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From Ward 5 Minneapolis City Council Member, Jeremiah Ellison.
We are nearing the end of budget season, and there are still opportunities for residents to engage with council members.
There will be a public hearing for residents to come and share their thoughts tonight, Tuesday, December 10th, 2024. The public hearing will begin at 6:05 PM. All public hearings will take place in the Council Chambers of the Public Service Center, 250 S 4th St., Room 350 Minneapolis, MN 55415.
Don't want to come in-person to share your thoughts? No problem! Residents can also send in written public testimony any time by emailing CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov. You are always welcome to contact the Ward 5 office directly as well to ask questions or share your thoughts.
RS Eden Art Heals Event
I was honored to be invited as a guest speaker for RS Eden's annual "Art Heals" event that showcases incredible art pieces made by participants of RS Eden's programs.
RS Eden is a nonprofit organization that provides accessible treatment services, low-barrier supportive housing, and comprehensive services for individuals exiting incarceration and reintegrating into community and all for community members who are struggling with addiction.
As an artist and policy maker, I am so grateful that RS Eden welcomed me into this space to connect and share my experiences as a muralist and my support for folks who are seeking help through RS Eden. No matter who you are or where you have been, you deserve a second chance and there are folks in the community who are here to support you whenever you are ready. Thank you so much to Caroline Hood, President and CEO, for introducing me, to Council Member Yolanda Farris for sharing your powerful story as a policy maker and former participant of RS Eden, and to all of our neighbors who came to the Capri on a very chilly night to support this wonderful work.
Are you experiencing struggles with food insecurity, housing, career readiness, and legal matters? Are you in need of help? Please look below to see which resources can be beneficial to you.
Career Readiness
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Project for Pride in Living (PPL)
- PPL builds the hope, assets, and self-reliance of individuals and families who have lower incomes by providing transformative affordable housing and career readiness services.
Family Support & Educational Programming
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Way to Grow
- Way to Grow is a nonprofit organization on the Northside that provides free, year-round family support and educational programming for families in Minneapolis and in surrounding suburbs.
Food Insecurity
- EMERGE Youth-Led Food Shelf
- Days/Times: Weekly on Mondays, Tuesdays, & Wednesdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Location: ECTC, 1834 Emerson Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411.
- Free Dinner
- Days/Times: Weekly on Tuesdays at 6:00 PM
- Salem Lutheran Church, 4150 Dupont Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN
- Contact: 612-521-3644
- Haven Community Pantry
- Days/Times: Weekly on Wednesdays & Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Location: Sanctuary Covenant Church, 2018 Aldrich Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411
Free/Discounted Internet
Housing/Tenant Protections
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Home Line
- This organization provides free and low-cost legal, organizing, education, and advocacy services so that tenants throughout Minnesota can solve their own rental housing problems.
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United Renters for Justice/Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia
- United Renters for Justice/Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia is a base-building nonprofit working to transform the Minneapolis housing system.
Legal Representation
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Attorney General Keith Ellison's Office
- The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office appreciates hearing from members of the public. In many cases, they are able to provide direct assistance to people. Hearing from members of the public also alerts us to problems occurring in the marketplace.
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Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
- This organization provides free legal aid to people with low-income, disabilities, and seniors in 20 Central Minnesota counties. These services include, but are not limited to:
- Debt collection and unfair loans
- Disability-related cases
- Divorce and child custody
- Domestic violence
- Elder abuse
- Housing discrimination and evictions
- Immigration and citizenship
- IRS Tax Issues
Minneapolis 311
- Need to report an issue? Can't find the right information? Minneapolis 311 can help. 311 coordinates with City departments and service providers to report your concerns, find you information and connect you with nonemergency City services.
- There are many ways to get in contact with Minneapolis 311 for non-emergency information. Choose what's easiest for you.
- Call 311. Agents are here to answer your call 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 311 from within city limits or 612-673-3000.
- Email 311. You can email 311 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Agents will respond 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Text 311. You can text 311 a short question any time. Just text two or three keywords to 311TXT (311898) to receive an answer from the Minneapolis 311 information database on your mobile phone.
- Get the 311 mobile app. Report neighborhood issues on the 311 mobile app 24 hours a day.
- TTY. 311 agents use computer-based technology so hearing-impaired callers can easily communicate with the City using TDD/TTY devices. Call TTY 612-263-6850.
- Use the contact form. You can send 311 your comments or questions on the website contact form.
