RUAH "Breath of God" supportive housing open house is Wednesday, July 25

RUAH Project Apartments blessing & dedication July 25
Three organizations (The Benedictine Sisters of Saint Scholastica, Habitat for Humanity, and CHUM) partnered through the RUAH Project to convert the vacant former Lake Superior Community Health Center into permanent supportive housing. These groups will bless and dedicate the four unit apartment building on Wednesday, July 25 by co-hosting a celebration from 1-3 p.m. at 2 East Fifth Street. Gathering and introductions take place from 1-1:30 p.m. with the blessing and dedication ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Tours, socializing and refreshments will follow the ceremony.
Special thanks go to the St. Scholastica Sisters who provided major financial support, CHUM congregations that provided additional financial support and volunteer labor, Habitat for Humanity that coordinated volunteers and the rehabilitation process, countless volunteers and donors from the community, and the Lake Superior Community Healthy Center.
“RUAH is an ancient Hebrew word meaning breath of God,” CHUM Congregational Outreach Director Steve O’Neil commented. “We've added to our understanding of ruah as people of faith who have been Rehabilitating Urban Affordable Housing with direction from our Creator. The Benedictine Sisters breathed the dollars into a dream of CHUM volunteers breathing new life into old buildings, kind of a Habitat for apartments. Habitat folks led the way for us on our first endeavor.”
CHUM will manage the building as part of its on-going efforts to help families and individuals exit the cycle of repeat homelessness. Families who have been housed in CHUM’s emergency family shelter and are ready for their next step toward permanent housing, yet which may have major obstacles to obtaining and retaining permanent independent housing will be the primary occupants of the RUAH building. In addition to stable on-going housing these families will receive intensive supportive services from Gabriel Project social worker Veronica Gaidelis-Langer with support from CHUM Family Stabilization Advocate Mary Lu Larsen.
CHUM serves over 7,000 low-income people each year through programs meeting basic needs, helping people stabilize their living situations, and working for social and economic justice in the entire community. A major part of CHUM’s work involves addressing homelessness and the need for affordable and safe housing.