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Greetings! We hope our newsletter serves as a resource for staying connected to Hennepin County activities and staying updated on county news and services. Our newsletter comes out the first Monday of each month.
We are always looking for resident feedback on ways to improve Hennepin County's service offerings. If you have an idea, please don't hesitate to reach out. As an elected official, I answer to you.
The board approved 4 grants for athletic facilities and 9 grants for small equipment. District 1 cities were awarded the following:
- City of Crystal, $80,000 to Fair School Park and $3,466 to Welcome Park
- City of Robbinsdale, $22,500 to Lee Park Building and $2,811 for use at multiple locations
- City of New Hope, $793 to New Hope Ice Arena
Learn more about the program here.
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Liberian Business Association (LIBA) is a non-profit based in District 1 that works with small and micro African-owned businesses at all stages of development. Services include:
- Resources to help build capacity
- Helping business owners register or apply for loans/grants
- Financial capacity building resources
Interested in receiving their services? LIBA can work with any Hennepin County business for FREE through Elevate Business HC.
What is Elevate Business?
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Hennepin County has contracted with 25 professional business advisors and specialized consultants to offer FREE expert support to local businesses in a wide range of areas including:
- Accounting & Finance
- Legal
- Marketing
- Social media & Web development
- Human Resources
- And more
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Rental Assistance
While rental assistance through RentMNHelp closed last week, there are still resources available to help you navigate the system and know your rights.
TRC supports Hennepin County residents who are at risk of eviction or homelessness through a collaborative partnership between community, non-profits, government, and higher education. The goal of the resource center is to help people maintain stability in their housing situation and avoid the “service run around” that sometimes comes with the need to access multiple community resources to ensure stability in housing.
Contracted Hennepin Partners
Contact the following organizations for culturally-specific assistance:
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Who can I call with questions?
Trained operators are available to answer your questions about your eligibility, bills, documents or to make a reasonable accommodation. Call 211 today.
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Cold Weather Donations
Hennepin County security officers meet people experiencing homelessness every day. With this especially cold weather, hats, gloves, mittens, and other winter gear is needed now more than ever.
Want to donate?:
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Summer Internships
BrookLynk's paid summer internship program is for young people to gain the skills, experience, and the social networks they need to be on a pathway to college and a career.
To apply for a summer internship,
you must:
- Be between the ages of 16-24 on June 1, 2022
- Live or go to school in Brooklyn Park or Brooklyn Center
- Complete the Get Ready! work readiness training
**Application opens February 21st.
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Business Highlight
 Redmon's Popcorn owner Zack Redmon.
New Hope business Redmon's Popcorn was featured on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's" #ColbertSmallBizBump!
- Their physical shop is up and running again. Visit Professional Building, 2738 Winnetka Ave N Suite 150B, New Hope, MN 55427.
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Online sales are still on hold. Stay tuned!
Job Opportunities
Osseo Area Schools has close to 200 job openings. It is trying to fill those openings by holding its first-ever job fair. The district says most departments are short-staffed, with the biggest need being for support staff:
- When: THIS Saturday, Feb. 12 from 10am - 12:30pm. REGISTER HERE.
- Where: Education Service Center in Maple Grove (11200 93rd Ave. N)
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Mississippi Gateway Regional Park
 Image of the planned building.
A development plan would bring major changes to the Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, including:
- Building with space for classes
- An overlook
- Play structures for kids
- Unique treetop trail
$200 million through Move Minnesota Forward 2022.
Very exciting news! Governor Walz included $200 million for the METRO Blue Line Extension as part of his administration's Move Minnesota Forward 2022 supplemental budget recommendations. This represents the largest share of funding the state could commit at this point in the project.
This inclusion shows the state's understanding that the county cannot be the only local government to put money towards this project, which will benefit the Twin Cities metro region as a whole.
Testifying at the Minnesota House of Representatives
This past Thursday, I testified in front of the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Committee in my role as public safety chair. I called on the legislature of invest in an integrated approach of public safety, with behavioral health working together
to support residents facing mental-health-related challenges. Key asks included:
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Transforming the response of mental health-related calls. Currently, the county funds mental health training and support for 911 dispatchers and mental health professionals at dispatch locations throughout the county. We had a chance to visit Denver and learn about their approach, and hope to integrate these learnings into our existing program.
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Making "fourth responders" the norm in every police department in the county. The county's Embedded Social Workers Program is helping to make this a reality. Currently, 23 Hennepin County police departments participate in the program, with additional cities to join this year.
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Culturally Specific Mental Health Services
Hennepin County is seeking proposals from organizations who provide culturally specific mental health services to communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
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Amount: $30,000 - $49,999
Accepting proposals for services that center the following (but not limited to):
- Children
- Family
- Young adults up to age 24
- Restorative practices/programs for youth and adults experiencing and healing from trauma.
**Apply on the Hennepin County Supplier Portal by Monday, February 14th at 12pm.
Contact us
Jeffrey Lunde
Commissioner, 1st District
612-414-3302
Vicky Soukaseum
Policy Aide
612-414-4747
Anna Schmiel
Policy and Communications Aide
612-384-0759
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