The OG Co-Founders
A Bit of HIstory
Mary Claire Francois
A Bit of HIstory
The Real Minneapolis was formed by 3 BIPOC female co-founders immediately following the murder of George Floyd in our neighborhood. The initial intention of lifting up our community with operational infrastructure and coalition-building quickly expanded to placemaking, and overall mental health support during the height of a global pandem
The Real Minneapolis was formed by 3 BIPOC female co-founders immediately following the murder of George Floyd in our neighborhood. The initial intention of lifting up our community with operational infrastructure and coalition-building quickly expanded to placemaking, and overall mental health support during the height of a global pandemic in a city devastated by civil unrest and systemic injustice.
Valerie Quintana
Mary Claire Francois
A Bit of HIstory
Valerie continues to serve as Executive Director and oversees part-time staff, dedicated volunteers and community ambassadors. As we await several grant and contract determinations for Summer 2023, we hope to hire a Program Manager and a Program Coordinator!
Marni Lewis-Harvey
Mary Claire Francois
Mary Claire Francois
Marni served as Creative Director until December of 2021 and moved on to new and fabulous adventures in everything brand, design and all-around wizardry! She is credited for creating our logo and branding. (Valerie has done her best to stay true-to-form, but only maintains a skeleton crew.)
Mary Claire Francois
Mary Claire Francois
Mary Claire Francois
Mary Claire served as Youth Director until August of 2021, then part-time support until July of 2022 when she moved on to adventures in nursing school and coaching basketball. MC launched the first GoFundMe to raise $1000 or so, but quickly garnered more than $20,000!
We Work in Real Time
The Real Minneapolis - HOPE & HELP
Our current priorities are homelessness, youth engagement, opioid epidemic, and overall mental health support. Launched as crisis support following the mu
See below for various ways to make a tax deductible contribution. You can specify if you would like your funds to go to one of these areas:
- FOOD JUSTICE / FOOD DISTRIBUTION
- OPIOID CASE MANAGEMENT & SERVICES
- HOUSING CASE MANAGEMENT & SERVICES
- YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH & SERVICES
- ADULT MENTAL HEALTH & SERVICES
- CRIMINAL JUSTICE SUPPORT
- SHOWERS, CLOTHING & ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES
Something clever here
One Meal At A Time
Initially operating out of Tiny Diner --thanks to Kim Bartmann of Placeholder Hospitality for sharing space and kitchen magician stuff.
While handing out water in a heatwave was hot news for 4 different media outlets in 5 days last July, it was literally just another day for The Real Minneapolis. Shoutout to Heidi Wigdahl of NBC Kare11, who has believed in our work and accurately captured our story several times since summer of 2020. The TODAY Show picked up the story Heidi had done locally!
Interns Over the Years
Ella Pritchard
Ella Pritchard
Ella Pritchard
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
Jada Anderson
Ella Pritchard
Ella Pritchard
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
Naz
Ella Pritchard
Jadale Thompson
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
Jadale Thompson
Jadale Thompson
Jadale Thompson
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
Gloria Olmeda
Jadale Thompson
Gloria Olmeda
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
HOUSING & RECOVERY INITIATIVES
AUGUST 2021-PRESENT: HOPEmobile Outreach & Services to Unhoused Friends
MARCH 2022-PRESENT: Mpls CareCollab Healing Services for Unhoused Friends
MARCH 2022-PRESENT: Mpls CareCollab Healing Services for Unhoused Friends
HOPEmobile is our "vehicle for change" - a on-stop shop motorhome which has enabled us to serve nearly 35k meals (as of February 2023, new clothing, life-saving Naloxone, triage to essential medical an social services
MARCH 2022-PRESENT: Mpls CareCollab Healing Services for Unhoused Friends
MARCH 2022-PRESENT: Mpls CareCollab Healing Services for Unhoused Friends
MARCH 2022-PRESENT: Mpls CareCollab Healing Services for Unhoused Friends
Building on our unique trusted relationships and aided by our own lived experience, we have ushered more than 500 friends experiencing homelessness indoors for services including case management, showers, healing circles and more. GMCC has graciously offered use of their facility, ideally located at 1100 E. Lake St.
PAST INITIATIVES
AUGUST 2021-PRESENT: HOPEmobile Outreach & Services to Unhoused Friends
MARCH 2022-PRESENT: Mpls CareCollab Healing Services for Unhoused Friends
MARCH 2022-PRESENT: Mpls CareCollab Healing Services for Unhoused Friends
HOPEmobile is our "vehicle for change" - a on-stop shop motorhome which has enabled us to serve nearly 35k meals (as of February 2023, new clothing, life-saving Naloxone, triage to essential medical an social services
MARCH 2022-PRESENT: Mpls CareCollab Healing Services for Unhoused Friends
MARCH 2022-PRESENT: Mpls CareCollab Healing Services for Unhoused Friends
MARCH 2022-PRESENT: Mpls CareCollab Healing Services for Unhoused Friends
Building on our unique trusted relationships and aided by our own lived experience, we have ushered more than 500 friends experiencing homelessness indoors for services including case management, showers, healing circles and more. GMCC has graciously offered use of their facility, ideally located at 1100 E. Lake St.
May 2020 - PRESENT: Youth Mental Health & Engagement
MARCH 2022-PRESENT: Mpls CareCollab Healing Services for Unhoused Friends
May 2020 - PRESENT: Youth Mental Health & Engagement
our lovely Team
alex
alex
alex
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
cole
alex
alex
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
dani
alex
steph
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
steph
valerie
steph
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
valerie
valerie
valerie
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
Volunteers Over The Years
KATIE
BERNADETTE
KENDRA
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
KENDRA
BERNADETTE
KENDRA
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
BERNADETTE
BERNADETTE
BERNADETTE
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
RON
ERICK
BERNADETTE
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
SLOW
ERICK
ERICK
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
ERICK
ERICK
ERICK
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
MARIE
SHARON
SHARON
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
SHARON
SHARON
SHARON
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
QUI
SHARON
QUI
NEW BIOS COMING SOON
Outreach Crews | Volunteers | Partner Orgs
We make it happen, together.
Tell people about the amazing people on your team.
PHOTO OF VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION
Share when and why you launched your organization.
PHOTO OF VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION
Describe the mission of your organization.
WE ARE SEEKING 2024 SPONSORS
PAST DONORS ARE BELOW
Platinum Sponsors: $50,000+
Allina Health, In-Kind Donation: November 2020 thru November 2021
We can't even put a price on the kindness Allina has shown us! The donated office space in their Corporate Headquarters is the perfect location for our students and they love having their own workstations for distance learning. Thank you for believing in us, Allina!
Gold Sponsors: $20,000-$50,000
Comcast: September 2020
Comcast initially donated $10,000 to support our Hope Youth Center 2021 school year, then an additional $25,000 for our summer program -- all of which funded our staffing and operational needs. Comcast also made an in-kind donation of free high speed internet and 30 Dell laptops.
Vans Shoes, In-Kind Donor: June 2020
Steve Van Doren, son of VANS co-founder Paul Van Doren, donated a whole truckload of Vans shoes and merch allowing us to shine a bright and radiant light on hope to our community that was suffering the most after the murder of George Floyd. We appreciate your bright and loving spirit, Steve. It was needed, and didn't go unnoticed! Stay tuned for an awesome upcoming collab with The Real Minneapolis and Vans!