Serving at the House of Charity in Minneapolis

The Elliot Park neighborhood of Minneapolis is being transformed with a number of development projects, including the opening of the new US Bank Stadium in the summer of 2016 among others. We are proud to have been a part of Kraus-Anderson’s (KA) block redevelopment project in the neighborhood, helping to finish the project by overseeing the development of the Elliot Park Hotel, which opened October 3rd, 2018. The hotel was the last piece of the project that also included Kraus-Anderson’s office, an apartment building, and Finnegan’s Brew Company.

Since the early 1950s, the House of Charity (HOC), across the street from KA, has consistently worked on other kinds of transformational projects, building better lives for needy neighbors by offering free meals, support housing, and treatment programs.

When we planned the events surrounding the Elliot Park Hotel’s grand opening, we also looked for ways to bring our value of “building beyond business” to life and offer support for a local organization. With HOC right next door, we had our answer. While the Wilkinson team was in Minneapolis to celebrate the hotel’s grand opening, they had the pleasure of partnering with others from KA and Coury Hospitality in three shifts to support HOC’s lunch service that day.

Paul Verrette, HOC’s Gift Officer, thanked Wilkinson Corporation and family for volunteering, noting: “I really appreciated the opportunity to tell you more about House of Charity’s work for people ending their homelessness in Minneapolis. The volunteers across all three shifts were hard working and inquisitive. April and the rest of the kitchen staff are very grateful for all your help. I hope that the Elliot Park Hotel opening went well. We are very happy to have them in the neighborhood and to partner with them!”