 Join City of Minneapolis leaders, the Minneapolis Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs and Carry-on Homes for a celebration of Minneapolis’s vibrant immigrant and refugee communities as part of Welcoming America’s national Welcoming Week.
On Friday, September 21, from 3:30-7:00 p.m. at The Commons park area, near the Vikings stadium, the Minneapolis Welcoming Week Celebration will feature live performances, music, food trucks, art exhibitions, voter registration and an opportunity to celebrate with neighbors, nonprofit organizations and City leaders.
Read more...
 NCR is excited to announce a new learning lab in our Community Connections learning lab series: Considerations for Engaging
Immigrant and Refugee Communities.
Join Michelle Rivero, Director of the
Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, to learn about how immigration policy
can impact engagement between residents and their local government, and what you can do as a City employee or community partner to help Minneapolis be a safe and welcoming environment for all.
You will
learn about:
- Common misconceptions regarding immigration.
- Immigration basics such as the federal agencies (USCIS, DHS, CBP, ICE, etc.) that set or enforce immigration policy and how they work (or don’t work) with
local government.
- The spectrum of immigration status: refugee, asylee, TPS holder, permanent resident, undocumented and many others.
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 Considerations for Engaging Immigrant and Refugee Communities is part of the Community Connections series, which will run from September 12 – November 14 in the mornings, and September 20 – November 8 in the evenings.
You can view the updated schedule and enroll today at Minneapolismn.gov/ncr/learninglabs.
Email ncr@minneapolimn.gov or call 612-673-3737 if you have additional questions or difficulty registering.
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 As part of National Voter
Registration Day, NCR's entire staff will be out registering voters on
September 25. Please contact Ariah Fine at ariah.fine@minneapolismn.gov if your organization is
interested in partnering with NCR for an event, or host one yourself using the links
below.
Early voting will be open starting September 21, and will run through Monday, November 5, when it will close at 5 p.m. For hours and answers to other election-related questions, visit vote.minneapolismn.gov.
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 In June 2018, City Council approved the funding of 10 projects that will improve safety in Minneapolis neighborhoods as part of the Collaborative Safety Strategies program.
One of the funded projects is Lake Street Live, which uses visual art, story and movement to create a child-centered experience of belonging on Lake Street around the childcare center, Ayeeyo, and the surrounding blocks. The partners include Don't You Feel It Too dance, Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center, the Million Artist Movement, Pangea World Theater and Ayeeyo Childcare Center.
Congratulations to this intercultural collaborative on the completion of the mural component of their project! Stop by Ayeeyo Childcare Center on Lake and 18th Ave. on September 9 to view this collaborative artwork.
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 Cultural and community nonprofit organizations, you're invited to apply for funding for leadership development projects in Minneapolis through the One Minneapolis Fund.
On September 13, NCR will conduct a pre-proposal conference for applicants at 2:00pm in Crown Roller Mill, 105 5th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55401, first floor conference room. Read more...
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 The 2020 census count will determine how many representatives Minnesota receives in Congress as well as federal funding allocations for the next decade.
The City of Minneapolis is taking steps to ensure that the 2020 census accurately counts Minneapolis's residents through the establishment of a community-led Complete Count Committee to guide the creation of an engagement campaign.
The Complete Count Committee is made of up of representatives or advocates from historically under-counted communities and provides guidance and support for the City’s outreach and engagement efforts around the census.
How to join the Complete Count Committee
You can find the application in the linked page below. Committee meetings are held quarterly.
Read more about the committee on the City census web page...
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 On Sunday, August 19, the North Loop Neighborhood Association (NLNA) hosted its first annual Chalk Art Day. On a stretch of sidewalk on Washington Ave. by 6th Ave., over 200 neighbors of all ages participated.
"Our goal was to create an artful event that would engage the entire neighborhood – all ages, families, renters, [home] owners, businesses and visitors, and that’s what happened. We also let people know the event was sponsored by the North Loop Neighborhood Association, and offered information about what we do. We plan to make it bigger and better next year!" - Tim Bildsoe, NLNA president.
NLNA partnered with an experienced chalk artist who organizes these events all over the world. The artist supplied all the chalk and drew an incredible 3-D image on the sidewalk that captured the attention of all passing by.
Consider joining the new Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Housing which will advise the mayor and City Council on housing issues including homelessness, housing instability, fair housing, rental licensing and policy. Read more and apply...
Share your travel habits and suggestions for improvements that should be made to the city’s transportation infrastructure. You will be entered to win one of two $25 gift cards if you complete the online survey. |
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 The 2019 Community Connections Conference will be held on Saturday, February 2 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Visit the NCR website to see highlights of our past conferences.
NCR is also seeking volunteers for the Conference Advisory Committee, which will meet monthly. Email ncr@minneapolismn.gov if you’re interested in helping to shape next year's conference.
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A new service animal law went into effect in
Minnesota on August 1, 2018 that makes it a crime to misrepresent an animal
as a service animal.
By definition, a “service animal”
in Minnesota can be only a dog or miniature pony that is
individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a
disability. Service animals do not need to wear a special vest, ID tag or specific harness.
Businesses may ask if an animal is a service animal or ask what tasks the animal has been trained to perform. However, businesses may not ask:
- About the person's disability or require documentation of the disability,
- That special identification cards for the service animal be produced,
- That the animal demonstrate its ability to perform work,
- About the training that the service animal received, or
- Require individuals with a service animal to use a specific entrance.
Service animals are allowed in restaurants and hotels. They are not, however, allowed in kitchens and food prep areas. Emotional support animals and service animals in training, in contrast, are not allowed in restaurants and hotels. Read more about service animal regulations on the Americans with Disabilities Act website here...
Questions? Contact your health
inspector by calling 311 (612-673-3000) or email health@minneapolismn.gov, using the subject line "Service animals."
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