Posts Tagged ‘Waite House’
Financial Empowerment at Waite House
By Wes Durham Managing personal finances is a key to success for every household. To help Phillips residents accomplish this, Waite House Neighborhood Center (Pillsbury United Communities) offers a free, 6 part Financial Empowerment Program including Budgeting, Loans, Debt Management, Banking Strategies, and Savings and Retirement Plans. Thirteen neighborhood residents recently participated in this. Chris Elfering designed the program and led this first session. He is from Mission Continues which places returning military veterans into community service positions. This was a no-brainer for Chris, a former financial advisor. He talks about the importance of developing sound money management habits “one of my biggest motivations for becoming a financial advisor after the Army was to understand my own finances better. Personal finance is rarely taught in the school system or by our own parents. After working with clients, I quickly realized the real need to understand money management.” (more…)
Learn Computer Skills at New, Enhanced Waite House Location: 2323 11th & 13th Avenues
By Wes Durham, Waite House AmeriCorps Staff Waite House gained a brand new computer center this past April, and now they”'re really putting it to work! The Urban Opportunities program at Waite House offers 3 different levels of computer classes oriented towards workplace skills. Computer Basics is for people brand new to computers, and in it they learn to use the mouse, type, use email, and navigate the internet. In Computers for the Workplace students learn about Microsoft Word and Excel, two programs essential for many jobs these days. And in a special new class students can earn the Northstar Basic Computer Skills Certificate and prove to employers they”'re ready to use their computer skills to get the job done. In addition to classes, Waite House also offers one on one computer training and employment assistance. If you are interested in computer education or in employment assistance call 612-721-1681 and ask for Wes or John, email durhamw@puc-mn.org, or enquire in person. All classes are free of charge. “
Waite House Community CulinaryArts now accepting applicants
Chef Austin Bartold, center, explaining the intricacies of artful and healthy cooking in the new Waite House kitchen to Culinart Arts Apprentices Abdikarim on the left and Jazmin Angeles on the right. The Waite House Community CulinaryArts program is a 10-week culinary arts training and kitchen apprenticeship for young adults 16-21. Youth learn technical kitchen management skills to achieve “ServSafe” credentialing while preparing healthy meals for adults and youth in their community who lack access to nutritious food. Weekly lessons focus on issues of food justice, farm to table and local foods movement, farmers/workers rights and more. Program graduates have gone on to work at Open Arms of MN, local restaurants & catering and in the hospitality industry. Priority goes to youth living in Minneapolis. Youth interested may email Rachel Young at youngr@puc-mn.org with their contact information and a brief explanation of why they are interested! AND we are the program featured at Seward Co-Op”'s “Round-Up” in October by which customers may”round-up” their purchase price at the Grocery and Deli to the nearest dollar as a contribution to the non-profit organization of the month. OCTOBER is WAITE HOUSE!
A-Pod CHAT: Advancing Opportunities through a Partnership of Diabetics
When A Partnership Of Diabetics (A-POD) was first designed and implemented, our goal was simply to create a community-based program for advancing the skills of persons with diabetes to become better self-managers of their condition. We started with POD-Tensives, a daylong workshop to introduce our strategies to participants and then sponsored weekly Meet-ups where participants could share the “mile-markers” on their journey toward better health and wellness. Meet-ups became and still are the key ingredient in A-POD”'s program because it”'s the time that participants can actually share their progress or problems with others with similar challenges. Meet-ups are more than a “support group” because we also track participant”'s numbers to demonstrate that with the additional focus on diabetes and learning new and better tools to manage our conditions, we improve! In a third party evaluation conducted by a graduate student from the University of Minnesota”'s School of Public Health we found that more than 90% of our participants have improved, using the same statewide criteria used by all Minnesota clinics and hospitals. A-POD has surpassed any other institution”'s success rate by more than 25 percentage points, yet at a fraction of the cost that other programs require. (more…)
Come Celebrate Re-Opening of Phillips Community Center May 12!
By Shirley Heyer, MPNIA rep to the Phillips Community Parks Initiative and PCC meetings After saving the PCC from demolition or sale to private ownership, residents of the surrounding neighborhoods can sigh with relief! Their four-year effort saved the building with its double gym and swimming pool. Their efforts also resulted in a new partnership between the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and a half dozen neighborhood organizations which are jointly operating and programming the building. Tours of building: staff of the MPRB, Minneapolis Swims, Running Wolf Fitness Center, Waite House, A Partnership of Diabetics, Ventura Village and the Guri Nabad Center before and after lunch Recognition ceremony Free lunch at noon Four hours of free music ”“ come sit on the grass (or bring a lawn chair) on the west side of the park and watch local performers entertain you on the MPRB semi-truck stage. Participate in the Midtown Greenway Coalition”'s bike rodeo on 13th Ave. S. Check out numerous neighborhood exhibit tables. Come join the Grand Re-opening Festivities Saturday, May 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The main entrance is at E. 24th St. and 12th Ave. S. Bike, walk, use your wheelchair! E. 24th St. from 11th to 13th avenues and the 2300 block of 13th Ave. S. will be closed to parking.
Midtown Phillips Festival
by Shirley Heyer Midtown Phillips Neighborhood Association, Inc. (MPNAI) invites you to enjoy music, food and community at its first annual “Midtown Phillips Festival,” an all-ages family event, Sat., July 23, at Stewart Park, 12th Ave. S. and E. 26th St. This is rain or shine, noon to 8 p.m. The park”'s gym will be available in case of rain. Co-sponsors with the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, MPNAI also presents this event in association with the city”'s annual Aquatennial Celebration that celebrates Minneapolis”' famous lakes, rivers and parks. This neighborhood does not have lakes or rivers but it does have parks and the Midtown Greenway! In celebrating its diversity, the neighborhood showcases numerous athletic contests for all ages throughout the day at the Ben Casey baseball diamond and new soccer field ”“ both funded through contributions from the Minnesota Twins. (more…)
