Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program Administration to Transfer to City on January 1, 2012.

On January 1, 2012, the administration of the Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program, best known as NRP, will transfer to the City of Minneapolis Neighborhood and Community Relations department. Even though the administration of the program is changing, the NRP program will continue! Neighborhood projects, programs and funding for NRP Phase I and II activities will continue unchanged. With the sunset of the NRP Joint Powers Agreement, which provided the original governance structure of NRP, the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department has introduced to the City Council draft revisions to the existing NRP ordinance which will ensure continuation of neighborhood NRP programs and funding. The expiration of the NRP Policy Boards Joint Powers Agreement requires that revisions be made to the existing NRP ordinance. These revisions, as well as a related resolution to establish a new NRP Policy Board are vital to continuation of the NRP program in Minneapolis. As of January 1, 2012, neighborhoods will be working with the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department for central administration support. We do not anticipate any significant program changes to neighborhoods NRP Phase I or Phase II work. The Neighborhood and Community Relations department will also provide the neighborhood support services currently provided by NRP such as Directors and Officers Insurance, auditing and contract support. We are also proposing to revise the resolution for the Neighborhood Community Engagement Commission (NCEC). The Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission (NCEC) resolution revises the commissions scope of work to reflect the changes resulting from the establishment of a new NRP Policy Board and to prevent duplication of authority. We introduced the ordinance and recommended that the draft ordinance and resolutions be available for 30 days, 3 times the legally required review period, prior to the City Councils Committee of the Whole hearing and a final vote. The City Councils Committee of the Whole will hold a hearing on the draft NRP Ordinance and draft resolutions on Thursday, December 8, 2011. The City Councils Committee of the Whole meets at 10:00 a.m. in the Council Chamber, 317 City Hall. We anticipate that the City Council will vote on the draft NRP ordinance and resolutions on Friday, December 16th. On our website, [Link] you can find the Proposed NRP Ordinance Revision, NRP Policy Board Resolution and the NCEC Resolution. We plan to make the transition as smooth as possible for neighborhood organizations and their partners. We encourage you to review the documents, and contact your council member with your comments. You may also send your comments to our office at ncr@[Link] . All comments that are received prior to noon on Monday, December 5, will be included in the report to the City Council. mmittee of the Whole.

You Are Needed Volunteer at Minneapolis Project Homelessness Connect Project Homeless Connect is a one-stop shop model for delivering services to people experiencing homelessness. Twice each year, Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis Neighborhood and Community Relations department partner with service providers, businesses, citizens, and faith congregations to bring multiple resources to one central location where people can come to access the services they need. These services include housing, employment, medical care, mental health care, benefits and legal assistance, eye doctors, haircuts, chiropractic, and dental care. The first of these events occurred on December 14, 2005, at the Basilica of St. Mary. It was a tremendous success, involving 250 volunteers and service providers and serving over 500 men, women, children, and youth experiencing homelessness. The next Project Homeless Connect will be held on December 12, 2011, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Project Homeless Connect brings volunteers of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels together to serve people in our community experiencing homelessness. To volunteer for December 12, please go the web site [Link]. Click on the bar in the heading that says, "Please join us as a volunteer." That will take you directly to a new and improved volunteer registration page. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.

Twin Cities delegation attends 2011 Policy Link Equity Summit In early November a delegation from the Twin Cities attend the 2011 PolicyLink Equity Summit that was held in Detroit, Michigan from November 7th through November 10th. The Twin Cities Delegation was supported by 7 funders, including the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department, who made it possible for over 150 people to attend the Equity Summit. Through the leadership of Nexus Community Partners and the McKnight Foundation meetings were held prior to the Equity Summit to plan a collective strategy to build racial equity into the work of neighborhoods, community organizations, government and the private sector. The delegation was focused on moving from learning to action and committed to bring back the work to our community across jurisdictions and disciplines to build equity on a local level. To learn more about the work of the Minneapolis delegation, please visit: [Link].

