Neighborhood House Celebrates Its 100-Plus-Year Commitment to Saint Paul Immigrants

Neighborhood House, a community center in West Saint Paul, held a house party June 25 celebrating its recent fundraising campaign and community work. The celebration centered the organization’s work serving community members during Operation Metro Surge and into the future with the funds it raised.     

Founded in 1897 to support Russian Jewish refugees, Neighborhood House now offers adult and early childhood education, food and housing support, and a Latino leadership program. It also serves as a space where youth and other community members can gather.  

For the past five years, Neighborhood House has run a fundraising campaign called “Hope in Action.” The campaign raised $26 million, surpassing its $25 million goal.

Some of the money went to opening Neighborhood House’s second location, at 1080 Montreal Ave in St. Paul’s West 7th neighborhood. The new location, which opened in June 2024, is directly across the street from a senior low-income high-rise and near a low-income housing community with many East African families. Before opening the new location, Neighborhood House supported these families with a food market that it ran out of an apartment in the building. The new location helps the organization enhance the services it provides. 

Other funds went into refurbishing the organization’s original space — the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center at 179 Robie Street East in Saint Paul. The imprint of the building stayed the same, but builders tore down the walls and redid them in different configurations. 

The construction expanded the classrooms for adult learners, which were filling up as the classes gained more students; created spaces with more natural light for preschoolers and the center’s other youngest learners; and added a maker-space and private spaces where participants can meet with staff. 

“Neighborhood House has the mission that we want to serve people with dignity,” Janet Gracia, president and CEO of Neighborhood House, said. “We feel that our space can do that better now.”

“This is not just an investment in physical bricks and mortar,” Saint Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker added. “This is investing in the people and investing in the work that happens here.”

$3 million of the funds raised went to expanding the organization’s programming.

New digital literacy and monthly service hubs for immigrants and refugees will be offered from July 2026 through June 2027. The hubs feature legal clinics, gift cards to grocery stores, and information about housing support and English classes. Neighborhood House will host one hub each month. 

The celebration also noted the work Neighborhood House did during Operation Metro Surge. Running a rapid response headquarters out of its new maker-space, the organization made over 4,500 food deliveries, supporting 734 families. 

More than 77 percent of the families Neighborhood House supported through Metro Surge had never attended programs at the organization before. “That’s a lot of new people that have found support and relief in a place that they probably never thought that they would need,” Gracia said. 

During Neighborhood House’s yearly March Food Drive, the organization exceeded its $300,000 goal. This was the most money it has ever raised in a March Food Drive.   

Gracia noted that community members’ need is ongoing, but thanked House Party attendees “for showing up during moments of celebration and moments of tremendous need.”

“This is hope in action,” Gracia continued. “This is neighbors helping neighbors. Together we are building an even stronger future for Neighborhood House and the community we are honored to serve.”

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