Minnesota Zen Meditation Center volunteers help build community with TC Habitat

This past winter, Minnesota Zen Meditation Center (MZMC) volunteers began an effort to help build homes with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. 18 MZMC volunteers installed flooring and insulation and helped to paint the interior of a Habitat home located on St. Paul’s east side along Case Avenue. They started each day with 30 minutes of silent meditation, then participated in a guided conversation with TC Habitat staff on critical issues related to affordable housing. And when construction was finally completed, Minnesota Zen Meditation’s Center associate guiding teacher Ted O’Toole was on hand to offer the closing prayer during the home’s dedication celebration on Saturday, April 27^th.

The Case Avenue home on St. Paul’s east side now houses Senai and Dereje Asegu-Wedajo and their three children: Senait (10), Haven (6) and Natti (6 weeks). Before purchasing their Habitat home, the family of five resided in a cramped 2 bedroom apartment. They were a struggling immigrant family, having moved to the United States in September of 2005.

Both Senait and Dereje are originally from Ethiopia but met in Yemen; they moved there to flee politically motivated violence caused by the Ethiopian Civil War. When they first came to the US, Senai and Dereje lived in New York for 3 months. Their friends then persuaded them to move to Twin Cities where it was easier to find a job.  It was not an easy transition. It was during the middle of a very cold, snowy winter and neither Senait nor Dereje had a job, a car or a place to live. Although hard at first, the family has now come to love the Twin Cities – St. Paul in particular. 

This June, Minnesota Zen Meditation Center volunteers will continue working with Twin Cities Habitat helping to landscape two St. Paul homes during their final stages of construction.

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s mission is to eliminate poverty housing from the Twin Cities and to make decent, affordable shelter for all people a matter of conscience. An award-winning nonprofit housing developer, Twin Cities Habitat is committed to building the quality of life, health and economic prosperity of the region by producing, preserving and advocating for affordable homeownership – because homes and families are the foundation of successful communities. www.tchabitat.org