November E-News 2025

"It doesn’t matter how strong your opinions are. If you don’t use your power for positive change, you are indeed part of the problem." -- Coretta Scott King

"My vote is my voice…and the voice of all who struggled, so that I may have my voice." -- Lydia Obasi

To request this information in another language or format, please contact [email protected]. Si aad u codsato foomkan oo qaab ama luqad kale ah, fadlan la xiriir [email protected]. Para solicitar esta información en otro idioma o formato, póngase en contacto con [email protected].

It's Give to the Max Season: Support Your Neighborhood – Donate Today!

This Give to the Max Day, our goal is to raise $2,500 to keep our neighborhood strong and connected. Your gift, no matter the size, helps us fight food insecurity, support tenant organizing, advocate for equitable development, and make sure every neighbor feels seen, heard, and supported.

Together, our small contributions add up to real impact in Elliot Park. Join us, join your neighbors, and let’s show what happens when generosity meets action. Help us hit our goal and keep our community thriving!

Has EPNI helped you connect to local resources? Have you enjoyed a neighborhood event or met neighbors through a meeting? If so, we’d love your support!

The funds we raise will go towards:

• Neighborhood events like Food Distributions and Resource Day events, Clean Up Days, Neighborhood Night Out, and committee meetings

• Translation and interpreting so our print materials and programs are accessible to everyone

• Covering the little details that make events happen: food, outreach, materials

Every donation helps, and every neighbor counts!

Donation Tiers (Every Donation Helps)

• $5 – "The Friendly Neighbor" 🍽️
  
  • Covers compostable utensils for community events!
• $20 – "The Connector” 🤝
  
  • Prints flyers to rally neighbors for upcoming events!
• $50 – "The Cookie Commander” ☕🍪
  
  • Keeps volunteers energized with snacks & coffee at meetings!
• $100 – "The Environment Guardian" 🌳
  
  • Funds clean up days for our neighborhood!
• $500 – "The Neighborhood Hero" ❤️
  • Funds a neighborhood event OR directs funds where they’re needed most!

Will you help us reach our goal? You can donate by clicking here.

Your Community Voice Needed: Help Tell Elliot Park’s Story Through a Mural!

Share your feedback on the art to be included in the Elliot Park mural HERE. 

Elliot Park Neighborhood (EPNI) and North Central University are teaming up for an exciting community mural creation—and we want your feedback to bring our community’s story to life!

The Vision:

We’re looking for bold, vibrant mural designs that:

• Celebrate Elliot Park’s history, diversity, and future

• Feel welcoming, inclusive, and inspiring to all

• Reflect the spirit of our neighborhood and its people

The Canvas: The winning design(s) will be painted on the Praise FM building (15th St. & Chicago Ave.) by a team of NCU students and community volunteers in Spring-Summer 2026.

This fall, three local artists submitted their artwork to be part of the Elliot Park community mural. Please share your feedback about the artwork submissions by completing this short form HERE:  https://forms.gle/mqE3maMRtyBKUazi8

Questions? Email [email protected] Let’s make something beautiful together!

Need funds for your Neighborhood Project? Apply NOW for the Elliot Park Mini-Grant Program!

EPNI November Calendar

To request interpreting services or accommodations for these events, please contact [email protected]. Si aad u codsato turjubaan ama waafajin, fadlan la xiriir [email protected]. Para solicitar servicios de interpretación o adaptaciones para estos actos, póngase en contacto con [email protected].

Please visit the EPNI web Calendar for event details & to RSVP! Also post and share our November Event Calendar flyer which is linked here and posted above. Flyer PDF

Wednesday, November 5th  - "Pop-Up" Grocery Distribution
10:00am-12:00pm (or until supplies last!) • At Elliot Park Rec Center, 1000 E. 14th Ave. (during construction - enter on the 8th St. side!)

If you need groceries, come on by. Offered in conjunction with our regular 1st Wednesday free Community Cooking Class (10:00-11:00am) and free bagged lunch + hygiene supplies, in partnership with the EPNI Food Access Work Group, MPRB - Elliot Park, Jericho Road and Mobile Loaves!

Wednesday, November 12th  - Neighborhood Vitality & Land Use Joint Committees Meeting
6:30-8:00pm • At Elliot Park Rec Center, 1000 E. 14th Ave., or participate via Zoom:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84231574529

Monday, November 17th  - EPNI Board Meeting
6:00-7:30pm • At Elliot Park Rec Center, 1000 E. 14th Ave. (enter on the 8th St. side during construction)

Your voice matters, and your insights are invaluable. Join the EPNI monthly Board meeting to stay informed, share your ideas, and help shape the future of our community. Together, we can make our neighborhood an even better place to live. ALL are welcome -- see you there!

