[Music] Those are your needs. See that you won't let it show. You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand. We all need somebody to lean on. I just might have a problem. Then you understand we all need somebody to lead. Lean on me when you're not strong. And I'll be your friend. I'll help you carry on. Oh, you won't be alone till I'm going to need somebody to lead me on. Just call home, brother, when you need a hand. We all need somebody to lean on. I just might have a problem that you understand. We all need somebody to lean on. There is a load you have to build that you can carry. I ride up the road. I'll show you the Lord. If you just call me, call me. If you need a friend, oh call me home. If you need a friend, if you need a friend, oh call me, call me home. Call me home. Call me. Call me [Music] afraid. [Music] Thank you. [Music] Oh my god. [Music] Where are you going? Where I'm going [Music] soon. When nobody asked you where I'm going, where I'm going soon. [Music] I'm going love beyond. [Music] I'm going love beyond. I'm going love beyond to be with my Lord. [Music] I can take the pain. I can take the pain. The hardest they bring. The heartaches they bring. A comfort in knowing comfort. I'll soon be as God gives me grace. As God gives me grace just to run this race, just to run this race until I see my singer face to face. Help me. I'm going up beyond. I'm going up beyond. I'm going up yonder to be with my Lord. I'm going up beyond. [Music] I'm going up beyond. [Music] I'm going up beyond to be with my Lord. [Music] That's true. We're on the way. We're on the way. So, [Music] I can take the pain. I can take the pain. The heartaches they bring. the comfort and glory. I'll soon be home. For me, I'm going up beyond. I'm going up beyond. I'm going above and beyond to be with my Lord. [Music] I'm going up beyond. I'm going up beyond. [Music] I'm going up beyond [Music] to be my Awesome. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Mother, there's too many of you crying. [Music] Brother, brother, brother, there's far too many of you. You know, we got to find a way to bring some love in here today. [Music] Father, father, we don't need to escape. [Music] You see, war is not the answer for only love can conquer. You know, we got to find a way to bring some loving kids here today. Hey big line sister on your street with root system. Come on, talk to me sister. So you can see what's going on. What's going on? What's going on? What's going on? What's going on? What's going on? What's going on? In the meantime, ride on, baby. Right on. Right on. Right on. Right on. Oh, no. No. No. No. No. No. [Music] Mother, mother, everybody thinks we're wrong. But who are they to judge us? Simply because our care is lonely. You know we got to find a way to bring some understanding here today. Oh l brother, your pick brother, don't punish me. When the fruits have brother, come on, talk to me, brother. You can't see what's going on. What's going now? What's going on? What's going on? Tell me what's going on. I'll tell you what's going on. [Music] Ooh. Oh. Oh. N no no no. Oh. Oh. Oh. [Music] [Applause] Good. Oh, maybe Okay. Hello. Testing. Can you guys hear me? Okay. Sorry about that little technical difficulty. Good morning and welcome on this cold and frigid morning to the annual MLK celebration hosted by the city of Chaska Human Rights Commission. My name is Kechi Duffy. Oh, round of applause. Yes, for sure. My name is Kechi Duffy and I'm honored to serve as one of the members of the City of Chaska Human Rights Commission. I'm still a bit of a rookie. Next month marks my one year since joining the commission. Um it has been an amazing experience and in this short time I've been deeply inspired by the work we've been doing to build a more welcoming and inclusive community. My husband, our children, and I have lived in Chaska for a little over 18 years, and we are truly proud to call the city of Chaska our home. I'm originally from Minneapolis, but my family story spans continents and generation of hope, struggle, and resilience. My father came to the United States from Nigeria in pursuit of education and economic opportunity. My mother is from Little Rock, Arkansas, where she grew up and was best friends with the members of the Little Rock Nine, and she was deeply involved in the civil rights movement. She was part of the second great migration from the South to the North, carrying with her the belief that a better, more just future was not only possible, but necessary. In our home, the teachings and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were not abstract history. They were the fabric of our everyday lives. My parents lived through the very movements Reverend Dr. King helped lead. They carried his message of courage, hope, and moral responsibility. And to our family, instilling those values in me and my siblings from the very beginning. So to stand here today in this community, I love and honor Reverend Dr. King's legacy alongside all of you and truly means something to me and I hope it means something to you as well. Before we get started, I would like to