Eggroll Queen, which has food trucks running across the Twin Cities metro, is one of numerous local businesses participating in Small Business Week. Image via eggrollqueen1 on Facebook.
Proceeds to be matched and donated to Roseville rent assistance fund
By Kat Ruth-Leigh — Volunteer contributor
Resident volunteers are encouraging the community to go shopping to support their neighbors and local businesses during Small Business Week, April 12-18.
Some proceeds from sales at participating businesses during the week will be matched by the Wilson Foundation and then donated to the Roseville Housing Stability Fund: Love Pays the Rent, managed by St. Michaels Lutheran Church. The fund provides rent and utility support for families in Roseville who lost income during Operation Metro Surge or are facing financial hardship due to local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.
“Small Business Week has two goals,” said Jennifer Dahl, one of the local organizers of the effort. “First, helping local businesses trying to rebound [after Operation Metro Surge], and second, helping our neighbors that need support with housing stability.”
Dahl explained that the effort has dozens of volunteers from a group of community members who connected during Operation Metro Surge engaging businesses and getting word out to the community about the impact they can have.
“I have personally gotten to know hundreds of the community members that we’re helping,” Dahl said. “Many are beautiful, caring, hardworking families that have never received any kind of support before. Most do not want to accept this help, do not want to be in this position, and are eager to get back to work and be not only self-sufficient but good Samaritan members of the community.”
Do Good Roseville and the community members led a fundraising effort in February for the Roseville Housing Stability Fund that saw 500 donors give over $211,000 and help more than 132 families, according to Dahl. In March, 260 donors gave $168,432 to support 130 families. So far in the first part of April, $45,000 has been raised.
The Wilson Foundation, a private grantmaking organization, estimates that families across the Twin Cities metro area need rent support through June to recover from Operation Metro Surge, according to their website. Up to $16 million will be donated by the Wilson Foundation as match funds to nonprofits across the region.
Local families who need rent or utilities support can either reach out to a Roseville Area Schools social worker if they have a student enrolled in a local school or connect with a Roseville city social worker through the city’s Community Action Team.
Businesses participating in Small Business Week include:
- Berry Dipped by Zuly
- Caravelle
- Eggroll Queen
- El Parian
- Hollywood Nails
- La Muñeca Taco Truck
- Jett’s Pizza
- Makwa Coffee
- Namaste Brows and Boutique
- Ohana Hair
- Parkway Pizza
- Pretty Great Cheesecake Food Truck
- Showtime Studio and Coffee
An up-to-date list of businesses can be found on the Do Good Roseville website.
