Kingfield Neighborhood Association

Update and Actions to Take Regarding the MLK Park Encampment

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Thank you for your patience and care as our city and nation experience a housing crisis compounded by the recent COVID-19 global pandemic. The population of unhoused neighbors living in MLK Park encampments has grown 3x since June.

How can I help my unhoused neighbors? The best way you can help right now is to use your time and energy to advocate for dignified short, medium and long-term housing solutions in our city. We do not recommend individual citizens attempt direct engagement work with encampments. Those experiencing homelessness deserve social service solutions delivered by trained and trauma-informed providers. Please respect the autonomy of all encampments, including prioritizing your personal safety and boundaries. Consider a financial donation to trusted organizations serving our community: ZACAH, Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, The Link, and Park Avenue Center.

Housed neighbors stand in solidarity with unhoused neighbors prioritizing humanitarian aid, while acknowledging systems, events and health issues that can lead to short-term and chronic homelessness. Informal mutual aid efforts provide food and minimal ice to as many parks across the city as possible, this is not a sustainable solution. We demand our elected officials immediately address the current humanitarian housing crisis in Minneapolis. Please contact your elected officials, today! And then copy that email to Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz.

More information to be communicated through KFNA in the near future, stay tuned.

MLK Park Housing Advocates 

Proposed Public Safety Charter Amendment: Hearings Scheduled for July 15 & 21

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The Minneapolis Charter Commission is seeking public comments on a proposed amendment to the City charter related to the future of public safety. People can submit their comments online or provide them directly to members of the commission at a public hearing July 15 or July 21.

The proposed amendment, submitted by the City Council, proposes adding a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department with a Division of Law Enforcement Services within the department. Under State law, the Charter Commission is required to review and submit its recommendation(s) on the proposed amendment before a ballot question can be presented to voters.

The virtual public hearings will take place at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, and at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 21. Participation instructions will be published on the City’s website. If you’re interested in speaking at either or both of the public hearings, you can pre-register using the online registration form.

Other ways to comment:

Revised 2020 Budget: Public Hearings Scheduled for July 14 and 22

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The City Council’s Budget Committee will hold two public hearings in July on proposed revisions to the City’s 2020 budget. The City faces a significant revenue shortfall as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and needs to make cuts to the City’s roughly $1.5 billion budget.

Mayor Jacob Frey briefed the City Council’s Budget Committee on a revised 2020 budget on July 9, and staff presented the revised budget to the City Council Budget Committee on July 10. You can watch both budget meetings at the links below.

Public hearings

Engage and share your voice in this process during two online public hearings:

  • 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, July 14
  • 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 22

You can watch the online meetings and participate in the online public hearings here.

The City Council is scheduled to vote July 24 on a revised 2020 budget.

Minneapolis Public Schools Extends Free Meals to Children through August 21

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Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) announced it will continue serving free meals to all children 18 and under through Friday, August 21. Since schools closed on March 17, MPS Culinary & Wellness Services (CWS) has served more than 2 million free meals — Monday-Friday, rain or shine — to youth across Minneapolis through weekly food boxes.

Each food box stays true to the MPS CWS mission — to nurture all children with access to quality food and active living. The free food boxes include items for seven breakfasts and seven lunches and are filled with fresh produce and true food ingredients that meet the district’s high bar for nutrition.

MPS CWS’s “True Food” philosophy means food is made with fresh, whole ingredients that support the wellbeing of students, the community, and the environment. It means nutrient-rich food free from high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial colors and flavors.

Though the way MPS CWS prepares food quickly shifted in the pandemic, the commitment to True Food remains steadfast. Some recent offerings from the free food boxes for children include tamales, Ferndale turkey burgers, whole grain french toast bread, melon, sugar snap peas, and cherry tomatoes.

Families can pick-up food boxes at 50 schools and parks across Minneapolis Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To keep families and staff safe, sites offer contact-free pick-up. All youth are invited to participate in this program and do not need to be enrolled in MPS to receive food boxes. Youth, parents, or siblings can pick up one box for each child in their family, per week.

More information can be found at cws.mpls.k12.mn.us/covid19.

Keeping Children Fed This Summer

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Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is a temporary food benefit available to Minnesota families with children who would have received free or reduced-price meals if schools were open. Families with eligible children will receive a one-time payment of $325 per child on a new or existing EBT card to help fill the gap created by a loss of school meals. The deadline to apply has been extended, so families need to complete the application by July 31.

Please note that if your child attended a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school, you should qualify for the P-EBT benefit.

Kingfield Restaurants

currently open for take-out
(more info available here)

  • Tap Society
  • Sunstreet Breads
  • Royal Grounds
  • Rincon 38
  • Revival
  • Patisserie 46
  • Nighthawks
  • The Lowbrow
  • Hola Arepa
  • Grand Cafe
  • Good Times Pizza
  • Five Watt Coffee
  • Young Man
  • Dave The Pie Guy
  • Curran's
  • Cocina Latina
  • Cafe Ena
  • Butter Bakery Cafe
  • Boludo Empanadas
  • Apoy