Year in Review – Tangletown Neighborhood Association

2022 Tangletown Neighborhood Association Impact

We have built community, supported our neighbors, and enhanced our neighborhood:

Hosted our annual Winter Fest event in February with fun for kids, s’mores, food trucks, and an exciting fire performance
Collected food for our annual Food Drive for Joyce Uptown Foodshelf
At our Plate-to-Compost event, raising over $600 to support our programs, we distributed 8 cubic yards of city organics recycling-turned-compost, improving the soil quality and water retention of Tangletown yards
Beautified our community at our annual Spring Spruce Up and Autumn Alley Cleanup events
Hosted our annual Fourth of July Party at Fuller Park with live music, food trucks, sno cones and fun activities for kids
Installed a historical marker at the Washburn Water Tower with funding support from a State Legacy Grant. Celebrated the occasion with a brunch and history presentation by local historian Tom Balcom.
Continued our security rebate program, awarding over $978 in rebates in 2022, helping residents to make over $2,000 in safety improvements to their homes

We are making positive environmental impacts at the grassroots level:

Completed our Hennepin County Green Partners grant to empower people to live a low waste lifestyle through a variety of events including workshops focused on food waste reduction through shopping, storage, cooking, and organics recycling
In partnership with the Kingfield and Lyndale Neighborhood Associations, we have received a Lawns to Legumes Demonstration Neighborhood Grant from the MN Board of Soil and Water Resources for our Nicollet Avenue Pollinator Pathway Project. We have designed 50 pollinator habitats, specifically for the endangered Rusty Patched Bumblebee, that will be installed in 2023 stretching from Minnehaha Creek to Lake Street.
Completed our Energy Rebate program in April 2022, with a final distribution of over $14,000 in rebates towards over $117,000 in energy improvements since the program began, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of our neighborhood
Answered your sustainability questions in our monthly Sustainability Sam blog posts; published a monthly sustainability focused newsletter to broaden our impact
Coordinated a multi-neighborhood e-waste recycling event to recover the reusable and recyclable content of over 32,000 pounds (yes, you read that right, thirty-two thousand pounds!) of electronics and small appliance waste, diverting this waste from incineration and landfills

We continue our equity work:

Executed our 2022 Equitable Engagement Plan, including a neighborhood-wide survey with intentional outreach to historically underrepresented residents; this will inform our work in 2023-24
Co-hosted a pop-up event with Council Member Koski to meet Tangletown residents living at Creek Terrace Apartments and to hear their neighborhood priorities and concerns
Partnered with the Kingfield and Lyndale Neighborhood Associations to explore what collaboration could look like across neighborhoods with diverse demographics and priorities, but with common goals
Began planning an educational event in partnership with the Native Governance Alliance on land use and acknowledgements; this will take place in February 2023

We kept you apprised of neighborhood, city, and county news via:

Our biannual print newsletter and postcards delivered to 1,800 households in Tangletown
Our e-newsletter that is received by over 1,200 people monthly
Our Facebook page with over 950 followers
Our welcome totes that were delivered to over 80 new renters and homeowners in 2022
Our tangletown.org website, the hub for our neighborhood initiatives!

We continue to look for relevant and meaningful opportunities to meet our mission of enhancing the quality of life for those who live, work, or play in Tangletown through advocacy, community engagement, and neighborhood initiatives. Your financial support helps us continue to offer the events and programs our community loves.

Click here to donate to support our work.

