Book club focused on homelessness and housing instability begins next month

Members of the public are invited to attend the first meeting of a new book club focused on issues related to homelessness and housing instability. The Next Chapter Book Club is organized by Onward, a local nonprofit that provides transitional housing for young adults experiencing homelessness

The club is currently reading “Acceptance: A Memoir” by Emi Neitfeld.

Neitfield experienced homelessness and housing instability while growing up in Minneapolis. Her 2022 memoir offers a compelling firsthand account of that experience and insight into “the underworld of troubled teen treatment, foster care, and homelessness.”

“Acceptance” was chosen as one of the best books of the year by NPR and Amazon and called “a remarkable memoir” by the New York Times Book Review.

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Kim Rathjen, one of the founders and the former board president of Onward, will lead the Sept. 23 discussion at the Eden Prairie Library, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Onward representatives, including Executive Director Tricia Wright, will also be on hand to answer questions about the work they are doing.

“People often ask me how they can support the work of Onward,” Wright said. “One of the things that is helpful is to start reading and learning about the issue of young adult homelessness and to talk about it with others. Our organization exists because people in our community did just that. So I encourage folks to read the book and join in this conversation.”

You can purchase the book in all online and physical bookstores or find it in your local library. However, people are encouraged to attend and discuss homelessness and housing instability even if they haven’t read the book.

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The event is open to the community. Registration is requested, but not required, at onwardep.org/book-club.

Onward offers its residents a safe, affordable place to live, a caring case manager and a supportive community. Learn more about Onward at onwardep.org.