P ostscript

Footprints

“They put in a new sidewalk,” my neighbor said, “and the first thing that happened was a cat walked across the cement and left little footprints.”

My neighbor was amused. “I hope they leave them. They’re so cute!”

I thought those prints would probably survive. No one was going to take the trouble to cover up a few cat prints on the sidewalk.

A few years back, they started putting poetry on sidewalks, laid right into the cement. I stop and read the poetry on my walk. I’ll

Neighbors, Inc.

By Heidi Satre Director of community engagement

Carrie Classon CarrieClasson.com

ponder for a moment or two, then move on. I’m not great with poetry. It fills me with questions that have no answers.

I want to ask the poet,

Get to know Neighbors

It’s Christmas in July at Neighbors! July is typically the month we begin planning for the upcoming holiday season, including our annual Holiday Gift Program. It was one of the first programs Neighbors offered and has been a tradition since the first distribution event in 1974, when clothing, gifts and food were handed out at the Armory in West St. Paul.

Session recap

As we enjoy the festivals, music and outdoor activities that make Minnesota summers so wonderful, the transformative 2023 legislative session has given us many more reasons to celebrate this year. This was a historic session that delivered on the DFL’s promises to build an economy that works for all Minnesotans; protect rights, expand freedoms and defend democracy; lower the costs of health care and childcare; and ensure safe communities, strong schools and a healthy climate for all.

I’ve spent several decades at the Capitol as a legislator, and this has been the best session of my entire career. We passed laws that will create more affordable housing and establish paid family and medical leave for all Minnesota workers. We made sure no student goes hungry in school and boosted teacher recruitment programs. We delivered $3 billion in tax cuts – the largest package in state history – which will help seniors, renters, homeowners and working families. And

“Can you tell me the rest of the story?” But there is no more. I’m sure the poet would be disappointed in me but I like reading the poetry anyway.

Some pavement was replaced recently, and a leaf landed on it. There remains a perfect leaf print, and I took a picture of it. If I see the cat prints, I’ll take a picture of them, too. I’m proud of that cat, leaving its mark.

Several years ago, I was camping in the northeast corner of New Mexico. I took a guided hike that showed prehistoric tracks. The tracks were made by dinosaurs when that piece of land, now desert, had been right at the edge of an ancient sea that stretched all the way to Canada. The land by the shore of this sea was jungle. The interpretive signs said there were a lot of animal tracks right there because it was easier to walk on the beach than through the dense jungle. Just like today, creatures liked walking along the beach. The sand was dense, with a lot of clay in it, and many of those prints were filled in and eventually turned to solid rock. The tracks on display in this park were estimated to be 200 million years old. I tried to imagine leaving footprints that lasted 200 million years. I failed. But the most interesting part to me was one particular dinosaur track where the paleontologists said the dinosaur had slipped. They knew this because dinosaurs held their tails aloft and only touched them to the ground when they needed extra stability – if they were going to fall. And that’s what happened. A dinosaur was walking along this beach –I’m going to imagine it was a nice sunny day – the sand (with all that clay in it) was slippery and…whoops!

She slipped and caught herself in the nick of time with her tail. Then she kept walking. We don’t know what happened after that one moment in time – that moment that happened 200 million years ago. Just like the poems in the sidewalk, there is no more. But today we can still see her tracks.

I love that.

The cat prints and the poetry and the leaf print in the cement will not last 200 million years. I’ve no idea if the planet will be here that long. But they will last longer than the poet who wrote the words or the cat who left the prints or the tree that dropped the leaf. And I think that is, somehow, wonderful.

I’d like to leave a small print somewhere. Nothing big. Nothing ostentatious. Maybe just a book that is in print for a few years before it disappears. That would be nice. Maybe just a record of a time when I slipped and –at the last moment – caught myself. Till next time.

The program has taken many different shapes and adapted throughout the years to best serve our neighbors in need.

Today, our Holiday Gift Program continues to serve people in need during the holiday season with toys and gifts for children and gifts for seniors age 65 and older. Here is an overview of how the program connects generous community sponsors with families experiencing need.

In early October, families and seniors experiencing a financial need complete an online application to receive gifts. Each applicant completes a wish list of 4-5 items, giving suggestions of what types of gifts they would enjoy. (Think of a letter to Santa.) At the same time, individuals and groups sign up online to sponsor a family. Neighbors anonymously matches families with sponsors and shares the families’ wish lists with them. We try to match all

Minnesota worker can easily save for their future and ensures financial stability in their later years. I first introduced these bills as part of the Women’s Economic Security Act of 2014, and I’m proud to have seen them cross the finish line.

• $2.2 million to remodel Neighborhood House at the Wellstone Center of the families and seniors requesting assistance and, thanks to the generosity of our community, we have successfully been able to do that so far.

We notify sponsors of their matches around midNovember. After receiving their family’s wish lists, sponsors shop for gifts then deliver them to Neighbors within three weeks. Once we receive the gifts, we notify the families to pick them up. Neighbors delivers gifts to families who lack transportation.

The entire program is wrapped up before Christmas so families can enjoy the holiday together. One of our grateful gift recipients had this to say: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have made my family’s Christmas so very special. It was a rough year for me, and knowing my kids will get the Christmas they deserve brings tears to my eyes.” great strides this year after six years of gridlock, and I look forward to continuing this new era of listening and legislating in 2024. we protected and expanded the fundamental rights of Minnesotans, including guaranteeing the right to reproductive health care.

