Social Exclusion - A Complex Issue

Article by Claudia Kittock, Photo by Rick Kittock

Imagine going through your day without being seen nor acknowledged.  Imagine people looking away from you as you walk down the street or ride the light rail. Imagine women clutching their purses more tightly when they see you, and then refusing to make eye contact.  How would that impact your life? How would you view a community that refuses to even acknowledge that you are there?

I met a man, Donald, who is an actor in zAmya.  He sings, he dances, he is hilariously funny, and he can act. During a question and answer session with the actors in zAmya, an audience member remarked that while homelessness is obviously a problem elsewhere, it certainly wasn’t an issue in the Mill District. Donald asked if we all knew about the Endless Bridge at the Guthrie. He said that he lived just beyond it, for over 16 years. Donald asked if he looked familiar. When no one answered, he said, “I was your neighbor for 16 years, and you never saw me.”

My friend, Jamie, lived through the tornado in North Minneapolis only to find her entire family homeless when the insurance company refused to pay. Her son is schizophrenic, trapped in his own brain, and gentle and kind even in the midst of his delusions. She asked me if I could imagine what it feels like to have people ignore her son as he wanders the city without shoes.

Social exclusion is complex and a multidimensional issue. It affects the quality of life of people experiencing poverty and homelessness and the equity of a community as a whole. Lack of resources, rights, goods and services, and the inability to participate in the normal relationships and activities available to the majority of people in a society, has a huge impact. Merely being a person experiencing homelessness means that you will be socially invisible, and if no one ‘sees’ you, how can you advocate for yourself?

People experiencing homelessness have lost the protection of a home and their community. They are often marginalized and isolated within the larger society, and may fail to seek out treatment for fear of discrimination or feel unworthy of help. Changing the experience of social exclusion is a key component of recovering from the experience of homelessness.

Social inclusion involves offering opportunities to re-engage with the community and form positive relationships. Peer support creates a sense of belonging for both the individual providing the service and those receiving the support. Just being seen by the people that you meet every day is critical.

The question then becomes how do we do this? How do we, as a community, become more socially inclusive? How do we learn to really see our neighbors? These are not simple questions, and there are no simple answers, but we can all begin to answer each of these questions in small ways.

Here are a few suggestions:

1) Begin by smiling and greeting all the people you encounter. An African-American friend of mine told me that when she and her husband walk along the river in the evening, few if any people smile or greet them.  Change that! Greet everyone. It’s actually fun and quite infectious.

2) Find a neighborhood group that is inclusive. We started the Friends of the Mill District Singers and Yoga In the Park to find out if we could become those groups! It’s a start! I get asked many times which singers are the ones who have experienced homelessness. My response is always the same, “You tell me.”  No one can...and that is the beginning of inclusion.

3) Volunteer! Get out of your comfort zone and go somewhere and do something you aren’t sure you can do. I have spent my entire life working with teenagers and when I began volunteering at YouthLink, I discovered that those ‘scary’ kids are kids. They are kids like I worked with in colleges and high schools where I spent my career. They aren’t scary. They are teens and they have changed MY life.

4) Show up! Just showing up matters. Last week when I walked into the drop-in center at YouthLink, with two bags of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, a young woman broke into a huge smile and pointed at me. I immediately offered her a cookie, but she declined, and then explained, “I just love to see you here EVERY Tuesday. You have a big grin and bring your cookies. I don’t eat cookies, but seeing you here with your smile makes me happy.” Me too!

Will doing these things end social exclusion? I only know that it is a start and something I can do every day. No harm comes from being kind and no one is hurt by a smile and an acknowledgement. It matters.

Claudia can be reached at claudia@millcitymedia.org

Streets Closures Around US Bank Stadium for Sunday’s Vikings Game w/ Da Bears

Several streets will close near US Bank Stadium for the Sunday, January 1, Noon Vikings game.

Beginning at 5:00am Sunday:
· Chicago Avenue, from Fourth Street to Sixth Street will close.

Beginning at 9:00am Sunday:
· Fourth Street from Park Avenue to Interstate 35W.
· Norm McGrew Place from Third Street to Fourth Street.

