Elizabeth Brisbin | Pillsbury United Communities

Elizabeth Brisbin

March 23, 2022

Support Foodshare Month!

At Pillsbury United Communities, we are working to create a long-term solution to food insecurity while meeting the most urgent needs of community. In 2021, we gave away close to 2 million pounds of fresh produce and nutritious ingredients tailored to the unique cultural tastes of our East African, Latin, and Indigenous neighbors. We couldn’t do it without your support. All donations to our food shelves through April 10 will receive a partial match from our partners at Minnesota FoodShare.

To make a monetary donation, visit:

https://pillsburyunited.org/foodshare22/

Elizabeth Brisbin

January 13, 2022

Pillsbury United launches Minneapolis Documenters to Boost Government Transparency

MINNEAPOLIS (JAN. 2022) — Local government meetings shape our lives, but these discussions often lack participation from the public. A new participatory journalism initiative from Pillsbury United Communities is making public meetings more transparent and accessible, giving Minneapolis residents the information they need to actualize the change they wish to see in their communities.

Minneapolis Documenters trains and pays community members to take notes at city and county government meetings. We’re building a community-owned public record by centralizing city and county-level public meeting dates, government documents and Documenters’ notes in one location at minneapolis.documenters.org. Notes and summaries are also shared on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @documenterspuc.

Minneapolis Documenters is led by Pillsbury United Communities’ Civic Producer Jackie Renzetti and Director of Policy and Advocacy Kenzie O’Keefe. Both are former Twin Cities-based journalists and media educators.

“Government doesn’t typically meet community where it’s at; it can be technocratic, time-consuming, and difficult to track. Here at Pillsbury United, we are investing in a Documenters program to remove some of those structural barriers, supporting the community members we serve in building their government awareness and organizing power,” O’Keefe said.

Pillsbury United is inviting local newsrooms and civic organizations to use this resource and share ideas for collaboration.

“We believe sharing resources between news organizations and opening up the reporting process to the public is key to a sustainable, equitable media ecosystem that supports civic participation, ” Renzetti said. “We envision this as a resource that can open new opportunities for collaborative journalism and civic action in Minneapolis and beyond.”

Minneapolis Documenters is an affiliate of the Documenters Network created by City Bureau, a Chicago-based civic journalism lab, in 2016. Since 2018, Cleveland and Detroit have also established affiliate programs. Documenters in these programs have used their experiences to further their careers and interests in fields including reporting, civic action and research. Newsrooms have also collaborated in these cities to pursue accountability reporting based on the Documenters’ notes.

“Public meetings are workshops for local democracy. Across the country, gaps in coverage of these meetings leaves community members less informed and less able to make informed decisions about schools, development or who to vote for in local elections. Access to information from these meetings allows people to hold local officials accountable,” said Darryl Holliday, Executive Director of National Impact at City Bureau. “The Documenters Network informs, engages and equips community members to get civically involved and connect their neighbors to critical information.“

Since the program’s soft launch in mid-December, 22 Minneapolis Documenters have joined more than 1,600 Documenters across the country. Based on engagement with the public, Pillsbury United Communities will focus its Minneapolis Documenters coverage on city and county-level agencies that deal with housing, land use and public safety. The notes will also cover other justice-related issues such as food access, transportation and health.

Documenters are paid $20 hourly for time spent at the training and covering meetings. The only qualification to become a Documenter is attendance at a Minneapolis Documenters orientation. Prospective Documenters – and reporters, if they’re interested in observing – can register here to attend an upcoming orientation, held Jan. 26 at 10 a.m. and Jan. 27 at 6 p.m.

At a time when residents are calling for accountability from both local government and the media, Minneapolis Documenters offers a pathway to building community power by bringing the public into both spaces.

Financial support for the Minneapolis Documenters comes from the McKnight, GHR, and Target Foundations.

About Pillsbury United Communities
Pillsbury United Communities is one of Minnesota’s most well-established organizations, with 140 years of service to diverse communities across the Twin Cities and beyond. We serve the Black, Brown, Indigenous, immigrant, and working-class residents of Minneapolis. We have brick-and-mortar locations in the North, East Phillips, Powderhorn and Cedar-Riverside neighborhoods. Our mission is to co-create enduring change toward a just society where every person has personal, social, and economic power. In addition to Documenters, PUC owns and operates two other community media enterprises: North News and KRSM Radio.

