Kingfield Neighborhood Association

THE KFNA BOARD DEMONSTRATES AND ENCOURAGES NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP PROVIDES A FORUM FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, AND A STRUCTURE TO PROMOTE THE VISION AND ASPIRATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

DESPITE A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, KFNA WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE SOME OUTREACH AND OPERATIONS THROUGH 2021. ADDITIONALLY, IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIND A FIND A FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE MODEL, WE BEGAN OFFERING OUR SERVICES FOR A FEE AND PARTNERING MORE WITH OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND NONPROFITS ON PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION. KFNA CONNECTED TO OUR COMMUNITY AND ADDRESSED ISSUES IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS: ? MOVED ALL KFNA BOARD MEETINGS ONLINE AND SHARED THE RECORDINGS OF THEM ON OUR YOUTUBE STATION. MESSAGED THAT COMMUNITY BUILDING WORK IS COMMUNITY SAFETY WORK AND ENCOURAGED BLOCK GROUPS TO GATHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND TO SOCIALIZE. BLOCK SAFETY WORK INVOLVED COMMUNICATING AND ATTENDING BLOCK MEETINGS TO INFORM ALL RESIDENTS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS RELATED TO COVID-19, AMENDED CITY RULES AND REGULATIONS, CAR JACKINGS, AND INCREASED STREET CRIME. BLOCK COMMUNITY BUILDING WORK INVOLVED LIGHT IT UP, KINGFIELD, A WEEKLY OUTDOOR GATHERING ON MULTIPLE BLOCKS THROUGHOUT DECEMBER. PREPARED AND DISTRIBUTED A WEEKLY E-NEWS TO OVER 2900 INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSES. DID EXTENSIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING WORK INCLUDING IN-PERSON (DOOR KNOCKING, TABLING, AND INTERCEPT SURVEYS) AND ONLINE OUTREACH TO CONDUCT A COMMUNITY SURVEY OF PRIORITIES. THE GOAL OF THIS OUTREACH WAS TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND USE THEIR INPUT IN A REVIEW OF THE KFNA MISSION, VISION AND VALUES. ENGAGED NEIGHBORS IN OTHER COMMUNITY BUILDING EVENTS LIKE KINGFIELD PORCHFEST, ON THURSDAYS WE SING, THE HOLIDAY COOKIE SWAP, THE GARDEN TOOL SWAP, AND 100 DAYS OF COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN EACH OF THESE EVENTS. PROMOTED GROCERY DISTRIBUTION EVENTS TO FAMILIES IN NEED HELD BY OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER, SAGRADO DE CORAZN. CONTINUED TO AMPLIFY THE MESSAGE THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER INCLUDING BRINGING BACK THE WEEKLY BRIDGIL OVER 35W DURING THE TRIAL OF DEREK CHAUVIN FOR THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD, AND DONATING OUR YOUTH- PAINTED STREET MURALS WHICH WERE CREATED AFTER GEORGE FLOYDS MURDER TO SAVE THE BOARDS, ESTABLISHING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM TO ASSIST THEM TO CONTINUE SHARING THE ARTWORK CREATED DURING THE UPRISING. ORGANIZED A COMMUNITY SAP TAP AND TAUGHT NEIGHBORS HOW TO TAP THEIR MAPLE TREES. THE GROUP GATHERED AT OUR LOCAL PARK TO COLLECTIVELY BOIL, AND THEN SHARE, THE RESULTING SYRUP. ORGANIZED A TEAM OF TREE-ADVOCATES TO LEARN ABOUT PRUNING FRUIT TREES FOR PRODUCTION FROM EXPERTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND THE MINNEAPOLIS PARK BOARD. THIS TEAM WILL CARE FOR OUR GROWING COMMUNITY ORCHARD LOCATED AT REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARK IN 2022, INCLUDING PLANTING AN ADDITIONAL DOZEN FRUIT TREES. DUG DEEPER INTO THE ISSUES OF HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY BY FINANCIALLY SUPPORTING AND SEEKING OUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PARTNERS AND OPTIONS, OPTIONS, INCLUDING HOSTING A VIRTUAL EMPTY BOWLS EVENT RAISING FUNDS FOR NICOLLET SQUARE. ORGANIZED NEIGHBORS TO TALK ABOUT ABOUT AND ADVOCATE FOR SMART AND WELL DESIGNED HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS. MOVED THESE PRESENTATIONS TO A NEW KINGFIELD YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR GREATER ACCESS PLANNED AND CO-HOSTED JOINT-NEIGHBORHOOD EDUCATIONAL FORUMS ABOUT THE CHARTER AMENDMENTS AND THE PARK BOARD CANDIDATES. HELD A NOVEMBER POLLING POLLING PARTY AND GREETED ALL VOTING NEIGHBORS AT MLK PARK WITH COOKIES AND HOT COFFEE. INFORMED AND INVOLVED NEIGHBORS IN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS INCLUDING THE RECONSTRUCTION OF GRAND AVENUE AND THE CHANGING OF THE 40TH STREET BIKEWAY AND THE CELEBRATORY OPENING OF THE 40TH STREET PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE. ? CONTINUED TO BE THE CONNECTOR THAT ALLOWS ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO BE HEARD AND HAVE A WAY TO REACH OUT AND ORGANIZE.