These street closings are for traffic safety and security needs related to a large stadium event. All streets will reopen about one hour after the completion of the game.

Spoonriver Has Something Special for You During the Month of January

Fresh food for a fresh start in 2017!

Through the month of January, Spoonriver has a special offer just for their neighbors:  mention "Mill City Times" and receive a complimentary Appetizer & Dessert with the purchase of Dinner for Two.

Happy New Year from the staff at Spoonriver!

Spoon Dips appetizer

Mediteranean Croquette Special

Dessert tray

Ride Metro Transit for Free on New Years Eve

Celebrate New Year’s Eve responsibly and get a free ride!

On December 31, customers can ride free from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. on all Metro Transit routes – buses, METRO lines and Northstar. No fare, no coupons – simply hop on and take a seat for free!

Whether you’ll be out celebrating or you’re not interested in driving alongside those who are, riding Metro Transit is an easy, safe alternative.

Free rides will also be available on Minnesota Valley Transit Authority and Anoka Transit routes.

Miller Lite Free Rides is a community service program in partnership with Metro Transit and Miller Lite.

Get more details and a list of late-night routes here!

3rd Ward Council Member Jacob Frey Expected to Announce Run for Mayor

Frey to Join Betsy Hodges, Nekima Levy-Pounds, and State Rep. Raymond Dehn in Mayor’s Race

Council Member Jacob Frey is expected announce his candidacy for Mayor on January 3, 6:00 PM at Dangerous Man Brewing. Here’s the notification from his campaign:

Dear Friends,

The conversation about what kind of Mayor our city needs will take place in 2017. And we want you to join us as we get that conversation underway.

Now more than ever, Minneapolis needs a Mayor with a bright vision to rise together and a proven track record of consistent leadership, even when it's tough. We need a Mayor who is a public champion for job creation and opportunity for every area of our city.

A great city rises when communities unite behind one bold vision. And I am ready to offer my vision for what Minneapolis can be in the coming years. Come join us when we begin sharing this vision on January 3rd.

Together,

Jacob Frey

Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness (DCEH) - an Interfaith Collaboration of 14 Downtown Churches, Synagogues and Mosques Working Together

Article by Claudia Kittock

People of faith have long supported people in need and people experiencing homelessness. While government entities have been slower to respond, congregations have always responded. Minneapolis is filled with examples!

The Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness (DCEH) is an interfaith collaboration of 14 downtown Minneapolis churches, synagogues and mosques working together to end homelessness and poverty. They are in the eighth year of existence, and focus on shifting from an immediate needs approach to long-term solutions through a combination of education, advocacy and action.

Photo credit Rick KittockDCEH is committed to impacting the community around us to end homelessness, and has three overall goals: 

The first is organizational. While all the member congregations offer help for people experiencing homelessness, it is helpful to have DCEH coordinate the work and help to avoid duplication of services. 

The second goal is providing information to each congregation involved. That information dissemination assists congregants in becoming more involved. Knowledge is power, and knowing what needs to be done is the first step in doing it. Advocacy work begins with knowing what needs to be done and how it needs to happen.

The third goal is the newest. DCEH has designed a series of talk sessions for people experiencing homelessness called Street Voices of Change. These sessions are to share stories, and to learn how to build community and advocate for the advancement of their circumstances. Homelessness requires tremendous self-advocacy work, and learning to do that at these sessions is expected to be incredibly helpful. Eventually, the hope is that these sessions may also lead to advocating in other arenas in life. People experiencing homelessness are not well represented in advocacy work, and that needs to change.

In 2015, a survey was conducted on one night in October by Wilder Research, which resulted in a count of 9,312 people without a safe and stable home in Minnesota. This is the first decrease (9% from 2012) in the number of people experiencing homelessness since the Great Recession and the Sub-Prime Mortgage collapse.

