As he reflected on his nearly-year tenure as executive director, Charles Moses responded with, “It’s been a dream.”
Succeeding Rev. Johnny Hunter’s 17-year leadership at Hospitality House Youth Development, Moses began his role in January of 2024. Moses spoke of Hospitality House’s 64-year history of enriching children’s lives on the Northside who just need an opportunity to shine, opening doors of opportunity and possibility.
Hospitality House provides a Christian outreach, focused on the spiritual, intellectual, and physical development of inner city youth and their families. Beginning their official partnership with Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) late last year, Hospitality House is a highly-welcomed organization to the NAZ collaborative and a long-standing Northside institution.
The non-profit strives to open the doors of opportunity, equipping at-risk youth to lead with integrity, restoring broken families, and rebuilding the North Minneapolis community.
Entering the doors of Hospitality House, visitors are welcomed by a sign that reads: "Through these doors have passed some of the finest men and women North Minneapolis has produced. One day, that will be you." That message of hope, showing their dedication to character development of Northside youth, is one that drives Hospitality House, deftly guided by Charles Moses.
“I believe, in a world of things that you cannot have control over, the development of your character is something you innately have control over,” he said. “To me, character development is who we are. And if it’s not who we currently, present-day, are, it’s who we’re striving and working to become.”
Moses spoke of his family’s deep North Minneapolis roots–14 aunts and uncles who are Minneapolis North Community High School alumni–and their involvement in Hospitality House.
“My family’s been intricately involved here,” he said. “Hospitality House has been a fixture in the family for quite some time. When I started in my role … the relationship between Hospitality House and NAZ was just beginning to pick up.”
He spoke of his first meeting of executive leaders at the NAZ offices. Not only was his organization heralded as a Northside light, he was also recognized as a figure in the community.
“NAZ was very excited to have Hospitality House onboard as a partner. Hospitality House was introduced as ‘a pillar in the community,’ and I was even introduced as ‘Mr. Northside,’” Moses laughed.
Though the relationship between NAZ and Hospitality House is fresh, both organizations stand on a firm foundation of shared accountability to Northside scholars and families.
“At Hospitality House we have the belief that, if our youth were given similar opportunities that other youth from other communities receive, our kids could excel to a degree that is immeasurable,” Moses said. “A lot of our families, a lot of our youth and community, have to spend too much time focusing on the obstacles, the barriers, or have to make do with what they do not have. Once you see our youth receive even a portion of what others may take for granted, you’re really able to see how far they can excel. NAZ has become excellent in unashamedly and unabashedly going out to get these resources and also distributing and sharing those resources with the organizations that are front-facing with the youth, front-facing with the families … holding themselves and holding their partners to a high standard of accountability.”
In addition to praising NAZ and other partners for their continued commitment to Northside families, Moses also spoke of NAZ’s dedication to the truth and realities of difficult situations–as he calls it, “openness and transparency about where we’re at currently and where we’re headed.”
“Those obstacles are ever–present and, yes, we’re aware of them, but I would love for a shift to move off of those obstacles and more toward the love, the community, and the support that is here in the North Minneapolis community,” Moses said.
He shared a story of success, highlighting a young man named Quemar:
“Quemar started coming to Hospitality House when he was seven years old. He attended our afterschool program and played on many of our baseball and basketball teams. He excelled athletically but struggled academically. While he worked hard, things did not come easy. Even into third grade, he was several grade levels behind. Dr. Foster, Reverend, and Brenda Hunter took him under their wings as did several staff and volunteers. They encouraged and supported him just like he was one of the family. Through dedication and hard work, Quemar graduated from high school and went on to Central Lakes Community College where he continued to do well in basketball, becoming the league's MVP. Wonderfully, this year he received a scholarship from Keiser University in Florida to play basketball and complete his college education. Quemar is so grateful for all the help, support and prayers.”
Amidst Moses’ pride for the collaborative he’s now deeply involved in, he continued to show a specific appreciation for the leadership at NAZ.
“I think it’s a beautiful thing when you see a leader who is full of so much drive and so much passion,” he said. "When I hear NAZ employees speak, I hear Sondra; that’s very impressive to me. You can tell the organization has really caught the vision of the leader. They echo the same heart, passion, sentiment, and drive for excellence as their leadership. The level of accountability that they hold for themselves [and] the amount of accountability they hold for their partners and workers in their community is attractive and it’s compelling. NAZ is doing excellent work, and I can only just hope and pray that they will continue to be a front-runner.”
Moses believes that the best is yet to come for Hospitality House and the Northside. His eyes lit up as he heard the question, “What’s next?”
“I would say, what’s next for Hospitality House is excellence. I’m really driven toward excellence, and that’s why it’s so easy for me as a leader to come into a relationship with an organization such as NAZ because of the excellence that’s on display,” he said. “My hope is that, through providing a space and a program of opportunity and excellence, Hospitality House will continue to produce some of the finest leaders the North Minneapolis community has produced–not only just our youth, but our staff as well.”
Moses closed the conversation with a promise he’s made to himself and to his community–a promise he hopes the North Minneapolis community will offer in return.
“I would like to see the community moving back toward being accountable to each other–truly embracing that and understanding what that means.”
Northside Achievement Zone Partner Spotlights are an opportunity to focus on NAZ’s more than 30 partners who shine brightly in North Minneapolis, serving scholars and their families.