HEART has left its imprint all around the southern metro area this summer. We have touched the lives of over 5,000 people within our community! You can read about the opportunities where we stepped in and not only supported our community organizations but delivered blessings in so many lives within just a couple of months.
Rhythm on the Rails | Shakopee Rhythm on the Rails (ROR) is a 6-week outdoor concert series that is held downtown Shakopee. Live music, food, brew vendors, family fun & games and so much more! This was our second year participating in this event. HEART was a “Presenting Sponsor” where we served in the beer tent, helped setup and takedown for other vendors, and hosted our own giveaways. Part of our mission was to hand out English and Spanish bibles and we ran out of bibles twice! Approximately 130 volunteers made HEART known through this summer event. We raffled off about 20 items per week and handed out 2-3 small giveaway items to around 500 people each week! Not only did we serve the people in the community, but we also had a "dog station" where pets could get a drink of water, cookie, chew toy and a little swag to wear!
Picnic with the Police | Shakopee
Many volunteers came out to Lions Park in Shakopee to serve a meal alongside the Shakopee police officers on June 15th. We came together for music, dancing, giveaways, food and fellowship! The vibe of the night certainly was one of joy and love! We had over 1,000 people in attendance! Over 1,700 toys were given away–in addition to all the items raffled off!
The partners of this event were the Shakopee Police Department, Hosanna Shakopee, HEART, Mi Casa and Shakopee Parks & Recreation. People walked away blessed, full and supported by the community. Some of our city leaders were in attendance enjoying their time as well! Mayor, Bill Mars, wrote, "This event is what Shakopee is all about. Coming together for a stronger inclusive welcoming community."
Public Safety Night | Rosemount
Hosanna’s Rosemount campus and HEART opened a truckload of toys to bless every child with a toy during Rosemount’s “Public Safety Night” on June 29th. Gathering in Central Park with other organizations such as the Rosemount Police Department, Rosemount Fire Department, Rosemount Public Works Department, Dakota County Sheriff's Department, Dakota County Parks, Lakes and Trails, Dakota County Drone Team, Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota State Patrol Helicopter, Special Operations Team (SOT), South Metro SWAT, M Health Ambulance Service, and the Minnesota National Guard. It’s such a joyful event when we can all come together and support each other. Thank you, volunteers for coming out to help and serve with these amazing organizations and our community!
First Responder Community Picnic | Lakeville On August 9th the Hosanna Lakeville campus and HEART sponsored the second annual “Lakeville's First Responder Community Picnic” at King Park in Lakeville. We had over 1,000 people in attendance! We had a great time visiting with the police officers, firemen, and local families.
Our HEART ministry provided delicious food and beverages for this fun family event that included raffle prizes (bikes, an ice house, paddle board, and more!), games, DJ, and an opportunity to "stuff a squad" with school supply donations for Lakeville area schools. This serving opportunity helped bond the Police and Fire departments to the families in the Lakeville community.
End of Summer Event | Rosemount
On Monday, August 22 we served food to nearly 700 people over 2 hours thanks to the amazing HEART team! So many people came out from the neighborhoods to just enjoy the diverse music of our sweet cover band made up of Hosanna talent, Hip Hop from Socheat (Born Again Trigg) and Karim Islis brought his Reggaeton style, couples were dancing and so appreciative of the variety. The night included a variety of events:
Food for 700 people over 2 hours
Music from 2 different genres from Hosanna
School Supplies Donations
Raffled over 80 items from HEART where 293 people signed up
30 Vouchers for Rosemount School Teachers, accompanied by prayers of blessing
20 participants in the Family 5k
100 Volunteers from 12pm-9pm
Lots of stories to tell but one specifically is of a little girl with a new bike. She had been in a shelter for 1-1/2 years and just finally moved to Rosemount! Her precious smile reminds each of us of why we love the way we do and why we are here!
Our goal was MOMENTUM! A night for momentum pointing people to what God wants for them this fall. Momentum of starting new relationships with new people and deepening relationships we have in our community to serve and bless them as humbly and boldly as we can.