• 3,296 children were counted with their parents on the night of the survey.
• The average age of children with their parent is 6 and a half.
• The study counted 992 youth (age 21 and younger) on their own, down from 1,151 in 2012; 213 of the youth were age 17 and younger; 779 age 18 through 21.
• Collectively, children and youth under the age of 24 make up 52% of the homeless population.
• 4,108 adults between 21 and 54 were homeless on the night of the count.
• 843 adults over the age of 54 were counted in the survey, which is the fastest growing population of people experiencing homelessness.
• The most common reason (66% of the time) adults age 18 or older left their last housing was due to lack of job security or insufficient income.
• Adults age 18 or older had a median income of $550 during the month of the study, and could afford an average of $387 per month in rent (one in five could not pay anything for rent).

The critical question always comes down to involvement and how to help this group.

1. Please learn about the work DCEH does by visiting the website.
2. Get involved in advocacy work. There is money to address these critical issues, but moneys are allocated based on government decisions, be it city, county, state, or nationally. Get involved and make your voice heard on these issues. Where do you want your tax money spent?
3. If you belong to one of the congregations in DCEH, help with the work.
4. Learn about volunteer opportunities by sending inquiries to the director of DCEH, Joe Kreisman, at joe@dceh.org.

Claudia can be reached at claudia@millcitymedia.org

Wishing You a Vintage Betty Crocker Christmas

Recipe for Christmas fun: 3D cookie ornaments - made with Gold Medal Flour, of course! 

Now Showing & Coming Soon to the Film Society’s St. Anthony Main Theatre

Here's what's showing now and coming soon to The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul’s St. Anthony Main Theatre, 115 SE Main Street.

​December 23 - January 5- THE EAGLE HUNTRESS​ 

​December 30- January 5- EVOLUTION

January 6 - January 12- I AM NOT MADAME BOVARY​

January 6 - January 12- RAILROAD TIGERS

January 9 at 7pm + January 14 at 1pm - NTL: NO MAN'S LAND

January 21 at 1pm + January 23 at 7pm - NTL: ANA KARENINA ​

February 20 at 7pm + February 25 at 1pm - NTL: AMADEUS ​​

March 6 at 7pm + March 11 at 1pm - NTL: SAINT JOAN 

March 27 at 7pm + April 1 at 1pm - NTL: HEDDA GABLER​​

Scherer Site 'Parcel D' Developer Feedback and Next Steps

Via a December 21 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board:

MPRB evaluating potential adjustments to strategy for developing Parcel D of Scherer site

Background

On Nov. 17, 2016, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from private development teams interested in working with MPRB and the community to create a concept plan that would lead to development of the “Parcel D” portion of the former Scherer Brothers site. Development of the site, as contemplated in the RiverFirst Initiative and Above the Falls Master Plans, is intended to aid in activating and financially supporting the future park site.

The RFQ followed a 2015 Request for Proposals (RFP) that was issued exclusively to Graco and Ryan Corporation, which was ultimately rejected by the Board of Commissioners due to a lack of alignment with Performance Standards that have been established for the site. The updated RFQ was intended to provide for a more qualitative review of respondents and ideas. The selected team would be awarded an Exclusive Rights Period to create a concept plan for the site. Development of the plan would include community engagement through an appointed Community Advisory Committee (CAC), Project Advisory Committee (PAC) and Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). Upon Board approval of the recommended concept plan MPRB would then enter into a Contract for Private Development with the developer for final design and construction of the improvements on Parcel D.
 
Prior to releasing the RFQ, MPRB staff met with community stakeholders as well as development teams that expressed potential interest in developing the site. The final RFQ included feedback received from the PAC, TAC, CAC and attendees of a public meeting regarding the process and site.
 
Responses

Responses to the RFQ were due no later than 4:00 PM on Dec. 16, 2016. No responses were received.

At least three development teams had expressed initial interest in developing the site. MPRB staff followed up with members of those teams to better understand why they chose not to submit a response at this time. A summary of that feedback follows:

1. Several teams expressed concern over the idea of a land lease as contemplated in the performance standards for the site. While the RFQ gave development teams an opportunity to suggest alternate financial structures, projections of significant future park operating and maintenance costs (created by MPRB consultants during the Riverfirst Initiative) coupled with the land lease structure proved a barrier to some possible teams.
2. The proposed community engagement process was also a deterrent to potential development teams. Developers expressed concern over being selected based on their strengths and then having a community process drive a concept plan that their team may or may not be best suited to implement. This was perceived as having too significant an upfront investment by the development team for a process that was not completely within their control.
3. Challenges of the site, including neighboring industrial uses, the small amount of land available for development, the geography of the site in proximity to streets, a high water table, and high tension electrical lines on the site were also cited as reasons developers did not respond.
4. Developers also pointed to the Performance Standards emphasis on structured parking and a mixture of intended uses as a challenge to creating a financially successful development on the site.
5. Finally, more than one developer stated that their offices are very busy right now and they are being very selective in new work. Therefore they had to weigh the strengths and challenges of this project against other, more straightforward, opportunities.
 
