Upcoming Performances by Friends of the Mill District Singers

Article by Claudia Kittock, Photos by Rick Kittock

After the first 6 sessions of this cycle of rehearsals, the Friends of the Mill District Singers are better than ever. Averaging 45 singers/rehearsal, we are singing with great enthusiasm, and our skills are improving weekly. Every rehearsal brings us new members, and our roster now tops out at 155!

We have upcoming performances that you won’t want to miss. We are singing at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis on May 16 at 7:00pm. The performance will include the MacPhail Community Youth Choir, the Capri Glee!, and the Friends of the Mill District Singers. Don’t miss it! The last performance there was standing room only.

The Friends of the Mill District Singers will also be featured at the Loring Park Music Festival on June 10th at 2:00pm. It is an outdoor music festival. Mark your calendars.

We will end our spring session with a performance at a Minnesota Twins game in June, singing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ during the 7th inning stretch. Watch for the date!

This is a vibrant, exciting part of our community. Membership is open to all that are interested.  Come join us!  It only takes one rehearsal to get hooked.  Our next rehearsal is on April 22 at 2:00pm on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. If you're interested, contact cjkittock@gmail.com. 

Hanging Out With One of Our Resident Eagles

Thank you to local resident Lee Munnich for sharing this picture.

If you're not familiar with this nest, it's located in a big old (cottonwood?) tree along the running/biking/utility road across from the Stone Arch Apartments (just off of Father Hennepin Bluff Park). Until the leaves fill in, you can see it from the 35W Bridge.

Our Neighborhood Connections - It All Starts With Asking a Question

Article by Claudia Kittock, Photos by Rick Kittock

A group of friends, 3 residents and 1 business owner in the Mill District, decided to form a neighborhood charity in January of 2016. The history of our neighborhood is very short. Fewer than 300 people lived in the Mill District in the early 1990s, and in a very short time we have grown to approximately 5000 residents. It seemed obvious to the founders of Friends of the Mill District that this was a neighborhood without a well-formed sense of community yet, and that became an integral part of the mission of this group, “...to build community in the Mill District by connecting, convening, and supporting our neighbors.”

I always believed that connections implied people with money, so was baffled when the members of our charity urged me to use my connections. How could I? My husband and I are teachers and the idea that we have connections with people with significant money is not true. However, I have found that the connection part of our mission has been a series of epiphanies, each one more unexpected than the one before. Each of these moments has been filled with a reminder of the goodness of people and the quiet kindness of so many.

 “Why isn’t there more music in the
neighborhood...you know, like a choir?”
The simple answer to that question was,
“I don’t know, but I will find out.”

This story is about the first and most powerful lesson I learned and continue to learn. Listen...tell your story...ask for help...and be prepared to be stunned by the responses of the good and kind people in this community. Change can only happen person to person, and that is the essence of the work we all need to do. Connections matter. Not the connections that lead to power, but the human connections that build us all up. I am better and stronger because of the people I know and count as a friend. 

Here is the latest example:

The Friends of the Mill District Singers has been one such endeavor. It began on a run. A group of neighbors, who enjoyed running together, decided to form a neighbor running group and invited residents from Emanuel Housing to be part from the beginning. Emanuel is a 101-unit sober, supportive, permanent housing program that serves economically disadvantaged single men and women.

We discovered the commonality of running was a means to become friends. On these runs we talked about running, the neighborhood, and our diverse backgrounds. During one of these runs, a friend brought up music and asked the question, “Why isn’t there more music in the neighborhood...you know, like a choir?” The simple answer to that question was, “I don’t know, but I will find out.” When I asked a MacPhail Center for Music employee the same question, she promised to do some research. Within a week, she suggested MacPhail might be willing to help us set up a pilot project to find out if we could make a choir a reality and offered us JD Steele as the director and his brother, Fred, as the accompanist.

As we have grown to 151 singers on our roster, we have worked hard to be inclusive. 100 of our singers are women, 35 are people living below the poverty line, and each new session of rehearsals brings us new singers and friends. We have sung at venues as diverse as the MacPhail Music Matters Luncheon to the 7th Inning Stretch at a Minnesota Twins games. Through it all, we have found friends and community through a shared joy of singing.

How did this happen? Did you follow the connections? Friend from Emanuel - discussion with people at MacPhail - pilot funding from DMNA - donation of rehearsal space from the Guthrie, Mill City Museum, MacPhail, American Academy of Neurology and First Covenant Church -JD and Fred Steele - Friends of the Mill District Charity - community members who sing and support the choir - Emanuel Housing - Alliance Apartments - Harbor Lights - Minnesota Regional Arts Council funding - contributions from Cynthia Froid Group and American Academy of Neurology - Minnesota Twins - Holidazzle -  Park Music Festival - they just keep coming!

