Posts by Shannon Hart

“Everything I learned at Ames After Hours made me who I am today.” – Erick Regis Erick Regis has big plans for his future. With high school graduation only months away, Erick has managed to navigate through the turbulent teen years. Much of his success he attributes to Ames Teen Group, an after-school program for…

Hamzia Kedir is happy to share her time and talents with her community. Since moving to Ames Lake Neighborhood in the early summer, Hamzia has made volunteering a priority, even though she is a busy junior at Harding High School in St. Paul. Every week, she rolls up her sleeves and gets on her knees…

In 2012, Jennifer Erickson, her boyfriend and 2 teenage daughters were looking for a new place to live that would fit their family’s needs. They had recently completed a 2-year housing program in North Minneapolis through EMERGE. The program assisted her in enrolling in Social Security Disability and found suitable employment for her boyfriend. They…

Biqa Jillo knows a good thing when he sees it. Originally from Ethiopia, Biqa came to Minnesota in 2003 after living in Kenya. In 2012, after living in a variety of rental complexes throughout the metro, Biqa moved to Ames Lake Neighborhood and found a community to nurture and support both him and his family.…