COVID-19 Racial Equity Impact Analysis

The Racial Equity Impact Analysis helps the City consider racial equity outcomes when shaping policies, practices, programs and budgets.

Minnesota COVID Food Fund grant for food distribution services during the COVID-19 Pandemic - REIA

Who participated in completing this analysis:

Tamara Downs-Schwei and Mariano Espinoza

1. What are the Racial Equity Impacts of this Decision?

This grant will directly support 300-600 majority Latinx and BIPOC community members weekly with emergency food and supplies in the Powderhorn Park and Corcoran Park area of Minneapolis, an area over-burdened with poverty, unemployment, food insecurity and environmental justice challenges. The grant will also provide stipends to community volunteers and two organizers from the local Latinx community who have co-implemented the distribution in partnership with City staff and food banks. It will additionally enhance capacity and build new partnership with a neighborhood organization serving this community.

2. Who will benefit from and/or be burdened by this decision?

The food distribution was developed specifically in response to the acute hunger and unemployment recently experienced by community members residing in the vicinity of Powderhorn and Corcoran parks, due to the pandemic and exacerbated by the civil unrest. Each week at Powderhorn Park since early June we have served households from south Minneapolis, primarily from zip codes 55407, 55408 and 55404 (East Phillips, Midtown, West Phillips, Ventura Village, Corcoran, Central and Powderhorn neighborhoods) and will continue doing so at Corcoran Park in November and December. About 70% of residents are currently unemployed. Most of them were working in hotels, restaurants and janitorial services prior to the pandemic arriving. The majority of residents are from Mexico and Ecuador but we also have people participating who are immigrants from East Africa and Asia and serve all residents who come in a safe environment, with dignity.

3. ARE THERE STRATEGIES TO MITIGATE ANY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THIS DECISION?

Our project team informally assesses participation on a regular basis and is in ongoing contact with local organizations and businesses for referrals and outreach. The food distribution is open to anyone who comes to get food. We will continue informally assessing our participation demographics and current employment and other data and adjust outreach and strategies as needed.

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