Welcome

THE BACKYARD INITIATIVE

Principles that Guide that Backyard Initiative

1. Residents who live in the Backyard, whether they are homeowners, renters, homeless workers, business owners, parents, grandparents, must always be consulted, involved, engages, listened to and treated as partners.

2.Any assement of needs or assets, strengths or weaknesses, must be done by or with the residents.

3.The Backyard initiative must listen to and take direction from the many diversse peoples and cultrues that live in the area.

4.Those who are taking the lead in the Backyard Inititative must include those who live in the area and people who are from the different cultural communities.

The CHAT is composed of a group of people who work together on a common concern or issue in order to improve the health of the community and build community.

Backyard Initiative

Citizen Health Action Teams (CHATs)

 A Partnership of Diabetics (A-POD) CHAT:            

This CHAT works to support diabetes self-management and recovery through networks of family, social, and community-based resources that effectively complement the work of health care providers.

CONTACT: ROBERT ALBEE   ralbee4045@aol.com

Anchor Families CHAT:  

This team is seeking to establish “anchor families” on each block who can teach life skills and guiding values to youth as well as connect youth and their families to resources for wellness.

CONTACT:KHUSABA SEKA  khusaba.anchorfamilies@yahoo.com 

Circle of Healing CHAT:

Members of this CHAT come together as practitioners interested in creating a more formalized network of people (Circles of Healing) around Backyard residents to provide better information and support for healing and reflection about the message of dis-ease. This network serves both the Backyard community receiving care and the healing practitioner community in the Backyard.

CONTACT:KHUSABA SEKA  khusaba.anchorfamilies@yahoo.com

Communications CHAT:     

This group is working to lessen or eliminate the divide between people who have information and those who don’t so that everyone has the opportunity to be engaged in a healthy community.

CONTACT: SUSAN GUST sgustsrc@aol.com

Dakota Language Revitalization CHAT:  

This group is concentrated on keeping Dakota language and life ways alive and vibrant in the Dakota community. CONTACT: ASHLEY LONGCROW AGARD  ashleylongcrow@yahoo.com

“Did You Know?” CHAT:

This group is working to build capacity at the grass roots level to get to know our neighbors and build informal networks through which we can deliver information and support. CONTACT: JOHN BAILEY  JCBnola@aol.com

Growing the Backyard CHAT:

This group is focusing on finding ways to support healthy eating though accessibility to healthy foods and educating about healthy practices across cultures. CONTACT: HASHEP SEKA  hashep.seka@yahoo.com

Guri Nabad “Peace House” CHAT:

This group is looking at engaging and connecting Somali families to address health issues including autism, lead poisoning, and asthma that are affecting their community. 

CONTACT: MAHAMED CALI calimahamed@gmail.com

Latino/a Environmental Health Begins at Home CHAT:

This group is looking at the impact of environment on the health of residents in the Backyard.

CONTACT: BERTA  RUIZ 

Alicia5rg@hotmail.com

Out in the Backyard CHAT:

A team that is working to connect individuals from all cultures who are LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) with the resources they need to be healthy and safe

CONTACT: MILI DUTTA  gogettergirl@gmail.com

Project S.E.L.F. (Save Educate Liberate Free) CHAT:

Project S.E.L.F. aims to assist youth, elders, and families in healthy living and artistic expressions through poetry, open microphone performances, information workshops, and community dialogue.

CONTACT: AMGED YUSUF

 Alpha.612@hotmail.com

Rebirthing Community CHAT:

This team is focused on bringing elders and youth together through mentoring and visual arts for a “rebirthing” of community.

 CONTACT: DEE HENRY WILLIAMS  shangospirit@q.com

 Somali Women's Health CHAT

We are working to promote communication, understanding, and support among women of the Somali community who have children in the judicial system by creating spaces and systems for them to talk to each other, connect to each other, and assist each other. CONTACT: Fardusa Yosuf  Fardowsajamac@yahoo.com

Therapeutic Massage Bernadette Bauer, Massage Therapist

Relaxation Massage, Massage Pressure Points, Deep Tissue Massage, and Swedish Massage, at $45/Hour. Call: 612-396-2821 for an appointment.

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TRADITIONAL CHILD BEARING

Because women of African heritage are disproportionately affected by low-birth weight, premature births and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the Minnesota Chapter of the International Center for Traditional Child bearing (ICTC) uses the Cultural Wellness approach to birthing, called the Birthing Team. In this approach women of African heritage and their families are supported from conception through the postpartum period by a traditional birth attendant at the Cultural Wellness Center, Akhmiri Sekhr-Ra, who is a student of an ancient African knowledge system in the art of giving birth.

The goal of the Minnesota Chapter of ICTC is to bring families and health care providers together to collectively support healthy pregnancies, to reduce infant mortality, promote breastfeeding, and increase the number of black midwives and doulas. To organize the coming together of families, traditional and conventional health care providers, and those interested in becoming a doula or midwife, the Chapter holds a quarterly “Midwife Café.” During these “Café” sessions, participants are encouraged to share and create new knowledge surrounding the birthing process. The “Cafés” are held quarterly and last 2 -3 hours.

Contact: Akhmiri-Sekhr-Ra, se-mesi

akhmiri@ppcwc.org