Posts Tagged ‘Native American Community Clinic’
Historic Move for Tough Times
There’s no denying that our society today is highly polarized, but even during these grim times, you can find examples of cooperation, as groups pull together to serve and strengthen our community. Case in point: the Urban Indigenous Legacy Initiative. We are a collective of 16 American Indian nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities that have provided the community with powerful and effective support for more than four decades. Each year, our organizations – focused on issues ranging from healthcare to housing, workforce development to childcare – reach more than 10,000 of our neighbors with critical support. But there’s a problem. The COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest of the past two years have made life even tougher for many. Indigenous people have the highest level of death per 100,000 residents than any other group in the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. And from an economic perspective, American Indian employment is down 13 percent from 2019 in Minnesota, with many hesitant to return to industries such as hospitality and foodservice that were hit hard during initial slowdowns. These current challenges only exacerbate the generational disparities faced by our community, creating high levels of need. For years, as we correctly devoted our resources to serving clients directly, we have relied on band-aid repairs for our aging facilities and struggled to keep pace with technology in the modern world. Today, as we strive to support our neighbors, we are grappling with outdated facilities that limit our capacity to serve those who need our help. So what’s the solution? As members of the Legacy Initiative, we’ve come together – in this era of state budget surpluses and federal pandemic relief – to seek $83.9 million in state funding to construct 12 new, culturally affirming buildings that will allow us to address disparities by expanding services and creating safe, empowering experiences for community [...]
A-POD and Guri Nabad Partnership Launches Unique Somali Diabetes Management Workshop and Meetups
By Robert Albee An October Saturday became one of those magic times that took more than two years to imagine and plan”” yet just a few hours to implement! Ubah Keynan a diabetes nurse not long out of formal schooling herself, marveled to see a group of Somali women who had just met sharing their travails with diabetes so openly and passionately with a group of strangers. For Dr. Faduma Addow, the only Somali psychiatrist in the United States and Emtea N. Osman, her Minneapolis sponsor and lifelong friend, a doorway has begun to open that someday in the future will lead to a Somali-American culturally-specific healthcare system. For them, this newly-launched comprehensive diabetes management program is just the beginning. “A Partnership Of Diabetics (A-POD) is designed to open up those of us with this lifelong condition in a way that no clinic or hospital does. It”'s simply sharing between one diabetic with another diabetic. It”'s how we put people first in addressing the whole spectrum of our condition that makes us unique.” says Robert Albee, A-POD”'s founder and longtime neighborhood activist. Through an introductory day-long workshop and follow-up weekly meetings, persons with diabetes have up to eighty-four annual hours of program contact instead of only an hour or two a year with one”'s health care team. Albee admits that he benefitted highly from the highly-publicized ACCORD study of diabetics he participated in through Hennepin County Medical Center and then the development of several patient-oriented programs at the Native American Community Clinic (NACC) that he helped get started a decade ago. (more…)
Running Wolf Fitness Center is Up and Running!
By Robert Albee After months of waiting for the day that Running Wolf Fitness Center would actually be running again, that day has finally arrived! Doors opened on Monday, October 17th at the Phillips Community Center and for a few moments it seemed like a Gold Rush! Actually, it was a gold rush because now there is a place in Phillips where people can go to begin or resume an exercise program without burdensome expenses to fragile personal budgets. Through the assistance of UCare of Minnesota, Running Wolf participants need only set an appointment at the Native American Community Clinic or Indian Health Board for a fitness exam or medical clearance for 6 months free membership, and then bring their paperwork to Connie Norman, Running Wolf”'s Manager. Once you”'re signed up, you can begin your workouts in the beautifully appointed studios, take a shower and be on your way! What is really different about Running Wolf is that staff actually takes the time to show you how to properly use each of the installed machines and help you develop a way to track your progress. You get the services of a personal trainer and a fitness center all for the introductory price of $nada. For six months, your out-of-pocket expenses are $0, so you can determine for yourself it this is really valuable to you. From that time on, there will be a monthly fee of $10””a price far below any other full-range exercise facility in the Twin Cities. An open fitness studio room has also been created allowing for group exercise and movement sessions, such as yoga, zumba, tai chi, salsa dancing, kick boxing and floor exercises and others as we grow. Efforts are underway to find revenue sources to cover the costs of these programs as well or to provide space for an instructor who already has a revenue source for conducting classes and group sessions. There will be a calendar of events/classes at Running Wolf starting in November. So come and check it out! Once the rest [...]
PCPI Pitches PCC Proposal to Park Personnel
by Robert Albee After three months of waiting, the Phillips Community Parks Initiative (PCPI) finally had an opportunity to present its proposal to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) for leasing and participating in the operations of the Phillips Community Center. The actual written proposal was submitted July 9th and project organizers have been waiting ever since to formally address the opportunities face-to-face with Park Board staff and commissioners. Presentations were finally made on November 3rd and November 4th. MPRB staff members Don Siggelkow, Judd Reichert and Al Bangoura attended the two days of presentations provided by the Waite House, Soos Early Childhood Learning Center, Minneapolis Swims a “wellness” coalition including Native American Community Clinic, Running Wolf Fitness Center, Freeport West, A Partnership Of Diabetics (A-POD), Guri Nabad and Ventura Village neighborhood. The other three Phillips Community neighborhoods, East Phillips Improvement Coalition, Mid Town Phillips and Phillips West Neighborhood Association were on hand supporting most of the other presenters and the notion of the MPRB and Phillips Community jointly supporting the Community Services Area (CSA), currently comprising Phillips Community and Eliot Park neighborhood. Soos represents a Day Care center seeking to move from South 33rd Street and Chicago Avenue and was not included in the group presentations but all the rest of the groups presented together as an applicant”'s coalition and then separately as the Pillsbury United Communities (Waite House), Minneapolis Swims and Soos. The response of MPRB staff was friendly and very responsive but stopped short of making any commitments to the applicants who will present their report and recommendations to the MPRB commissioners. Then the MPRB commissioners will then decide to approve or reject the request, which is expected to take place within the next four to six weeks. The [...]
Phillips Community Center Update “No, I”'ll take the stairs!” ”¦ Carl Peterson
by Robert Albee, Ventura Village It”'s finally done! Last week we sent to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for most of the organizations who want to work together with the Park Board in the reopening and ongoing operations of the Phillips Community Center. It”'s located at 11th Avenue and 24th Street in Ventura Village of the Phillips Community. In addition to prospective tenants, others who wish to have an ongoing presence in the building also have signed the agreement. Those seeking to be tenants and are signatories to this MOU are the Waite House/Pillsbury United Communities, Freeport West, Native American Community Clinic, Running Wolf Fitness Center, A Partnership Of Diabetics (A-POD), Ventura Village (Neighborhood), Guri Nabad, a No Child Left Behind After-School Program and Minneapolis Swims. Representatives from the other three Phillips Communities are also signatories to the MOU and include East Phillips Improvement Coalition, Midtown Phillips Neighborhood Association and Phillips West Neighborhood Organization. Also participating as “non-tenants”, but strongly interested parties include Sergio Martinez from Messiah Lutheran Church, Hope Academy, Phillips Neighborhood Free Clinic and Access Chiropractic Clinic. (more…)
