Our History

In 1982, people across Northeastern Minnesota rallied in response to layoffs at area taconite mines and ore docks, the closure of the Duluth Air Force base, and plant shutdowns around Duluth. Duluth was an anxious place to live.  Unemployment was 15 percent.  Bankruptcy filings and housing foreclosures grew.  This difficult situation was exacerbated by a $9 million federal cut to St. Louis County Human Services. The community needed to respond quickly, and the Damiano Center was born.

People took action first in Duluth’s Central Hillside, where a striking red brick gothic Catholic elementary school lay empty and abandoned.  This three-story building was to become the Damiano Center, a place of welcome and opportunity, building a stronger community by serving people in need—a place where everyone from low-income students to unemployed workers to homeless families could find support to improve their living conditions and to create opportunities for a better tomorrow.

Our organization has transformed from an ad-hoc community intervention to a multi-faceted human services agency that serves as one of the essential safety net providers in the region. We operate a variety of programs that assist people with their basic needs of food, clothing, housing and employment.

Story aired on Minnesota Public Radio for the Damiano Center’s 25th Anniversary:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/03/12/dami...