About City Bureau
City Bureau is a journalism lab reimagining local media. We do this by equipping people with skills and resources, engaging in critical public conversations and producing information that directly addresses people’s needs—in the process, we have created locally-driven initiatives like the Public Newsroom and national civic infrastructure like the Documenters Network. Drawing from our work in Chicago, we aim to equip every community with the tools it needs to eliminate information inequity to further liberation, justice and self-determination.

About the Documenters Network
The Documenters Network creates new pathways for civic action and public oversight of local government through participatory media by training and paying local residents to attend and annotate government meetings, turning the knowledge, relationships, and capacity of local residents into a powerful community information resource. Today, the Documenters Network is made up of hundreds of people in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and Minneapolis who have collectively made thousands of public meetings more transparent, relevant and accessible. For more information, including how you can launch a Documenters Network site in your city, please contact our team at [email protected].

Elizabeth Brisbin

November 27, 2021

Shop small today and everyday at social enterprises

It’s that time of the year where many of us are out hustling and bustling in search of that perfect gift for someone special. While you are planning out your shopping stops, don’t forget to keep our social enterprises in mind. This holiday season, support your community by shopping small and with a purpose.

Gifts from Full Cycle

For the biker in your life, consider hitting up Full Cycle Bike Shop in South Minneapolis. From bikes to beanies, hoodies to buffs, t-shirts to studded tires—you’ll be sure to find great gear that supports a great cause. So much more than your run-of-the-mill bike shop, Full Cycle supports young people experiencing homelessness through employment and training in the shop, free bikes, emergency food access, and more.

Location: 3515 Chicago Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407
Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 12pm – 5pm

Photos from Sisterhood Boutique

For your fashion-forward (and perhaps environmentalist?) friend, check out Sisterhood Boutique in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. As a gently used clothing store that was designed by young East African women from the neighborhood about 5 years ago, today it continues to double as a youth employment program. So, not only can you snag some affordable, stylish clothes, but also know that your purchases support a space for young East African women to explore, express, and educate each other and their community. And hey—shopping resale is always kinder to our environment too.

Location: 2200 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454
Hours: Monday – Friday, 1pm – 6pm

And, we can’t forget food for the festivities. Consider getting all your grocery needs at North Market, a new kind of grocery store uniting three elements of community health in one place: nutritious food, health care services, and community wellness. North Market hires from the surrounding Northside community, pays living wages, and has products from over 20 local vendors on their shelves. Stock your cart with some fine red meats, delicious pies, fresh produce, and more and support local this holiday season. (And with any purchases of $100 or more, you get a $25 gift card in return!)

So—whether it’s bike gear, clothing, or healthy foods, shopping our social enterprises this holiday season is a win-win. You get affordable, quality gifts for the folks you love AND the dollars you spend go directly to supporting valuable opportunities for people in our communities. Truly, gifts that give back. Thanks for keeping us in mind.

Location: 4414 N Humboldt Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55412
Hours: Open everyday, 9am – 9pm

Elizabeth Brisbin

October 19, 2021

A consequential election on November 2

Billboard for voter outreach campaign with Pollen and Sahan Journal

By Kenzie O’Keefe, Policy & Advocacy Director

For roughly a year and a half, Minneapolis has reeled from a global pandemic and global uprising after the murder of George Floyd by our police department. Homelessness, hopelessness, poverty, and violent crime have surged. There is beauty and resilience in community, but these have been trying times.

On November 2, Minneapolis voters will have their first opportunity to let their opinions be known on how they think our elected officials have led us during this time of multi-dimensional crisis.

Here at Pillsbury United, we’re working hard to raise awareness for the upcoming election, where all city council and mayoral seats are up for grabs and three consequential questions—about power in City Hall, the future of public safety, and rent control—are on the ballot. There is too much at stake to sit this one out.

Here are some of the ways you can join us in driving turnout and informing voters:

Read and share our voting guide created by our policy team, Pollen Midwest, and the Sahan Journal. Follow us all on social media and reshare our beautiful #MplsIsUs campaign.
Read the latest edition of North News to learn about the three questions on this year’s ballot.
Hear from candidates for city seats on “Power Perspectives,” a new show on KRSM Radio hosted by our community storyteller ShaVunda Brown and KRSM station manager Andrea Pierre. It airs Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-10 a.m.
Sign up for a non-partisan phone-banking shift with us, organized by our partner CAPI USA. No experience is necessary. Training takes place at the beginning of each shift.
If you’re hosting an outdoor event in Minneapolis between now and November 2, our election outreach specialists (who speak Somali, Spanish, and English) are available to table and help folks make a safe plan to vote. Email [email protected] with inquiries.
Donate to Pillsbury United to support our GOTV efforts here.