acknowledge the land we call home. Minnesota is from the Dakota name, Minnesota, meaning the land from where the waters reflect the clouds. And Chaska means firstborn son. We recognize the Ojibwe, Dakota, Ho Chunk, and other indigenous communities whose cultural cultural, spiritual, and economic practices are interestically, say that three times, woven into the landscape, and who hold this land sacred. This is our ninth year holding this wonderful event and it's so nice to have all of you join us today. We're excited to hear from our keynote speaker Ethlind Kaba and to award this year's human rights award. You may remember we started a youth coloring contest last year and we'll continue it. More details will be shared later in the program. We will also hear three musical numbers performed by Tanecsha Jones on vocals, Alan Taylor on guitar, and Steve Kelzer on keyboard. I'm confident you'll enjoy today's program. We appreciate the public service of our elected officials and would like to ask anyone serving in an elected office to stand and be recognized. And please give them a round of applause. [Applause] Please join me in welcoming Chaska Mayor Taylor Hubbard to share a few words. [Applause] Thank you Kechi for that warm introduction. Good morning and welcome to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Human Rights Celebration. Thank you to the Chaska Human Rights Commission for providing this opportunity to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and thank you to everyone who is here for choosing to begin the day grounded in community, reflection, and fellowship. As I stand before you this morning, my heart is heavy. Members of our community are hurting. People are afraid and uncertain about how to keep themselves safe and their loved ones safe. We are living in a series of moments filled with tension. Yet, as Dr. King reminded us, true peace is not merely the absence of tension. It is the presence of justice. His words challenge us to look beyond our comfort zone and ask how we show up for one another, especially when it matters the most. What does justice in our daily lives look like? It's listening with open hearts, treating every person with respect, and working together so that everyone has an opportunity to thrive. Peace grows when our schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods reflect these values in action, not just words. The honorees of the Human Rights Commission award, past and present, embody this spirit, as does our honored guest speaker today, Ethlind community values. values that come together to create a place that everyone can call home. These values guide us as we work every day to be a community where all people feel seen, heard, and welcomed. We will continue nurturing an environment where everyone is encouraged to help make Chaska an even better place to live, work, and grow. Dr. King envisioned a generous and compassionate society, one where people not only give of their time and resources, but also their hearts and minds. In that spirit, we continue to learn from one another, grow in empathy and understanding, and turn our shared values into action. Right now, that spirit feels fragile. Division threatens to pull us apart at a time when we need each other the most. We cannot allow fear or anger to define us. Instead, we must make a conscious choice. Unity over division, compassion over indifference, and love over hate. We are human beings. We are neighbors. We are community. You, me, us together. If you're looking for ways to support members of our community in their time of need, or if you are seeking resources, there are many local organizations ready to help. Together, through service with compassion, we can ensure that no one walks this path alone. As we share this space together this morning, let us honor Dr. King by renewing our commitment to build a Chaska where justice is present, voices are valued, and everyone truly belongs. Thank you for being present this morning and welcome. [Applause] Thank you, Mayor Hubbard, for those wonderful words. It's my pleasure to introduce our first musical selection, Trouble of the World by Maha Jackson [Music] will be done. Troubles of the world. Troubles of the world. Trles of the world soon it will be done. travels of the world. I'm going home to live where [Music] no more weeping will no more weeping Well, no more weeping and well, [Music] I'm going home to live with my Lord. Soon it will be done with the troubles of the world. Troules of the world. [Music] Trles of the world. Soon I will be done with the troules of the world. I'm going home to live with my Lord. [Music] I want to see my mother. I want to see my mother. I want to see my mother. I'm going home to live with God. Soon I will be done with the troubles of the world. Troubles of the world. Troules of the world. Soon my will be done with the troules of the world. I'm going home to live with God. [Applause] Thank you. That was absolutely amazing. I had the unbelievable pleasure of introducing my sister, my friend, and one of my greatest inspirations, Ethlind Kaba. I met Ethlind in 2003. I purposely put