Yet another example of connections started in December when Linda Brandt, a singer with the Friends of the Mill City Singers, asked a friend and fellow singer from Alliance Apartments if she could come and play Christmas Carols and host a sing-a-long. She told me about the sorry state of the piano there and asked if we could do something about it.

For the past few months, I have been combing the ads on Craigslist, looking for a free piano. None seemed to fit, so I posted an ad on NextDoor.com. Within 24 hours, I had 4 people offering me a piano. The one that intrigued me was an upright grand and the owner, Suzanne Stenson O’Brien, lived near Alliance.

I shared the story with a group of singers, and at the end of the rehearsal another singer, Anne Carrier, handed me a sheet of paper. When I got home, I realized it was a check that would cover the cost of moving the piano and tuning it.

On Monday, April 3, the piano arrived. 45 minutes later the tuner brought the piano back to life, and residents were waiting to play it as we all left. Can you count the number of connections that were needed to make this happen? Linda Brandt, choir member - Susan Stenson O’Brien who donated the piano - Anne Carrier donated the money for moving the piano and tuning - Karen Johnson, manager at Alliance - Miami, Angie, Brenda, Glenda and all the other singers from Alliance - JD Steele and Fred Steele who lead us in making the music - Next Door.com where I placed the ad asking for a free piano - Claudia Kittock (me) who asked the questions - and the connections keep growing!

Here’s what I have learned about connections. Ask questions. Tell the story. People have kind hearts and an endless capacity for helping. All it takes is the willingness to talk to one another and wait for the love to show up. Doing this work has changed my life. Join me and it will change yours!

Claudia can be reached at claudia@millcitymedia.org.

Washington Avenue Reconstruction Update

Via an April 7 e-newsletter from Hennepin County:

Reconstruction work has begun

As you may have noticed, reconstruction began two weeks ago, on March 27, 2017. Crews started removing pavement in the Eastbound lanes between Hennepin Avenue and 2nd Avenue.

With pavement gone, they will be removing and replacing water and storm sewer as well as utilities relocation. This will be the major focus of activity for the next few weeks.

Getting around the area

Eastbound Washington Avenue traffic will be detoured via Hennepin Avenue, 4th Street, and 5th Avenue. This detour will last the duration of the project, with expected completion in August 2017.
Some short-term lane reductions are possible, however westbound Washington Avenue will remain open through 2017.

Stay safe

It is important to obey the speed limits and stay alert in this area, including during the evenings and weekends. Traffic changes, construction crews, equipment and work areas near the roadway can create unexpected situations.

The county appreciates residents’ patience and understanding during these projects and activities. We remind people to slow down when traveling past construction sites and county crews and to allow for extra time when traveling during construction season.

Get more information

Learn more and sign up for project updates at www.hennepin.us/washingtonave.  Contact the project at washingtonave@hennepin.us or 612-543-3722. 

Minneapolis Youth Employment Program STEP-UP to Provide Job Interview Experience to Over 1,700 Youth April 10-13 at the Convention Center

Via an April 7 News Release from Community Planning and Economic Development:

Minneapolis Youth Employment Program STEP-UP to Provide Job Interview Experience to Over 1,700 Youth

Over 400 Twin Cities Business Professionals and Community Volunteers to Provide One-on-One Interviews and Feedback to Youth at Minneapolis Convention Center April 10-13
During STEP-UP Mock Interviews

Next Monday-Thursday, April 10-13, over 1,700 Minneapolis youth and 400 Twin Cities business professionals and community volunteers will descend on the Minneapolis Convention Center for four nights for the 14th Annual STEP-UP youth employment program Mock Interviews.  Organized by City of Minneapolis STEP-UP partner organization AchieveMpls, these practice interviews match youth who are preparing for summer internships at top Twin Cities organizations with experienced professionals and community volunteers eager to share their skills and expertise with the future of the workforce.

“It is great to see our diversity represented in the STEP-UP interns each year with hundreds of talented future leaders paving the road for a more prosperous Minneapolis,” said Mayor Betsy Hodges. “The future of our city is in the hands of our youth, and the time and resources we invest today in them is crucial for sustaining our growth. Thank you to all the volunteers that have taken the time out of their day to help prepare tomorrow’s workforce.”

The Mock Interviewsare scheduled from 4:45 - 6:15 p.m. each night at the Minneapolis Convention Center (Room 103, 1301 Second Avenue South).  The 400-plus volunteers will include employees from over 130 Twin Cities companies, nonprofits and public agencies, including Target (53), Workday Foundation (50), U.S. Bank (36), Wells Fargo (36), Best Buy (34), Xcel Energy (33), and Accenture (23). 

