Resident Voices
 | Featured Voice: Commerce Residents Love Their New Home On June 1st, The Commerce Building opened its doors in downtown St. Paul. New residents Aryn and Tyler couldn’t be happier. “We kept calling to see how soon we could move in.” |
 | A Home Allows Amrula to Start Giving Back The rich colors of the artwork shine vividly in the lights of Skyline’s community room. As Amrula points to his work, the angular lines of Skyline Towers begin to emerge from the lushly patterned picture. “It’s a small city, dealing with people from different countries, different cultures, different races,” Amrula says of the home that inspired him. |
 | Seward Sewing Circle Yet most satisfying for both the sewers and to us as staff is the way in which the class connects the East African population and residents of the Seward Towers as they share stories about their lives and families, uncover common interests, and create relationships in a diverse community. |
 | An Affordable Place For a Family It does not feel like my story is very different or unique. But, after thinking about it, I realized we are really lucky and maybe that is a story itself. |
 | Elmira - I Love Living Here! Isn’t she lovely? Elmira Gossman, 88, loves living at Red Rock Manor, a CommonBond senior housing community in Newport, MN. Driven by a commitment to provide stabile, vibrant housing for seniors, CommonBond fosters independent living for people like Elmira. |
 | Amazing Volunteers, amazing Kids Without people like Laurie Callahan, the Twin Cities would be a very different place. For the last four years, Laurie has volunteered to tutor children whose families are working hard to make a better life. Along the way, she’s met some pretty amazing kids. |
 | CommonBond helped Joanne and her family make a new start. Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today. It is an honor to be here. I grew up in St. Paul and I also lived in South Minneapolis. When I lived in Minneapolis, I used to watch out for members of The Crypts, who lived on one side of me and The Bloods, who lived on the other side. I also remember being the house on the block that all the kids came to for a meal and a place to feel safe. |
 | Laura Puts Down Roots On New Year’s Day 2006, Laura and her family finally put down roots. After years spent living in homes where they didn’t feel safe, Laura and three of her four children moved into Brandes Place, a family community in Fridley, Minn.—and her family’s story shifted from one of fear to one of hope. |
 | Hussien: I Can Be Whatever I Want to Be! When CommonBond board member Bruce Christensen toured Cathedral Hill Homes, a CommonBond family community in St. Paul, he was struck by the high quality of the housing and the services provided there. He was even more impressed by the residents he met, including one young man who’s been on his mind ever since. |
 | The Secret Sisterhood of the Study Buddies The bond between student and mentor is strong. They share a look and quietly agree to show a visitor their secret handshake. But only if the viewer vows never to describe what has been revealed. Study Buddies stick together. |
 | Osman: Giving Back Times Seven Osman’s apartment at South Haven, a CommonBond senior community in Edina, is filled with books on history. Since history changes faster than books can be printed, Osman relies on the computers in the community room to stay current. In the midst of one hundred other residents he calls friends, Osman spends hours and hours working. |
 | Terry Finds Shelter From the Storm New Orleans is 1,200 miles away from the Twin Cities. The distance, however, doesn’t diminish the ache Minnesotans feel for their fellow Americans. Inspired by a pastor’s sermon, Hennepin County social worker Joe Groshens and fellow church member Cheri Morris turned a horrible situation into hope for the future. |
 | Mark - A Home To Be Proud Of I am 'disabled' and on social security disability income. I haven't been able to make many choices about how or where I live. But thanks to Teweles and CommonBond, I am able to live in a beautiful apartment in a location that anyone would be proud to call home! |
 | Ezra: Volunteers Build Academic Achievement "I want to thank Nick, CommonBond and the Advantage Center, because they have given me opportunities to learn. Study Buddies and the other services help a lot of people, not just me." |
 | Mohammed: Working Together Brings Hope for the Future Three years ago, Mohammed came to this country from Somalia. Although he had worked before, he wanted to learn computers. "I was living in Cathedral Hill Homes at that time," he says. "I was working full-time and going to school to learn computer networking, but I needed a second part-time job to make ends meet." |
 | Marie: It's a Place I'm Proud to Call Home "My name is Marie and I am a very happy and proud resident of Arbor Lakes Commons. I am also the President of Arbor Lakes Commons Resident Association and Vice President of the Arbor Lakes Board of Directors." |
 | Tirece: Study Buddies! Tirece, a smiling, bright-eyed ten-year-old, claims that his superheroes help him do his homework. He brings them along to his tutoring sessions after school. While he's referring to his plastic cartoon strongmen, the 4th grader, shyly admits that Joan is also his superhero. |
 | Mary - Back on her Feet with CommonBond I lived at Torre de San Miguel, a CommonBond family community in St. Paul, for four years. I loved the sense of community at Torre. A lot of residents knew me even, if not my name. “She’s the lady who likes to dance and loves our clothes,” the kids would say. |
 | Maria: I Couldn't Get a Job So Fast on My Own Maria has been a resident of CommonBond Communities' Yorkdale Townhomes for 5 years, and recently enrolled in Career Advantage. Maria had been out of the workforce for over 2 years after being laid off from her airport security job in 2001. |
 | Cathedral Hills Youth Make a Difference in Liberia Congratulations to the Cathedral Hill Homes Youth who raised money for the School Supply Project for kids in Liberia! The group raised over $700 in school supplies and learned a lot about another country in the process. |
 | Muridi: Career Advantage Participant CommonBond is increasing diversity and inclusiveness in the affordable housing industry while supporting residents in their quest to find jobs. One example of a Career Advantage Participant is Muridi, pictured here with site manager Eduardo Christ of Seward Tower East in Minneapolis. |
 | Mai: Torre Advantage Center Makes a Difference "I want to go to graduate schools at Gallaudet University in Washington DC and while there I want to do my research on deaf in the Hmong community." Mai is the oldest in her family and she will soon move out of CommonBond's Torre de San Miguel homes to live near the University of Minnesota campus and finish her degree. |
 | Camren: Study Buddies! "I go the Advantage Center when I get out of school. This year my Study Buddy, Mary, helped me learn a lot. I did not do very good in reading and spelling when school started, but later when we practiced each week, I got all my spelling words right, maybe I missed a few, but mostly I got them all right! |
 | Lantu: A Home to Start From The letter begins, "Congratulations! You have earned a college scholarship!" Eighteen-year old Lantu was caught off guard by the announcement at Central High School's Honors Night celebration. "I was so surprised and excited," she said. |
 | Ray: A Blue Van He Called Home Furnished with comfortable chairs donated by other residents, the most prominent decoration in Ray's home is an arrangement of four small Hamilton collectible houses depicting Santa's workshop. Holding one in his hands, Ray said, "I love it here." |
 | Bobbie-Jean: Two Boys, Three Jobs and One Happy Home As a single mother, the most important thing in Bobbie-Jean's life is the safety and well-being of her two sons, six-year-old Raequon and five-year-old Sakai.For nearly two years, Bobbie-Jean has lived at CommonBond Communities' Valley Square Commons in Golden Valley. |
 | Farhiyo: Career Advantage works for residents and their employers “The first week was hard, I was afraid they were going to say go home,” recalled Farhiyo. A resident of Westminster Place in St. Paul, Farhiyo participated in the CommonBond Communities Career Advantage program. |
 | Bibi Goes to College! I got involved in the Advantage Center programs because Farhia, a resident slightly older than me, recruited me to participate in the teen group activities...Once I started going to the programs, I got to know other kids in the building. Right then, it boosted my confidence. |
