Unity Fund Awards First Grant Of $10,000 To Support Homeless Mothers And Children

DULUTH, Minn. — A local program has awarded its first grant to support homeless mothers and children.

The Unity Fund of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation works to provide funding for those of African Heritage with business opportunities in the Northland.

The first grantee is Divine Konnections, which operates Annie’s House of Refuge and Restoration. The house is a place for homeless BIPOC moms and their children to stay at.

The $10,000 grant will go toward expanding the house to help even more people.

“Really especially after COVID I think that moms are dealing with more barriers including things like mental health and sex trafficking and also just you know in this community right now with meth and fentanyl and all these things that affect everyone in our community, but they also affect you know BIPOC moms and their children. And so, I think that it’s more of the need is greater than I even realized it was,” said Deyona Kirk, Executive Director and Founder of Divine Konnections.

A Unity Fund Board member says it is so important to have a safe place like Annie’s House for families in the community.

“To have a beautiful community, to be a part of something bigger than yourself goes a long way. To know that you’re important, that you’re respected, and more importantly that you belong. And that’s something that we all want, a place where we belong and this has been an opportunity to create that for so many families in our community,” said Carl Crawford, Unity Fund board member.

If you’d like to support Divine Konnections go to their website to donate.