the year, not actually how many years because I don't do the math. I want you to work for that. She was a friend of my sisters and from the very first time we met, I knew she was someone who would be in my life forever. Our friendship grew through laughter and real conversations, comedy shows, coffee dates, and long talks about life, purpose, and possibility. I had the privilege of serving as one of the assistant track coaches for her daughter, and I still remember watching her run, an incredible comeback race as a teenager. It was one of the most moments that resilience speaks louder than words. Watching her fight through and win, I knew exactly where that strength came from. Her mama. You probably don't remember that race, do you? It was a championship race. Um, yeah. So, Ethlind has always embodied perseverance, grace, and an unwavering belief in what is possible. What feels especially powerful today is reflecting on who we were then, two young women, talking about our hopes, our dreams, and the kind of world we wanted to help create. And realizing that so many of those dreams are now being lived. And yet, it's also surreal to re recognize that your son and my daughter are now just a few years away from when we first met. And they're having those same conversations about their own future. That is the legacy Reverend Dr. King spoke of, the passing of hope, courage, and responsibility from one generation to the next. Ethlind, I'm so proud to call you my friend, my sister, and my inspiration. And I can't think of no one more fitting to speak to us today as we honor Reverend Dr. King's life, vision, and enduring call to justice. And that's my personal connection with Ethlind. But you're like, who is she in the community? She's a visionary leader, strategist, and storyteller dedicated to advancing equity, human dignity, and limitless potential. As the Executive Director of the Ann Bancroft Foundation since 2021, Ethlind's organization's effort to expand possibilities for K to 12 girl identifying youth across Minnesota, ensuring they have access to transformative opportunities that empower their futures. Previously, Ethlind served as vice president of external affairs at the Center for Economic Inclusion and founded the Star Girl Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering teen and tween girls. A proud immigrant from Ghana, she holds a bachelor's degree in legal studies from Hamline University, a master's degree in strategic communication from the University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism, and is a policy fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Without further ado, it is my honor to introduce Ethlind Kaba. [Applause] I'm going to go on the record and say you have better memory than I do because I could not remember the date or this race and all of it. Um anyway, thank you Kechi and thank you to the City of Chaska Human Rights Commission for this incredible event and then thank you for inviting me to speak and I thank you all for being here on such a cold uh uncertain morning. Um today is not a day that I take lightly at all. Um I this is not the first time I've spoken on MLK day, but it's always sort of um the privilege and an honor to stand and speak on a day that honors someone who paved the way for many of the freedoms that I get to live. But I will also um Mayor said something that resonated with me which is the heaviness. And to be honest, this was one of the hardest remarks I had to write. I changed it multiple times. Even this morning, I was sort of, you know, trying to jot down a few different things, trying to figure out what exactly do I say. I am standing here with a deep heart. I am sad. I am heartbroken. I am angry. I am afraid that my nerves are just everywhere. I can calm them down because for me there are many identities and hats that I wear as a mother, as a leader, as a friend. But I also hold three important identities that seems to always be under some type of a narrative war, some type of an attack, some type of a debate, some type of a policy debate, and that is being a woman, that is being a Black person, and that is being an immigrant. And so the the heaviness and the tears that I've cried just over the last week alone is all too heavy. And I didn't tell you this, but actually a few times was tempted to say, I don't think I can do this. And can I resent being here? But then I thought to the 60s, late 50s 60s, the time people dared march, the time Dr. King was speaking and voicing his thoughts and be being sent to jail. So many things were happening at the time and the courage it took to even dare sit on the bus. Again, so many instances of courage and so perhaps my little courage could be just walking into this room and then sharing a little bit of my own personal origin stories with you all. Um, in thinking about what to say, I if you all read the words of Dr. King, there's so many of them. I'm sorry. I was trying to sort of figure out which ones were ground me again against the backdrop of what we've been witnessing in our cities over the last week. I also spent some time reading the Constitution