Pillsbury United will be closed on election day so our staff can take time to vote and assist their neighbors in voting. We hope you also have the time and space to do your research and express your desires for the future on this year’s ballot.

If you have questions, we’re here for you. You can reach me directly at [email protected].

Elizabeth Brisbin

August 26, 2021

A look back at summer 2021

Young women displaying their summer work at Brian Coyle Center

For Pillsbury United Communities, 2021 was a summer to remember! After last year’s summer programs were forced to operate remotely due to COVID-19, we were so pleased to reconnect with our young folks in-person for summer 2021.

This year, 145 young people in middle school and high school completed paid summer internships through Pillsbury United programs—our largest ever class of interns! Our young folks explored new opportunities in technology, business, media production, and more. (For photos from some of our summer activities, take a look at a couple of recent albums on our Facebook page.)

Read on to learn more about our summer internship cohorts—and the dedicated youth program leaders who made it all possible.

Amplified Youth Storytelling at Brian Coyle Center

Emery

Jose

Our Amplified Youth Storytelling cohort was based out of the Best Buy Teen Tech Center at Brian Coyle Center. Under the guidance of our experienced youth mentors, 16 interns learned audio production and podcasting skills. Special thanks to The Clubhouse Network and the city of Minneapolis’ Step Up program for partnering with us to offer this unique opportunity.

This cohort was led by Emery and Jose. Emery recently completed his term with Public Allies Twin Cities, through which he served as Content Specialist at the Teen Tech Center. Jose also works with our Coyle youth programs as our Pathways Coordinator, helping young people plan for college and a career.

Arts & Agriculture at Waite House

Angelica and Ebony, summer cohort leaders

Angelica (left) and Ebony (right)

Our Arts & Agriculture youth group at Waite House led 12 interns in exploring the intersections of food, art, culture, and social justice—connecting to the land by working hands-on at our Pillsbury United Farms, and sharing their experience through the visual and performing arts.

Our cohort leaders were Angelica and Ebony—both artists and activists. Angelica is a performance artist who has previously led our youth spoken-word and tutoring groups. Ebony is a visual artist and an alumna of our youth programs, returning to Pillsbury United this summer after graduating from Clark Atlanta University.

Cinematography & Business at Brian Coyle Center

Sisco

Gonkama

Based out of the Best Buy Teen Tech Center at Brian Coyle Center, our Cinematography & Business cohort provided opportunities for 16 interns to explore filmmaking, editing, scoring, and sound design—while also learning to make a business plan to support their activities as independent artists and creators. The cohort also participated in a site-visit to the Institute of Production and Recording to learn from working professionals in the field of media production.

The cohort was led by Gonkama and Sisco, two youth leaders who are deeply rooted in the Cedar Riverside community. Gonkama is a seasoned youth worker and recent IT grad with experience in hip-hop production. Sisco is a graduate of our Coyle youth programs and a professional filmmaker and photographer.

Cyber Seniors at Brian Coyle Center

Kenya

Hassan

This unique cohort focused on intergenerational engagement between young folks and community elders living in Cedar Riverside. Our six youth interns partnered with volunteers from Best Buy to work with Cedar Riverside community elders and assist them with technical support. Through twice-weekly clinics at Currie Park in English, Somali, and Oromo, these young folks stepped up—helping our elders install apps, configure webcams, and other essential tools to stay connected in the post-COVID world.

Our cohort was led by Hassan and Kenya, two very talented undergrads. Hassan joined us this summer after many years of participation in youth programs at Brian Coyle Center. Kenya was brought on through the ServeMinnesota emergency response program.

Girls & Femmes in STEM at Brian Coyle Center

Fardowza

Idil

Our Girls & Femmes in STEM cohort at Brian Coyle Center offered a unique eight-week course in a variety of science and technology-related topics, including astronomy, coding, biodiversity, food science, medicine, and digital art. Our cohort members also took part in a biodiversity field trip to Cedar Creek with a University of Minnesota professor, tested the new flight simulator at the Best Buy Teen Center, and participated in Scrubs Camp at Augsburg University.

