A ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Monday to inaugurate a major new social services center in Bloomington. VEAP (Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People), a nonprofit whose stated mission is "Neighbors serving neighbors in need," will operate the 9600 Service Center, at 9600 Aldrich Av. S.

The center will open to the public Jan. 6 in response to increased need in Bloomington, Richfield, Edina and south Minneapolis. Among those attending the ribbon-cutting will be U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

The new center "will further ensure that we are up to the task of meeting the basic needs of people who are experiencing poverty in our neighborhood," said Susan Russell Freeman, VEAP's executive director.

The center will allow for expansion of VEAP's programs and improved coordination with the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department, which will also be a tenant in the center.

PAMELA MILLEr

@nightnewspam