneous needs) in the name of Christ, as time and available resources permit, CES seeks to point "beyond ourselves to Jesus Christ." The goal is to gently communicate with words and actions, without pressing anyone, God's love and the gospel message to every person who is interested. This brings a renewal of hope to so many who have fallen prey to a sense of hopelessness.
Area of Clients Served
Most of the clients served are from south and southeast Minneapolis.
Because CES is a part of the Emergency Foodshelf Network, there are specific boundaries for those who are served at the food shelf. Please link to the People and Geographic Area of people served.
Summary of Organization
Community Emergency Service seeks to assist families in achieving or maintaining self-sustenance. This is done by responding to unforeseen crisis situations that could destroy self-sustenance or the prospects of it. In these days of increasingly high costs of living and relatively low minimum wages, most low-income families are perilously close to homelessness and/or hunger. For them, it is almost like sitting on a three legged chair with weak legs. If any one leg breaks (such as childcare, transportation, health or employment), they are in immediate danger of seeing their ability to sustain themselves completely collapse.
For instance, if a childcare provider, the child or the employed worker becomes ill, just a day or two of lost pay can spell disaster in terms of not being able to cover food and rent costs. Similarly, a brief reduction of work hours by an employer can cause a similar crisis. An unforeseen automobile repair, dead battery or flat tire can wreak havoc on the best laid plans for self-sustenance for very low-income families.
Helping to keep families working can save tens of thousands of dollars of tax money paid out in welfare. If the crisis is not dealt with, the head of household becomes unemployed and the family is forced into a combination of unemployment compensation and welfare.
To this end, CES works with other existing agencies to provide referrals in job training, fuel assistance, housing, etc. When no other resources are available, CES tries to respond, when able, from the discretionary fund resources that are available.
Each year the programs are evaluated by reviewing statistics from the preceding year. 2006 Statistical Summary That summary essentially depicts how many families have been spared from crisis and potential loss of self-sustenance. The staff also periodically interviews families that have been assisted to help determine the degree of success, and to inform of any program changes or improvements that might contribute to better success.
Reflections on Poverty
The Executive Director, Rev. John R. Bohnsack, has written a thought provoking article on poverty in the inner city, many of whom come to CES. Please feel free to go to the link below.