Get financially fit

If you know someone who wants (or needs) to know about budgeting or handling credit, then be sure to tell them about a free information session on how to become empowered and in control of their financial future. The session will be held on Wednesday, December 5 from 6-7pm, at NorthWay Community Trust, in partnership with WomenVenture. For more information, contact Lance Knuckles, Outreach Program Manager, at 612.521.4500.

NorthWay offers opportunities to learn more about UNP

University Northside Partnership (UNP) is a strategic alliance that seeks to advance the quality of life in North Minneapolis through a sustained, mutually beneficial and invested relationship between the University of Minnesota community and the individuals and organizations of the Northside. Dean Darlyne Bailey of the University’s College of Education and Human Development will be the featured speaker at two meetings to discuss the emerging structure and the next steps for UNP. All those interested are invited to attend either session:

• Tuesday, December 11 – 6:00-7:30pm
• Wednesday, December 19 – 5:30-7:00pm

Both meetings will be at NorthWay Community Trust and a light dinner will be served. For more information or to RSVP, please call 612.521.4500.

New York City program may have answers for North Minneapolis

The Harlem Children’s Zone is a pioneering, community-based project that is working to enhance the quality of life for children and families in some of NYC’s most devastated neighborhoods. Steady progress has been made since the project began in 1997. If you’d like to learn more about this comprehensive, practical and unique approach, come to a meeting at NorthWay Community Trust on Wednesday, December 12 from 11am – 1pm. McKnight Foundation and community leaders who visited the program in New York will be leading a discussion on the feasibility of replicating such a project in North Minneapolis. For more information or to RSVP, please call 612.521.4500.

North Minneapolis has a new logo and BIG plans

Community residents and the Northside Marketing Task Force (NMTF) celebrated on November 10 the new logo, tagline (“Creating Value Through Diversity”) and marketing plan designed to focus on the positive side of North Minneapolis. The NorthNews covered the event and the Star Tribune highlighted the initiative in a Metro story [Click here to read the full article]. New NMTF board members were also elected at the meeting:

Business Representatives

• Don Allen (Your Black Wall Street)
• Anderson Mitchell (Mitchell Construction)

Non-profit Representatives

• Crystal Christian (Northside Neighborhood Housing Services staff)
• Michael Kestner (North Community YMCA board)

Neighborhood Representatives

• Jerry Moore (Jordan Area Community Council)
• Georgianna Yantos (Hawthorne Area Community Council)
• Jenn Yates (McKinley Neighborhood)

At-Large Representatives

• Mark Bell
• Darrill Berry
• Shirlynn LaChapelle
• Calvin Littlejohn (interim board member)
• Lisa Mitchell
• Deb Wagner

Job training and youth transportation efforts leverage funding

Two programs recently received partnership investments from NorthWay. The 100 Hard Hats Collaboration is geared to connect with and provide incentive-based job training for low-income residents. The investment will also help provide the tools and protective equipment needed to pursue construction jobs once training is completed. Summit OIC is the lead partner.

Youth are Here—Transportation Initiative was able to extend its bus service beyond summer to include the school year, thanks to a NorthWay partnership investment. The program provides transportation to North Minneapolis youth to 11 strategic sites, such as libraries and parks, around the Northside. The City’s Youth Coordinating Board is the lead partner.

Partnership Investments are just one of the community building tools used by NorthWay. NorthWay’s financial contributions are considered one-time “seed money” investments and require a one-to-one match in leveraged investments from each collaborative partnership. The second cycle in 2007 is currently underway. The next investment round begins in April 2008 with interested partnerships submitting letters of intent. For more information, check out NorthWay’s website.