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Mind 2 Mind:
Mind
2 Mind is our after-school program for children ages 6-14 who
live in the East Hillside neighborhood. Paid staff and college
volunteers provide the children with positive role models. As
well as assisting kids with their homework, we incorporate the
arts, nature, and the importance of contributing back to the
community through our structured educational programming.
Diversity is celebrated in an environment that promotes positive
growth for each child. In the past few years, the children have
been very successful with planting flowers on Mother's Day,
cooking, creating cultural crafts, studying river ecology and
going outdoor rock climbing.
Summer
Day Camp:
Our summer day
camp compromises a zest of recreational activities and
cultural-enrichment projects such as tending a garden,
participating in cultural activities such as creating dream
catchers, worry dolls, and piñatas. Last summer was our
first three-day, two-night camping trip to Camp Roundelay, which
included: kayaking, horseback riding, canoeing, swimming, and
campfires, complete with s'mores, stories, and singing. Rock
climbing, going to the children's museum at the Depot, bowling,
and going to the beach every Friday were other fun summer
adventures. Our summer program has been very successful and has
provided 40 kids with adventures they most likely would not have
been able to do otherwise.
For more
information, contact Jennifer Zapata, Youth Program Director at
(218) 728-4287 or call the Mind 2 Mind cell at (218) 260-9040.
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Health Equity
Project:
This
project has evolved over the past three years out of people's
increasing struggle to access healthcare resources. Beginning
this year, Patch aims to prepare and support a group of citizens
in social justice organizing, aimed at transforming the health
care system. We intend to generate shifts in critical mass by
engaging more people in advocating for universal, single payer,
publicly accountable comprehensive
health care access for ALL,
as
a human right and social responsibility.
In
addition to investigating and analyzing the current barriers to
resources at the local and state level, this project hopes to
directly influence policy makers and elected officials with a
citizen-driven prescription for what a new health care system
will entail.
If
you are interested in learning more about the Health Equity
Project,
call
728-4287.
Click here to download more detailed information about the Health Equity Project.
Race, Culture, and
Achievement Initiative:
Patch
participates in the leadership, development, and implementation
of this important campaign, which brings community people
together monthly with school district administrators and staff to
identify and carry out strategies to make positive changes in
Duluth schools. Patch
has been particularly focused on supporting parent involvement in
the campaign, particularly in light of current plans to close and
re-organize some of the schools that serve diverse low-income
children and youth who live in the East Hillside.
Social Justice Education
and Training:
Under the
leadership and development of Marek Fuller, a lifelong social
activist, Patch launched its first Transformative, Community
Activism Training, which has just been completed. This training
promotes civic engagement and builds skills in participatory
democracy and social justice organizing.
A 10-week
seminar on Neoliberal Globalization and Global Justice Resistance
is currently underway, also under the facilitation of Marek
Fuller. This seminar examines and analyzes how multinational
corporations have created a global, neoliberal, capitalist
economy. The seminar examines how concerned individuals in the US
can confront this economy and its social and environmental
consequences, and explores how to create alternatives.
Collaboration with Colleges and Universities:
Our relationship to CSS allows social work students unique experiences in their field work. The graduate students at UMD are also able to integrate grass roots community development into their career objectives.
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Community Assessment
Project:
Patch, along
with the Wilder Foundation and other local agencies, is currently
conducting a large-scale community assessment. This exciting
project is now underway with 200 East Hillside households, and
100 households each in Central Hillside and Lincoln Park
neighborhoods. The assessment is currently in Phase I, with
volunteers going door-to-door to interview residents about the
needs of their household in all areas of living. Once the data is
analyzed by the Wilder Foundation, the findings will be used to
generate neighborhood focus group discussions in Phase II. These
discussions will help prioritize and plan future development
activities undertaken by Patch and several other community
agencies and organizations.
Spring
Forest Qigong with Glenn Tobey:
Qi
(che) meaning “energy” and gong “movement”,
Qigong is the practice of guiding and moving energy, removing
energy blockages, and balancing the energy flow within us. Come
and learn more about this powerful and ancient Chinese meditative
practice being used by many people in Duluth for health and well
being. Qigong involves simple meditative movements to promote
emotional and physical health.
Instructor
Glenn Tobey is a psychotherapist in private practice in Duluth
and has trained with Master Chunyi Lin of the Spring Forest
Headquarters. Join this free introduction, Wednesdays,
11:30am-12:30pm in the lower conference room of the East Hillside
Neighborhood Center, 1406 East 2nd
Street.
Work
& Recreation Program:
A
few summers ago, youth ages 10-14 participated in a positive work
experience. Two days a week they mowed lawns, picked up garbage,
or edged the rose gardens of Duluth. Their contributions were
appreciated by the community and helped to provide a sense of
responsibility for the kids, as well as the chance to earn money.
At the end of every week, they enjoyed fishing, swimming,
miniature golf, and even a visit to Wild Mountain Water Park.
This program has not been offered for the past few summers, but
Patch is working on securing funds to offer this important
program in the future.
Grant Community School
Collaborative:
As a member of the collaborative, we
join in their dedication to strengthen the East Hillside
neighborhood by creating opportunities for learning, recreation,
and cultural enrichment. This collaborative has effectively
brought in a network of federal, state, and local resources
together to enhance the social and academic development of
diverse low-income children living in the neighborhood.
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