City of Minneapolis
The City of Minneapolis has a ton of job opportunities that span across multiple departments.
Recent Job Postings
Hennepin County
Hennepin County is the largest county in Minnesota and has a wide variety of job openings in different industries.
Recent Job Postings
Nonprofit Organizations
Nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities can be a great place to start to look for a new job/change in your career. Start by viewing the MN Council of Nonprofits Job Board here.
Recent Job Postings
State of Minnesota
The State of Minnesota is a great place to start your job search. Click here to view job openings in the state.
Are your windows and walls drafty? Is your energy bill too high? Save money, make your home more comfortable and help the environment through the City’s Green Cost Share program.
Depending on where you live, the City offers up to $14,000 in rebates to make energy-efficient home improvements.
Getting Started
Are you a New American looking to start a career in the medical field? The International Institute of Minnesota offers a free and high-quality certified nursing assistant (CNA) training that teaches the skills needed to begin a satisfying and rewarding career.
CNA stands for “certified nursing assistant,” an entry-level role that provides vital support to both patients and nurses. From transporting, bathing, and feeding hospital patients, to stocking medical supplies and logging patient information, CNAs are on the ground working to enhance patient outcomes. While a CNA is not classified as a nurse, this position is a fantastic entry point for dozens of different nursing careers.
There are online information sessions every Wednesday from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM over Zoom. Attending an information session is a required step to be considered for the training.
Next Sessions:
- 7-week Intensive Class
- January 6th, 2025 to February 27th, 2025
- Tuesday through Fridays from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM
- Hybrid (in-person and online)
- 11-week Supportive Class
- January 6th, 2025 to March 19th, 2025
- Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Interested? Click here to learn more and get started on a new career path!
Matthew Hulstein (Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid attorney) and Patty Walton (Community Clinics Fellow) met with my staff, Bethany Turnwall and Dieu Do, about the new in-person legal clinic in Harrison.
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid has an in-person clinic in the Harrison neighborhood, offering free legal help! Legal Aid handles problems on this civil side (not criminal), including: housing, consumer, immigration, federal tax, public benefits, family law, and disability discrimination. Generally, clients must be Hennepin residents and be either lower income or aged 60+ (regardless of income).
Legal Clinic Details
- Days/Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Location: Harrison Neighborhood Association (HNA), 1501 Glenwood Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55405
- Walk-ins welcome/appointments preferred
- To schedule an appointment, call 612-352-9778. Residents can also call Legal Aid's central intake line: 1-877-696-6529 or visit www.mylegalaid.org.
- Patty Walton, pictured above in the yellow jacket, is a Community Clinics Fellow who is staffing the clinic in the Harrison Neighborhood.
First Generation Down Payment Assistance
Minnesota’s two new first-come, first-served, down payment assistance programs are still accepting applications, and 50% of allocated funds remain.
Hennepin County HRA Homebuyer Assistance Program
Limited Funds Available: Check Page For Updates
The Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HCHRA) created the Homebuyer Assistance Program to reduce racial disparities in homeownership. HCHRA will provide down payment financing to assist buyers interested in purchasing a home to have as their principal place of residence in Hennepin County.
Eligibility Requirements
- Borrower’s gross household income must be at or below 115% AMI.
First-time buyer: Borrower must not have an ownership interest in another property for the last 3 years.
- Borrower can have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or Social Security Number (SSN).
- Borrower must contribute at least $1,000 of their own funds toward the purchase.
- Housing Ratios: Borrower’s PITI must be within 20-35% (front end), not to exceed 50% (back-end) of gross income.
Required Education
- Certificate of Home Stretch group education within one year prior to purchase; see available workshops on Minnesota Homeownership Center website. Framework or other curriculums are not accepted. Sign up for NWHP workshops.
- Certificate of 1:1 Pre-purchase advising is required within one year of purchase. Sign up for NWHP pre-purchase advising.
- If there are two borrowers, both must complete Home Stretch and pre-purchase counseling.
Click here for more information and to apply for this program.
Next Step Fund
Deadline: January 27th, 2025 at 11:59 PM (All times CST)
The Next Step Fund is made possible with support from the McKnight Foundation and provides project grants up to $6,000 to artists in any arts discipline. Applicants may be at any stage in their career, but must be able to provide samples of their own artwork. Individual artists must have a primary residential address in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, or Washington county.
The Next Step Fund grant is designed for artists to propose a project that has the potential to help them overcome a barrier to success, sustain the continued success of their artistic career, and/or leverage an opportunity that could benefit their career in the future.
