Teens gather in the BYI Resource Center to here about some of the results of the Backyard Initiative”'s research project from one of the BYI Research Team members, Dimpho Orizoni, Allina Health.

by Carl Lobley, Rose Lobley, Deena Anders and Minkara Tezet

The Backyard Initiative Resource Center

The Backyard Initiative (BYI) Resource Center is the central location for the Backyard Initiative activities and communications.  It is located inside the Midtown Global Market (near the Lake and 10th Ave entrance).  The BYI Resource Center is where all the BYI resources are compiled, displayed, and shared with our community.   The Resource Center is a place for community members of the Backyard Initiative to visit, gain knowledge, and share information about activities and resources available in the Backyard.  This Backyard Initiative Resource Center is essential to the goal of connecting with the 42,000 members of the Backyard community and to connect them with one another.  effective items.

The Cultural Wellness Center 

The Cultural Wellness Center (CWC) has acted as the lead agency for the BYI since its formation in 2008. CWC provides oversight for the management of the Resource Center with the goals of (1) defining and developing leadership competence for all members of  the Backyard Initiative, (2) executing the shared vision of the CWC, Allina Health, and community members in the backyard area as they put into action the ideas that make health happen, (3) guiding the CHAT community leaders, the professional staff, and other volunteers toward high performance, self-motivation, honest two-way communication, continuous learning, and group decision-making, and, (4) steering the community care systems performance and self-management toward embodying and effectively pursuing the Backyard Initiative”'s vision for an alternative Community Health Care System, shaped and executed by the people receiving the care.  

The BYI Resource Center hosted the ReTHINK Your Drink initiative in collaboration with the City of Minneapolis Department of Health.

Phillips Neighborhood Clinic & The BYI Resource Center

The Phillips Neighborhood Clinic (PNC), a joint effort between the University of Minnesota Physicians and the University of Minnesota Medical School, partners with organizations within the Backyard to provide patient-centered care and  health education. Staffed by medical students and social work graduate students under the supervision of licensed doctors and counselors, PNC also serves as an essential clinical training site.

The students serving at PNC are called upon to create opportunities for health education and outreach into the Backyard. In the past year, PNC participants have created easy to understand health education brochures on a number of topics ranging from healthy eating to cardiovascular care. Additionally, PNC participants can regularly be found at health information tables at the Midtown Global Market.

BYI Resource Center staff members, Rose and Carl Lobley, front row, at the Midtown Global Market”'s celebration of Open Streets.

The Cultural Wellness Center staff are present at the BYI Resource Center, Monday through Saturday. They ensure that the vision of making health happen put forth by the Commissioners of the BYI is promoted and supported. The BYI Resource Center is staffed by Rose Lobley, Carl Lobley, and Minkara Tezet.  The Resource Center team works with both residents of the Backyard and representatives from each of the Community Health Action Teams (CHATs) to collect and synthesize information and knowledge generated from the work of the BYI.

Activities of the Backyard Initiative are organized around these objectives:

SOCIAL COHESION: The sense of community and belonging that people have.  People feel they live in a place where people trust and respect each other and have a sense of responsibility to take care of each other.

SOCIAL SUPPORT: The support that a person receives from and gives to the people around them, including emotional and spiritual support, help with daily needs and crises, and the sharing of advice, information, and feedback.

HEALTH EDUCATION: The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic information and services needed to make appropriate decisions regarding their health.  This includes information about what is essential to health (the importance of the family, community, spirituality, the environment, culture, food, sleep, and movement) as well as the medical information needed to address a specific health condition. 

HEALTH EMPOWERMENT: People take responsibility for their health; they are active participants in their self-care, and have the knowledge, skill and confidence to manage their health and health care and collaborate with health practitioners.  

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