2021 Tangletown Neighborhood Association Impact

We built community, supported our neighbors, and enhanced our neighborhood:

Collected 192 bags of food totaling 2,179.5 pounds as part of our annual Food Drive for Joyce Uptown Foodshelf
Distrubed eight cubic yards of City organics recycling turned compost to Tangletown yards at our Plate to Compost event raising over $800 to support our programs
Beautified our community at our annual Spring Spruce Up event and through volunteer maintenance of the landscaping at the Washburn Water Tower
Brought back our Fourth of July event with live music, food trucks, and a fundraiser raffle
Received a $3,375 State Legacy Grant to develop a historical marker at the Washburn Water Tower which will be installed spring of 2022
Unveiled a new security rebate program enabling residents to make safety improvements to their homes which awarded over $1,600 in rebates so far
Celebrated the return of Open Streets Lyndale by handing out free popcorn and engaging participants in environmental education

We continued our racial equity work:

Hosted Mapping Prejudice Project Director Kristen Delegard for a presentation on racial covenants and racist housing policy in Minneapolis
Facilitated a community book read of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents with Professor Harry Waters Jr
Created and adopted three equity questions for the board and committees to utilize to keep equity at the forefront of budgetary and programmatic decisions
Partnered with the Kingfield Neighborhood Association around the creation of an equitable development scorecard which would evaluate future residential developments with a racial equity lens
Moved our Equity Task Force into a permanent committee of the board
Established an Equitable Engagement Plan to increase outreach to underrepresented communities in 2022
Joined the Homeownership Opportunity Alliance to build partnerships in hopes of expanding access to homeownership

In a critical municipal election year, we ensured voters were equipped with knowledge to make their voting decisions:

Co-hosted two candidate forums (District 6 Park Board and Ward 11 City Council) which were live streamed and viewed over 1,700 times
Participated in the Charter Education Team which created informational tools on the charter amendments and hosted a forum featuring advocates debating the merits of the proposed amendments (1,600 views)

We made positive environmental impacts as the grassroots level:

Completed our Hennepin County grant focused on textile waste reduction:
- Three virtual events in 2021 educated attendees on mending, laundry, and secondhand shopping
- A Clothing Swap at Fuller Park included 324 pounds of clothing that were swapped or donated
- Over 2020-2021: 780 event registrations, 250 unique Zoom attendees, and over 950 event recording views
- 91.1% of participants surveyed indicated that the events motivated and equipped the individual to accomplish behavior change with 88.6% expressing it was likely they would change a behavior as a result of the events
Hosted Resilient Landscape virtual workshop and self guided tour educating over 70 people on ways to make improvements to their yards for water quality and sustainability
Received a $10,000 grant to empower people to live a low waste lifestyle through a variety of events including:
- Plastic Wars film screening and discussion
- Overcoming the Challenges of Packaging Waste workshop
- Transitioning to a Zero Waste Lifestyle: Bulk Shopping workshop
- In 2022, we plan to host three more workshops focused on food waste reduction through shopping, storage, cooking, and organics recycling
Continued our Energy Rebate, distributing over $12,000 in rebates towards over $100,000 in energy improvements since the program began -Note: this program will end in April 2022, so make sure to get your work done before it’s too late to qualify
Answered your sustainability questions in our monthly Sustainability Sam blog posts and launched a monthly sustainability focused newsletter to broaden our impact

We kept you apprised of neighborhood, city, and county news via:

Our biannual print newsletter and postcards delivered to 1,800 households in Tangletown
Our e-newsletter that is received by over 1,100 people monthly
Our Facebook page with over 800 followers
Our welcome totes that were delivered to over 100 new residents in 2021

2020 Tangletown Neighborhood Association Year in Review

In a year full of unprecedented challenges, Tangletown Neighborhood Association quickly pivoted our work to meet the needs of these difficult times:

In response to the Covid19 Pandemic:

Moved all our events and meetings to virtual formats
Formed a team of volunteer area captains that delivered flyers to all 1800 households in Tangletown and served as personal contacts for assistance in their area
Developed and maintained a Tangletown business listing which shared updated hours and services for our neighborhood businesses during the Stay At Home orders
Organized a May Day Food Drive in which 12 volunteers collected 2,369 pounds of food from 110 households to donate to Joyce Uptown Foodshelf
Provided regular updates on safety requirements and programs for assistance via social media and our monthly e-newsletter
Supported our local business community through purchasing gift cards as prizes for various events and initiatives
Completed a neighborhood wide GOTV flyering effort ensuring people had the information they needed to safely vote in the pandemic