The cohort was led by Idil and Fardowza, both of whom are studying STEM fields at the University of Minnesota. Idil is a Page Scholar, and she is currently majoring in microbiology and cell biology. Fardowza is a graduate of Sisterhood Boutique, majoring in computer science.

Healthy Living at Waite House

Ivonne

Young folks in our summer Healthy Living cohort at Waite House enjoyed a wide range of activities to support their physical and mental health. This included cycling and bike maintenance with Bici Xicas, a local biking collective; group therapy sessions, in partnership with counselors at Tubman; and tennis at Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center at Fort Snelling.

This cohort was led by Ivonne, a senior at Augsburg University studying political science and an alumna of our youth programs at Pillsbury House + Theatre. Ivonne also managed our 22 off-site interns, including partnerships with Roots for the Home Team and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s Growing Good program.

KRSM Radio

Michel.Be

Our biggest cohort of the summer was at KRSM Radio, broadcasting out of Waite House in the Phillips community. Our interns explored on-air hosting, radio DJing, journalism, and audio production in our brand new youth recording studio. KRSM also partnered with ThreeSixty Journalism, MPR News and MIGIZI to plan and engage BIPOC youth for MPR’s Radio Camp. Click here to see some of their finished projects.

Our cohort was led by Michel.Be, a professional DJ, our agency-wide youth media manager, and a longtime alum of our youth programs at Pillsbury House + Theatre. They were supported by Minneapolis Community Education, who offered a full-time staff coordinator to assist with facilitating this summer’s internships—our thanks to KJ for their invaluable assistance!

Sisterhood Boutique

Ugbad, Kidist, Zikki, youth program leaders

Ugbad (left), Kidist (center), Zikki (right)

Based out of the Cedar Riverside community, our team at Sisterhood Boutique led a cohort of 24 young women—giving them direct experience in managing a fashion consignment boutique, plus ongoing development of their business and leadership skills. Highlights include a site-visit to local apparel brand sota clothing, as well as a week at Augsburg University Scrubs Camp.

The cohort was led by a trio of long-time Sisterhood Boutique leaders and alumni. Zikki is a co-founder of Sisterhood from its very first class, and Kidist is a former Sisterhood intern; both are now leading programs at Sisterhood. Ugbad is a Sisterhood grad and currently an undergrad in phlebotomy at the U of M—a passion she discovered on a Sisterhood field trip.

Elizabeth Brisbin

July 13, 2021

Our impact in 2020

2020 was not normal. Two pandemics bore down on our community, bringing hardship we could hardly have imagined. One was a virus that isolated, sickened, and killed. The other was the plague of systemic racism, embodied in the horrendous murder of George Floyd and the anguished fury it unleashed.

These tragedies shook our community to its core and hit many of us painfully close to home. Some lost livelihoods. Some lost loved ones. Others lost trust in institutions that were supposed to protect them. Many were retraumatized by continued examples of systemic racism.

The pain continues to reverberate. We will be picking up the pieces for years.

Although no one saw the trials of 2020 coming, Pillsbury United was prepared to rise to the moment. Across our agency, staff moved quickly and fearlessly to ease suffering, rebuild, and respond to the crisis with compassion, imagination, and hope.

In 2020, we…

Distributed over one million pounds of food and household essentials via our Brian Coyle Center and Waite House food shelves.
Disbursed $540,828 in housing relief to neighbors impacted by COVID-19.
Provided 121 young people with paid, virtual internships at our neighborhood centers and social enterprises.
Supported 160 immigrant women with advocacy services via the Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Program.
Connected 341 unhoused young people with housing, employment, and other services via Full Cycle.

And that’s only a snapshot of the work we accomplished last year. Out of a crisis, a more just society can emerge. This is what justice looks like.

Learn more about the magnitude of our impact in 2020—and the broad community support that made it possible—by viewing our 2020 annual report.

Elizabeth Brisbin

May 25, 2021

Pillsbury United Launches Justice Built Communities Initiative

Rendering of street life on a revitalized W Broadway Ave

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (May 25, 2021) – Pillsbury United Communities (Pillsbury United), an agency with a 140-year legacy of recognizing and amplifying the assets and aspirations of the communities living in historically underinvested neighborhoods across Minneapolis, today announced the launch of the Justice Built Communities (JBC) initiative. JBC will leverage land, labor, entrepreneurship and capital to build equitable economic development for Black residents across the region starting in north Minneapolis. The initiative will be powered by a network of regional and neighborhood partners.

