‘Cover Stories’ Archives
Work Until You Drop?
Not if You Can Avoid It…
Plan Ahead
By LEE LEICHENTRITT* I used to believe that you should “work until you drop”. That means I was naïve enough to believe that I was going to be able to work until I died. Not-so-funny things happened. Forces beyond my control trashed my seemingly foolproof “work until I drop” plan. I lost my job due to no fault of my own. I had a great boss who worked with my Parkinson’s disease, but he found out that his government contracts were not going to be renewed. If you are part of the “Work Until You Drop” Club, drop out of that Club and create a new plan.I signed up for Unemployment Insurance, went to Career Force classes, and had my resume upgraded. I went to over eight interviews, but once prospective employers saw me shaking, they lost all interest in me. I have worked with outstanding people at Minnesota DEED and with the Dislocated Worker Program and Career Force. I want to thank Abigael, Gina, and Sandra. Yesterday, I was diagnosed with Lymphedema which is [...]
Around Town: “Hope is a discipline.”
Quote from Joe Davis, a performer at Powderhorn Park’s MLK Day Celebration Martin Luther King Day celebration at Powderhorn Park. It’s Mizz Mercedez’ Rondo Double Dutch! Photo: LAURA HULSCHER
Unhoused Residents and Housed Neighbors Respond to Multiple Encampment Fires Amidst Chronic Shortage of Safe Places to Seek Shelter
A growing network of community-led groups and outreach organizations are continuing to support unhoused residents transitioning into stable living conditions, while city, county and state governments are falling short. By NENOOKAASI COALITION Fires broke out at two Southside Minneapolis encampments within minutes of each other on January 6, 2025. On a day with below freezing temperatures, over 230 residents of these encampments were left searching for shelter after police cleared the camps. According to Christin Crabtree, a local organizer who was assisting the response efforts, “at one camp residents were able to put out the fire and police subsequently evicted them. The fire destroyed the other camp and police evicted residents, letting only a few retrieve their belongings. In both cases, outreach and neighbors were prevented by MPD from helping our neighbors move and salvage what little they own.” A resident who asked to be identified as L stated, “This isn’t [...]