Proposed projects may range from plans that propel an artist’s career forward to projects designed to maintain an artist’s ability to create. We value both ends of this spectrum and everything in between. Most importantly, projects should reflect the career stage of the applicant and be in alignment with their stated goals.
For more information, click here to learn about grant guidelines, timeline, and FAQs.
Northside Awesome Grant
Granted Awarded Monthly
The North Minneapolis Chapter of the Awesome Foundation grants support projects in business, sciences, arts, education, civic engagement, media, and entertainment — just about anything as long as it contributes to making the Northside of Minneapolis more AWESOME! And guess what – 501c3 status is not a requirement! The grants can go to groups, individuals, small non-profit organizations, almost any entity.
We prioritize applications that demonstrate clear ideas, project budgets, strong Northside connectivity and projects that positively impact the Northside. If you do not live in North Minneapolis or have a significantly strong connection to the Northside you will not likely be funded.
Apply by the end of each month to be eligible for a grant of up to $1000 for your Awesome Idea! One Grant of up to $1000 will be made each month. Click here to learn more and apply.
With more dark hours this time of year, you might notice lights out more on parkways or in parks. If you see a light not working, contact:
For Parkway Lights
For Path and Trail Lights in Parks
- Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board customer service: Call 612-230-6400 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday or email anytime.
- If you witness someone damaging a light, call 911.
The Metropolitan Council is simplifying and lowering transit fares starting Jan. 1. Full-price fares on all Metro Transit buses and trains will be $2 any time of day. Young people, seniors and Medicare recipients will be able to ride Metro Transit’s non-express buses and light rail for $1 all day, every day.
The cost of all-day and seven-day transit passes will also be reduced. The changes are expected to make transit easier to use.
Read more about transit fares on the Metropolitan Council website.
Join me from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM every Monday for Open Coffee Hours! These are informal and a chance for me to hear directly from you while we share coffee or a meal (virtually).
Office hours is on a first come first served basis. Please try not to call in past 12:50 p.m. as we want to leave enough time to chat about what you'd like to discuss.
Please RSVP here and my staff will follow-up with the call-in details. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to Dieu Do, Policy Associate, at dieu.do@minneapolismn.gov.
Free At-Home COVID-19 Testing Kits
You can once again get up to four free at-home COVID-19 testing kits through the federal government. With a high number of cases in our community, it’s important to protect ourselves and our families. Regular testing can help you stay informed about your health and reduce the risk of spreading the virus to loved ones.
You can use these whether or not you have COVID-19 symptoms. You can take the test at home and receive results within 30 minutes—no need to drop anything off at a lab.
Click here to order your free tests today (no cost including shipping).
COVID Test Expiration Dates
- Many COVID-19 tests have extended expiration dates, so you may still be able to use them after the date printed on the box. To check if your test has an extended expiration date, check the FDA’s list of extended expiration dates.
Get Vaccinated
Flu, RSV, and COVID season is just around the corner. Minnesota is also experiencing a significant rise in pertussis cases among children, and there is also a measles outbreak in the Twin Cities metro area. Talk to a trusted medical professional to discuss what works best for you and your family to stay healthy this season.
Available Resources:
Minneapolis Trees Program Creating A Climate Legacy
The City Trees program is providing low-cost trees to Minneapolis property owners. Since the program began in 2006, the City has helped plant more than 20,000 trees. Minneapolis is one of the country’s greenest cities.
Trees are available year-round to:
- Businesses
- Nonprofits
- Organizations
- Apartment buildings with five or more units
Residents in Minneapolis Green Zones are encouraged to participate and to plant shade trees for the most benefits, including natural cooling during the hotter months.
The Climate Legacy Initiative is funding the City Trees program.
See what tree programs are offered on the City website.
Watch a video and hear from our City Trees team.
Did you know that there are a ton of free events every week at your local library? From reading with an animal, to community chess, to researching the history of your home, there are endless opportunities to learn, connect, and play at your local library! Click here to view a full list of upcoming events.
Here are a few notable events to highlight:
Drop-in Tech Help
- Date/Time: Tuesday, December 10th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
- Location: North Regional Library, 1315 Lowry Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411
Twin Cities RISE Employment Search & Placement Assistance
- Date/Time: Wednesday, December 11th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
- Location: North Regional Library, 1315 Lowry Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411
Connecting Through Stories
- Date/Time: Saturday, December 14th from 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM
- Location: North Regional Library, 1315 Lowry Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411
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