University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Search
Search
News
Multimedia
Sports
Classifieds
Opinion
Subscribe
Entertainment
Send a Tip
Podcasts
Donate
In-Depth
Corrections

Subscribeto our newsletter

Minnesota Daily Logo

Sunday, December 8, 2019 Print Edition

Donate

  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
  • Podcasts
  • Classifieds
  • Special Issues
  • Corrections
  • Send a Tip
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
  • Podcasts
  • Classifieds
  • Special Issues
  • Corrections
  • Send a Tip
Search

Subscribe

The independent news source for the University of Minnesota campus, now only a click away. Subscribe to the Minnesota Daily's e-newsletter for full sports coverage, updates from the newsroom, and a pick of the week's top features.

Minnesota Daily Newsletter

Fill out my online form.

Donate to the Minnesota Daily!

The Minnesota Daily has been training student journalists and serving the University of Minnesota community since 1900. With your help, we will continue to produce award-winning journalism and provide excellent training for students in all areas of news production. We collect donations through GiveMN; please click below and donate today!

MINNESOTA DAILY | GiveMN


11/19/2019, 9:42pm

Revamped Cedar-Riverside neighborhood group expands presence

The group has advocated for increased youth programming and diversity in the neighborhood organization.

By Emma Dill
Revamped Cedar-Riverside neighborhood group expands presence
Sarah Mai

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Mail
  • Print

A Cedar-Riverside neighborhood group has expanded its presence in the community since restructuring almost a year ago.

Last December, the Cedar-Riverside Neighborhood Revitalization Program became the community’s central neighborhood group after being inactive for several months. Since then, the group has hired staff and advocated for youth programming, improved representation and other resident needs. 

Bosteya Jama joined the group as its executive director in February. Before Cedar-Riverside NRP re-established, the Somali community lacked representation in other community organizations based in Cedar-Riverside.

“There's always a challenge of how much you know the community that you're working with and how much can you give back,” Jama said. 

Three members of the Somali Mothers of MN currently sit on the board. 

Ariah Fine, a neighborhood support specialist at the city of Minneapolis who has worked with the group, said the board’s diversity helps the group focus on issues that are important to the community. 

“It is always encouraging to me when the people serving on a neighborhood organization board are those that are sort of sometimes historically underrepresented, but then also those most directly impacted by issues facing the neighborhood,” Fine said.

The organization hired Dave Alderson in April as its co-executive director. Alderson had worked with the NRP group for three years before it restructured. 

Prior to restructuring, the Cedar-Riverside NRP and the now-closed West Bank Community Coalition served the neighborhood. Having two neighborhood organizations led to competition for city funds and confusion among residents, Alderson said.

Jama and Alderson have focused on strengthening relationships with other neighborhood stakeholders, including the Cedar-Riverside Opportunity Center and the Brian Coyle Center.

“I think the relationship [with the Brian Coyle Center] is as good as it’s ever been if not better due to outreach from them to us and from us to them,” Alderson said.

Cedar-Riverside NRP recently collaborated with the Brian Coyle Center and Somali Mothers of MN to hold weekly programing for Somali children with autism. Other projects have included educational events about opioid use and addiction and work to re-establish weekly meetings with youth in the community.

The group has also worked to represent Cedar-Riverside residents as Minneapolis City Council members work on plans for the proposed Africa Village Public Market Project in the neighborhood. Alderson said he believes the group has been largely ignored by the city but will continue to advocate for residents.

“We’re not saying we’re in favor of the mall. We’re not saying we’re not in favor of the mall. We’re saying we’re in favor of a respectful process where the citizens and other community members of Cedar-Riverside are given a seat at the table,” he said.

The group will focus its future efforts on applying for grants to supplement its program funding from the city.

Share



Related Stories

Minneapolis City Councilman Abdi Warsame sits for an interview at his office in City Hall on Thursday, Oct. 17. The first Somali-American elected to the council, Warsame has headed multiple initiatives aimed at addressing issues of jobs, housing, safety and community development.

Abdi Warsame's stature in Cedar-Riverside and beyond

By Mohamed Ibrahim

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey spoke to students at an Minnesota Student Association forum in Blegen Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 26. Frey talked about affordable housing, racial equality, and better ways to handle sexual assault.

Cedar-Riverside among designated 'cultural districts' in mayor's budget

By Mohamed Ibrahim

Somali mothers continue work with Cedar-Riverside youth as local influence grows

By Mohamed Ibrahim


The Minnesota Daily welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.


Editor's Picks


12/6/2019, 10:08am

UMN disability student group moves to form Big Ten coalition

By Hana Ikramuddin

Starting with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the group plans to reach out to other Big Ten universities in the coming weeks.


12/4/2019, 10:07pm

MN church, which owns West Bank coffee shop, responds to concerns over conversion therapy


12/4/2019, 10:30pm

Disciplined Humphrey professor still “performing faculty duties”


12/4/2019, 9:14pm

New park taking shape in Prospect Park


Podcasts


12/5/2019, 8:11pm

Episode 13: Wrapping up football, Gophers head into basketball season


12/5/2019, 12:34am

Episode 44: Welcome to the star gazing party


11/28/2019, 11:43am

Episode 43: Unearthing the U's ties with slavery


Minnesota Daily Logo To Homepage
  • About
  • Jobs
  • Freelance
  • Contact
  • Archives
  • Advertise
  • Content Diversity
  • Ethics & Policies
  • Distribution

All Rights Reserved

© Copyright 2019 Minnesota Daily

Powered by Solutions by The State News.