Prior to the interviews, each STEP-UP program applicant completes 7-14 hours of work readiness training depending on their age and program level. The trainings, directed by AchieveMpls and certified by the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, focus on workplace behavior, professional communication, problem solving, professionalism, interview skills, resume writing, and other skills.

“The annual STEP-UP Mock Interviewsare invaluable for interns by providing an opportunity to build their confidence and apply what they’ve learned about the interview process in a real-life scenario,” says Katie Petersen, Bremer Bank Senior Human Resources Manager and a STEP-UP Achieve supervisor. “They’re also an excellent way to connect STEP-UP interns with potential employers in the community. In addition, it’s very satisfying for our Bremer Bank volunteers to help these hardworking, eager-to-learn students hone their interview skills by providing helpful feedback and encouragement.”

The Mock Interviews allow interns to put their new skills to the test in what for many, is their first professional job interview.  The interviews last about 15 minutes.  Following, the volunteers coach each STEP-UP intern, modeling professional communication by providing respectful, candid feedback to help them strengthen their skills and confidence. 

“I’m so thankful for each and every person who has made STEP-UP so amazing,” said STEP-UP intern Hafsa Hassan. “It has changed my life. STEP-UP is helping build bright futures for the leaders of tomorrow and I would love to be a mentor one day and help others students get the best of this experience.”

Founded in 2004, the City of Minneapolis STEP-UP youth employment program has created over 24,000 valuable workplace experiences for Minneapolis youth ages 14-21. Managed in partnership with AchieveMpls with support from the Minnesota WorkForce Centers, and Project for Pride and Living (PPL), STEP-UP recruits, trains and places Minneapolis youth in jobs with a wide range of top Twin Cities businesses, nonprofits and public agencies, building a stronger future workforce for our knowledge-based regional economy. STEP-UP serves populations that face the greatest barriers to employment, particularly youth from low-income families, youth of color, youth from recent immigrant families, and youth with disabilities.

Learn more about STEP-UP on the City of Minneapolis’ website. Follow STEP-UP activities and events all year long via @STEPUPMpls on Facebook, Instagram or with hashtag #STEPUPMpls.

Take the "Step to it Challenge" for Your Health and a Chance to Win Twins Tickets

Residents can now register for Hennepin County’s Step to it challenge, open to people of all ages and abilities who want to get moving while connecting with family, friends and neighbors.

During the challenge May 1 - 28, participants track their steps for a chance to win Twins tickets or other prizes.  

Any activity counts

Participants can log all types of activity toward their step total – even for activities already part of their daily routine, like washing the car, cleaning the house and doing laundry.

“Exercise doesn’t have to mean going to the gym. There’s always something you can turn into an exercise,” Sharon Kephart said, a Step to it participant from Brooklyn Center.

For the past several years, she has participated in the Step to it challenge with her 92-year-old mother, Doris Kephart, and 26-year-old daughter, Ashlee Kephart.

The challenge has enabled the three generations of women to find new ways to stay active and spend time together.

“Instead of always being in a rush going from place to place, it was a way to see each other every day. You don’t realize you are taking that many steps every day. It’s encouraging to see and makes you feel good,” Sharon said.

The extra activity added up. Ashlee Kephart took home the title of highest stepper under 65 from Brooklyn Center last year. She racked up 1,047,560 steps.

Participants step to it to stay connected

Naomi Davidson, age 72 of Crystal, uses the challenge as a way to stay active while meeting people. She was the top stepper age 65 or older for her community last year with 1,090,575 million steps.

“I’ve always been a very active person and I know the importance of exercise. The Step to it challenge is a great way to meet new and existing neighbors. Introduce yourself as you walk by and ask them to join your team. A safer neighborhood is one where people know each other. And it is fun,” Davidson said.

For the past five years, Davidson has inspired her neighbors to get active by forming a neighborhood Step to it team, which she named the “The Dynamos.” The team ends each year’s challenge with a celebratory barbeque at Davidson’s home.

“What I have found is many people think it is too time consuming to enter your steps or that you have to go to a gym. You can enter steps daily or weekly using your everyday activities. The challenge only lasts four weeks. Every step helps your city, and you help yourself with the exercise,” Davidson said.

How to participate

• Register online at steptoit.org or call 612-348-5618
• Log your activity daily or weekly May 1 - 28 using the activity conversion chart
• You can also log steps using your activity tracker

Plan Ahead - Road Closures for April 9 Goldy's Run

Goldy's Run

(Starts and finishes at TCF Stadium)

West River Parkway from 13th Ave S. to E 38th St. and East River Parkway will be closed 7:30am-12pm.