Next Steps

1. Inform the CAC and confirm the date for the next meeting.
2. Reinforce the notion that this approach is intended to deliver a superior project. The MPRB is not intending to back away from that goal.
3. Evaluate assumptions of the Performance Standards, ground lease strategy, and operations cost thresholds to determine necessary adjustments.
4. Strategize other methods of creating a relationship with developers for the site, including holding the land until the concerns noted above are no longer a concern.

R.T. Rybak: I Hope I Never Take This for Granted

From R.T. Ryback of The Minneapolis Foundation:

In just a few minutes last week, I got the best present anyone could possibly give me this year: Coming around a corner in our Minneapolis Foundation offices, I saw five members of our team surrounding a table piled high with checks they were stuffing into envelopes. They had to form this ad hoc assembly line because so many checks are going out before the end of the year to good causes in the community. Those checks go to organizations that make schools better, put people to work and families into homes, protect the environment, cure diseases, nurture the arts… the list goes on.

This is probably old hat to a lot of people who have been at The Minneapolis Foundation for a while—and on some scale this has been going on for the entire 100 years the Foundation has been around. But in this, my first December on the job, it was an awesome moment. This is when it sinks in that we have 1,200 charitable funds that put $60-80 million into the community every year.

I knew all this before I started the job, but being on the inside for my first year-end really brings it to life:

For months, we have been meeting with people who already have a fund, people who want to start one and people who just want to find some way to do something good for the community. Some of them are people with enormous wealth, but the big surprise is how many people of relatively modest means have put together a few thousand dollars because it means a lot to be able to give it away.

This time of year, many of our donors are on the phone with our Philanthropic Advisors, finalizing how much they will put into their funds to give away. Every time someone opens another charitable fund, we play music on the loudspeaker. (It’s usually a really cheesy song, but it sounds great because we know it means more money to give away.)

For months, we have been meeting with people doing some amazing things in the community. On a lot of levels, everything sounds worthy, so much of the work is trying to make really tough choices between very good groups. So for the past few weeks, our Community Impact team has been working late to finish their recommendations for our competitive grants in education, economic vitality and civic engagement. With their help, in January, we’ll send $5 million more out the door.

While our Philanthropic Advisors and Community Impact team work with our donors and the groups that receive grants, a large part of our operation spends most of the time working in less visible ways to get money in and out the door. They do everything from developing marketing campaigns to processing those stacks of checks to managing all the data to developing smart strategies for investing the nearly $700 million in assets that we manage.

This brings it back to those five people sitting around the table as I walk in the door: Colleen, Andrea, Rush, Joyce and Nancy. They are the glue of the office, running the front of the office, as well as managing the systems that get the money from donors to grantees. They are the people closest to my desk, so I see them throughout the day, and it’s really inspirational to watch how much passion they bring to the work.

I don't want to overdo my point. While the Foundation is filled with people doing good every day, this isn't Santa's workshop. This is a sophisticated, complex operation dealing with many millions of dollars and deeply consequential choices about community impact.

But here in my first year-end at the Foundation, seeing it all come together, I'm in awe as I see what it really takes to make Minneapolis the most generous community in the country. And I've already gotten a better present than anyone could give me.

Best,

R.T. Rybak
President and CEO
The Minneapolis Foundation

Call for Artists: "Glitch Art Is Dead: Minneapolis"

Via a December 20 e-newsletter from Gamut Gallery:

Hosted by Gamut Gallery, the Minneapolis iteration of this project will feature around 30 national and international artists and will run from March 11 until April 1, 2017. It will also include a two-day convention of workshops, presentations and debates about Glitch Art. The run will be capped off with a night of performances by local noise musicians curated by Alex Kmett, with additional performances from local video jockeys.