and just could not get past the iconic first words, we the people. Who's we the people? What does it mean to be part of the people? Americans, which ones? How many years do you have to be here to be considered we the people? I also read and listened to Dr. King's words. I listened to his recording where he talks about the other America in which he talks about there are two types of America. An America that works for one group of people and one that doesn't work. I also read my favorite one which is his letter from Birmingham jail in which he uses the words we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single government of destiny. What affects one affects all indirectly. So a lot of these words overwhelmed me. They were spoken decades before my own existence in a different part of the world. and it forced me to confront the truth that many of the freedoms I take for granted were once only dreams. I reflected on the struggles of the civil right mo the civil rights movement, the sacrifices made, the battles fought that paved the way for liberties we sometimes assume are permanent. And yet despite progress even again before this last week in the last year injustice persist sometimes under different names. We see disparity gaps continue to exist and in some cases they widen leaving many still at the margins of the American dream. For example, while schools may no longer be legally segregated, even here in Minnesota, data from the Department of Education shows that Black and other students of color are constantly scoring lower or more on achievement tests than white students. While we've outlawed racial covenants more than half a century ago, Minnesota still today has some of the worst racial disparities in home ownership in the nation. 78% of white household own homes compared to just 31% of Black households. These disparities you can track them across employment, income, wealth, health care, criminal justice, entrepreneurship. Even today, maternal mortality rates remain higher for Black for Black women and women of color in this America. Dr. King's words then and the realities now forced me to face my own journey into this land of dreams. It made me ask myself, am I living the American dream? Am I living the equality that Dr. King preached about? I think back to the America I imagined in the 90s. An America that felt like winning the lottery when I learned I could come here. It was a deliverance of peace, a place where opportunity felt endless. The America that lived in my family conversations and being told I was too smart to stay and being told even as a teenager not to waste time on the Ghanaian boys and wait for a nice American white boy to marry me. That imagined dream quietly taught me that my culture, my food, my mother's dialect were inferior. And so when the opportunity came, I left happily. When I arrived wanting desperately to fit in and be accepted, um, this America found me in a small studio apartment on Burnhaven Drive in Burnsville, and I will stand in the mirror practicing Mountain Dew over and over. So, I wouldn't say it Mountain Dew um in the break room at Mervin's because I knew acceptance matter and because I believed that in order to be accepted, I had to speak the right way. I don't know if I actually ever got it right. Maybe that's why I stopped drinking Mountain Dew, but I remember those days very well. I remember the small futon. It was about a month before my 18th birthday. I remember the small futon. I remember the radio. That was the only furniture I had. And I remember just cans of pasta. Chef Boyardee as my staple. I missed the colorful markets of food I knew. I only took food from the shelves, literally following people. When I see that in a scene in a movie, I always laugh. I accepted a freezing apartment where water froze on the counter overnight because I assumed that the indoor temperatures were meant to match the outdoors, never realizing that the thermostat was broken. I accepted loneliness. I didn't have family here. And I accepted navigating life alone. Now, these are the lighter stories. Even at my worst, I still had something to eat. I had a place to sleep. And I know that's not true for everyone even today. Sometimes I when I drive around Minneapolis and I see sort of the shadow of big homes and then I will see people standing right outside not being able to sleep under cold bridges. It always sort of throws me off about the idea of the two Americas. Today, I've been doom scrolling, watching stories unfold just miles from where I live. Cars abandoned, people screaming, humans labeled illegal aliens. As Dr. King fought for Black people to be seen as equal as Americans to be included in the we of the we of the people. I ask myself after 27 years in this country after tax taxes after test to become a citizen after paperwork and compliance. Am I American? Are they American? What is American? Is it the America that forced the man that I marry and so many others to leave not just their homes but their mothers? I watched this man pray every single day for almost 20 years just wanting a chance to be back home to see his mother's