Winds of change blew into north Minneapolis one year ago Tuesday when a tornado cut a swath of destruction through the area.
As residents, leaders and concerned citizens, we have the ability to use this act of Mother Nature as our agent of transformation not only to strengthen the community but also to empower its residents to be self-sufficient.
While the storm left trees toppled, homes destroyed and lives upended, it also exposed the robust nonprofit community that exists in north Minneapolis. Individuals from organizations large and small -- many of whom never worked together previously -- joined forces. We were literally blown together by a storm and held together by a crisis.
In the past year, we have built bridges where there were none. And it has been amazing to see leaders and residents come together and take risks -- all with the goal of benefiting the North Side. Our efforts show that we have the tools and individuals in the community to make it happen, but it will take hard work.
The tornado also revealed a neighborhood that supports a cycle of reliance on county programs. Statistics show that 67 percent of the population of north Minneapolis is dependent on Hennepin County services. We need to stop this cycle, because the road to prosperity can never be achieved with charity.
Working with the county, we have developed a plan to reduce the percentage of individuals who rely on county programs by 25 percent over the next five years. We will be successful if we not only talk the talk but also walk the walk by implementing new strategies, including instituting hiring goals, vendor practices that support local businesses and a capital plan that utilizes North Side labor.
We also need to support the mastery school expansion to achieve better educational outcomes and consolidate community constituencies for better program results.
The 2011 tornado stirred up winds of change that have the potential to bring about positive transformation. We have made amazing progress, but there is much more work to be done to ensure that the community is able to weather its social and economic storms.
