Today is Giving Tuesday, a celebration of “radical generosity.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4ih0Tk4
Have a great week.
Blois
WILD ABOUT READING: More than 500 Minnesota classrooms and 15,000 students are participating in the “Wild About Reading” program, a partnership with Flint Hills Resources which encourages students to read more using Minnesota Wild-branded posters, reading logs, and bookmarks. Teachers set weekly reading goals and give certificates to students who complete the four-week program. Fun program incentives include classroom visits from the Wild’s mascot, Nordy – and the team dog, Rookie; a pair of tickets to a Wild home game, player signed pucks and photos; and a pizza party for a classroom. LEARN MORE: Wild About Reading SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources
Today we announce that Fluence Media tip sheets have a new home on the web via Substack. As part of our transition, we’re introducing The Daily Agenda, a news site that will be home to all the newsletters, podcasts and other content and allow us to grow with our audience.
After 14 years, it’s time for morning take, and the family of Fluence Media tip sheets to refresh. Your newsletters will keep coming, but they will be in Substack form and delivery. Substack has been a major accelerator in the growth of independent and innovative media channels and Fluence believes it’s the best channel for the future with our growing audience.
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Greater impact on local issues with a real-time live updated website.
One hub on health care, agriculture, energy, politics and sports at your fingertips
A public facing site that will grow the audience for Minnesota most insightful and trusted newsletters.
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For MN Good subscribers, today is your last Mailchimp version. Starting Wednesday you’ll get MN Good in your email, but the format will be slightly different in your inbox.
VOLUNTEERS: From Sarah Ritter via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota ranks third nationwide for volunteerism as the share of residents who donate their time to nonprofits has rebounded to the highest level seen in several years, a new report shows. Volunteers have returned to Minnesota nonprofits after a sharp decline during the pandemic, now helping out at a rate surpassing that in 2019, according to AmeriCorps and the U.S. Census Bureau.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eYeFoP
GINGERBREAD: Form Kirsti Marohn via MPR, VERBATIM: “About two dozen people crowded around tables in an art studio in downtown Sauk Centre on a recent Saturday, each with a box containing the essential elements of a building: four walls, a roof, a tube of ‘mortar’ that looks suspiciously like frosting. Ann Marie Johnson, who handles community engagement for the Stearns History Museum, welcomed the group. The museum sponsors the community classes that aim to teach concepts of architecture and design using an unusual medium: gingerbread.” READ/PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4ikPiAo
ITALY: From Beret Leone via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “An Edina woman is changing lives in Italy through connection and travel. ‘This is not crowded square in big Italian city,’ Esperienza founder Anna Bonavita said. ‘This is where the heart of Italy beats. In places like this.’ It's that heartbeat that Bonavita wants to share and save. ‘I have no doubt a difference can be made,’ she said. Bonavita has made it her mission to preserve Italian culture — and boost its economy — through travel. She's doing it through her nonprofit Esperienza, Italian for experience.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OCXMVY
FOSTER FAMILIES: From Colleen Connolly via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “An Imprint investigation published in September found that in Minnesota, more than 40% of the foster children placed with strangers were Native American, African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander or Latino. Of the licensed, non-relative foster parents who received them, twice that percentage were white, state data show. In some parts of the state, 100% of foster parents are white. The difficulties of transracial placements that are prone to arise are not routinely acknowledged or adequately addressed, according to interviews with foster youth, adoptees, child welfare professionals and academics. The Minnesota-based nonprofit Families Rising Minnesota, funded by the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families, aims to help.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49hRg0o
STUDENT MEALS: From Chanhassen-based Life Time Foundation via PRNewswire, VERBATIM: “In support of improved youth nutrition, the Life Time Foundation, the 501(c)(3) non-profit of Life Time (NYSE: LTH) has announced enhancements to Green Onion. First launched in 2023, Green Onion is the only complimentary digital nutrition software designed to help school districts, purchasing cooperatives and food manufacturers analyze their K-12 food products at the individual ingredient level to easily identify unwanted ingredients in favor of healthy alternatives resulting in positive, sustainable nutritional changes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZzXmpB
FOOD PANTRY: Via Compeer, VERBATIM: “Zion Lutheran Food Pantry in Hanska, Minn., started when community leaders saw food insecurity impacting families in their town. Shortly after, a food pantry box was constructed with funding from Thrivent to create a free resource for all who needed it. ‘Small towns have a lot of the same problems that big cities do. Even though this town is only 400 people, the food pantry is getting used a lot,’ says Tim Miller, Zion Lutheran Food Pantry representative. In October 2024, it cost $300 to stock the pantry and organizers were concerned about raising funds to continue offering enough food for their community – until Kyle Miller called to let them know he’d chosen them to receive Compeer Financial’s $2,500 Giving Tuesday gift in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OC1zTy
PPL: Via Project for Pride in Living, VERBATIM: “Project for Pride in Living is excited to announce the appointment of Karla Henderson as its new president and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 6, 2025. Henderson brings more than 20 years of experience working with communities to create equity through community development, urban planning, and capital improvement. Henderson is poised to lead Project for Pride in Living into its next chapter of success.”
