Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Ellefson.
Hi Sarah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
To tell where I started or how I got here would require a recounting of the experiences of many generations past. It would be a story of struggle, but more importantly, perseverance. I wasn’t born with many advantages. Through my lived experiences, I acquired a sense of duty, compassion, and a drive to give back to the community that I called home.
Following some trouble in junior high school, my family moved from the inner city to a more affluent suburb where I was allowed the mental and emotional capacity to see beyond the limited choices which I thought were my legacy. I kept my old neighborhood and neighbors close and also began to believe that I could make a difference to help others like me. Following high school around the year 1998, I was able to get a temporary job at a major corporation which extended to a seventeen-year career.
While there, my purpose was sparked to create a place to support struggling families in a way that would have helped us through the tough times my family experienced during my childhood. I continued to build my career and was well compensated, but often felt unfulfilled and out of place. When I had the opportunity to leave that position, I did so and dug in to pursue a dream that I had pondered for a very long time.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
My journey has not been easy and still isn’t complete. It may be realized, but still never complete. The biggest hurdle I have overcome is the disbelief that I could actually make an impact. Disbelief that I could be taken seriously among so many capable people. During this journey, I have faced challenges such as chronic illness, poverty, mental illness, opposition, and much more.
None of these have been as powerful as the self-doubt that I placed on me. I had unknowingly limited my narrative to that of a rough around the edges girl whose parents met in juvenile detention. The very long process has helped me grow, believe in myself, and keep moving forward.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
STAR (Strength, Time, And Resilience) House is a crisis nursery that exists to provide a temporary home away from home for children and supportive services to uplift and strengthen the entire family. Currently, there are no emergency overnight care services for children in St. Paul or Ramsey County area, and there is an exceptional need for this service in the area. STAR House will provide children aged 0-7 years a temporary home for up to 72 hours at a time and caregivers with the resources they need to achieve stability and ultimately thrive.
STAR House completed a two-year start-up phase where it secured initial sponsorships, recruited board members, and develop community relationships. STAR House has now launched a soft-opening phase where it will secure a physical shelter location in Ramsey County, MN in Q1 2023, hire a director and nursery staff, and open its nursery in Q3 2023. With this physical location, STAR House will offer free, safe, and trauma-informed overnight Friday-Sunday weekly and will partner with established community services to provide caregivers with the resources and support they need to achieve stability.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The major characteristic that helped me through is my ability to see setbacks as stepping stones leading me to where I am today. I don’t measure success as others may through material possessions.
I measure my success in continuing to grow and helping others along the way to leave a new version of my family’s legacy for my daughter. Although my self-view may have changed, I remain humble and in touch with that rough-around-the-edges city girl that deserves to be seen and valued.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.starhousemn.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starhousemn/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/starhousemn/
