By Rand Retterath
I invite all of you to participate in your neighborhood organizations. For me it is Midtown Phillips Neighborhood Association Inc. Others in the area include East Phillips Improvement Coalition (EPIC), Phillips West Neighborhood Organization (PWNO), Ventura Village, and Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO).
MPNAIÂ is a volunteer-based community organization advocating for a vibrant, safe, and healthy neighborhood.
MPNAI partners with 7 local neighborhood non-profits to implement a variety of projectsÂ
We also partner with CANDO, EPIC and PWNO.
Our annual events include Phillips Clean Sweep, National Night Out, Midtown Festival at Open Streets, and an Annual Community Meeting and Dinner.
MPNAI has financially supported KRSM Radio, MadDads, New American Youth Soccer Club, Somali TV, St Paul Arts, Phillips Aquatics Centerand others.
Currently, we are working on a traffic flow analysis.
MPNAI has partnered with the Center for Energy and Environment Lending to help finance home improvement projects.
Volunteers have partnered with authorities to maintain outreach efforts aimed at homelessness and sex workers.
We have advocated against the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association incursion into Midtown Phillips, Phillips West and East Phillips.
We have advocated for continuation of the community funding of neighborhood organizations with others all over the city. We have challenged inconsistencies in accountability.
We have worked to protect our most fundamental right, the right of free speech.
We have advocated for better metrics in the 911 calls.
We form community through social and community efforts. Â
We need community members who have experience to guide us through the hostile politicos. We need people to develop the knowledge and resources to know who to contact, when and how. We need an aggregation of experience to address evolving issues.
We need notification and the ability to provide feedback to decision makers.Â
We need dialogue. We need champions to advocate on our behalf. We need to emergency preparedness, and finally we need to defend neighborhoods and people against the false narratives lodged against so many in Midtown.