Want a reminder of what went well in 2020? I've got just the thing. Each week, Inspired taps the wisdom and wit, creativity and compassion, bravery and bold thinking of Minnesotans who never saw a problem they didn't want to at least try to tackle. This year threw our Problem Solvers challenges beyond all challenges but they still hunkered down and got to work. Below, eight of them catch us up and share what they hope for in the new year.
Tracy Nielsen, executive director, HandsOn Twin Cities
Our partners have gone through a lot this year and their needs have shifted throughout the pandemic and civil unrest. So many partners made awesome, quick changes that a portion of our role was just communicating these changes and lending our support. We sent out 90,000 volunteer project-at-home kits (hygiene kits, school supply kits, snack packs), offered more virtual learning opportunities and saw a dramatic increase in pro bono programming; since July, we have launched about 60 projects, which totals about 11,520 pro bono hours and a value of more than $2.2 million. I am an inherently hopeful person, so I'm leaving 2020 grateful for all of the inspiration and kindness but also with a belief that we can keep doing better.
My south Minneapolis district had a 90% voter turnout, which is outstanding! I obviously hope that my Disability Awareness with Voting Facebook page helped a lot of people. My focus now is to advocate for a vaccine plan for individuals with disabilities in short order. I wholeheartedly believe that people with disabilities should be next in line after health care workers, as quite a few have weakened immune systems that could lead to troublesome complications if they were to catch the virus. Plus many live in group homes and attend day programs which results in close contact with others. Also: day training and habilitation services should, and must, receive more funding. Day programs are eliminating paid on-site jobs to focus on community employment and recreation. That is not fair to some who cannot work in the community because of a variety of barriers. If the Legislature can do something about that, they should.
When COVID-19 took over our lives, we pivoted to virtual trainings via Zoom and offered our online trainings on a "pay-what-you-can" basis. Because our programming has always included racial, historical, cultural, and structural trauma healing language and concepts, people responded after the tragedy of Mr. [George] Floyd's murder in powerful and positive ways. Too often when terrible things happen, like COVID-19 and racism, people get their basic human need for justice confused with the impulse to seek revenge. We teach how to transform the trauma into nonviolent power with positive, productive alternatives to revenge.
Jin Lee Palen, executive director, Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs
The pandemic has shined a spotlight on the existing barriers in our state's mental/chemical health care models and programs. We've patched them up over the years, but this year we were forced to take a hard look at the underlying issues and the need to fix them. Now that these barriers are out in the open, there is more appetite from lawmakers, regulators and stakeholders to prioritize getting them fixed. We also saw that fears about telemedicine did not happen. Instead, we showed its efficacy. In many cases, we are in a better place because of it as we design and deliver mental health care models beyond the pandemic.
Alex Jackson Nelson, gender services consultant, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
