Program for single mothers to break ground on Rochester campus this summer

The Jeremiah Program, a nonprofit that helps single mothers and their children break the cycle of poverty, announced this week that it will break ground on its Rochester campus on July 29.

The organization said a recent $1 million gift from the Harper Family Foundation helped push the project forward. The initiative, now three years in the making, has also received substantial support from the State of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic, and Jack and Mary Ann Remick.

Once complete, the campus — to be located on two acres of land just north of Lourdes High School — is expected to house up to 40 families at a time and include on-site childcare and development services.

JoMarie Morris, Jeremiah Program's regional director, said twelve families have already graduated from the the organization’s empowerment course. The course is designed to set the groundwork for women to be successful in the program. Twenty more families have signed up for the course.

“This course and our program plan are intense,” said Morris. “The women are building a sisterhood necessary to support one-another and learning critical techniques from coaches for keeping their family stable.”

Ahead of the groundbreaking, the organization is making an additional fundraising push for $350,000, which will help with the outfitting of the apartments, classrooms, offices and common areas.

“We are so close to creating a space of welcome and promise,” said Morris. “The community continues to rally. We need help to finish this last element of the building project.”

You can learn more about this week’s announcement here.

Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.