Three Groups We’re Helping Get Equitable Engagement Funds
The North Loop Neighborhood Association is proud to be able to deliver checks to three organizations in our area this year: Simpson Housing Services, the Metro Transit Police Department’s Homeless Action Team and Lovely’s Sewing & Arts Collective as part of the city’s Equitable Engagement initiative.
The city of Minneapolis provides the funding with a goal of reducing disparities and asks the neighborhood association to identify areas where that money can be spent.
“This is one of the most gratifying things that I think we do,” said NLNA president Diane Merrifield, “serving our homeless and underserved population in the neighborhood.”
At Simpson Housing Services, the $10,000 gift will go toward reading tutoring for K through 5 students as well as a new youth group mentoring program for middle and high school students at the organization’s offices near the Farmers Market.
“This donation will be huge for us in being able to continue the growth that we’ve been doing,” said Jocelyn Pickreign, manager of Children and Youth Services. “We serve more than 50 young people and their families in the North Loop facility here.”
Metro Transit PD’s Homeless Action Team is called in when a light rail or bus driver notices someone who seems to need shelter. The officers on that team can then transport them to temporary housing and provide them with a care kit filled with personal hygiene items, snacks and clothing items like socks and gloves.
The NLNA provided enough funding for 120 care kits and had several volunteers show up at the Itasca Event Gallery this month to help pack them.
“It’s great that we are able to produce and have these bags to give to those who are in dire need,” said Celina Martina, Senior Manager for Equity and Inclusion. “We’re neighbors, right?”
And Keiona Cook, founder of Lovely’s Sewing & Arts Collective is now in her sixth year of offering sewing classes along with financial literacy lessons to young people in her North Loop facility.
She said she’ll use the $5,000 to help raise visibility for her group, “because we’re in a basement space in the North Loop, below Rise Bagel.”
“I’m really, really grateful that we will receive the funds,” she said. “We’re really using sewing as a tool to teach many life skills to the youth.”
By Mike Binkley, North Loop volunteer