Glitch Art is an artistic phenomenon of internet culture. Although its roots go back into the 20th century, it is a nascent artistic movement with a far flung, but significantly sized community. The Glitch Art is Dead: Minneapolis exhibition aims to deny its title, introducing the viewer to a wide spectrum of artwork that shows the vitality of the medium.

A glitch (in a visual and graphic sense) is a malfunction of a digital system, a computer error which can turn images into bizarre and colorful compositions. Images can be turned into sound or opened as word documents. You can change bytes in the code of a file to twist and distort it or you can strap magnets to a VCR and see what happens when you press play.

The Glitch community is centered around the Glitch Collective with a Facebook following of about 53,000 people. It is the initiative's goal to foster a deep sense of community by bringing these digital denizens into the real world by exhibiting emerging artists with established ones and to connect local artists with those based nationally and internationally. To this end, the curators are arranging for several artists from the UK, France, Poland, Croatia and across the U.S. to attend the exhibition and present at the convention.

Curated and organized by Aleksandra Pieńkosz (Krakow), Zoe Stawska (Warsaw) and Miles Taylor (Minneapolis), the initiative began in 2015 with the Glitch Art is Deadexhibition in Kraków. The exhibit was hosted by Teatr Barakah in Krakow, Poland and ran from September until mid-October. It featured a day of workshops run by Aleksandra Pieńkosz and Tomasz Sulej, a respected and knowledgeable  authority in the Glitch community, who will be reprising his role for the Minneapolis convention. An exhibition book, edited by Pienkosz and published by Hub Wydawniczy Rozdzielczość Chleba, features artists from the first exhibition as well as discourse on glitch art and is set to be released on December 17th.

An open call for artists will run from December 17 until January 19 with submission details here.

ADDITIONAL DATES
Opening Reception // Friday, March 11th, 7-11pm
Featuring live musical and VJ performances
$5

Glitch Art Convention // Saturday, March 18 - Sunday, March 19

Closing Reception // Friday, March 31

A night of noise music curated by Alex Kmett

HOSTED BY
Gamut Gallery
717 S 10th St
Minneapolis, MN 55404 

SPONSORED BY
Springboard for the Arts
308 Prince Street, Suite 270
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101

CONTACT
https://www.facebook.com/glitchartisdeadpl
glitch.art.is.dead@gmail.com
Local organizer: Miles Taylor, 507.829.3196

MORE INFORMATION

Glitch Artists Collective: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Glitchcollective/

Curated Glitch Artists Collective Page: https://www.facebook.com/glitchartistscollective

Tutorials: http://www.glitchet.com/resources

Hear Sherman Associates' 205 Park Ave S Redevelopment Update Dec 22 at Open Book

 

Via a December 20 e-newsletter from the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA):

There will be a Special Land Use Committee meeting on Thursday, December 22, at 5:30pm at Open Book - 2nd floor conference room, to hear an update from Shane LaFave at Sherman Associates regarding the 205 Park Avenue South redevelopment project.

NerdWallet Ranks Minneapolis #7 Best City in the Nation for Job Seekers

Excerpt from a December 19 NerdWallet e-newsletter:

To help job seekers with their search, NerdWallet crunched the numbers to identify the best overall job markets. We found that Minneapolis ranks #7 best city in the nation for job seekers. Key findings:

• Minneapolis has an unemployment rate of 3.1% and a median monthly rent of $912. The median earnings of workers in Minneapolis is $48,249. 
• 9 out of 10 best cities for job seekers have high percentages of 20-somethings. It pays to follow millennial trends. 
• Fast-growing industries such as technology and healthcare helped some cities to the top of the list. Austin, Durham, and Denver are big cities for technology, while Nashville and Atlanta are home to many healthcare companies. 

Explore Local History Treasures Online from Hennepin County Library

Via a December 19 e-newsletter from Hennepin County:

Explore local history treasures online from Hennepin County Library

Digitized maps, atlases, yearbooks, newspaper photos and more are now available to view and download from the Hennepin County Library.

