 Although unhealthy food options are plentiful in North
Minneapolis, finding fresh, healthy, and natural food in the area is much more
difficult. In North Minneapolis, 67,000 residents live over one mile from a
single supermarket, making it one of the largest federally-designated food
deserts in the country. In an effort to fight the shortage of fresh food in the
area, Wirth Co-Op will open in August 2017.
The future co-op will be located below the Commons at Penn
Apartments, directly along bus line 19. Passionate about boosting local economy,
Wirth will bring 20 new full- and part-time positions to the area. The City of
Minneapolis department of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) has assisted the Wirth Co-Op through both financial and technical support. In
addition to making healthy food more accessible, Wirth hopes to become a source of
neighborhood strength and pride for North Minneapolis residents. To date,
Wirth has already gained support from over 700 co-op members who are excited to shop for healthy foods at their new neighborhood co-op.
In addition to the investments of over 700 co-op members and
the City, project financing for the new store was provided by several local partners including Community Reinvestment Fund, Hennepin County, Latino Economic
Development Center, McKnight Foundation, Shared Capital Cooperative, Sunrise
Banks and Twin Cities LISC.
 STEP-UP Intern at KBEM-FM Jazz 88.5 in 2016 (Source: STEP-UP)
You may have noticed an influx of enthusiastic,
professionally dressed, young people during your commute this month. That’s because over 1,700 work-ready
Minneapolis youth began their STEP-UP
summer internships with over 230
employers in June. These young people are the future of our city. So if you see them on the bus or on the
train, please make them feel welcome.
One of the country's premiere youth employment programs,
STEP-UP places Minneapolis youth ages 14-21 in paid internships with Twin Cities
companies, nonprofits and public agencies. STEP-UP also provides work readiness
training, job experience, professional mentors, advanced career opportunities
and ongoing support. The program serves populations that face the greatest
barriers to employment, particularly low income youth, youth of color and
recent immigrants. Since 2004, STEP-UP has provided over 23,000 internships.
STEP-UP is a City of Minneapolis program provided in
partnership with AchieveMpls. Other partners include the Minnesota Workforce
Centers and Project for Pride and Living. Learn more about STEP-UP online or follow STEP-UP activities and events all year long on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or with social
media hashtag #STEPUPMpls.
With employers struggling to find qualified workers and job
openings projected to grow into the near decade, apprenticeships - long associated
with construction trades - may help companies recruit and train their own
next-generation employees in a greater variety of industries.
To help offset the cost of launching or expanding an
apprenticeship program, employers in advanced manufacturing, agriculture,
health care, information technology and transportation can apply for grants
from the Minnesota Apprenticeship
Initiative. The five-year apprenticeship program, now in its second year,
is financed through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and administered
by DEED and the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
Fairview Health Services has brought on 120 people through
the initiative and is adding more in its program to help nurses with
associate’s degrees complete their bachelor’s degrees in nursing, according to
Laura Beeth, Fairview’s Director of Talent Acquisition. Fairview is also preparing
registered apprenticeship programs to train medical assistants and surgical
technicians.
Find the entire article here.
 PEACE mentors from MPD, 911, MFD, Hennepin County, and the City's Attorney's Office
The PEACE (Pathways to Emergency & Academy Career
Experiences) program administered by Minneapolis Employment and Training, is a
collaborative initiative designed to promote access and entry into Justice and
Emergency Services (JES) career pathways for low-income, court-involved, or
at-risk Minneapolis youth ages 16 to 21. Students learn about JES careers
through mentoring by a career professional, mini-academies, and a paid summer
internship in the field.
To date, 39 students and 26 mentors are enrolled in the
program. Internships are being offered by the Minneapolis Police Department
(MPD), 911, the Minneapolis Fire Department (MFD), Hennepin County, and the
City Attorney’s Office (CAO). In
addition to internships, PEACE students can participate in career academies developed
by partners at MPD, MFD, 911, CAO, Hennepin County, and the FBI.
On June 15, PEACE held its first monthly mentor event that
included games and 1:1 time with mentors and mentees. PEACE staff received great feedback about the
matches being good fits.
ShaVonda Allen, PEACE program manager, is excited about the
development and growth of PEACE and looks forward to the coming months.
Read the latest Nicollet Mall public art update in a blog post by Moheb Soliman Animate. The post features a poem that is slowly revealed to you on the page entitled "Nicollet Lanterns."
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As Super Bowl Approaches, Downtown Minneapolis Restaurants Add, Freshen Up Private-Dining Spaces
With several big events headed to Minneapolis in the near future, many downtown restaurants have expanded or revamped their private dining-event spaces.
Super Bowl LII next year and the NCAA college basketball championship in 2019 will bring millions of people to downtown Minneapolis. Many visitors will be out-of-towners looking for private spaces to dine.
Full story
New Lake Street Building Marks End to Five-Year, $80 Million Plan to Decentralize Hennepin County Services
From food stamps to child support, Hennepin County services now are closer than ever to the doorsteps of the residents who need them.
County leaders this week cut the ribbon on a new building on E. Lake Street in south Minneapolis, the final piece in a five-year, $80 million moving project to bring human services out into the community.
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2017 Eureka! Innovation Award Winner: The Herbivorous Butcher
The Herbivorous Butcher has brought meatless meat into the local and global eye. Aubry and Kale Walch are the brother-and-sister team that launched the company. They began as a vegan-food startup at the Minneapolis Farmers Market and grew the company into its own butcher shop. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, they opened The Herbivorous Butcher in Northeast Minneapolis, at 507 First Ave. N.E., last year.
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Outside Magazine Names Twin Cities Among its Best Towns Ever
Outside magazine Tuesday named Minneapolis and St. Paul as one of the top 25 “Best Towns” ever, singling out the Twin Cities as the best place to bike-commute year-round.
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