Monday, November 24th  - Elliot Park Food Access Meeting
4:00-5:00pm (NEW time!) • At Elliot Park Rec Center, 1000 E. 14th Ave. (enter on the 8th St. side during construction)

Join neighbors to work collectively on our food access goals, such as:

• Bring a Grocery Store or Co-op to Elliot Park
• Expand Food-sharing Community Gardens
• Continue our Food Distribution Program

Recurring Fall Elliot Park Food Distribution Schedule - In partnership with MPRB - Elliot Park, Jericho Road & Mobile Loaves:

• 1st / 3rd / (5th) Wednesdays of the month:
  • 10:00-11:00am: Community Cooking Class!
  • 11am-noon or until supplies last: Free lunch + hygiene supplies distribution!
• 2nd / 4th Wednesdays of the month:
  • 9:30am: sign-in, coffee & donuts; 10am-11:30am or until supplies last: free groceries!

Do you have a suggestion or question for Elliot Park Neighborhood Inc.? Email [email protected] or text / call (612) 234-2280 and we will get back to you soon!

November Community Calendar

MPRB - Elliot Park & Recreation Center Events

Search the program by keyword, or filter by location to see all programs at Elliot Park.

Search the program by keyword, or filter by location to see all programs at Elliot Park.

The Minneapolis Downtown Council's Community Calendar is your source for downtown events & FREE fun!

EPNI Updates & Project Reports

10/15 Elliot Park Sustainability Series: Zero Burn Coalition

On Wednesday, October 15th, community members gathered at Elliot Park & Rec to participate in an interactive community workshop with Isuru Herath, HERC Campaign Director with Minnesota Environmental Table, and volunteers with Zero Burn Coalition. Neighbors learned about the history of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC), the long-term health and environmental justice impacts of this trash incinerator in Elliot Park and other downtown neighborhoods. The discussion also covered the continued campaign to implement an expedited closing of the HERC by Hennepin County, following both City Council action and State support for this transition, tied to a Zero Waste future.

Stay tuned for upcoming environmental justice action & advocacy opportunities on the HERC closure. Date TBD for the next Hennepin County - District 4 meeting, advocating with Commissioner Angela Conley for a clear path forward and the next steps to moving forward with implementing the county's plans HERC closure plan and towards our Zero Waste future. If you'd like to learn more or get involved, please contact us at (612) 234-2280 or [email protected].

Over 1,250 Elliot Park Neighbors Served at Wednesday morning Food Distributions

Join Us as we Continue the Fall Schedule!

Since July, the EPNI Food Access Work Group and its partners have served over 1,250 of our neighbors through September, through our Wednesday morning Food Distributions, hosted by our partner, MPRB - Elliot Park.

As of October 1st, we transitioned to a new alternating fall schedule: on the 1st, 3rd (and 5th) Wednesdays of the month, Mobile Loaves continues offering take away sack lunches and a variety of "head to toe" hygiene products every other week, from 11am-noon. Beginning October 15th, we started a new Community Cooking Class just before the lunch on these alternating Wednesdays from 10:00-11:00am, trying out recipes from neighborhood chefs sharing a variety of their cultural cuisine, and featuring foods from the Food Distribution. All are welcome to join -- we are cooking up some delicious food to share!

On the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, we continue in partnership with Jericho Road, to provide the free food distribution from 9:30-11:30am, where neighbors can choose from a wide variety of groceries for their fridge and their cupboards. Given the broadening and deepening impact of federal cuts to food programs nationwide, we are in the process of seeking new food source partners and project co-sponsors, to grow our impact for neighbors experiencing food insecurity right here in Elliot Park. 

A heartfelt thank you to the Gethsemane Community Gardener friends and partners, who donated 1,579 pounds of neighborhood grown and fresh harvested produce during the 2025 harvest season. Informed by our neighbors' input on what kinds of veggies they would like to see made available to community members in the 2026 produce distributions, we look forward to the return of this dedicated community partner for next year's harvest season. 

All involved have really been enjoying the new connections made and relationships we are building with many new neighbors, through this project. This has been an impactful project for our Elliot Park neighbors, and we have a lot of fun doing it. If you'd like to join our Wednesday morning "dance & donut parties" at Elliot Park as a volunteer, sign up HERE!

All are also welcome to join the EPNI Food Access Work Group to continue work on this and other projects to improve food access in Elliot Park, at 4th Monday of the month meetings, 4:00-5:00pm (NEW earlier time) at Elliot Park & Rec (1000 E. 14th Street). 

