In 1984, the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis and St. Patrick’s Church on the East Side hired Sister Kathleen Spencer, SSND, to transform an ongoing pastoral outreach effort to the McDonough Homes into a self-sustaining ministry. Rooted in the ideals of Liberation Theology, which emphasize living and walking with people and waiting to be invited in rather than coming in with proposed programs and solutions, Sister Kathleen spent a year walking among the people, building relationships, listening and waiting to be invited into their lives.
When Sister Kathleen arrived in 1984, the McDonough Homes neighborhood had more than 5000 residents, 80% of them newly-arrived Southeast Asian refugees who bore the scars of war and life in refugee camps. They struggled to adjust to life in a new country. The other 20% were African-Americans and European-Americans, who bore the struggles of poverty and racism.
There was much mistrust, violence, and competition for scarce resources among the various ethnic groups living in the McDonough Homes. But eventually people began to trust Sister Kathleen and began to share their stories and invite her into their lives. Slowly through the years, through potlucks and picnics, support groups and sharing of resources, community meetings and neighborhood improvement activities, she helped them to begin to know and trust one another and to discover the power of their voice when they worked together.
By 1985, Sister Kathleen worked out an agreement with the St. Paul Housing Authority to move into an apartment in the McDonough Homes community. It was from this home that Sister Kathleen, along with the McDonough Neighborhood community then formally established MORE (McDonough Organization with Respect and Equality for People). It received its name from a self-initiated women's support group whose members declared that that they needed more money, more opportunities, more jobs, and more self-respect.
As the people of the McDonough Homes community began to express their needs and their dreams, volunteers from within and outside of McDonough Homes began assisting with the distribution of donated food and clothing, addressing personal and family issues, English language, GED, and citizenship tutoring. In 1987, one of the volunteers, Nancy Christianson, a social worker, felt called to leave her job to participate more fully in the ministry of MORE. That same year, MORE was officially incorporated and Sister Kathleen and Nancy became MORE's first co-directors. Their commitment and love for the people helped establish the organization that MORE is today.
Over time, in addition to making a significant difference in individual lives, the members of MORE had a significant impact in the community. Organizing efforts led to legislative advocacy regarding welfare reform and immigration issues. The MORE community spoke to District Councils, City Hall, and state and federal legislators. Other organizing efforts brought about the organization of a Neighborhood Watch program, advocacy with the Public Housing authorities, and the bringing of the A-COP community-based police outreach program to the McDonough Homes community.
By 1993, MORE had outgrown Sister Kathleen's two-bedroom apartment, and a house across the street from the McDonough community was purchased. The increased space allowed MORE to offer a more formal English Language Learner (ELL) and GED program. The School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) accepted an invitation to partner with MORE and staff the education programs. Emphasis was soon put on EMPOWERMENT in the three areas of basic needs, adult education and issue organizing. In 1995, MORE's board formally changed the organization's name to MORE Multicultural School for Empowerment to better express its functions.
In 2001, MORE's house was renovated and expanded to meet the growing need. This could not have happened without the assistance and donations of many volunteers, including much help from St. Paul Buildings and Trades. Blessed by a Catholic priest, a Buddhist monk, and a Hmong Shaman, it holds the hopes and dreams of our people. Once again in 2010, MORE has outgrown its space and we are looking for creative ways to maximize what we have.
In the past four years, MORE has increased both the number of English Language Learner classes and the number of students in each class. We currently have about 100 students enrolled at any given time. With increased donations, our “Garage” ministry of donated food, clothing, and household goods has also increased to two days of distribution, touching as many as 75 people every week. Advocacy services assisting individuals in cultural adjustment and in dealing with the various systems affecting their lives have more than doubled in the last four years, with over 250 people assisted in 2009.
Four years ago, mental health counseling and support groups were added because so many of MORE’s people suffer distress from the trauma of war and the stress of cultural adjustment and poverty, yet resist accessing traditional mental health clinics. However, our unique setting that feels like a second home makes accessing these services more natural for our members. In 2009, 45 people accessed mental health services and requests for help are steadily increasing.
MORE’s mission has always been to empower individuals and the community through meeting basic needs, formal education, working for systemic change, and through a core respect for people’s spiritual and cultural differences. Although there have been many changes since MORE’s humble beginnings, MORE has remained true to its mission and vision. Through it all, MORE has been deeply blessed by the richness of the people, the diversity of culture shared, and the tremendous generosity of staff, volunteers and donors.