As a first step, JBC will purchase vacant land, buildings, and other disused properties for neighborhood redevelopment. It closed on its first property earlier this month when it purchased the old O’Reilly Auto Parts property at 1601 and 1625 West Broadway along with the adjacent property at 1622 Golden Valley Road, Minneapolis. JBC will use a community-centered design process to inform the redevelopment plans, which will provide opportunities, guidance and financial support to help local, Black-owned enterprises get established and grow. Over time, JBC will bridge land ownership back to local entrepreneurs to build generational wealth.

Pillsbury United has already raised $6 million for the JBC startup fund and intends to raise an additional $14 million through philanthropy and program/mission-related related investments by end of year for acquisition of neglected properties and pre-development capital. Initial investors include US Bank Foundation, Bank of America, GHR Foundation, Margaret A Cargill Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation, Target Foundation, Opus Foundation and Otto Bremer Trust. A variety of innovative financial structures including debt, equity, and NMTC will be used for project-specific development costs.

The initiative’s work will be co-designed and developed through Northside business and neighborhood associations including Folwell Neighborhood Association, Jordan Area Community Council, Hawthorne Neighborhood Council, and West Broadway Business and Area Coalition. Local artists will be engaged to beautify the areas before, during and after projects break ground. As properties are developed, Black entrepreneurs step in and take over: bringing goods and services to local residents, job opportunities to youth and adults, and prosperity to families.

“Our mission is to create a just society where every person has personal, social and economic power,” said Adair Mosley, President & CEO of Pillsbury United Communities. “The disruptive forces of 2020 showed the inequity of a system built on racist policies and practices as well as the need to act with urgency to equitably rebuild. JBC will prioritize strategies that ensure the people who were part of the history of our communities are also part of the future. We envision thriving commercial nodes anchored by local businesses and green spaces, safe and stable neighborhoods, and meaningful work and wealth-building opportunities that close racial disparities.”

Minnesota’s Black residents face the worst economic disparities in the nation. Minnesota ranks at the bottom for racial gaps in high school graduation, homeownership and household income. These inequities have been concentrated on Minneapolis’s Northside by decades of systemic disinvestment.

“Today we see the impact of inequitable development in North Loop, a Northside neighborhood adjacent to downtown,” said Jimmy Loyd who serves as Senior Director of Community Development at Pillsbury United. “While real estate activity in North has largely been stagnant, North Loop has seen $1.2B in real estate sales since 2015. That’s created rapid gentrification on the edges of North, and now this boom encroaches deeper into the neighborhood. As properties along Plymouth Avenue and other major corridors are bought up, vulnerable residents are threatened by displacement as outsiders benefit. JBC aims to reverse this concerning trend and support Northside neighborhoods’ vision for their own future.”

Learn more at justicebuiltcommunities.org.

About Pillsbury United Communities

Pillsbury United builds community by co-creating enduring change toward a just society where every person has personal, social, and economic power. Its united system of programs, neighborhood centers, social enterprises, and partnerships connects individuals and their families across the region. Program areas include community health, food accessibility, family stabilization, creative placemaking, community voice, civic engagement, education, career and future readiness, and economic mobility.

Pillsbury United serves the Black, Brown, Indigenous, immigrant, and working-class residents of Minneapolis striving to build better lives and communities for their families in spite of racism, poverty, and other systemic barriers. Priority neighborhoods include Cedar Riverside, Phillips, and Powderhorn in South Minneapolis and Near North and Webber-Camden in North Minneapolis.

Elizabeth Brisbin

April 21, 2021

Where we go from here

Mural at George Floyd Square. Photo by Lorie Shaull

On Tuesday, 12 jurors cracked open the window of justice. And we see a little light.

To be clear, the verdict in George Floyd’s murder should never have been in doubt. But we had reason for pessimism. Only rarely do police-involved killings of Black, Brown and Indigenous people even make it to the doorstep of our courts. When they do, officers are almost never held accountable—even for the most abhorrent abuses of power.

Floyd’s murder is part of a chilling pattern where policing in communities of color leads to senseless death again and again. Our hearts are already heavy this week as 20-year-old Daunte Wright, another unarmed Black man killed by local police in Minnesota, is laid to rest. Again a family and community mourns. Again we hear pleas for justice and vows for change. Again we have reason to doubt justice will ever be served.
What will it take before we say as a state, enough is enough?

