Phillips Hub Meeting
April 25, 2014
Location: Messiah Lutheran Church Center for Changing Lives
In attendance:
Sergio Martinez – Messiah Lutheran Church
Rich Olson – Messiah Lutheran Church
Elise Ebhardt – City of Minneapolis
Angie Willardson – PPL Learning Center
Elizabeth Grant – Franklin Learning Center
Tavyer Buechler – CommonBond
Melinda – CommonBond
Brad Pass – East Phillips Park Community Design Team
Carol Pass – East Phillips Improvement Coalition
Agenda
1. Welcome and overview of Lutheran Social Services / Center for Changing Lives
2. Updates and announcements
3. TLC Leadership opportunities – ideas for resources/volunteers?
– Website decisions and maintenance
• Hosting and system needs: coordination and tech expertise
• Curriculum and Resource repository leader
• Contact management leader (CiviCRM)
• Community Tech Center data leader
– Communication opportunities, story tellers, Twitter
– Corporate / philanthropic / grant coordinator
• Can we use the needs of the TLC as technology and leadership experience for
the adults and youth we are serving?
4. May 9 TLC Meet Up
5. Other?
6. Next Phillips Hub meeting
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We started with introductions and reaffirmed our goal as a network to be a catalyst in the
Phillips neighborhood for identifying and helping to address digital needs.
Tav noted a new senior property, Cooperage, is being built at 22nd and Snelling, just east of
Hiawatha. They are developing an interest list – call 651-290-6228 to add name to list.
Expected occupancy date of October 2014.
Sergio noted that he knows of a couple organizations in the area that cycle through their
computers every few years and recycle the computers each time. He would like to find ways to
encourage them to donate the computers instead. Angie offered to connect him to Casey
Sorenson at PCs for People to explore more options.
Elise noted that the Mayor did ask each city department to consider what they would do if 5% of
the budget went toward equity and her department is exploring that further, making efforts to
ensure that “digital equity” doesn’t get lost in the conversations.
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Carol has a large distribution list for Phillips residents to keep people up to date on what’s
happening in the neighborhood. She noted many residents do not have internet service so they
often flyer to get the word out for big events and continue to explore ways to get people
connected to the internet.
Elise passed out materials for low cost computer and internet resources in English, Somali and
Hmong.
Brad noted that the Phillips Community Center is working with Teen Teamworks this summer.
The Center’s lab is running and they’re interested in finding volunteers to provide structure in
the lab.
St. Paul Public Housing reached out to Angie with an idea to recruit potential volunteers from
PPL’s basic computer workshop series who might be interested in volunteering to teach
computer skills in some of their community centers. It was suggested to also connect them with
Takoda’s tech internship program. This furthered a discussion on how to recruit volunteers and
we noted that most of the universities have service learning centers where you can connect
with students looking for volunteer/internship opportunities.
We promoted the May 9th TLC Meet-up event and Angie will send out the eventbrite invitation
to the group to register if available.
We agreed to continue to meet every other month and were encouraged to send
communications in the off-month to keep the work of the group on everyone’s radar. We will
make efforts to do so, as well as make sure all Phillips Hub participants are on the TLC listserv as
well where we send periodic info.
We toured the facility and the computer lab and met Joan Riley who manages the lab. She
would like to connect more with the group and shared her flyer via email.
Phillips Hub Mission: The Phillips Hub brings local community tech centers and direct service
providers together to discuss needs we see in the Phillips community. The meetings provide a
network of resources for ideas and referrals to help us best serve the Phillips Neighborhood.
Thanks to Angie for coordinating the Phillips Hub and sending out the meeting notes.