Click here for the race map to see all full route.

Plan Ahead - Buses Will Replace Blue and Green Line Trains This Weekend

Due to scheduled maintenance, buses will replace trains beginning Friday, April 7 during a partial shutdown on the METRO Blue & Green Line.

Customers can board replacement buses near the affected stations. Buses run on similar schedules as trains but can take more time. Customers are urged to plan accordingly.

From 6:45 p.m. Friday, April 7 until 5 a.m. Monday, April 10, buses will replace Blue and Green Line trains at these stations:

• Green Line:
   Stadium Village (westbound only)
   East Bank
   West Bank
• Blue Line:
   Franklin Avenue (northbound only)
   Cedar-Riverside
• Shared stations:
   U.S. Bank Stadium
   Government Plaza
   Nicollet Mall
   Warehouse-Hennepin Avenue
   Target Field

See maps for boarding locations: https://www.metrotransit.org/closure

April is Donate Life Month, and HCMC Boasts Impressive Transplant Record

Via an April 4 e-newsletter from Hennepin County Medical Center:

Organ, tissue and eye donations provide renewed hope to thousands of people waiting for transplants each year.  Through the remarkable process of donation, it is possible for a single donor to save or enhance the lives of up to 60 people. Such hope is truly a gift – one made possible by the generosity of individuals who said “yes” to donation and made the decision to give life or sight to those in need.

On Wednesday, April 5, Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) continues its annual tradition of celebrating those who have given and received the gift of life and sight through organ donation. The annual flag-raising ceremony will take place in front of its 717 S. Sixth St. entrance at 9:40am.
Since completing the upper Midwest’s first kidney transplant in 1963, HCMC’s transplant program has performed over 2,700 kidney transplants, with an increasing percentage involving living donors. In 2010 the first paired exchange transplant in the upper Midwest was completed at HCMC, adding to its 54-year history of “firsts” in transplant care.

HCMC is a Level I Adult and Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and public teaching hospital. The centerpiece of Hennepin County’s clinical health services, HCMC offers a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient services, including its Transplant Program, which recently marked its 54^th year of providing state-of-the-art transplant services.

For more information about organ donation or to register to be a donor, go to http://www.donatelifemidwest.org/mn/.

Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and the City of Minneapolis announce the 2017 Earth Day Clean-Up Event

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board along with the City of Minneapolis announce the 23rd Annual Minneapolis Earth Day Clean-Up event on Saturday, April 22, 2017 from 9:30 am – 12 pm. 

The Earth Day Clean-Up has become the largest community service project in Minneapolis and takes place at 37 clean-up sites throughout the city. Since 2008, more than 18,000 residents have removed more than 150,000 pounds of garbage. A special thank you to our 2017 Earth Day Sponsors for supporting this important community event; The Minnesota Lottery, The Wedge, and Birchwood Cafe.

It’s free to participate and residents are encouraged to participate by volunteering to help pick up trash in parks, neighborhoods, and watersheds. No registration needed, just choose a site and show up! To find a detailed list of clean-up sites and more information please visit http://www.minneapolisearthday.com/ or call 612-230-6479. 

MacPhail Spotlight Series Presents: Music in the Wild, featuring R.T. Rybak, May 6

Hop, swim, crawl, flutter! MacPhail Center for Music will take you on an energetic musical journey inspired by our natural world for the final Spotlight Series of the season.

MacPhail Spotlight Series: Music in the Wild features composers imitating racing horses, stomping elephants, braying donkeys, fluttering birds, crawling turtles and much more. Pieces include the ethereal “Lark Ascending” by Vaughan Williams, MacPhail composer Sarah Miller’s “Carnival of the Invasive Species” and a number of contemporary Bluegrass tunes inspired by Midwestern landscapes.

Former Mayor of Minneapolis and president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation R.T. Rybak will be taking the stage as the narrator of the iconic “Carnival of the Animals” by Saint-Saens. Quite possibly Saint Saens' most popular piece, it musically depicts a number of animals, including pianists—his inside joke! “Carnival of the Animals” portrays characteristics, movements, gestures and sounds with precision and simplicity, placing it in the realm of Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf.”

"Music in the Wild is an appropriately energetic and colorful program for our final Spotlight concert,” says Mischa Santora, artistic director, Spotlight Series. “Highlights include Vaughan Williams' ethereal ‘Lark Ascending’, the wonderful bluegrass duo The OK Factor, and Minneapolis' former (and beloved) Mayor R.T. Rybak as narrator for ‘Carnival of the Animals’ by Saint Saëns. Join us for this hopping, swimming, crawling and fluttering affair!"