Right after George Floyd’s death, our state’s leaders stood up to declare that Black Lives Matter. A year later, we’re fighting for more than a hashtag. You can help us move lawmakers into action. We can’t wait for another tragedy before we act.

The Minnesota House has taken the courageous step with a public safety omnibus bill that builds on last year’s Minnesota Police Accountability Act. This slate of common-sense measures holds officers accountable for harmful actions and unties the hands of police chiefs in protecting life.

Stand with us in calling on Minnesota state legislators and Governor Walz to take immediate and decisive action on the following items:

HF1104: End qualified immunity. Help survivors of brutality or harassment by law enforcement get relief in the courts by ending qualified immunity for police officers.
HF1103: Rules on body cameras. Prohibit law enforcement from tampering with body camera footage of a deadly force incident and require footage to be released to family and representative within 48 hours.
HF640: Establish civilian oversight. Remove the current state law prohibiting citizen-led councils from imposing discipline on law enforcement officers.
HF593: Exclude white supremacists from police ranks. Change the Peace Officer Code of Conduct to prohibit anyone on the force from affiliating with, supporting, or advocating for white supremacist or other extremist groups.
HF1374: Track misconduct. Require police chiefs to report officer misconduct and help to identify officers with harmful patterns of behavior.
HF-107B: Limit Traffic Stops. Limit authority for police officers to stop or detain drivers for certain vehicle equipment violations.

We encourage you to reach out to lawmakers to express your support for these important acts of legislation:

Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka: [email protected]
Senate President Jeremy Miller: [email protected]
Senator Warren Limmer: [email protected]

We see the light of change peeking through. With your vocal support, Minnesota can throw the window wide open.

(Photo credit: Lorie Shaull)

Elizabeth Brisbin

April 7, 2021

Samantha Diaz Named Director of Office of Public Charter Schools

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Pillsbury United Communities has named Samantha Diaz as its new Director of the Office of Public Charter Schools (OPCS).

In this role, Samantha will provide oversight and evaluation for all charter schools authorized by Pillsbury United Communities—supporting the operations, compliance, and efficacy of existing and prospective charters within the Pillsbury United network.

Additionally, Samantha will facilitate the OPCS’ ongoing work of developing a “community of practice” within the charter school sector, deepening best practices around authorizing standards; building awareness of policy shifts impacting the sector; and developing collaborative approaches to achieve the best educational experience for all students.

“Samantha is a fierce advocate for Black and brown children, with a deep commitment to equity and accountability,” said Adair Mosley, President & CEO of Pillsbury United Communities. “Given her immense knowledge of charter schools and policy, she was the ideal candidate to lead the continuing evolution of the OPCS in developing new and pioneering authorizing practices.”

Samantha previously served as Associate Authorizer Liaison for the OPCS and most recently served as the Education Legislation & Policy Director at the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs. Prior to Samantha’s work in Minnesota, she served as Legislative Director for the Chairman of the Health, Human Services and Senior Citizen Committee in the New Jersey State Legislature. She received her Master’s in Public Administration at Baruch College – Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, and a Bachelor’s degree in History at Kean University. Samantha is also an alumni of the National Urban Fellows leadership development program.

The OPCS authorizes 20 public charter schools throughout the state of Minnesota, including sites throughout the Twin Cities Metro, and in Rochester and St. Cloud. These schools are designed so that the children and families whose needs are not being met by traditional public schools have access to relevant education that supports each student’s personal, social, and academic achievement.

Elizabeth Brisbin

March 18, 2021

Data science, human services elevated within Pillsbury United leadership

Pillsbury United Communities is pleased to announce several key moves in the agency’s executive leadership team, including the creation of a new executive-level position centered around data science and evaluation.

Tsega Tamene has stepped into the newly established role of Head of Data Science & Evaluation. In this role, she stewards Pillsbury United’s vision and strategy to activate data for impact—transforming how the agency defines, captures, and implements data toward systems change. She previously served as Senior Director of Population Health.

“Data will drive the evolution of our organization and our transformative impact in community,” says Adair Mosley, President & CEO of Pillsbury United Communities. “Pillsbury United Communities seeks to have a population-level impact on systems that create more equitable and just outcomes for our communities. Tsega, with her population health background, will drive upstream change and targeted and predictive program and services.”