Thousands of historical treasures are more accessible to researchers, educators, students and history enthusiasts, thanks to work by Hennepin County Library staff to digitize the Special Collections. Now available anytime, from anywhere – no library card required – patrons can browse materials from 34 digitized collections related to the history of Minneapolis and Hennepin County.

Find the materials at www.hclib.org/digitalcollections.

View, search or download historic documents

The collections can be searched or browsed. All of the content can be viewed online and downloaded. With a few exceptions, access to the content is free, as long as credit is given to Hennepin County Library.

“There’s a lot of color and variety in these collections; they’re very visual,” said Ted Hathaway, Special Collections, preservation and digitization manager for Hennepin County Library. The materials, he said, include digitized files of artifacts such as theater programs, posters, business trade cards and editorial cartoons.

Many of the collections also cover fairly recent history, including the Hennepin County Yearbook Collection, which holds yearbooks from schools in Minneapolis and Hennepin County, covering classes from 1890 to 1977.

Diaries, letters and manuscripts are in the mix too, but the 21 digital photo collections may be the most eclectic. They showcase everything from Minneapolis musicians and orchestras in 1930s and ’40s to neighborhood buildings and street scenes from the early 20th century into the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s.

“We’re encouraging anyone who wants to learn more about our community – how people have lived, worked and played here – to browse these digital collections,” Hathaway said. “They won’t disappoint.”

Digitized collection continues to grow

Library staff, interns and volunteers add new items to the collections every week, including content from partners such as the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin History Museum.

The Library’s digitization work is funded by Friends of the Hennepin County Library, with additional support from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

“Launching these new digital collections is just the beginning,” Hathaway said. “Take a look at them now, and be sure to check back for more.”

Friends of the Mill District Singers Carol at the Guthrie

Article by Claudia Kittock, photos by Rick Kittock

Have you ever been to a play at the Guthrie, only to discover JD Steele singing with a choir out in the hall? If not, that means you missed the performance on December 17th - and it was quite an evening.

The Friends of the Mill District Singers performed at the top of the ramp on the 4th Floor of the Guthrie.  However, when JD Steele is directing, ‘performed’ is too small a word.  After singing a few songs, JD quickly turned to the audience and had them singing with the choir on many familiar carols. A few hardy souls even soloed with JDs urging.

Fred Steele at the keyboard, with the 35W Bridge in the background. 

When you sing with JD, knowing the words is NOT a problem. He teaches them to you, over and over. What if you forget a few words? It’s just part of being in the choir. We all laugh and share our stumbling, and, in the meantime, it somehow manages to sound pretty good! That’s part of the magic of JD.

The Singers will be on hiatus until March 4, when we'll begin rehearsing all of March, April and May, with performances along the way. Join us! It’s great fun. It’s amazing community...and the music is pretty great.

Contact Claudia Kittock at cjkittock@gmail.com if you are interested.

Minneapolis is a National Leader in its Initiatives to End Homelessness

Article by Claudia Kittock, photos by Rick Kittock

A friend of mine, Riley, has experienced homelessness for 8 years of his adult life.  He graduated from an Ivy League college, was a Division I athlete, and after graduating, worked for CBS Sports for 15 years. During that time he married and had a son. His marriage fell apart about the same time he lost his job at CBS due to downsizing. He found himself homeless after a cascade of events that included the end of his marriage, losing his job, and some medical problems that occurred after he lost his health insurance. How did this happen?  How could a man like Riley be living on the streets of Minneapolis?

Minneapolis is one of the leaders in the country in their efforts to end street homelessness. Agencies from the public sector, private sector, and government are finding ways to work together to attack this issue in our city. Progress has been made in all areas, but as long as one person is homeless, the work is not finished.

In March of 2006, 70 community leaders began this process by creating the Heading Home Hennepin, a 10-year plan to end homelessness.  It was part of a national movement, sharing what works and taking new action to switch the paradigm from managing homelessness to ending homelessness. This group represented federal, state, and local governments, businesses, non-profits, faith-based groups, and philanthropic communities as well as people who had experienced homelessness and some who were experiencing homelessness at that time.