In response to the murder of George Floyd, the distruction to local businesses, and the racial inequities in our city:

Donated $15,000 to West Broadway Business Coalition to support businesses impacted by the riots
Formed an Equity Task Force of 10 community members and board members
Developed vision, values, and strategies for our racial equity work
Created a racial equity and anti racist educational resource list and feature a monthly resource in our e-newsletter and social media
Engaged with East Phillips Neighborhood Institute and our City Council Member to advocate for the Indoor Urban Farm project which represents an opportunity for job growth, affordable housing, and environmental justice in an area historically plagued by environmental racism
Planned two educational events coming up this winter: a Community Book Read of Caste, the Origins of our Discontents and a Mapping Prejudice Workshop
Collaborated with Kingfield and Lowry Hill East neighborhoods on the potential development of a scorecard for evaluating future residential developments with a racial equity lens

We continued to build community in this time of separation:

Prior to the pandemic, hosted the largest WinterFest event yet with over 200 people in attendance
Innovated to hold our first ever Virtual Annual Meeting and Board Election with over 50 people in attendance electing 5 new board members in addition to our returning board members
Beautified our community by continuing our annual Spring Spruce Up and Autumn Alley Clean Up events and maintaining the landscaping at the Washburn Water Tower
Changed up our Fourth of July event to feature a decorating contest and scavenger hunt with 115 people participating
Hosted our first ever Taste of Tangletown event celebrating our own version of the State Fair in Tangletown
Collected 931 lbs of donations as part of our Winter Coat and Gear Drive including 25 coats that were repaired by volunteer menders before donating to House of Charity

We made positive environmental impacts as the grassroots level:

Received $7,000 grant which helped implement 13 rain gardens and bioswales featuring biochar, an innovative product which improves soil health and sequesters carbon
Hosted Resilient Yards virtual workshop and self guided tour educating over 70 people on ways to make improvements to their yards for water quality
Received a $10,000 grant to empower people to reduce their textile waste through a variety of events including:
- The True Cost documentary screening and panel had over 30 people attend to learn about the impacts of the fashion industry on people and our planet
- Donating and Buying with a Conscience event where more than 100 people gained tips and tricks for how to donate mindfully and shop secondhand like a pro
- More events continue into 2021 including clothing mending and repairs, laundering and textile care, a deeper dive into secondhand shopping, and our textile reduce and reuse fair
Continued our Energy Rebate, distributing $8,500 in rebates towards over $71,000 in energy improvements since the program began
Answered your sustainability questions in our monthly Sustainability Sam posts

We keep you apprised of neighborhood and city news via:

Our biannual print newsletter and postcards delivered to 1,800 households in Tangletown
Our e-newsletter that is received by nearly 1,100 people monthly
Our Facebook page with nearly 700 followers
Our welcome totes that were delivered to over 100 new residents in 2020

We continue to look for relevant and meaningful opportunities to meet our mission of enhancing the quality of life for those who live, work, or play in Tangletown through advocacy, community engagement, and neighborhood initiatives. We would love for you to join us in this work, email us at info@tangletown.org to learn more.

2019 Tangletown Neighborhood Association Year in Review

Our event highlights included:

Hosted 17 events with an estimated total of over 2,000 people in attendance.
Created two new engagement events for our residents:
- Winterfest: Finally a Tangletown event in the winter! With bonfires, luminaries, s’mores, sledding, crafts, music, and more, we lit up the snow-covered park!
- Tangletown Street Party: Neighbors joined us for live music, drinks and food.
Innovated two events to beautify our neighborhood:
- Spring Spruce Up: Residents committed to clean up their boulevards and yards after the winter months and three winners received great prizes for their work!
- Autumn Alley Clean Up: We provided dumpsters for residents to clear out unwanted items from their alleys and side yards.
Kept the classic events strong:
- This year’s Fourth of July event had record attendance and fun new additions including a yoga warm up before the parade with Blooma Yoga, a balloon artist, and new carnival games.
- The Annual Garage Sale was moved to the fall and had over 60 sales registered.

