A Path Out of Poverty

By Alexandra McLaughlin ’16

A unique community partnership aims to uplift families in St. Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood. 

Behind every eviction notice, there’s a story. In St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood, Mack Williams ’26 has been working with families facing poverty through a unique community partnership.

Last September, Macalester joined forces with Thomson Reuters and the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center to launch the Poverty Elimination Project, a one-year initiative aimed at helping families transition out of poverty toward sustainable lives.

Sharon Sayles Belton ’73, former Minneapolis mayor and Thomson Reuters executive, helped bring the partners together. Her connection to Rondo runs deep—she regularly volunteered to bring local children to Macalester’s athletic facilities in the summer of 1970.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to apply service-learning principles and give back to the community where I grew up,” she said. “I am delighted that Thomson Reuters and Macalester are leveraging their shared interest in improving the quality of life for people in the historic Rondo neighborhood.”

Sedric McClure, co-director of Macalester’s Community Engagement Center, introduced Williams to the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, an institution with nearly a century of service to the Rondo community. This historic Black neighborhood was physically divided due to the construction of I-94 in the 1960s.

“Many families have ties to the center that go back generations,” Williams said. “What attracted me was the opportunity to learn about the experience of working Black people outside Macalester, and about social work in a historic location.” 

Williams worked closely with Hallie Q. Brown staff to support four families facing significant challenges. One family on the brink of eviction was able to stay in their home, and another, a single parent juggling multiple part-time jobs, secured full-time employment with childcare, allowing them to buy a reliable car and build savings.

“Interviewing our client families was the most interesting aspect of the project, and a role I had to grow into,” he said. “Everyone I spoke to was open and honest, which helped me understand how people live and view the world.”

The work also deepened his understanding of the complexities of poverty. 

“Transportation was an afterthought for me before I started the job, but I quickly realized that employment, childcare, and food access often depend on having a working car,” he said. “This job was a reminder of the real challenges people face. There is always another unexpected expense when someone’s trying to get back on their feet. It’s never about laziness.”

Williams hopes the Poverty Elimination Project can serve as a model for future collaborations between the school, community institutions, and funders. He sees a common initiative among Black students at Macalester to support their communities beyond the academy.

It’s important to remember, says McClure, that this work has to be a collaborative approach to addressing the factors that contribute to  poverty. “It’s a complex social issue in our community and takes all of us to fix it.”