Visitation School Supports North Minneapolis Families Through Holiday Giving

Visitation Sisters Distribute Holiday Aid in North Minneapolis

The Visitation School Salesian Life and Campus Ministry Office has launched its annual holiday outreach, formalizing a partnership with the Visitation Monastery of Minneapolis to support families throughout the North Minneapolis neighborhood. As the holiday season approaches, the initiative focuses on providing immediate material relief to local residents through two distinct programs: a gift card distribution and the assembly of Thanksgiving food boxes.

The outreach effort centers on the Sisters’ long-standing Door Ministry. This program serves as a point of contact for community members seeking assistance. To bolster this work, the school is facilitating the distribution of $25 Cub Foods gift cards. These cards are intended to provide flexible grocery support for families during a time of year when household budgets are often stretched thin by seasonal expenses.

Coordinating Community Resources for Local Families

The logistics of the initiative rely on a blend of institutional coordination and student involvement. According to information shared by the Salesian Life and Campus Ministry Office, the school community is tasked with preparing Thanksgiving food boxes for 25 of the Sisters’ neighbors. These boxes are assembled directly by Visitation students and their families, moving beyond simple financial donation into direct service. Information regarding the donation process and volunteer roles is being disseminated through teachers, advisories, and homerooms across each division of the school. Sheila Kennedy, who oversees Salesian Life and Campus Ministry, is serving as the primary point of contact for questions regarding the initiative.

Online Donation Form Facilitates Grocery Support Funding

For those looking to contribute to the gift card program, the process has been streamlined through an online donation form. The school is requesting donations in $25 increments, matching the value of the individual gift cards provided to the neighborhood. This structure allows donors to understand the direct impact of their contribution—each $25 gift represents one unit of grocery support delivered through the monastery. By connecting the Visitation School Salesian Life and Campus Ministry Office with the monastery’s Door Ministry, the initiative aims to support families in the North Minneapolis neighborhood. The initiative remains active as the school year progresses toward the winter break, with the Salesian Life and Campus Ministry team managing the flow of donations and the assembly schedule for the food boxes.