Spotlight Series: Music in the Wild will take place on Saturday, May 6 at 8 p.m. in MacPhail Center for Music’s Antonello Hall, 501 South 2^nd Street in Minneapolis. A pre-concert conversation discussing the musical direction of the concert will occur at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available for $25 for adults, $15 for seniors (ages 55 and older) as well as youth (ages 6 through 18), and can be purchased by phone at 612-767-5250 or by stopping by Student Services at MacPhail locations in Minneapolis, Chanhassen, Apple Valley or White Bear Lake.

The MacPhail Spotlight Series is MacPhail Center for Music’s premier performance event. This four-part concert series explores diverse musical themes performed by MacPhail Center for Music faculty and special guests – showcasing some of the finest musicians in the Twin Cities.

MacPhail Center for Music is a non-profit organization committed to transforming lives and enriching the community through exceptional music learning experiences. Each year, MacPhail opens its doors to more than 13,000 students offering programming for all ages, backgrounds and abilities, at locations in Minneapolis, White Bear Lake, Chanhassen, Golden Valley and Apple Valley, as well as 100 community partnerships across the Twin Cities and online at MacPhail Online. MacPhail has a 108-year history of excellence, promoting life-long learning and building long-term relationships between students and teachers.

Nonprofit Spotlight: Open Arms of Minnesota

Article by Claudia Kittock, photos by Rick Kittock

Editor's note - This is the seventh in a series of articles spotlighting local nonprofits.

A short time ago, friends of ours got married and asked that instead of gifts to them, people donate to Open Arms of Minnesota. I am embarrassed to admit I had never heard of Open Arms of Minnesota. My research and visit there uncovered an amazing place, dedicated to "nourishing mind, body, and soul”.

The mission of Open Arms of Minnesota is to provide food for people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, ALS, and multiple sclerosis. I learned that ‘it’s a simple notion: people who are sick should not be without food. Yet every day people in our community with life-threatening illnesses find themselves unable to shop or cook — and, often, without the support network to help.’

As a cancer survivor, I know how critical the idea of food as medicine is. While undergoing chemotherapy, I lost my sense of taste.  Everything tasted like sawdust and my interest in eating disappeared. I found quickly that I needed to force myself to eat just as I needed to force myself to take medicine in order to heal.  Without good nutrition, healing is difficult if not impossible. Open Arms of Minnesota focuses on people with these challenges and provides nutritious food.

We were treated to a tour and conversation with Lisa Lane, Senior Director of Development and Community Engagement, and Jeanne Foels the Communication Manager. I learned that a day in a hospital costs about $2,500, while a year of healthy food from Open Arms of Minnesota costs approximately $3,100. Food is not only medicine, it needs to be part of any discussion about health care.

Lisa Lane and Jeanne Foels

Often the sickest people are also the most food insecure. Cooking and caring for a family does not change when you're sick. Tasks of daily living do not stop when you have a life threatening illness, and Open Arms of Minnesota strives to ease that burden.

Open Arms of Minnesota began in 1986 when Bill Rowe became concerned about people he knew who had HIV/AIDS and, with no treatment at that time, were suffering from wasting syndrome and dying quickly. He began cooking!  He was joined by other friends and they moved to a church basement to expand their services. By 1998, the Open Arms of Minnesota kitchen cooked and delivered meals to 429 people over the course of the year. The average client was a 36 year-old gay man, living in South Minneapolis. Many of these clients struggled to not only access good nutrition, but to eat at all. Volunteers delivered meals every single day in the early years at Open Arms of Minnesota, and these calorie-rich hot meals were often the only things their clients ate.

In 2010, Open Arms of Minnesota moved to a wonderful new facility on 2500 Bloomington Avenue South. The new facility is a 21,000 square foot building with a state of the art kitchen and bakery. Meals are cooked and delivered to over 1000 clients each week within the circle of highways 694 and 494. 5500 volunteers work at Open Arms of Minnesota every year, providing over 69,000 hours of service, which is the equivalent of 30 full time employees.

Meals at Open Arms of Minnesota are more than just food!  
· The meals are a daily reminder that you are not alone in your journey.
· The chefs take care of the work, so people can spend their energy on what’s important in their life instead of shopping and cooking.
· The service eases your financial burden.
· Open Arms of Minnesota helps you care for your family’s nutritional needs.

Clients are referred to Open Arms of Minnesota by providers, and while 80% are below the poverty line, money is not a qualifying factor. To qualify for Open Arms of Minnesota’ meal delivery service, you need to be diagnosed with one of four life-threatening illnesses; cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis or ALS, and live in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The process can be started by accessing information online.