face again. How does a person choose the possibility of never seeing someone's face again? That is what this country does to give so much hope. And yet with one hand also sometimes takes it away. The hope to live a dream while facing the reality of every day for fear that a simple mistake could mean deportation from a place you've worked so hard to call home. Today I walked from my car here in fear I shouldn't have to. Sorry I told you all my nerves are all over the place. said, "I stand before you the daughter of Patience and Benjamin. I was born in a hospital in Liberia and at 5 months old I moved to Ghana raised by my grandmother Mercy D along with my grandfather who walked with a cane after a stroke in a home full of cousins, uncles, shared responsibilities, shared survival, shared community. I learned early that belonging was not about individual success. But about those who show up for one another. As I mentioned, one month before my 18th birthday in 1998, America became home. Years later, I became a citizen. Paperwork that could not be improvised. You had instructions about where the blue placement should go. I followed everyone, every rule, everything that was asked of me. I'm almost 46 and every day I asked a question I thought citizenship would answer. Am I American? Is it what I do? Is it the money I make? Is it how little help I ask? Every time I see conversations about immigrants is always they pay taxes, they do that. Is it the value that we provide to people? Is it because I have an accent? Is it because of my name, which ironically is actually a British name? But anyway, let's go with that. Dr. King reminded us that the that the American dream was never meant to be transactional. It was moral. So when I ask am I American, I'm not asking for validation. I am asking what definition we are using and why it still leaves so many of us out. America is complex. It's a tapestry of dreams, of disappointments. For me to only see it as a promise is delusion. But for me to also see it only as as injustice is despair. I sometimes pretend that even in the days when Dr. King marched that there were little girls and in uh lace stockings and dressed and happy because joy is also part of resistance. So I also believe I can't just cry that joy has to be part of how we resist that courage is part of it. The courage to stand here, the courage to share a little bit about me and then make an ask of you. Normally when I give remarks, I am never one to make ask. I just tell stories and see what part people um can take and you take it for yourself. But today I do have an ask which is as we honor Dr. King's legacy. As we think about the two Americas, the multiple Americas, the Americas that is so full of hope, that's allowed me to live my dreams, that's allowed me to give opportunities to my children. If you ask me, will I do this again? Absolutely. It is home for me, but it's also not a home without struggles. And so, my ask is that we recognize the privileges that we we each hold. I hold them, too. and use them responsibly that we continue to advocate for a better country not just for today but the next generation because there are still people who are arriving with wide eyes hopes for a brighter future. I ask that in the words of Dr. King, we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. That truly I can't be here without you and you can't be where you are without me. That we do absolutely belong in community with each other. And I will also ask that we don't diminish ourselves in fear. That we continue to check in on our neighbors. That we continue to build community and continue to demand an America that's better than yesterday. That's better today. And that we continue to advocate for human rights for the people, for all Americans, old and new. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you, Ethlind, for sharing your story, your journey, and asking us to do our part. And I will make sure that I will do my part. So, thank you for that. Now, I would like to invite our musicians to perform Put a Little Love in Your Heart by Jackie Dannon. [Music] Think of your fellow man. Put a little love in your heart. You see it's getting late. Oh, please don't hesitate. Put a little love in your heart. And the world will be a better place. And the world will be a better place for you. and me. Just wait and see. Another day goes by. So the little children cry. Put a little love in your heart. If you want the world to know, we won't let hatred grow. Put a little love in your arms and the world will be a better place. And the world will be a better place. Put a little love in your heart. Put a little love in your heart. Put a little love in your heart. Put a little love in your heart. [Music] And the world will be a better place. And the world will be a better place. Take a look around. And if you're looking down, put your love in your heart. [Music] I hope when you decide kindness will be your guide. Put a little love in your heart and the world will be a better place and the world will be a better place. Put a little love in your heart. Put a little love in your heart. [Music] Put