District Work Period Recap | June 27-July 1, 2022
Last week, we had another busy district work period in MN-05. Here’s a look behind the scenes.
Monday
I started out the week with a visit with the Aliveness Project to discuss their work in support of HIV+ individuals. The Aliveness Project was founded over 30 years ago as a community center for people living with HIV. They offer testing, case management, housing support, a community meals program, food shelf, and more.
After, I met with Robbinsdale Mayor Bill Blonigan to discuss the Blue Line extension.
Tuesday
In the morning, I had the opportunity to meet with Stella Wright, the Minnesota Poetry Out Loud Champion who participated in the national semi-finals last May. This is an annual competition put on by the National Endowment for the Arts & the Poetry Foundation. Competitors from each state choose three poems that resonate with them to present. Stella’s three poems contained themes of struggle, challenge and oppression. After, I met with a constituent from Golden Valley, Jamie to hear her concerns and discuss our office’s work on behalf of the 5th.
Later, I met with staff and members of Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment (RISE) to provide updates and answer questions. The organization founded in Minneapolis amplifies the voice and power of Muslim women through storytelling, leadership development, and civic engagement.
Wednesday
We prepped for our town hall and nailed down final logistics.
Thursday
I started the day out with a Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on “Discrimination and Persecution Against Muslims Worldwide.” From China to Burma, Sri Lanka, India and Europe, persecution of people of Muslim faith is on the rise. The United States must lead the world in standing up for the religious freedom of every person around the world and protecting religious minorities. You can watch my remarks here.
Next, I hosted a town hall at North High School in Minneapolis with Congresswoman Robin Kelly, State Representative Cedrick Frazier, Sasha Cotton (Office of Violence Prevention for the City of Minneapolis), Jerome Treadwell (Executive Director of MN Teen Activists), and Tuesday Shepard (Founder of the Deshaun Hill Foundation). We discussed ways to combat the gun violence epidemic in our communities and how to fight back against the attack on abortion rights. In case you missed it, you can watch it here.
Friday
I met with Mandela Washington Fellows to talk with students and answer any questions they had.
Lastly, my team and I went to the Brian Coyle Neighborhood Center to host a constituent casework resource fair and ways our district office can serve you. Our office has helped thousands of constituents with cases ranging from difficulties with Medicare, Social Security, the VA, immigration, and more. If you need casework assistance, please contact our district office at (612) 333–1272.
In service,
Ilhan Omar