How can you help this amazing group? There are many ways. Donations are incredibly important and make a huge impact. Here are examples of what donations can do:
· $3,120 buys a year’s worth of meals   
· $1,680 buys a month’s worth of nausea care packs
· $500 buys five insulated delivery bags
· $240 buys a week’s worth of meals for a family of 4
· $60 buys a week’s worth of meals for a client
· $5 buys one delicious meal for a client

Open Arms of Minnesota holds fundraisers, including:
· Moveable Feast
· Open Arms of Minnesota Golf Classic
· Cook-a-thon

Claudia can be reached at claudia@millcitymedia.org

The Aliveness Project’s Annual 'Dining Out For Life' is April 27

On April 27 over 200 restaurants across Minnesota will participate in the 23rd Annual Dining Out for Life^®, (DOL) a fundraiser for The Aliveness Project, a community center for Minnesotans living with HIV/AIDS. The restaurants donate a percentage of their sales to support the many services such as the hot meal program, food shelf, integrated therapies, health & wellness, case management and other programs. Over 400 Volunteer Ambassadors help on the day of the event for 1 or more meal times. More than $4 million dollars a year is raised to support the missions of 60 outstanding HIV/AIDS service organizations throughout North America.

Local participating restaurants include Wilde Cafe & Spirits and Zen Box. View a full list here.

My North Series - 52 Minnesota Stories Leading up to the 2018 Super Bowl

Count down to Super Bowl 52 with this weekly video series of 52 love letters to Minnesota from notable Minnesotans. My North is an editorial video series created by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine and presented by Explore Minnesota. Hear from tastemakers and stylemakers. Artists and athletes. Authors and entertainers. These are their odes to the state they love. Below are the first five videos - click here to see more! 

Today: Community Gathering and Remarks Acknowleding the End of the Heading Home Hennepin 10-year Plan to End Homelessness

There will be a community gathering and remarks acknowleding the end of the Heading Home Hennepin 10-year plan to end homelessness, a project of Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis today, March 29, at the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Avenue. Refreshments will be served at 4:00pm, program begins 5:00pm. Free parking is available in the lot adjacent to the church

The project's mission was to help those facing homelessness find safe, decent and affordable housing and the supports needed to sustain it. This celebration will recognize the efforts made to achieve this mission and look forward to the work that remains.

Speakers include:
• Betsy Hodges, Minneapolis mayor and member of the Heading Home Hennepin Executive Committee
• Kimberly Carpenter, member of the Heading Home Hennepin Executive Committee
• Gail Dorfman, executive director of St. Stephens Human Services and original co-chair of the Heading Home Hennepin plan
• Jim Gertmenian, former head pastor at Plymouth Congregational Church and original co-chair of the Heading Home Hennepin plan
• David Hewitt, director of the Office to End Homelessness

Learn more about Heading Home Hennepin.

Dozens of Organizations Will Recruit Employees at April 3 Career Fair at Central Library

Dozens of organizations will recruit employees at next week's career fair

Job-seekers can connect with actively-recruiting companies at a career fair Monday, April 3, sponsored by Hennepin County Work and Economic Resource Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Event details:
• Monday, April 3
• 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Minneapolis Central Library, 2nd Floor, 300 Nicollet Mall

Job-seekers are encouraged to dress professionally and bring copies of their resume.

This career fair is part of a series of events to pair employers looking for workers with employees looking for job opportunities. All participating businesses are aiming to fill multiple openings.

Recruiters from nearly 40 organizations will attend the career fair, including:
• ACR Homes  • Augustana Care   • Carefree Living  • City of Minneapolis  • CobornsDelivers  • Comcast • Cub Foods  • Delta Global Services  • Doherty Staffing  • Domino’s  • DoubleTree by Hilton - Bloomington  Minneapolis South  • DoubleTree by Hilton - Minneapolis Park Place  • DoubleTree by Hilton - Minneapolis North  • Ebenezer Society  • Family Dollar • FedEx Ground  • First Student • First Transit • Goodwill-Easter Seals  • HMSHost • Hennepin County • Hilton Minneapolis  • Hyatt Regency Minneapolis • Indrotec • Mall of America • Minneapolis Marriott City Center  • Monterrey Security • Options Family and Behavior Services • PeopleReady • Select Comfort • Sojos pet food • Super America • SUPERVALU Distribution Center • Swissport North America • Target (downtown) • United States Postal Service • UPS • WIS International
• YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities

This location is served by several bus routes. To find the best one, visit http://www.metrotransit.org/ or call 612-373-3333.

