Alan Goracke ’85 is the recipient of the 2015-16 Alumni Service Award from the St. Cloud State University Alumni Association for his distinguished contributions to the university and his community.
Since 2000, Goracke has served as senior pastor at Hope Church in Blaine, and from 1998-2000 he served as assistant pastor. Prior to entering full-time ministry, he was president and CEO of Nu-Life Dry Cleaners, a four-store chain located in the Twin Cities area. He also was a senior merchandise analyst for Target in Minneapolis and a hardware buyer for Knox Lumber Company in St. Paul.
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Goracke has been serving on the City of Blaine’s Planning Commission since 2008 and has served on the City of Blaine’s Charter Commission since 2010. He served as a police and fire chaplain for Blaine, Spring Lake Park and Mounds View from 2002 to 2008. In 2010, Goracke established Hope for the Community, which is the fourth largest food shelf in the state of Minnesota, and currently serves as founder and president of this humanitarian organization that feeds more than 27,000 families yearly in the Twin Cities. He also served on the Governor’s Council on Faith and Community Service Initiatives, appointed by former Governor Tim Pawlenty from 2010-11.
Goracke will be honored during Fall Celebrate weekend September 15-17.
Goracke awards and honors
- 2011 – Bethel Seminary’s Community Ministry Leadership Award
- 2009 – Church Parenting Award from the Iowa/Minnesota District of the Wesleyan Church
- 2008 – Community Hero Award from Creating Community Heroes
I’m proud to say Pastor Al Goracke is my pastor.
He is a great role model for people of all ages. I had the opportunity as one of the church board leaders to nominate him as our Senior Pastor. When the vote was counted, there was nary a nay…
He is highly esteemed and a beloved pastor at Hope Church.