News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Monday November 17th 2025
Update on the Backyard Initiative An Integral Community Care System
By Janice Barbee, Cultural Wellness Center and Lovel Trahan, AmeriCorps VISTA, Allina Health Systems
On September 23, the Circle of Healing CHAT of the Backyard Initiative hosted a community forum entitled “An Integral Community Care System: Responding to the Health and Wellness Needs of Community” to present a framework for developing a community care system that will combine community resources and knowledge with conventional, professional resources.
The Backyard Initiative (BYI) is a partnership between Allina and community residents to improve the health of the community. Residents of Central, Corcoran, East Phillips, Midtown Phillips, Phillips West, Powderhorn Park, and Ventura Village have formed Citizen Health Action Teams (CHATs) to work together on health-improvement projects they have designed.
The Circle of Healing CHAT is working to blend traditional community knowledge of health and healing with institutional Western medicine. At the September forum, Elder Atum of the Cultural Wellness Center led the group through a facilitated discussion that explored how a community model of providing health care could achieve the lasting results necessary to improve quality of life. Some of the themes included connecting with a patient”'s story, identifying community partners for implementing a holistic model of patient care, and sharing knowledge across disciplines.… Read the rest “Update on the Backyard Initiative An Integral Community Care System”
The Alley”'s Roving Reporter at the August 13 Bridging Event: What are examples of “Bridging” you have experienced in Phillips?
Muriel Simmons:
“We worked on building bridges in the neighborhood; between the community and the police;Â between corporations and neighborhood organizations; and between young people and older people.”
Back then, drug dealers called police on me, that”'s when I knew I had their attention. Respectful relationships were formed with the police. Our home just about became a community center.”
Back then, we started knocking on doors – asked people, are you aware of the crime around here, do you want to join the block club? We invited people into our home, we didn”'t have much but made it clean and comfortable. People began to trust me. I gave myself a birthday party and invited everyone, including the police.” We created a “Seniors walk” on Friday nights.  They were scared but we wanted to take our sidewalks back. We practiced looking people in the eyes. It was like a bridge, people coming out of their homes into the neighborhood. We knew we were successful when we started seeing wheelchairs and walkers out in the neighborhood.”
Related Images:
It”'s the “The Cat”'s Meow””“ Jeremy Messersmith in Concert on “Graveyard Stage” at Cedar and Lake
Saturday, October 8 Gates open & smartphone history hunt 1:00 pm Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles 2:00 pm Jeremy Messersmith 4:00 pm Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery, 2925 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55407 Tickets $10 in advance, $15 at the door; children 12 and under free (donations gladly accepted) Proceeds support restoration of the historic cemetery fence.
By Sue Hunter Weir
We are honored to have Jeremy Messersmith on the “Graveyard Stage” preceeded by Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles perform as part of a Cemetery Open House Gate Saturday, October 8th in conjunction with the Partners in Preservation Voting. Ticket sale proceeds will be used to continue our 1,853 foot fence restoration project.
Jeremy”'s performance will include, without hesitation, songs from his most recent album, “The Reluctant Graveyard.” “The Reluctant Graveyard,” was named as one of the top ten albums of 2010 by National Public Radio”'s “All Songs Considered” and best local album by the Star Tribune. Some of the songs on “The Reluctant Graveyard,” including “Toussaint Grey,” were inspired by inhabitants of Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery. Chris Riemenschneider, music critic for the Minneapolis Tribune, predicts that “this should be one of the most memorable concerts of the year.”… Read the rest “It”'s the “The Cat”'s Meow””“ Jeremy Messersmith in Concert on “Graveyard Stage” at Cedar and Lake”
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