Seward Co-op’s August SEED recipient is Sabathani Community Center (SCC)! SCC was founded by members of the community in 1966 with a goal to provide people of all ages and cultures with essential resources that inspire them to improve their lives and build a thriving community. In 1975, SCC established a food shelf. Today, they one of the largest food shelves in South Minneapolis. In 2019, they provided food to over 160 people a day and served more than 40,000 people. August SEED funds will go towards supporting Sabathani’s food shelf.⠀
As part of a partnership with the University of Minnesota’s Heritage Studies and Public History (HSPH) program and the SCC, students conducted historical research about food access in the neighborhood. You can learn about some of their findings here. In response to those findings, Ricardo Levins Morales designed a poster that beautifully shows Sabathani’s role as a community institution. Now through August shoppers who donate $20 or more to Sabathani can receive a poster designed by local artist and activist Ricardo Levins Morales. Proceeds from posters will go directly to helping Sabathani as they work at feeding people in the midst of a monumental health crisis.
In order to receive a poster, make a donation of $20 or more at Seward Co-op when you round up at the register or give directly to Sabathani on their website. Bring your receipt or a screenshot/printout of your online donation to the Sabathani Community Center during their pickup times Friday and Saturdays—or until supplies last!
Poster Pickup Times
Fridays Aug. 28, 4:30 -7:30 p.m.
Saturdays, Aug. 29, noon – 3 p.m.
When you go pick up a poster, you also get the chance to chat with researchers about the history of the neighborhood. Representatives from A Public History of 35W, a project working to find and record personal experiences and histories of the freeway from a community perspective, will also be available.
More About the Sabathani History Project
The SCC has been serving community on the Southside since 1966. Started by the Sabathani Missionary Baptist Church, which once sat on the site that the Friendship store occupies today, they moved into the former Bryant Junior High School in 1979. Sabathani is an important gathering place and provides a myriad of services. The Community Gallery tells the stories of people from the neighborhood and houses the exhibit, Owning Up: Racism and Housing in Minneapolis. The Food Shelf served more than 40,000 people in 2019. With the COVID-19 crisis and closing of grocery stores in the area due to the recent uprising in response to the murder of George Floyd, Sabathani has stepped up their efforts and is feeding more people than ever. Food is integral to health and wellness in more than just its nutritional value, and food businesses in the area have acted as important community institutions since the neighborhood’s historic center at 38th and 4th was established in the late 1920s. As part of a partnership with the Univesity of Minnesota’s Heritage Studies and Public History program and the Sabathani Community Center, students performed research about food access in the neighborhood historically. You can learn about some of their findings here. In response to those findings, Ricardo Levins Morales designed a poster that beautifully shows Sabathani’s role as a community institution. Proceeds from posters will go directly to helping Sabathani as they work at feeding people in the midst of a monumental health crisis.