Accompanying this new role, several additional Pillsbury United leaders have been named to new or elevated roles.

Ethan Neal has been named to the newly created position of Director of Food Systems. In this role, he oversees all of the agency’s food programs, including food shelves, community meal programs, and urban agriculture, and he drives all of the agency’s efforts towards the creation of a local, sustainable, equitable food system. He previously served as Food Systems Manager.

Awol Windissa has been named to the position of Director of Community Health. In this role, he oversees all community health and wellness programs, with a particular focus on removing barriers to health; promoting wellness; reducing disparities; and implementing place-based, community-centered and culturally-relevant approaches. Awol previously served as Community Health Manager at Brian Coyle Center.

Additionally, current leadership team members Miski Abdulle and Vickie Besch have received promotions to Director of Immigrant Services and Director of Community Accessibility, respectively.

Click here to view Pillsbury United’s strategic framework and learn more about our agency’s strategic priorities.

Elizabeth Brisbin

March 11, 2021

Food shelves meeting the challenge of COVID-19

Food shelf worker distributing produce to community members

As we reach the first anniversary of COVID lockdowns, it’s worth looking back at the vital response of our food shelves at Brian Coyle Center and Waite House—and the huge efforts they’ve undertaken to show up for the communities that have been hit the hardest in our city.

It’s hard to fathom the scale of their effort. When the first wave of stay-at-home orders began, our food shelves were serving more than three times their usual volume. We were serving more households, and more frequently, than ever before. We kept up that pace all year—and by the end of December, we had distributed nearly one million pounds of food to our neighbors.

“What we have to understand is the operational context of that volume,” says Ethan Neal, Director of Food Systems at Pillsbury United Communities. With changes to the food shelf’s operational model to facilitate social distancing, staff took on a more active role in packaging and distributing food to clients. “That’s a lot of pounds of food on the backs of our people,” Ethan says.

This was a truly unprecedented effort for Pillsbury United Communities. Here’s more about how we stepped up to the challenge—and how you can help us continue this work in 2021 and beyond.

A creative approach in times of crisis

Social distancing guidelines required our team to physically reimagine our food shelves—finding new spaces, and creatively repurposing others. At Waite House, the food shelf team expanded to utilize space in an unused gymnasium.

“We started seeing such an influx in the number of people we were serving,” Ethan says, “That we needed to stretch our legs and utilize one of the largest properties in Minneapolis Parks & Rec.”

And with the lockdowns also affecting our neighbors’ access to essential hygiene items, our food shelves significantly expanded their offerings of diapers, feminine hygiene products, and other household necessities. At Brian Coyle Center, we partnered with our neighbors across the street at Mixed Blood Theatre to organize essential supply drives as a supplement to our food assistance.

“We became much more than just a food shelf,” Ethan says, “and I think that evolution was important in our response.”

Justice and equity in food access

And while COVID-19 forced our team to think creatively and reimagine their work, it also underscored the importance of several long-standing commitments for our agency’s food programs.

“When you think of a food shelf, you think of a model that’s based on canned food drives,” Ethan says. “At Pillsbury United, we’ve pledged a lot of our dollars to source healthy, culturally specific foods to serve our communities.” That means more access to fresh produce, as well as culturally relevant staples that reflect the tastes of our Native, Latin American, and East African neighbors.

“[As an agency] we talk about food justice and equity,” says Jovita Morales, food shelf coordinator at Waite House. “And if we don’t reflect our diversity in our food shelves, that’s not equity.”

“And you don’t see that everywhere,” adds Luz Francisco, building and volunteer coordinator at Waite House. “People in the community can come to us and know that we have foods they’ll want to eat.”

This approach was central to our work pre-COVID, and only became more urgent in response to the pandemic. To that end, we redoubled our commitment to urban agriculture across our entire food system and installed a walk-in cooler at the Waite House food shelf to house more fresh produce. And for those culturally specific preferences that our food bank partners couldn’t meet, we established new relationships with local, minority-owned grocery stores to help fill the gap.

How you can help

There is so much more to be said about the vital response of our food shelves and our many other staff providing essential, frontline services.

Today, you can help support this work with a financial contribution. During the month of March, our partners at Minnesota FoodShare are offering a partial match for all donations to Pillsbury United food shelves. If you’re able, please give today.

Food assistance is available via the food shelves at Waite House and Brian Coyle Center, as well as via our community meal programs at Waite House and Oak Park Center.