Taking care of the south Minneapolis community is something that runs deep for Sherri Green.
“I grew up in the community. My father was the superintendent of schools here,” she said. “So community is in my blood.”
Green is the director of critical services at Sabathani Community Center. Her work involves managing and implementing programs at the Sabathani Food Distribution.
Her father, the first Black superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools, made sure she and her siblings were involved in their neighborhood, including going to programs at Sabathani when Green was a child.
“That’s how I got here,” Green said. “Because to serve the community is the best thing to do.”
Before working at Sabathani, Green was working as human resources consultant, supporting community centers. It was a friend that got her interested in joining the food distribution side.
She said it was a big shift.
“I got to actually touch people in the community. Talk to them, feed them, tell them what we’re doing,” she said. “I’m a relator, so I build relationships. I’m at home at what I do.”
Six years at the job, she’s helped revamp the food shelf. They’ve grown from six employees to 30, developed programs for housing, seniors and workforce readiness. The food shelf sees about 120 people a day, so Green implemented a way for visitors to make appointments and also hired more workers that can speak the languages of the people coming in.
“I don’t want anybody coming down to our food shelf and feel uncomfortable because I don’t understand the language,” she said. “Dignity is on the top of the list.”
Additionally, she redesigned and expanded the waiting area and included a small room for parents to drop off their kids while they make their way through the food shelf. Plus a clothing closet for visitors to grab garments they need.
Much of the time, when Green visits the shelf, people will stop her to give her thanks or a hug.
“This is why I do this. This is exactly why,” she said. “When people say thank you.”
This conversation is a part of our Job Interview series, where we talk to everyday Minnesotans about the rewards and challenges of their work. This interview has been lightly edited for style and clarity.
Click on the audio player for the original version.
Official title: Director of critical services.
What I actually do: I feed and clothe people.
A great day at work: When people say thank you, and they say, “Thank you for listening to me, thank you for understanding that I had this need.” That’s the biggest thing.
The hardest part: To watch the growing number of people that need food, that need essential needs. That is right now a tough thing to watch.
Is it heartbreaking? To some extent, but the other side of it is that I’m happy I’m able to provide the services I need to.
What I’ve learned: Leading with a bit more empathy and understanding for people that have an essential need is the biggest thing I had to get used to. Because I started out not really understanding it and having people get kind of get frustrated with me, because I was kind of moving fast.
I’m to the point where I slow down, and if somebody has a story, I stop and listen. I wasn’t doing that when I first started.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/coffeevsenergydrink-738dcdca64dd44cf913c6acb21f2dc44.jpg "A cup of coffee and a metal can side by side with a VS icon in the middle")
