Backyard Initiative Back Page – July

Big transition for the Backyard Initiative amidst many activities

Backyard Initiative Becoming a Cooperative

SUSAN GUST
A leadership team of the BYI planning and deliberating on what it will take to transition from the BYI to becoming a Cooperative.

The BYI began with Allina Health engaging in many conversations with community stakeholders in early 2008. In December of the same year, Allina Health made a 10-year commitment to partner with the Cultural Wellness Center, a Minneapolis-based community organization to design and facilitate the community engagement process. Our work is grounded in a simple premise””that active community and cultural connections are the foundation of good health.

This remarkable partnership began with a commitment between the partners to sustain this unique initiative for 10 years. The year 2018 began the final year of this partnership in its current form, largely funded by the financial contributions of Allina put alongside of the power of culture, connections and the substantial social capital of many residents, what is known as the 3 C”'s: Culture, Connections and Capital. This will not hearken the end of the Backyard Initiative. Instead, work began in earnest at the end of last year to transition to become a community caregiving cooperative””yet to be named.… Read the rest “Backyard Initiative Back Page – July”