This article was written by Connor Cummiskey
Residents may be seeing greater stress as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to leave them uncertain on how to pay bills, feed their family or just see friends during a night out. Our seven Camden Community neighborhood associations have been working to connect residents with each other and important resources. Below is a breakdown by neighborhood of what the local association is doing to help out. For more info see pages 8 and 9.
Cleveland
The Cleveland Neighborhood Association’s Administrative Supervisor Danecha Goins is performing weekly check-ins for senior neighbors who participate in the Cleveland Cares program. That program connects seniors who need assistance with yard work and youth who are looking to gain work experience, according to the website.
By going to the association’s website, residents can sign up for the list and someone from the Cleveland Neighborhood Association will call and check in once a week.
The association is still taking applications for home renovation loans and the surveillance rebate program.
Live on the Drive is still canceled for the summer. For more info residents can go to clevelandneighborhood.org.
Folwell
The Folwell Neighborhood Association reacted to the pandemic initially by raising money and resources for residents in need.
“We put a call out to residents and friends and neighbors, inquiring if they were able to contribute,” said Dani Tietjen the communications and outreach contractor.
The association was able to collect almost $1,000, Tietjen said. They created a form to learn residents’ needs and a form for volunteers to provide their extra resources or support. Folwell is using that to match residents’ needs with volunteers and fill in the gaps as well as perform weekly deliveries.
The monthly community meeting has also moved online as the virtual neighborhood night. The last meeting was attended by 29 people, which is comparable to when the meetings were held in person, Tietjen said. The meeting is intended to give residents a chance to provide input and meet with people involved in association decisions without having to attend multiple commission meetings, Tietjen said.
While FNA is unable to host meetings in person, it is using the money that is usually used to host the meetings to instead encourage residents to sign up for their email list and Facebook group. If a resident signs up they are put in a drawing for a $50 gift certificate, Tietjen said.
“Our goal is to connect people to people, that’s how we want to help,” Tietjen said.
Shingle Creek
Shingle Creek is keeping residents in touch with a weekly Zoom call. These calls are friendly chats that last about an hour long, Administrative Director Amy Luesebrink said.
The association also is working to promote local businesses and food shelves by listing them on their website. The website also hosts a Coronavirus resource page that lists State resources for individuals and businesses.
Stay up-to-date with the association by going to shinglecreekmpls.org or following the Shingle Creek Neighborhood Association page on Facebook.
Victory
The Victory Neighborhood Association’s website has two questionnaires for residents to fill out. One asks for what residents need, like food assistance or deliveries, and the other provides options for volunteers.
So far there are about 30 volunteers in the neighborhood, but the list continues to grow.
The biggest need in the neighborhood is financial support. Residents unable to work are worried about being able to pay bills and stay in their homes, Executive Director Victoria Balko said.
“We work together, we know each other and we’re all trying to figure out together, collectively, how can we benefit the Northside,” Balko said.
Webber-Camden
The Webber-Camden Neighborhood Organization currently has a link to Minneapolis’ website where the City is posting updates and resources about the pandemic.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, Webber-Camden Neighborhood Organization is committed to connecting our neighbors to resources available through the city, police, county, state, and local nonprofits,” Secretary Eric Hoffer wrote in an email. “We are also seeking out new available resources, including individuals, to publicize. Residents are encouraged to reach out via email (info@wcno.org) if they are in need, or know of additional resources.”
Additional information can be found at wcno.org.
Lind Bohanon
Representatives of the Lind Bohanon Neighborhood Association could not be reached for comment by press time. To learn more about the association visit lindbohanon.org or call 612-567-8291.
McKinley
Representatives of The McKinley Community could not be reached by press time. For info on the organization go to mckinleycommunity.org, or call 612-524-9623.