Plywood that once boarded up Minneapolis finds new life as historical art
In the midst of racial justice protests last summer in response to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the police, many businesses in Minneapolis boarded up their windows with plywood. Now, nearly a year later, the plywood that once boarded up the city has found new life as artwork honoring Read More...
Minneapolis nonprofit creates first-of-its-kind village for the homeless
While homeless shelters can be pivotal in providing short-term housing and protection from the elements, there are tradeoffs to staying in a shelter. Many shelters feature communal sleeping arrangements, with dozens of beds packed into a room. This can make homeless shelters particularly Read More...
Values before profit: This man turned his restaurant into a donation center
At the Optimist Daily, we like to honor the everyday heroes that make communities thrive. Today we bring you a story out of Minneapolis where a local restaurant owner has turned his restaurant into a community outpost for those protesting police violence. Here’s his story. Tomme Beevas Read More...
Community lenders are putting their bodies on the line for local businesses
If you were looking for the employees of Justine Petersen, a community organization and financial lender in Ferguson, MO, you might find them forming a human chain around local establishments. This is what they have been doing to protect businesses they support from theft and Read More...
Minneapolis to disband its police force and adopt community safety model
These days, we find ourselves writing stories that would have been unthinkable just weeks ago. Yesterday we published a groundbreaking story out of Los Angeles where Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced that he was defunding the police department. By defunding the police, what is really meant is Read More...
Every last pet found a home this holiday season at the Minneapolis animal shelter
Holidays are a popular time for “clear the shelter” events for local animal shelters. Recently, a Minneapolis animal shelter was overjoyed when over 300 residents showed up and waited in line in 30 degree weather to adopt every last one of the shelter’s pets. Dozens of cats, dogs, and Read More...