City & Community Updates

Resources for Food Insecurity and Tracking Impacts of Federal Food Assistance Interruptions

Food Resources:

• Check out the Twin Cities Metropolitan Food Resource Map
• Minnesota has more than 300 food shelves and meal programs to help support families when they need help right away. Residents can find a local food shelf using the Hunger Solutions’ map or by calling 1-888-711-1151.
• Check out which Twin Cities restaurants and organizations are contributing to food access by offering free food in November in this November 1st Bring Me the News article HERE.

From the City: Shutdown impacts to food assistance - What's Known as of Nov. 1st

The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1 with no resolution in sight.  

City staff are monitoring potential impacts from the shutdown in Minneapolis. We continue to have enough cash on hand to keep City programs and services that depend on federal funding going temporarily despite a slowdown in payments from the federal government.  But with federal programs at growing risk as the shutdown continues – especially for food assistance – we’re sharing some key information our community should know. 

Food security is a critical priority and a real concern for many families in our community. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will not be issued beginning in November due to the federal shutdown. Over 60,000 of our Minneapolis community members, which is 14 percent of our City’s residents, will be affected by the lack of SNAP benefits.

On Oct. 27, Governor Tim Walz announced the State of Minnesota would provide $4 million in emergency funds to support food shelves. 

Attorney General Keith Ellison is co-leading a coalition of 22 other attorneys general and three governors in filing suit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for issuing SNAP benefits, and Secretary Brooke Rolling for unlawfully suspending SNAP. The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order, arguing that the USDA has repeatedly stated its authority to continue SNAP benefits during a shutdown. 

The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) is monitoring this situation and providing information to counties and tribal nations, which administer SNAP benefits in Minnesota.

Find more information on the State's website.

Lights On Increases Safety for All

submitted by Carla Nielson, MPD Neighborhood Crime Prevention Specialist for Elliot Park

As daylight lessons, and we approach the end of Daylight Savings Time—It’s Dark out Early! it’s a good time to see if there’s a way to increase lighting around your home or work with your property owner about your apartment building.

Lighting and exterior cameras are two of the most effective ways to deter criminal activity. Criminals don’t want to be seen, and well-placed lighting, and cameras, can make a big difference. In addition to improving safety, good lighting encourages residents to spend more time outdoors—walking dogs in the early evening, chatting with neighbors as you come and go from the bus stop or your parked vehicle. It also creates natural surveillance that strengthens the neighborhood and community. Here are a few lighting tips to consider:

✓ Install lights at all entry points, including front and back doors, and garage service
doors.
✓ Use motion-sensor lights in alleys, side yards, and backyards.
✓ Illuminate the areas you and your friends commonly use.
✓ Position outdoor lights and cameras high enough to prevent tampering.
✓ Use indoor light timers to give the appearance that someone is home, even when
you’re away.
✓ Be mindful of your neighbors when selecting light placement and brightness.

Read the full article HERE.

More neighborhood safety questions? Contact Carla Nielson, MPD Crime Prevention Specialist for Elliot Park: [email protected] /  612.919.8887.

Minneapolis Police Department Seeking Input on draft policy: 9-401 Police Authority in Immigration Matters - Comment period extended to Nov. 9th

Information and updates from MPD Implementation Unit for MDHR Settlement Agreement:

NEW MPD policy drafts open for public comment:

Read the Minneapolis Police Department policy drafts and provide your feedback

Posted documents

The posted documents include the revised draft and the special order draft. This shows the changes from the current policy.

Updated policy draft(s):

• 9-401 Police Authority in Immigration Matters

Feedback period

The timeframe for submitting feedback has recently been extended past its initial 30-day period, through November 9, 2025.

Provide feedback HERE.

All feedback received is:

• Considered for the draft policy.
• Anonymous - You may not receive an individual response on your feedback.

We encourage you to review these policies and share your feedback during the official 30-day feedback period. That is the most effective way for us to review your feedback. Our goal is to ensure all voices are heard, so you can submit feedback at any time. We will consider feedback submitted after the official period closes during the next official period.

The online feedback portal for posted policies will remain open to the public. We will consider and collect all feedback received about any of the policies. We will use it the next time MPD begins revising that section.

We value your unique perspective as a member of our community. We invite you to review the updated draft policies. Your thoughts, insights, and suggestions are essential in helping us shape the final policies. This will aid in building a safer, more inclusive environment for everyone.

We look forward to hearing from you. We will continue our collaborative efforts together towards positive change within our community.

If you have any feedback or questions about the policies, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].

Thank you for your continued support and engagement.

Best regards,
The MPD Implementation Unit
City of Minneapolis – Police Department – Implementation Unit

Updates & Neighborhood Opportunities:

Community Solar Garden Opportunity

City of Minneapolis Immigrant Resources

EPNI Renter's Corner

311: Did You Know . . . ?

Ongoing Notices & Opportunities:

Resources for Unhoused People

To access more resources visit: https://www.hennepin.us/residents/human-services/waypoint