HISTORY LESSONS: From Dan Gunderson via MPR, VERBATIM: “To the beat of drum-heavy Nordic music, Arn Kind steps in front of an audience of about 20 people in the basement of the Elysian public library. He’s dressed in furs, holding a round wooden shield and brandishing an ax. He’s ready to deliver a lesson on the Viking Age that will be hard to forget . . . Nearly every week, you can find Kind making history entertaining and educational in school classrooms and small town libraries across Minnesota. From the Vikings to the voyageurs to Vietnam, he delivers lessons like few others.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ikmat5
GRANTS: Via Austin Herald, VERBATIM: “The Austin Area Foundation has awarded $34,676 in grants from its Austin Legacy Endowment Fund to 22 locally based nonprofit organizations. The grant awards will support a wide variety of programs, including the arts, education, basic needs, community events, and several more.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OBPIF1
HOMELESSNESS: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “As temperatures drop and the holiday season approaches, a nonprofit IS CALLING on the community to help with its Share the Warmth campaign. Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota needs help sponsoring a bed campaign, that provides critical support for people facing homelessness in our region. The campaign allows individuals, families and businesses to sponsor a bed at catholic charities’ Rochester community warming center.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3CVXlng
BACKPACKS: From Lydia Morrell via KARE-TV< VERBATIM: “About 6,000 young people experience homelessness every night in Minnesota, according to Backpack Project MN. The nonprofit provides backpacks with personal care items for young people in need. They work with YouthLink, The Link, StreetWorks, Ain Dah Yung Center and the Division of Indian Work to distribute these backpacks to youth in the Twin Cities area.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4eYJB8B
WBD: Via The Ely Echo, VERBATIM: “Clubhouse, a program of Well Being Development (WBD) moved into its forever home, The Northern Lights House, at 248 N 3rd Ave E., Ely, in November. WBD is a community-based nonprofit acting as a hub of behavioral health education and resources that empowers people to be well. Our Clubhouse is a place of belonging and wellness for those that live with the challenges of chronic mental illness and addiction.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3AZbTlz
TUBACHRISTMAS: From Izabella Zadra via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “On Sunday, low brass players across the Twin Ports gathered to celebrate Tubachristmas. The annual concert puts a spotlight on instruments that may not always get the melody in a songs. These include tubas, euphoniums and mellophones. The holiday concert is a chance for people, young and old, to pick up their horns and play together.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Oy9H7E
GTTMD: From Hayden Lessiter via Minnesota Daily, VERBATIM: “This year’s Give to the Max Day, a yearly virtual fundraising event at the University of Minnesota, raised money for various campus programs on Thursday. The event is a statewide effort by givemn.org, which the University participates in, intended to raise awareness of philanthropy efforts. For the University, the event aims to gather funds for 150 different programs around campus.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZhNuQ3
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