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Prosperity Campaign: Envisioning a prosperous East Side of St. Paul

For three years the Prosperity Campaign brought together 64 organizations to build relationships and to share their vision for an engaged, prosperous community.  During that time, the organizations created momentum for collaborative social change and kept alive the dream of community prosperity in spite of the fragile economy.  When the Prosperity Campaign ended in 2008, the commitment to the process remained and the momentum for change was strong.

During the final meeting of the Prosperity Campaign in November 2008, approximately 15 individuals volunteered to serve on the East Side Planning Group.  The multi-cultural, multi-sector group of leaders accepted responsibility for shaping a community vision and long-term action plan for the East Side.  They agreed to meet monthly over a period of 6 months to determine how they will combine their unique perspectives and contributions to advance social and economic prosperity on the East Side of St. Paul.

Although these organizations and individuals had been together at the Prosperity Campaign table for 3 years, this process asked them to work together in a different way – more intentionally and more collaboratively with a shared plan of action.  The goals for the 6 months were ambitious, but the individuals at the table were all deeply committed to the process.  During their brief time together, the East Side Planning Group made significant progress, including the drafting of an initial vision document that broke down into four issue areas.  Those areas are:

• Community Wealth and Prosperity

• Community Voice, Belonging and Action

• Community Health and Wellness

• Community Education and Learning

Nexus’s role has been to ensure the voice of the community is infused in the vision and subsequent plan.  Nexus is partnering with several culturally based organizations, such as Casa de Esperanza, the Cultural Wellness Center, and the American Indian Family Center, all of whom place community engagement at the center of their work.

A lot of work still needs to be done, but the groups are deeply committed to the process and realizing our goal.  Nexus will continue to be at the table providing strategic thinking and guidance as they explore innovative ways to better serve communities and realize a vision for the East Side of St. Paul.

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