THE SANNEH FOUNDATION RECOVERY EFFORTS AT CONWAY COMMUNITY CENTER;

FIRE TO PART OF THE BUILDING PUTS PARTNERSHIPS INTO ACTION IN SUPPORT OF EAST SIDE YOUTH AND FAMILIES

St. Paul, MN. (June 20, 2021)  – In the very early morning of Sunday, June 20, 2021 the Conway Community Center on St. Paul’s East Side was the scene of a fire at the west entrance to the building.  

The building was empty when the fire occurred, and there were no physical injuries. The building’s entryway and interior sustained moderate structural damage, and the City’s Parks and Recreation Department and Fire Department are currently investigating the cause of the fire.  

The Conway Community Center and adjacent playground and athletic fields have been managed and operated on behalf of the city by The Sanneh Foundation (Sanneh) since 2014.  During the pandemic, Sanneh served the emergency needs of youth and families by turning the community center’s gym into a distance learning center and utilizing the building as the center of operations for emergency food relief on-site and throughout the Twin Cities.

“The community center is a city owned building, but the capital investments and programming The Sanneh Foundation has brought to our community are vital to the physical and social infrastructure of the East Side,” said Ward 7 City Councilmember Jane Prince. “Sanneh is providing crucial programs and services for our community and many others, and they are an important partner of the City of Saint Paul.”

Tony Sanneh, the non-profit’s founder and CEO said, “We’re committed to bringing back normal youth programs and family services back inside the community center as soon as possible.  We’re grateful to have such strong and committed partners in Mayor Melvin Carter, the Parks and Recreation Department, and Saint Paul Public Libraries. 

With these partners, and the consistent support of our friends and neighbors, we know with absolute confidence that we will be able to adapt and serve the youth in our summer programs during the building’s temporary closure.  We are absolutely committed to continuing our mission to provide programs, opportunities and environments that empower youth and improve community well-being without pause, and look forward to when the building is safe to reopen.”

Anyone who would like to support The Sanneh Foundation’s mission as it recovers from the fire at Conway Community Center can donate here or at www.thesannehfoundation.org/donate