Powderhorn
Neighborhood

The Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA) and the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) provide programs and services that foster community connections, strengthen entrepreneurial achievements, and activate public and private spaces, while advocating for resources and policies that aim to mitigate disparities within the communities they serve. Together, our organizations have over 70 years of community service experience. Our organizations’ primary area of overlap is across South Minneapolis, and the Lake Street Cultural Corridor in particular. In connection to this corridor and broader area, our organizations both receive a wide range of concerns from our constituencies about the need for improved livability and safety in the community. Common and pronounced areas of concern involve the impact of unconcealed drug related transactions, behavior of persons in various states of addiction, residents experiencing unsheltered homelessness, acts of violence, robbery, and persons victimized by sex work. PPNA and NDC believe that improving coordination of safety, violence prevention, and restorative programs is one key step to improve community coverage and accessibility. We also recognize that ample funding for these programs and services is another key ingredient for the success of these initiatives. As nonprofit organizations, we are not the right entities to drive coordination efforts going forward, but we can play a role in hosting this gathering and asking the question: How can existing services be better coordinated to improve community’s ability to access services?

PPNA & NDC believe we can convene leaders who can help us understand the current degree of coordination across existing safety resources and programs, as well as opportunities for additional coordination.

Create space for public and private leaders who work in the fields of violence prevention, restorative justice, and safety to define how programs and services are or not connected, and to foster consensus around ways to materially improve the coordination and accessibility of existing safety and violence prevention resources.

This convening is not focused on understanding what additional safety resources, systems, or policies are needed. Rather, we aim to brainstorm how and/or whether current safety resources and programs can be further coordinated and connected in order to improve community access..

PPNA & NDC will attempt to secure participation from at least 80% of the leaders invited to the meeting. We aim to facilitate a discussion that provides meaningful clarity around how safety resources are or are not connected across the City, County, and among select private programs/groups. Our hope is that at least 50% of meeting participants agree there is value in working together to deepen coordination and connection of existing safety resources, or at least for those present to reach a consensus about how to move forward.

A person or group with responsibility for coordinating a program, service, or system that seeks to support public safety, violence prevention, and restorative justice. This includes staff with the City, County, and other agencies, as well as nonprofit partners or other community entities working in this field.