I’m particularly happy to celebrate some new laws that I’ve spent years working on at the Capitol. One is the Earned Sick and Safe Time Act, which will allow all Minnesota workers to take time to care for a sick child, heal from an illness or recover from sexual assault, without fear of losing vital income. Another is the Secure Choice Retirement Program Act, which creates a statewide retirement savings program so that every

I made our community a top priority as I led the charge to pass a $2.6 billion infrastructure and jobs bill. I secured funding for important and exciting projects in St. Paul and West St. Paul, including:

• $28.5 million to complete the rebuild of the 3rd Street and Kellogg Bridge

• $8 million for the Mississippi River Learning Center in Crosby Farm Regional Park

• $6.2 million to design RiversEdge Park in downtown St. Paul, a terraced park from the bluff to the riverbank

• $2.5 million to build an inclusive and accessible playground for all children, including those with intellectual, developmental or physical disabilities, in the West 7th Neighborhood

• $2 million to design improvements to Thompson County Park in West St. Paul, which may include a pollinator promenade, creek restorations, Dakota Lodge renovations, a greenway rest area with picnic shelter and a sledding hill.

The laws we passed this session are popular and proven policies, and they’ll improve Minnesotans’ lives in the short and long term. As states across the country cut funding for lifesaving programs and deny their residents’ fundamental rights, Minnesota has become a beacon of people-focused policy and will be a magnet for people to move here because their rights are protected, and they have access to workerfriendly programs like paid family and medical leave.

From the North End to downtown, from the West Side to West St. Paul, we’re in this together to make life better for our neighbors, our families and all of Minnesota. We have made

Mission accomplished

Last year Lani Thompson Schrandt, youth director at Mendota Heights Methodist Church, and her students set an ambitious goal for their group: they vowed to serve 100,000 meals to people in need within one year’s time. The group of 18 youth, ages 11 to 17, worked diligently to accomplish their mission and have since tallied 101,023 meals. They assembled meal packets at Feed My Starving Children, served meals at Union Gospel Mission, hosted food drives, served at a local Loaves and Fishes dinner program and made sandwiches for the homeless. The group and some of its helpers are shown here at Feed My Starving Children.

2-bedroom plus den units. Features include indoor pickleball courts, coffee and wine bars, an outdoor pool, rooftop patio, community room, lounge with a multisport simulator, fitness center and climate-controlled garage.

The Vaquero, a 5-story 170-unit apartment building, is expected to break ground this summer or fall at the corner of Concord Exchange and Grand Avenue in South St. Paul. Developer DRS Investment VIII, LLC, in partnership with Master Properties, will bring plans to the the City Council for approval by late September.

The building will have 34 affordable units available at 50% AMI, heated underground parking, a swimming pool, rooftop patio, community rooms and exercise facilities.

The Backyards apartment building is expected to open this November at 205 Concord Exchange N., South St. Paul, next to the newly constructed Yards apartments. It will feature 111 marketrate units, including 1- and 2-bedroom apartments, a rooftop deck, underground parking, fitness center and business center. The exterior will have artwork depicting historic landmarks of South St. Paul and the Mississippi River. The developer is The Beard Group of Hopkins, which also created the Yards. Thompson Square, 1513 Timberwood Lane in West St. Paul, features newly con- structed 3-story townhomes, each with 3-bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a two-car garage. Twelve are currently under contract and eight others are ready for move-in. Another 37 will be built in the next year or two. The developer is Ohio-based M/I Homes.

Minnesota Housing, the state’s housing finance agency, offers several loan programs to help Minnesotans achieve their dream of homeownership. It has programs for first-time and repeat homebuyers.

The Start Up program is for first-time homebuyers. If you’ve never owned a home or it’s been more than three years since you’ve been a homeowner, you may be considered a firsttime homebuyer. If you’re not a first-time homebuyer but want to refinance your home, the Step Up program might be the right option. The agency also offers downpayment and closing cost loan options. Start Up and Step Up program first-mortgage loans can be combined with Minnesota Housing downpayment and closing cost loans of up to $18,000. Program income limits are now up to $142,800 statewide.

Homeownership education classes may be required for some homebuyers using Minnesota Housing’s mortgage loan programs, and is usually available at little or no cost to the homebuyer. The Minnesota Homeownership Center can connect you with a homeownership advisor who will guide you through the homebuying process, provide tips to improve your credit score and more. To find a homeownership advisor, visit www. hocmn.org/find-an-advisor.

The Homeownership Capacity Program offers financial coaching to help you plan for homeownership. This program can help you understand your credit, create a budget, reduce debt and create a savings plan. For personalized financial coaching, visit the Homeownership Capacity Program provider list at www. mnhousing.gov by searching “Homeownership Education.”

Minnesota Housing works with local lenders who can answer questions about program eligibility and help you understand the features of the various programs. Contact a participating Minnesota Housing lender at www. mnhousing.gov and search

“Find a Lender.” Be sure to let the lender know that you are interested in a Minnesota Housing loan.

To learn more about Minnesota Housing’s loan programs, visit www.mnhousing.gov.