On May 22nd, 2011, a tornado ripped through North Minneapolis taking two lives, injuring many, causing damage to homes and buildings, and tearing out trees. Since then, a variety of Tree Trust programs have worked in North Minneapolis to aid in tornado recovery.
YouthBuild
In the immediate aftermath of the tornado, YouthBuild participants and staff members who lived in North Minneapolis were out in their community cleaning up debris and helping neighbors. These individuals live in North Minneapolis, and they also spend their days working there.
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Our YouthBuild program rehabs and rebuilds homes and apartment buildings, primarily in North Minneapolis. This program typically only runs during the school year, but this summer, thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Helps - North Minneapolis Recovery Fund, YouthBuild was able to have a crew working in the tornado-affected area.
This program works with youth who are in school, but are at risk of not succeeding in education or employment. They learn construction skills and employment soft skills in their work rehabbing and rebuilding houses and apartment buildings. Since the tornado, participants have worked on tornado-damaged residences as well as rehabbed other buildings to increase the number of rentals available to those without housing as a result of the tornado.
North Minneapolis Reforest Project
Thousands of trees were lost in the tornado and our Community Forestry Department is doing its part to reforest North Minneapolis.
In the fall of 2011, thanks to a grant from State Farm Insurance, Tree Trust staff and volunteers distributed 202 trees to North Minneapolis residents to plant on private property. There were also five trees given to Nellie Stone Johnson Community School to plant on their grounds.
A number of North Minneapolis residents were unable to plant their own trees. We did not want that to stop them from participating in the program, so our Young Adult Conservation Corps, under the guidance of our Community Forestry Specialist, planted some trees for residents who could not plant them on their own.
Tree Trust has had a presence in North Minneapolis for many years. Our programs serve many disadvantaged youth and adults in that community and around the metro. Our Youth Conservation Corps, YouthBuild, and Young Adult Conservation Corps have completed many landscaping, construction, and home rehabbing projects in North Minneapolis. Community Forestry has brought our Learning with Trees program to a number schools in North Minneapolis neighborhoods over the years. Tornado recovery efforts are an extension of the services that Tree Trust already provides.
This program works with youth who are in school, but are at risk of not succeeding in education or employment. They learn construction skills and employment soft skills in their work rehabbing and rebuilding houses and apartment buildings. Since the tornado, participants have worked on tornado-damaged residences as well as rehabbed other buildings to increase the number of rentals available to those without housing as a result of the tornado.
North Minneapolis Reforest Project
Thousands of trees were lost in the tornado and our Community Forestry Department is doing its part to reforest North Minneapolis.
A number of North Minneapolis residents were unable to plant their own trees. We did not want that to stop them from participating in the program, so our Young Adult Conservation Corps, under the guidance of our Community Forestry Specialist, planted some trees for residents who could not plant them on their own.
Tree Trust has had a presence in North Minneapolis for many years. Our programs serve many disadvantaged youth and adults in that community and around the metro. Our Youth Conservation Corps, YouthBuild, and Young Adult Conservation Corps have completed many landscaping, construction, and home rehabbing projects in North Minneapolis. Community Forestry has brought our Learning with Trees program to a number schools in North Minneapolis neighborhoods over the years. Tornado recovery efforts are an extension of the services that Tree Trust already provides.
