Update from the ANA on COVID-19
Do you need to…
- Find a food shelf,
- Apply for unemployment,
- Look up high risk grocery shopping hours,
- Request help around your home (esp. if you’re a senior or have a disability),
- Find ideas to keep kids busy during the day,
- Check the details of our upcoming #StayHomeMN order?
We couldn’t find all this info in one place, so we created a new page with these links and more and are updating it daily: https://armatage.org/covid19 Send it to your block’s e-list or share on social media and send suggestions for additions to anacoordinator@armatage.org.
Care for our community: follow #StayHomeMN guidelines. Practice social distancing for essential trips out of the house. Support the heroes who staff our hospitals and clinics, emergency services, grocery stores, nonprofits, and care-giving facilities. Check in with neighbors who may need assistance with groceries, shoveling (though let’s hope snow stays FAR away), or just a friendly phone call or text. ❤️
NEW: Armatage Virtual Coffee Break
Tuesday, March 31
9:00-10:00am
Zoom – https://zoom.us/j/816580272
Join us for a virtual neighborhood coffee break next Tuesday morning. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, download the free Zoom app on your device (trust us, it’s MUCH easier), create an account, and click on the link above. We know this is a tough and isolating time for many of us and hope you can join in and connect with neighbors.
Kids are welcome in the background (we love Zoom – it’s easy to mute!), no partisan politics please, and if you’d prefer, simply call in on your phone. We’re going to try this out and think about adding an evening (8:00pm?) Happy Hour option, too!
Enter to win a $50 gift card to one of four local businesses! How? The 2020 Census is HERE and we need your help to ensure Minnesota gets its full share of funding for schools, health care, roads and more. How to help: take the Census, complete a quick action from the following list, and enter your info at armatage.org/2020census for a chance to win a $50 gift card!
- Snap a selfie with your Census postcard or completed Census screen and share on social media. Use the hashtags #WeCountMN #Census2020 and #ArmatageTakesTheCensus
- Share a 2020 Census post on social media with a link to my2020census.gov/. Encourage your network to take the Census and use the hashtags #WeCountMN #Census2020 and #ArmatageTakesTheCensus
- Reach out to a neighbor (or two!) and remind them to complete the Census. Leave a note, send a text or email, or say hello from at least 6 feet away using your #socialdistancing. (This is a perfect chance to check with neighbors in the coming weeks).
Thanks to support from the State of MN and the Minneapolis Foundation! All Minneapolis residents are eligible to participate. Recipients will be drawn in May. For more census info, visit my2020census.gov/ or www.wecountminneapolis.org/
More info on this order at mn.gov/stayhomemn
March 17, 2020 Meeting Recap
The ANA held its first virtual neighborhood meeting on Zoom – thanks to everyone who joined us! Council Member Palmisano gave an update on the City of Minneapolis’s efforts to prepare for COVID-19. The board planned a COVID-19 resources page (linked above), voted to postpone the Annual Meeting & Board Elections until June 16, and discussed a response for the Neighborhoods 2020 comment period, which ends on April 17. The Mini Grants Committee is in the midst of weighing applications for the 2020 grant round and the ANA’s Complete Count Committee is reworking its 2020 Census outreach strategies to be online-only (see above).
Minneapolis Transportation Action Plan
Check out the draft Transportation Action Plan website to read the draft plan and provide feedback. The interactive website includes opportunities to provide your input on specific strategies and actions.
Attend an upcoming online open house
We’re planning a series of online open houses to get your input on the plan. Join us to hear about the plan and interact in real time.
- Wednesday, April 8, 6:00-7:00pm, Minneapolis Facebook page
- Monday, April 13, 4:30-5:30pm, Minneapolis Facebook page
Neighborhood Funding to Decrease
The new Neighborhoods 2020 Draft Guidelines are here and we encourage neighbors to check out the plan and comment by April 17. The City Council plans to vote on this in May.
Proposed funding levels for neighborhoods like Armatage will significantly decrease in 2021 and beyond to shift more funding toward areas of the City with greater equity needs. Base funding levels will drop to 1/3 of their current level for Armatage, which will impact our ability to serve the neighborhood. Read the draft guidelines and learn more at www.minneapolismn.gov/ncr/2020
SW Parks Master Plan Comment Period Extended
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board extended the comment period for the Southwest Service Area Master Plan through April 25, 2020. With park buildings now closed through until May, visit www.minneapolisparks.org/sw to view and comment on the plans.
Visiting parks during #StayHomeMN? Use this handy graphic to maintain social distancing!