The Minneapolis Downtown Council (MDC) launched its 2025 Plan, a planning vehicle to help leaders and citizens build on assets and guide its development in ways that reflect the community’s aspirations. Goal nine of the 2025 Plan is to end street homelessness by extending housing and outreach efforts so that the 300-500 people who sleep outside or in inhumane places have shelter, treatment and job training that keeps them off the streets.

The Task Force to End Street Homelessness was formed in 2012 to plan ways to prevent, coordinate outreach, help create new housing opportunities, connect people to services that will help them find and retain stable housing, and work on strategies to connect people to livable wage jobs, as well as making system improvements. Members of the task force meet several times a year, while subcommittees meet monthly. 

One of the subcommittees is Daytime Engagement.  If you are experiencing homelessness, and sleeping in a shelter, what do you do all day? A woman I met, Darla, asked me how many times I had been asked to leave a coffee shop when having coffee. Never, of course! Darla went to coffee shops to get warm and to buy a cup of coffee, yet got asked to leave while still drinking her coffee.

80% of people experiencing homelessness work. What do you do with your worldly possessions while you are at work?  Do you take them with you every day?  Where do you store them? Chuck, a young man I work with, told me that he takes his duffle bag everywhere as he has no place to store it. He has been asked about it on several job interviews, and did not get those jobs.

Many people begin their journey as homeless with a car, often sleeping in it when temperatures allow. If you find shelter, perhaps at People Serving People, where do you park your car?  How do you afford to park your car in downtown?  How do you find a job without a car? Through a series of conversations, Dennison Parking offered People Serving People free parking for people in the shelter. That means that people in the shelter can afford to continue to look for work and shelter through the use of their car.   

The most important thing to know about all of these initiatives, programs, committees, and subcommittees is that Minneapolis is one of the leading cities in the efforts to end street homelessness. Dedicated professionals are engaging the community in these efforts and it is paying off.  Together we are stronger, and only together will be the first city to end street homelessness. Riley? He has progressed from living on the streets, to living in a shelter, and is now living in his own apartment. Riley holds down 2 jobs, has health insurance, and is very involved in his son’s life.

Claudia can be reached at claudia@millcitymedia.org

Hennepin County Prepares for Winter Storm

Hennepin County prepares for winter storm

With heavy snow and dangerously cold temps forecasted tonight and this weekend, Hennepin County will be out plowing and de-icing more than 2,200 lane miles or roads.

Transportation crews have been out since early this morning clearing county roads with 66 plows hitting the streets since 2 a.m.

Plow drivers help people continue getting where they need to go. This is a big job in the county. Hennepin County has a quarter of Minnesota’s population – more than 1.2 million residents and half of all jobs in the Twin Cities metro region are located in Hennepin County.

As county, city and state plows work to clear the roads please stay back and give them plenty of room to do their jobs. As temperatures plummet, it will impact roads. It is difficult to melt snow in extreme cold.

The Minnesota State Patrol advises no travel as the storm approaches. However, if motorists must be on the roads, they should allow for extra time to get to their destination.

More information

Public Fingerprint Clerk, Volunteer Special Deputy positions at the Sherrif's Office

Work for the Sheriff's Office

The Sheriff's Office is currently seeking a Public Fingerprint Clerk and Volunteer Special Deputies. 

Public Fingerprint Clerk: Job involves fingerprinting members of the public for various reasons including adoptions, job applications, identification, or immigration. This position would work up to 20 hours per week and would report to the Central Records of the Public Safety Facility (PSF) located downtown, Minneapolis.

• Closing Date: 12/21/16  5:00 PM Central Time 
• Job Location: Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota 
• Salary: $31,848.96 - $37,741.60 Annually 

Learn more or apply for this job by clicking here. 

Volunteer Special Deputy: Special Deputies are non-benefit, non-licensed Sheriff's Office volunteers that assist with Agency operations such as Patrol Support (Water and Road), Mounted Patrol, and Communications and Radio Technology (CRT).

• Closing Date: 1/6/17  5:00 PM Central Time 
• Job Location: Hennepin County 
• Salary: N/A

Learn more or apply for this job by clicking here.

