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East Side in the News
East Side Neighborhood Services Receives $1,527,000 Grant
East Side Neighborhood Services announced today that it was awarded a $1,527,000 grant from the Center for Workforce Inclusion, Inc. (the Center). Almost 90 percent of this grant – originally from the U.S. Department of Labor – will provide temporary employment to no less than 157 low-income older Minnesotans living in Hennepin County. These older adults will participate in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), a cornerstone program of the Older Americans Act. SCSEP is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year.
Older workers are staying in the workforce longer. Who’s helping them find a job? (WorkingNation, September 2020)
"For 16 years, Barbara Freeman was an advocate for victims of domestic abuse. New management took over and with no forewarning, she was let go. “It truly devastated me because I was used to working since the age of 15.”
“Encouraged by her daughter, Freeman sought training from East Side Neighborhood Services (ESNS) in Minneapolis. She is now a program assistant at ESNS and prior to the pandemic outbreak, had been working in the office doing filing, scanning, faxing, and honing her basic computer skills.”
Minnesota nonprofits rework volunteering during COVID-19 (Star Tribune, May 2020)
‘“I was just moved by this need to not sit on your couch and binge watch [TV],” said Stanislowski, 46, a piano teacher and worship director. “There are people putting their lives on the line every day. It’s a small thing; I can’t do nothing.”’
Letter to the Editor: Resilience, Opportunity in Uncertain Times (Northeaster, April 2020)
”Uncertainty, unprecedented, wild, challenging, Zoom. These are just some of the words that have become embedded in our vocabulary over the last month.”
East Side Neighborhood Services Is Helping Hennepin County during COVID-19, and You Can Help (Twin Cities Geek, April 2020)
”The COVID-19 crisis is not the first pandemic that ESNS has had to support the community through, as it was just a few years old when the 1918 flu pandemic hit. As it did then, it continues now to be a stalwart resource for people in need.”
Food shelves strained by COVID-19 receive state funding boost (MN Daily, April 2020)
”’There's an opportunity here for us to do even more than what we are because of the generosity of funding that’s coming in,’ Haarsager said.”
Flannel Fest raises money for Camp Bovey (Northeaster, February 2020)
”Everything behind Flannel Fest is geared towards bringing families closer together; the date was changed to a Sunday this year since it’s a day families usually spend together anyways, and all of the activities are meant to revolve around ideas that families can do together.”
DJ Bonics is on a mission to collect 10,000 hoodies for Minnesotans in need (Kare11, December 2019)
"They dropped off their first batch of donated hoodies to East Side Neighborhood Services last week. […] "So many these hoodies are going right in the door and right out and it's serving people right here in the community,” DJ Bonics said."
Beyond sustenance: Social benefit of rescued foods (Northeaster, October 2019)
”In their 75 apartments at Holmes Park Village, […] only 20 residents have vehicles. Most have walkers or scooters, six are on oxygen and 12 are homebound, their food coordinator Ronnie, one of the residents, explains. The residents range in age from 45 to 92, and all look forward to the free twice-monthly visits by the Mobile Food Shelf, a program of East Side Neighborhood Services.”
Taking charge (Minnesota Good Age, October 2019)
”Inside a sunny community room at East Side Neighborhood Services in Northeast Minneapolis, Carmel San Juan leads a group of through a series of tai ji quan exercises. Looking in on the activity, it’s like watching people who are moving through water, or seeing a film run in extreme slow motion.”
TruStone Financial Foundation Donates to East Side Neighborhood Services (TruStone Financial, August 2019)
”In celebration of TruStone Financial Federal Credit Union’s 80th anniversary, each branch of the credit union is selecting a local charity to receive a $1,000 donation from the TruStone Financial Foundation. As part of this initiative, TruStone Financial’s Northeast Minneapolis branch recently selected East Side Neighborhood Services to receive a donation from the Foundation.”
Minnesota Schools make Trauma-informed Care a Priority (The Edge, August 2019)
"Miss Kendra Programs — which work to transform school culture and create highly effective learning environments by actively addressing trauma before it causes disciplinary or symptomatic problems — are expanding to several schools throughout the Twin Cities metro area."
The Sky’s the Limit with Mobile High-rise Food Shelf (Second Harvest Heartland, July 2019)
’With monthly deliveries from Mobile High Rise Food Shelf, Cooley and Meka help their neighbors at Holmes Greenway Housing access and appreciate various foods. In addition to canned and packaged products, the deliveries include fresh produce such as bananas, potatoes, and lettuce, and the food shelf often distributes meat and milk as well. “I think hunger is definitely solvable,” Meka said. “But we sometimes get used to the situation and don’t help. Help is out there, and we need more of it.”’
As Minnesota's ranks of older adults grow, funding wanes for the nonprofits that help them (Star Tribune, June 2019)
"At East Side Neighborhood Services in northeast Minneapolis, it wasn't just United Way funding that affected the nonprofit. President Kristine Martin said other foundations have cut their funding; Hennepin County decreased its spending by $25,000 for the nonprofit's senior transportation services last year and federal funding hasn't gone up in more than a decade."
ESNS offers help for caregivers (Northeaster, March 2019)
"Taking care of an elderly parent or a person with a disability can sometimes wear a person out. East Side Neighborhood Services (ESNS) has a new family caregiver coach/consultant, Parichay Rudina, who can help."
Relationship banking decades in the making (Independent Banker, March 2019)
"A lot has changed in the Minneapolis neighborhood around Northeast Bank, but one thing has remained constant: its relationship with East Side Neighborhood Services, a nearby nonprofit. The longstanding bond continues to benefit the community and the bank, from attracting young talent to bringing national acclaim."
Brew Fest draws 1,500 hardy beer drinkers (Northeaster, November 2018)
"A cold wind blew out of Canada that made hot chocolate more appropriate for the weather, but the 1,500 hardy beer drinkers who showed up Oct. 20 at East Side Neighborhood Services (ESNS) for the eighth annual Nordeast Big River Brew Fest didn't seem to mind."
Community Health Dialogue (KMOJ, June 2018)
An episode of Community Health Dialogue on KMOJ hosted by Clarence Jones, featuring East Side's Linnea Tweed and Gloria Coles as well as Dorothea Harris and Bonisha Washington from Volunteers of America.
Community Based Organizations: The Backbone of the Juniper Network (Juniper, June 2018)
"'People often feel isolated with their conditions. A big benefit of the class is helping people know that they are not alone. They’re not the only one. The action plans are very helpful. It’s eye-opening to people to think that a goal doesn’t have to be monumental. You can start small and make incremental change along the way.'"
Night at the Nic raises funds for all ages (Northeaster, May 2018)
"Wineries, breweries, and distilleries sampled their products, many generous food bites were consumed, a silent auction featured all sorts of interesting experiences and prizes. And weather outside the Nicollet Island Pavilion could not have been better."
Donation Benefits Mobile Food Shelf (Bell Bank, January 2018)
When Ben Haarsager learned about the program, he donated his Pay It Forward funds to help.
“I love that more than 30 percent of the donated food is fresh fruits and vegetables,” Ben remarks. “Participants also receive dairy, meat, bread, and other packaged foods, and participants can actually choose what they receive!”