a little love in your heart. [Music] Put a little love in your heart. [Music] [Applause] Thank you for another beautiful performance. As many of you know, a key part of the annual event is the presentation of the Chaska Human Rights Award. Please help me welcome Sarah Carlson to the podium to present the award. [Applause] Sarah serves as a chair of the City of Chaska Human Rights Commission and has contributed so much of her time and talents to our local community. And also, thank you for on boarding me for my first year. I couldn't have done it without her. Thank you. And good morning to each of you. It's great to see the room filled with folks that are committed to our community. The Chaska Human Rights Commission was adopted into the municipal code for the City of Chaska in February of 2000. Amazing. The commission's primary purpose was to establish and secure for all citizens through education and prevention, equal opportunities for employment, housing, public information, public services, education, fair treatment, and full participation in the affairs of our community. This was in the year 2000. The commission proactively partners with government, businesses, educators, and religious organizations to promote a community of harmony and respect for the rights and dignity of all. For over 26 years, almost 26 years, the commission's work duties have included efforts to improve and maintain positive human relations, create better opportunities for an appreciation of our cultural differences, and serve as a catalyst, as our mayor has said, to foster Chaska as a welcoming and respectful community. One of the ongoing efforts that the Human Rights Commission has led is this event, a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to honor his work to encourage our society here in Chaska to create a just, humane, and equitable world. Dr. King frequently cited the concept of a beloved community in his speeches. He envisioned a society where everyone is seen and respected, where everyone can thrive, where love, justice, and radical inclusiveness exist and people live in harmony besides despite their differences. Over the years, the commission has recognized the many contributions of individuals and organizations in Chaska that complement Chaska's vision that is our beloved community. Through the Chaska Human Rights Award, we have embraced the individuals and organizations that have displayed initiatives and opportunities for our home and for our people to grow, learn, and thrive. Now more than ever, true hope calls us to action. To lift each person up with dignity to value and respect their contributions and their backgrounds. Our program provides you with the winners of the human rights award which began in 2011 and you can read a brief description of each of the award winners by scanning the QR code listed on your program. However, I wanted to announce the names of the previous award winners. Those in attendance are welcome to stand and receive our acknowledgement. In 2011, it was Jonah Herstrit, Guardian Angels Homebound Ministry, the Reverend Gordon Stewart, the gathering place at St. John's Lutheran Church. Please, you deserve [Applause] The Blessed be thrift store [Applause] Launch Ministry. [Applause] Love in the name of Christ. Libby Fairchild. [Applause] a friend who's no longer with us. Barb Koh, Leanne Winters. I know she's here way in the back. His House Foundation. [Applause] Girl Scout Troop 15554. I'll always remember their name. Latino Voices, Micasa, Marissa and Brad Nordling, Beyond New Beginnings, and Julie Janke. [Applause] The Chaska Human Rights Award accepts nominations for individuals and organizations that exemplify a commitment to our community for positive social action and impact. Respect of our cultural diversity and inclusion and efforts made to address issues such as equity, justice, and human dignity. This year's nominees truly represent the spirit of Chaska Human Rights Award. Their dedication to fostering a welcoming and supportive environment has made a meaningful difference in our beloved community. Each nominee has demonstrated remarkable leadership and compassion, working tirelessly to uplift those around them and strengthen our community bonds. I'd like to call our nominees. So, please stand so that we can acknowledge you. Chaska Moravian Church for their ongoing support of various organizations [Applause] and for the use of their property to foster inclusion. The Carver County Family Resource Center is currently housed there and you have uh some information on your table about that program. Chaska Santa for the dedication in organizing, collecting and collaborating with others for the delivery of seasonal gifts during the month of December and support to the community throughout the year. Chaska Santa can't be with us today, but his elves of April and Justin are. [Applause] Monday Market Initiative that provides a free food resource to students at Chaska High School and families on a weekly basis. Knowing that having access to food helps both students and their families during these times of food insecurity. Additionally, the