Big changes at NorthWay

After five years, NorthWay Community Trust is adjusting the way we work in the community. Our relationship with our primary supporter, Northwest Area Foundation (NWAF), along with the downturn in the economy, has necessitated these changes. We will continue our role as community convener and our work will concentrate on three essential initiatives: the Northside Achievement Zone, Manchester Bidwell's Center for Arts and Technology and a "Main Street" commercial corridor project. Staffing has been reduced with only Executive Director Wesley Walker and Administrative Assistant Loreda Berry remaining on board. We welcome your feedback, continued support and participation in the challenges ahead. For further information, call NorthWay at 612-521-4500.

Home for the Winter Initiative

Freezing foreclosures before they freeze us

Northside Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) volunteers have identified over 500 North Minneapolis residents who received adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) in 2007 or are currently delinquent on their mortgage payments. From 5-7pm each night from Monday December 1 through Thursday, December 4, the volunteers will be going out in groups of two to visit these residents to make sure they know they may be able to get a loan modification by working with a foreclosure prevention counselor at one of several local agencies. The counseling is free of charge. More volunteers are still needed to visit these neighbors and protect our community's wealth from predatory lenders and foreclosure! There will be a brief training, as well as t-shirts and free food afterwards for all volunteers. RSVP to Lance Knuckles at 612-239-2960 and then show up at 5pm at the Minneapolis Urban League, 2100 Plymouth Ave. No., on any of the four nights: December 1-December 4.

Northside Achievement Zone hires new coordinator

Welcome to Michelle Palo, who will manage the planning and implementation phases of the Northside Achievement Zone. Her responsibilities include providing strategic development and communications coordination, building cooperative relationships with key community stakeholders, supporting evaluation efforts, and securing resources for implementation.

Michelle is a multi-faceted professional with nine years of experience in project management and operations. She has an M.A. in Education and International Development from the University of Minnesota.

Replication Collaborative moves into Phase II - Feasibility

A team from Manchester Bidwell's National Center for Arts & Technology in Pittsburgh have hit the ground running in Minneapolis recently meeting with a variety of stakeholders, including the Mayor's Office, Achieve!Minneapolis, Minneapolis Public Schools and others, to determine the need and readiness of the community to replicate successfully a center on the Northside. The replication strategy has been further honed to focus primarily on workforce development.

A public meeting will be held in early 2009 to provide an update to the community on the replication team's findings.

NMTF Update

The Northside Marketing Task Force (NMTF) has been on an intense listening tour, meeting with our area businesses, non-profit organizations and elected officials. The aim is to understand their work and explore how the sustained public affairs program NMTF is putting together would contribute to their success. The NMTF is also planning its annual meeting, scheduled for January 24. At the meeting key initiatives will be announced and the "My Northside" campaign will debut. For now, a preview is available at www.northminneapolis.com. Details about the annual meeting will be online soon.