What's New In The Community: March 2014

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Rachel

Limon wins 2013 Minnesota Consular Corps Award

limon_wins_2013_minnesota_consular_corps_award.jpgRachel

Limon, International Trade Representative of the State of Minnesota’s

Minnesota Trade Office, has been awarded the Minnesota Consular Corps

prestigious Business Leadership Award 2013. The Minnesota Consular

Corps recognizes individuals, community groups, non-profit

organizations, and business establishments located in the states of

jurisdiction that have demonstrated sustained commitment and

outstanding achievements

in

the pursuit of cultural diversity through human rights advocacy and

protection, outstanding community service and excellence in business

leadership.

Limon

is the State of Minnesota’s Minnesota Trade Office (MTO)

International Trade Representative for Latin America & the

Caribbean. She assists Minnesota companies identify and develop

export strategies and opportunities in the international marketplace.

She has created a successful program called the Latin America Seminar

Series, which has served to assist Minnesota companies to increase

their exports to Latin America. Through her work with the Consulate

of Ecuador, they jointly created the very successful Annual South

America Trade Forum.

Limon

graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a Master’s Degree

in International Management and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish

and Psychology. She speaks fluent Spanish. She is nationally

recognized award winning Artist, a tour guide of the Native Americas

Galleries at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Art Instructor at the

White Bear Lake Center for the Arts.

IHB Mpls receives funding from Notah Begay III Foundation 

The Indian Health Board of Minneapolis

was recently selected to receive a Native Strong: Health Kids,

Healthy Futures Capacity Building Grant from the Notah Begay III

Foundation in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. The $20,000 award supports an

initiative to partner with Native American youth and youth program

staff in Minneapolis to develop community-specific strategies for

preventing childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Native American communities have the

inherent knowledge, assets and values to address health issues within

their communities but may need some additional resources and support.

In recognition of this, NB3F awarded funding to 10 projects that

demonstrated strong community engagement and readiness to develop key

strategies for preventing childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The funds, which total nearly

$190,000, will be used to assist Native American tribes and

organizations in determining the needs within their individual

communities and next steps for the creation of community-driven

action plans to address childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Information on the Notah Begay III

Foundation will be updated at www.nb3foundation.org. Additional

information on the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis initiative can

also be found at indianhealthboard.com .

SMSC gives 870,000 in propane grants

In the wake of widespread propane shortages

and excessive costs this winter, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux

Community announced on Feb. 7 three grants to the Standing Rock,

Yankton and Santee Sioux Tribes to help them purchase propane for

tribal citizens. The price of propane rose dramatically since last

year, leaving many tribal families struggling to pay for their heat

during this extra-cold winter.

Standing Rock Chairman Dave

Archambault, II recently declared a state of emergency. “The

current propane shortage and the resultant increase in propane prices

– as well as the extreme winter weather – threaten our members’

ability to keep their homes warm and their families safe,” he

wrote.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which

straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border, received $500,000 for

propane. The tribe has 8,500 citizens living on the sixth-largest

reservation in the United States, at 2.3 million acres.

The Yankton Sioux Tribe of South

Dakota received $300,000 for propane. The Yankton Sioux Tribe has

lands along the Missouri River in Charles Mix County, just across the

river from central Nebraska. Of the 12,246 tribal members, about a

third of them live on the 43,000-acre reservation.

The Santee Sioux Nation of Niobrara,

Nebraska, received $70,000 for propane. The Santee Sioux Reservation

encompasses 110,080 acres and is home to about one-third of the

tribal population of 2,662.

Volunteers needed to monitor wetlands

The Hennepin County Wetland Health

Evaluation Program announced on Feb. 26 that it will offer community

members the opportunity to explore and monitor wetlands through a

unique volunteer opportunity.

Partnering cities use the data that

are collected to determine the health of water resources and assist

with natural resource management.

Adult volunteers do not need a

science background or previous experience – just an interest in

wetlands, insects and/or plants. Hennepin County will provide

training, equipment and leadership. Teams will be formed in

Minneapolis, Maple Grove, Bloomington, Eden Prairie and Minnetonka.

Community members in these cities and neighboring communities are

welcome to join a team.

The total time commitment is 15

hours a month from May to September 2014. Volunteer applications will

be accepted through June 15. For more information or to become a

volunteer, call Mary Karius at 612-596-9129 or visit

www.hennepin.us/volunteer.

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