RCLLG August Newsletter

Read our past newsletters!

Newsletter Content:
1. September Meeting Invite
2. August 12 Member Social - Recap
3. AARP Minnesota News
RCLLG September Members' Meeting:
Firsthand Experiences with Mental Illness
A Panel Discussion
Friday, September 10th | 7:30 am - 9:00 am

Zoom Meeting | R.S.V.P to [email protected]

Meeting Description: Our September meeting (postponed from July) will continue our focus on one of the most critical healthcare issues our nation is facing: mental health. Hear from a panel of Ramsey County NAMI board members who have been impacted by mental health issues or have supported family members who have battled with mental illness. Moderator Katy Jo Turner and the three panelists will share what resources are available to those in Ramsey County. 

Guests include:
  • Katy Jo Turner, Moderator
  • Mindy Greiling, Panelist
  • Jennifer LaForgia, Panelist
  • Carrie Roach, Panelist (also a national NAMI board member)


All RCLLG Members are invited - free to attend! Monthly Members Meetings are open to all elected and appointed officials and administrative/staff leadership of RCLLG organizations. Registration is not required and there is no cost to attend.
*R.S.V.P. is required to receive the link. Links will be sent out the week of the meeting.
August 12 RCLLG Member Social
Keller Park, Maplewood
Last Thursday, August 12, we were delighted to hold our first IN-PERSON meeting since March 2020! This social was an opportunity for RCLLG members to network and simply have fun getting to know each other, while celebrating RCLLG's accomplishments this year. If you missed it, here are some recognitions:
RCLLG in 2021

February 12 - Legislative Update
  • 22 registrants + 8 legislators
  • Legislators presented their mental health priorities. It became evident how mental health is a complex issue with great intersectionality

March 12 - Mental Health Collective Action Update
  • 18 registrants
  • A collective action workgroup update was presented, followed by small group discussions on how we can work together to create meaningful change around mental health

April 9 - What's Next for Our Schools? Panel Discussion
  • 19 registrants
  • Featured 5 Ramsey County School District Leaders

May 14 - Decriminalizing Mental Illness Maplewood Case Study
  • 36 registrants
  • Maplewood response leaders presented how and why a Mental Health Outreach team (MHOT) was formed and a social worker was embedded into their emergency response team

June 11 - Public Safety Discussion
  • 28 registrants
  • Featuring four law enforcement officers from Ramsey County, Roseville, St. Anthony, and New Brighton

July - Firsthand Experiences with Mental Illness
  • POSTPONED to Friday, September 10
  • See below for more info and to RSVP!


Total 2021 RCLLG Member Representation

  • 123 total registrants throughout the year, representing all 15 cities/townships and 6 schools districts
  • 30 new participants joined us! *compared to 2020
Thank you to those who participated in the August social and in our member meetings this year!
News from AARP Minnesota
Six Minnesota Communities Receive
AARP Challenge Grants

*photos and content taken directly from AARP MN's Summer 2021 Newsletter
AARP announced July 28 that 244 quick-action projects in all 50 states will receive $3.2M in funding to create better places to live, address disparities and support older residents. Six of these projects are in Minnesota!
 
The City of Brooklyn Park will purchase and utilize temporary outdoor pathway surfaces that make their festivals and concerts more accessible; the City of Shakopee will add benches and other amenities to their community gardens, which also provide fresh food to the local food shelf; Family Service Rochester will add benches, trees and a multilingual kiosk to a local park; Region Five Development Commission in Central MN will offer a program that helps residents learn to utilize local public transit services; St. Anthony Park Community Council will work with St. Paul Public Works to enhance pedestrian facilities for safety and include public art in the renovations, and Hibbing Farmers Market is adding an awning to their building and expanding their Power of Produce program to include older shoppers.  
 
Stay tuned for the stories of these communities as their projects are completed by November. You can learn more about AARP’s Community Challenge Grants at www.aarp.org/communitychallenge. 
Thanks for reading


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(Jessica's chocolate chip cookies were a hit at the August Social. Hopefully they will make another appearance soon - our fingers are crossed for the annual meeting in December!)

If you have any questions about RCLLG, your membership, or news listed above, please email [email protected].

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Ramsey County League of Local Governments | https://fusionlp.org/rcllg/