Minneapolis Ice Rinks Await Colder Weather to Open for Season

Via a December 15 Minneapolis Park and Rec Board e-newsletter: 

Minneapolis ice rinks await colder weather to open for season
 
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) crews are currently preparing 45 ice rinks for skating, broomball, hockey and pond hockey at 25 parks citywide.

Establishing ice rinks takes a minimum of 10 consecutive days with below-freezing temperatures throughout the days and nights for ice to form. For lake-based rinks, the ice must be at least 8” thick to support the equipment needed to set up the rinks. Learn more about how the MPRB builds and maintains ice rinks.

With the current cold weather and cold weather forecasted through the weekend, many rinks will likely begin opening in time for Minneapolis Public School’s winter break next week. Please check the MPRB rink status page for the most up-to-date rink status. The Wells Fargo Minneapolis WinterSkate rink at Loring Park is open.
 
All rinks and warming houses are anticipated to be maintained and open through February 20, while rinks at Lake of the Isles, McRae, North Commons, Loring and Van Cleve parks are scheduled to remain open through March 1, weather and ice conditions permitting.
 
Many of the 25 rink locations offer separate rinks for general skating and recreational uses such as hockey, broomball and pond hockey. All locations except Bryn Mawr offer free loaner skates on a first come, first served basis.
 
Warming House Hours (once rinks are open)
All rinks (except Bryn Mawr*, Phelps*, Lake Nokomis, Lake of the Isles and Loring):

Mon-Fri, 3-9 pm
Saturday, 9 am-9 pm
Sunday, noon-6 pm
Visit www.minneapolisparks.org/rinks for other hours
 
Lake of the Isles and Wells Fargo Minneapolis WinterSkate at Loring Park:
Mon-Fri, 3-9 pm
Saturday, 9 am-9 pm
Sunday, 10 am-6 pm
 
Four sites will be under lights on Sundays until 9 pm:
Lake of the Isles
Lynnhurst
Matthews
Van Cleve
 
*Bryn and Phelps Park rinks open during broomball league games only.

View the 2016-2017 Ice Rink Brochure [PDF] for a full list of rink locations, details, and warming house hours.
 
Stay updated on rink statuses by calling the MPRB ice rink hotline at 612-313-7708, visiting www.minneapolisparks.org/rinks or by signing up to receive email updates at www.minneapolisparks.org/subscribe, and selecting “ice rinks”.

Donate Your Sticks & Skates
The MPRB welcomes hockey sticks and ice skates in good condition. Call or visit your local recreation center for donation and drop-off information.

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul to Receive $30K NEA Art Works Grant

Via a Dec 14 News Release from The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul:

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $30 million in grants as part of the NEA’s first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2017.  Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $30,000 to the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul for the Cine Global Series and supported programs. The Art Works category focuses on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts.

“The arts are for all of us, and by supporting organizations such as the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul, the National Endowment for the Arts is providing more opportunities for the public to engage with the arts,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Whether in a theater, a town square, a museum, or a hospital, the arts are everywhere and make our lives richer.”

“We are honored to receive an Art Works Grant and grateful for this endorsement by and funding from the National Endowment for the Arts,” said Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul Executive Director Susan Smoluchowski. “This support will enable us to continue to deepen our programming reflecting the cultures and experiences of the growing international populations in Minnesota and to further engage our increasingly diverse audiences.”

Cine Global Series and supported programs include Cine Latino, Images of Africa, Asian Frontiers and other programs year-round and within the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival. Dedicated to promoting intercultural understanding, the festival's Cine Global program presents contemporary films from around the world, with a focus on audiences of local immigrant communities. International artists will engage in presentations, panel discussions, and workshops that accompany festival screenings, as well as in educational programs such as Nextwave, providing media, literacy and many other opportunities for youth, especially traditionally underserved youth, who are pursuing an interest in film. Select titles previously screened in the program include "The Look of Silence" by Joshua Oppenheimer, "Difret" by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, “Alias Maria” by José Luis Rugeles, “A Stray”by Musa Syeed, “Tharlo” by Pema Tseden, and “Neruda” by Pablo Larraín.

For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.