You may have noticed…
- We distributed 68 welcome bags to new renters and homeowners in Tangletown.
- We unveiled a new energy rebate program this fall where residents can qualify for a $500 match on insulation and air sealing improvements. Seven homes have qualified for $3,500 in rebates so far representing nearly $30,000 in energy improvements.
- We selected a winning design for a storm drain stencil and stenciled over 50 drains throughout Tangletown.
- We rolled out a new benefit for storm drain adoptees to get free supplies to support them in their work to keep our drains clear. 36 drains have now been adopted as a result!
- We collected 10 bags of litter at our Litter Be Gone event.

We received a $10,000 grant from Hennepin County to increase Organics Recycling participation:
- 668 people directly engaged and 11,700 reached through communications outreach
- 29 new households signed up to participate in Organics Recycling
- 77 people made a commitment to increase their use of Organics Recycling with 87.9% of people surveyed reporting they followed through with that commitment
- 117 compost collection bins were distributed to Tangletown residents
- 4 events hosted (two workshops, a compost site tour, and a sustainability cooking class)
- 77.8% of people surveyed have talked to a friend/neighbor/family member about Organics Recycling as a result of our engagement
- 97.2% of people surveyed were satisfied with our efforts around Organics Recycling
We couldn’t do it without our volunteers:
- 33 Fourth of July event volunteers
- 20 Washburn Water Tower planting, watering, and weeding volunteers
- 12 current board members
- 12 community members serving on committees
- And many more!

2018 Tangletown Neighborhood Association Year in Review:

Hosted 10 events with an estimated total of 1500 people in attendance. Highlights included:

Washburn Water Tower planting inauguration – neighbors gathered to plant over 700 plants and trees to enhance our iconic water tower.
Record attendance at our Annual Meeting focused on the Future of Tangletown. Notable speakers included our newly elected Mayor Jacob Frey and Council Member Jeremy Schroeder. Nine board members were elected for a full board of fifteen.
Thunderstorms may have rained out our parade, but our Fourth of July celebration was still a huge hit at Fuller Park with over 300 wristbands sold for activities!
Tangletown had a big presence at Lyndale Open Streets offering free popcorn and sno cones at 53rd and Lyndale in partnership with Kenny and Lynnhurst neighborhoods. We also hosted a booth to share information about Tangletown to the over 40,000 people that attend this event annually.

You may have noticed…

Utility box wraps were installed at 7 locations around Tangletown. We used pieces from local artists to beautify our neighborhood. The installation at 50th and James includes the artwork of a handful of students at Burroughs Elementary School and was executed in partnership with Lynnhurst Neighborhood Asc.
We created three new committees to begin work on our core priorities of Beautiful Purposeful Spaces, Innovative Environmental Leadership, and Engaged, Welcoming Community.
Over $300,000 in funding was approved by the community for the work of our committees to make a big impact in Tangletown over the next three years.

We made a positive impact on our environment:

We were awarded the Green Business Partnership Award for our work to eliminate PERC chemicals at LeMac Cleaners in partnership with Windom Community Council.
578 pounds of textiles were diverted from landfills at our textile collection event
8 bags of trash and 4 bags of recycling were collected at Litter Be Gone event

We couldn’t do it without our volunteers:

40 Washburn Water Tower planting, watering, and weeding volunteers
28 Fourth of July event volunteers
14 current board members
12 community members serving on committees
And many more!

Our reach continues to grow! In 2018 we connected with:

Over 900 residents monthly through our e-newsletter
Over 1800 households in Tangletown through our bi-annual print newsletter and postcards
Over 300 followers on our Facebook page and growing.
Over 2800 residents on Nextdoor.com
Over 14,000 visits to our website: tangletown.org