Waite House moves to new location in South Minneapolis, offers new services and expanded facilities through community partnerships

On April 30, Waite House Neighborhood Center, part of Pillsbury United Communities, opened the doors to their new home inside the Phillips Community Center (2323 11th Avenue South), just two blocks from their old location. The nonprofit organization, which has been providing the Phillips neighborhood with human services and community building activities since 1969 is expanding outreach by joining a co-op of new partners, including Minneapolis Parks & Recreation, A Partnership of Diabetics (A-POD), Running Wolf Fitness Center, Somali American Community and Ventura Village Neighborhood Association.

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Photos by Aria Dominguez and Powderhorn 365 of the Walker Church fire

Outside the remains of Walker Church, two long time Powderhorn residents and church members, Margo McCreary and Marg Rozycki, talk together and comfort one another while bringing about a sense of peace.

His shirt reads, "Find your place in the circle at Walker Church" Church members sign Sarah's shirt. Only burnt rubble remains of the Walker Church but the spirit and community are still going strong.

Walker Church Burning

By Aria Dominguez

Flames roar toward the night sky,
burning a hole in the heart of a neighborhood.
People gather in the street, spellbound.
The police push them back, but more stream from every direction.
An old man recollects his daughter performing on the blazing stage,
flickering lights reflected on the two wet tracks marking his cheeks.
A woman mourns the loss of her plot in the community garden,
the vegetables that lie under a rain of sparks and bricks.
As the carved balcony falls and stained glass windows shatter,
the people remember. They remember of course a house of worship,
but also a meeting place, a rummage sale, community meals.
They reminisce over funerals and fundraisers and concerts of every kind.
They claim their small part in over 100 years of history.… Read the rest “Photos by Aria Dominguez and Powderhorn 365 of the Walker Church fire”

Alive with memories: The people and communities of Walker Community Methodist Church

Sometimes a place is more than just a place, and a building is more than just a building. The Walker Community Church was a grassroots hub of community, spirituality, activism and art, and held in its walls a history of potlucks, community meals, church sales, meetings, organizing, politics, pancake breakfasts, dance, music, theater, and advocacy for a countless number of causes. The old building with the fluorescent painted sanctuary, bright banners drawn by children and floors that creaked every time you took a step, had space that glowed in the light through the stained glass windows and all sorts of strange nooks and crannies. All of it was full of love and creativity and leftist ideals and peace and hope.

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