Portion of Eastbound Washington Avenue to close Monday, March 27 thru June 1

Eastbound Washington Avenue from Hennepin Avenue to Fifth Avenue South will close on Monday, March 27 afternoon until June 1. Westbound Washington Avenue will continue to have two lanes of traffic open.

A detour using Hennepin avenue to Fourth Street to Fifth Avenue South and then back to eastbound Washington Avenue will be in place.

This is a Hennepin County project. More information on this project is available at http://www.hennepin.us/residents/transportation/washington-ave-mpls.

Men in Trees!

Our neighbor Kathy Franzen captured a crew working on the trees in Gold Medal Park. (I'd want to be the guy with the ladder!)  :)

Nonprofit Spotlight: Dr. Heather Huseby of YouthLink

Article by Claudia Kittock 

Editor's note - This is the sixth in a series of articles spotlighting local nonprofits.

Dr. Heather Huseby is a force of nature.  She heads YouthLink and is a fierce advocate for the youth who use the services there. When I met Dr. Heather, she taught me that the most important thing we can do for the youth is to gently but firmly nudge them back onto a path, a future, and to support the journey. YouthLink does that. The people there share Dr. Huseby’s vision, and being part of the journey of the young people who come to YouthLink is an honor. I am proud to say I know her and proud to share her with the readers of Mill City Times.

How did you get this position?

I left my position as the Executive Director at Normandale Community College to become an independent consultant. As soon as I did, someone from the community called and encouraged me to consider an opening for a part-time consultant position at YouthLink. At the time, YouthLink was experiencing leadership and organizational difficulties. Coming from 30 years in higher education nonprofit leadership presented some interesting challenges and opportunities. Fortunately, I was hired as a consultant for 15 hours a week to bring alignment to the organizational vision and mission. After two years and hundreds of hours, the board offered me the position of Executive Director on a full-time basis. Our vision and mission was set, our strategic goals were aligned, and our commitment to always keep the needs of young people at the center of our work was a common value. 

One thing that stood out in my mind, and still remains in my mind today, was when I walked into what was then the drop-in for my interview for the part-time consultant position. There was a young woman sitting in the drop-in eating her lunch who looked exactly like my daughter. I asked a case manager about her and was told what they were able to tell me – she was homeless, waiting for housing with big dreams and hopes for her future but a lot of barriers in her way. That young woman I saw in the drop-in remains in my heart to this day as a reminder of why I am doing what I do.

What do you do in your current position?

In my current position, I make sure we are in compliance financially with our budget, that we secure and raise funds needed to meet and exceed our goals, and that we remain compliant to the fiduciary guidelines set by the nonprofit standards and laws of the state of Minnesota. It is my responsibility to ensure that our organization remains aligned with our vision and mission, including designing, building, and maintaining programming that transforms young people (16-24) experiencing homelessness into self-sustaining pathways of learning and work. The more than 2,013 unique young people we serve have a light and we want to help them shine - we will help them transform that spark into reality for their aspirations for the future. 

"I’d want others to know that any investment 
made is an investment in the future. These
young people are the next community leaders
and it’s worth the investment for our communities."

It is my job to make sure the outstanding, dedicated, and excellent staff members at YouthLink have the resources they need to implement the nine evidence-based principles for working with youth – and that they are able to work in an inclusive, safe, and welcoming environment at all times. Finally, my position requires that I work directly with the board of directors to provide the information and knowledge necessary for this group of dedicated volunteers to follow the governance policies and bylaws. My job is making sure the young people we serve receive services of integrity, excellence, and self-empowerment.

What are you doing that is working?

For me, it is vital to always remain focused on a bold, clear, and consistent vision and always remember the bottom line is “what impact will this make on the young people we serve?” When we do that, and when we do that on a consistent basis, it works. When we are sidetracked and lose sight of our vision - when a vision gets buried, water-downed, diffused - conflict and fragmentation happens. 

What do you want the politicians of our city/county/state/country to know about the work you do? How can they help?

I want to say there are key public and elected officials who already know a great deal about our work; they continue to help bring about significant change for young people experiencing homelessness. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the leadership of Minneapolis City Council Member Lisa Goodman for her foresight and vision to bring together YouthLink and Project for Pride in Living (PPL) around the idea of creating permanent supportive housing for young people experiencing housing. Her dedication and advocacy is a significant reason “Downtown View” - our new five-story, 47-bed housing facility for 18-24 year young people - will open on site at YouthLink by spring 2018. Council Member Goodman, Council Member John Quincy, along with the entire City Council led by Council President Barbara Johnson has continually supported the YouthLink-PPL project.