NCR completes 1st year of Hello Neighbor initiative The Neighborhood and Community Relations department has completed the first year of Hello Neighbor Initiative. Volunteers and staff welcomed over 850 families representing more than 2700 individuals from 19 nationalities into our city. We reached people at their homes, shelters, places of worship and at community events/festivals. Early and welcoming engagement with our new arrivals builds and supports connections to their new community. We will continue the program and expand it to all new residents of the city. We continue to look for additional partnerships and collaborations from businesses, neighborhood organizations, faith communities and others. We are also looking to increase our volunteer base. If you are interested to participate with this exciting initiative please contact Neighborhood and Community Relations at 612-673-3737 or ncr@[Link]. The program was made possible by a grant from the Bush Foundation.

Watch conversations about race and community on the National Day of Listening, Nov. 25 - -

The video conversations airing for the National Day of Listening Nov. 25 include author Norris talking about the book and describing her experiences interviewing her own family members for the book. The National Day of Listening is on the day after Thanksgiving every year, when folks all over the country set aside an hour to interview a friend, a loved one or someone in the community. Tune in to see the conversations on Friday, Nov. 25, Minneapolis cable channel 14. These conversations are also available online at [Link]. National Day of Listening - Tens of thousands of Americans have participated in the National Day of Listening, and educators and community organizations have incorporated StoryCorps interviewing techniques into their programs. More information is at [Link] The idea for a community read emerged following a debate over a controversial Minneapolis dog park. Neighbors wanted to find ways to talk about race and increase understanding. The City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County Library and Minneapolis Public Schools are promoting literacy and respectful public dialogue in this initiative. Folks in Minneapolis can play a positive role in their communities and explore important sometimes difficult issues that they face as a community by reading The Grace of Silence and getting involved. NCRs Gao Vang, Co-Facilitates a One Read Dialogue On Tuesday October 25, the Neighborhood and Community Relations department in collaboration with the Department of Health and Family Support hosted a dialogue among City employees about the book The Grace of Silence by Michele Norris. Access and Outreach Specialist, Gao Vang, cofacilitated the discussion with Sarah Reuben Meillier and Jared Erdmann, staff from the health department. This dialogue was part of the One Minneapolis One Read Initiative. Participants wrote and shared Race Cards with the group, an exercise Ms. Norris uses to fuel her own discussions about race. The Race Cards will be submitted to Ms. Norris website along with Minneapolis Race Cards from other dialogues. Attendees participated in small and large group discussions about the book and their personal experiences. The meeting closed with a Post-It exercise about activities the City is currently doing and could be doing more of to address racism. CC2.0 will compile this information and use it for planning future activities. For more information about the One Minneapolis One Read, visit [Link] or [Link]/OneMinneapolisOneRead. Participate in a Series of One Read discussions at the Homewood Gallery Studio Homewood Galley Studios has begun a series of One Read discussions in north Minneapolis. The first discussion of the series was held on Saturday, November 12, 2011. Future One Read discussions are scheduled for Saturday, December 10th and Saturday, January 7th from 2:00-3:30pm at the Homewood Gallery Studio, 2400 Plymouth Avenue North. The series is in conjunction with the Talkabout Book Club that meets regularly at the Homewood Gallery and was organized by Neighborhood and Community Relations staff member Billie Imhoede. Participants discussed the first chapter of the book titled Daddy. The discussion included a performance artist who created a character from the first chapter. Additional information can be found online at the One Minneapolis, One Read website: [Link] or [Link]/OneMinneapolisOneRead.

Find at-a-glance trends and data for Minneapolis Neighborhoods You can now access newly released trends and data, including population, housing and employment for twin cities neighborhoods. The profiles were prepared by Minnesota Compass staff at Wilder Research, with the generous support of The McKnight Foundation, under the direction of numerous community advisors. To view the profiles, please go to: [Link] We Invite you to attend the 1st annual Community Connections Conference!

This years conferences themes are: Communication, Collaboration, Cooperation Community Engagement Cultivating and Growing Resources Sustainability

Stay inTouch with Neighborhood and Community events and happenings in the City of Minneapolis!

Neighborhood and Community Relations Department Director, David Rubedor Tri Tech Center Suite 220 331 2nd Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55401 Office: (612) 673-3737 ncr@[Link] [Link]/ncr