Those involved with the workings of Hennepin County have also done much to support YouthLink’s work. Our partnership with the county goes back to the start of the agency more than 40 years ago. The commitment and dedication of the Hennepin County Board to ending homelessness has had significant impact on our work in finding solutions for young people experiencing homeless. In 2010, the Hennepin County Board provided financial support for YouthLink to become the host site of the Youth Opportunity Center. Board Chair Jan Callison, along with other key board members, have encouraged YouthLink and county staff to work together to find options for supporting the new YouthLink-PPL housing project. Our partnership with Hennepin County is a key to our progress.

I’d want others to know that any investment made is an investment in the future. These young people are the next community leaders and it’s worth the investment for our communities. The cost of making a difference with these youth is doable. It’s not a cost that is exorbitant and with just a small investment, the return is huge. A recent break-even analysis completed by Dr. Steven Foldes studied the economic burden of youth homelessness in Minnesota, focusing on the short- and long-term costs to taxpayers and society. The study examined comprehensive costs of more than 1,400 16-to-24 year olds who were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless that visited YouthLink in 2011. The study found that all annual and support costs for the entire group can be covered if 89 youth (only 6.1% of the total young people in the study) were to earn enough so that they no longer need any public support, beginning at age 20. (Information on the dollar cost of homelessness can be found here: http://www.youthlinkmn.org/the-cost-of-homelessness/.)

One thing public officials and others can do to help is actually visit YouthLink to learn more about the young people we serve. But talking about the issue and not ignoring it can do the most help. Politicians can help by allowing youth service providers and the youth themselves to testify about the work being done; they can help by letting us bring legislation to them that they’ll accept; and letting us expand the legislation that we currently have. I really do want to thank the legislature for expanding funding for the runaway and homeless youth act, but there is still more to do, particularly in transformative services in programming and housing that we have that is making a difference and changing the lives of youth.

Individuals, community and business groups are all welcome to learn more about the young people we serve by visiting us at YouthLink, volunteering time to help in one of the many areas of need, or sleeping out at our annual Night of Hope Sleep Out. One example of making a difference is the support being provided by the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA) to YouthLink. Starting in mid-2017, the new housing project will begin to ramp up by composing a team of navigators and coaches who will guide the residents toward their aspirations. Provided through a generous gift from the DMNA, this also means we will have additional peer outreach and staff outreach workers ready to go when the youth are ready to enter their new homes in Spring 2018.

Claudia can be reached at claudia@millcitytimes.org

Exploring the Upper River: LifeSource

Article by Kathleen Boe, Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership

Exploring the Upper River

A look at hidden gems along the Minneapolis Riverfront

LifeSource is an organization with a special mission and a special place in the hearts and minds of many people.

The organization manages organ, eye and tissue donation across the Upper Midwest, serving Minnesota, the Dakotas and areas of western Wisconsin. They work with hospitals and with the community to support the families of donors and encourage donor registration.

LifeSource also occupies a pretty special place along the Mississippi River in North Minneapolis. It’s at the end of the road, for now, along the west side of the river – driving along West River Road, the parkway and the bike trail come to an end right outside.

The organization moved here from St. Paul and broke ground on a sparkling new campus along the river in 2013. They were very taken by the view, and the sense of calm, and how that tied into the mission of helping both families who have lost loved ones and those who have benefited from organ donation.

The interior was designed with the families’ experience in mind. But on the outside, they took this to another level. The campus includes a memorial garden, which contains a wall remembering those who donated organs, eyes or tissue, as well as garden benches which serve to help memorialize donors as well.

And here’s where the site comes into play, because I’m really struck by the river in that area. It’s a wonderful view of the river because you can see south to the Broadway Avenue Bridge and the Plymouth Avenue Bridge and downtown. We often think of making connections with the river from downtown, but there’s a sense of magnificence when you see the river from this area. You get a bigger impression of the river’s role in the city.

Orvin “Ole” Olson ParkThe LifeSource Healing Garden offers people a chance to take a pause and take in what this river is. It’s wide, it’s powerful, and it’s a view of what the river should be: banked by parkland on both sides. Orvin “Ole” Olson Park sits between LifeSource and the river, ensuring that a clear view will be enjoyed by all for years to come.

Broadway Pizza, of course, is right nearby. But with further exploring, take another drive down Broadway to visit Breaking Bread Café or pick up a cookie at Cookie Cart. These are both locations that not only serve great food, but serve as job creation and job training centers, helping young people get the skills they need to be successful in the work force.

Kathleen Boe is Executive Director of the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership. She can be reached at kathleen.boe@minneapolisriverfront.org, or through minneapolisriverfront.org.