Monday market provides opportunities for students to connect with other services, resources, and provides a listening ear. [Applause] Dr. Leo Parvis for his service as a teacher and author of inspiring messages that have highlighted proactive inclusion within our beloved community of Chaska. [Applause] Revitalizing Veterans' Dreams. Syn Robertson created this organization. [Applause] to address the inclusivity and assist in meeting the you excuse me the unique needs and challenges of veterans, enlistees, active military and their families. Sue Schmidt for her service to pregnant and young mothers and co-founding the Beyond New Beginnings Supportive Housing Program with care, compassion, and a commitment to provide educational approaches and creative solutions for moms in need. [Applause] Patti Sinykin for her leadership of Bountiful Basket Chaska and her engagement of the community. [Applause] Patti's engagement of the community through partners and volunteers address the issues of food insecurity. She helped lead the expansion of the food shelf services and increase the volume of available food for all people in our beloved community. Please join me in a round of applause for all of the nominees. [Applause] Uh, will the Human Rights Commission members who are here today please join me? Drum roll. The award winner for the 2025 began their work with a little over three years ago when access to food resources saw a decrease after the COVID epidemic. These individuals saw an opportunity for students struggling without parental support with families struggling to make ends meet due to disabilities or job insecurity and working with their younger family members to help thrive in these challenging times. This work encompasses many, but it starts with developing relationships with local grocery stores to donate food items, arranging and picking up food each Saturday and Sunday. On Mondays, after the school day has ended, Monday Market is set up, and students are able to shop before taking the bus home or leaving the school facility. Additionally, community members are extended the opportunity to access the food resources. The representatives of Monday Market have been described as having hearts of gold for their empathy and their willingness to support students, family, and their community. The Human Rights Award for 2025 is presented to the Monday Market. Please welcome Monday Markets representatives Tara Halverson, Lisa Pap, and Josie Hoffman to receive the award and to offer their comments. [Applause] Good morning everyone. On behalf of the entire Monday Market team, many are sitting here and throughout the room. Thank you. This is such a meaningful recognition. Food insecurity is a reality in our schools, in our neighborhoods, and in our community. A year and a half ago, our county based social worker at Chaska High School, Josie Hoffman, approached Lisa Pap and me as members of the Chaska High School care team with a creative idea to get healthy food into the homes of our students and families. Josie had been working with Caitlyn Herreres from the Carver County Public Health and the free produce market. She had also with her mom Vicky whose birthday it is today also. Happy birthday. Um along with Martha Brandon and from his house and Greg Pavette from Humanity Alliance. They've been rescuing food from grocery stores for a long time like Kowalsskis and Lakewins. Josie wondered if there was a way we could use that food at Chaska High School each week. After brainstorming what that might look like, how it could work, and who could help us invite the students and families experiencing food insecurity within our school and across the district. And after important conversations with our supportive, enthusiastic Chaska High School administration and district office staff, the Monday market was born. Every weekend, Saturday and Sunday, fresh healthy food like fruits and veggies and salads, Breadsmith bread, prepared meals, milks, egg, meats, and broccoli. So much broccoli. It's rescued and it's driven to Chaska High School, unloaded onto carts, weighed, and stored into refrigerators, including the walk-in refrigerator that the Chaska High School boosters generously allow us to use each weekend. This weekend, rescuing includes work of a very caring and dedicated Chaska High School senior, Bennett Mclofflin. Wait. Bennett has spent every Saturday and Sunday of his junior and senior year meeting myself, Josie, Lisa, Vicki, Candy, Candy Miller Band, who's also out here, my husband Mark, my daughters, Mara and Lily. They meet us at Chaska High School or he meets us at Chaska High School and he unloads the carts of food. To date, 13,662 pounds of food to be exact since we've started. [Applause] Bennett even packs a box of food each weekend and faithfully delivers it to a family he knows who needs it. He also has worked to get key club members at Chaska High School to help volunteer their time when it works to unload and organize the food. Then on Monday afternoon, Lisa Pap and I and other Chaska High School staff like Cynthia Roer, Cindy Brazil, and Maria Wolf, enthusiastic student volunteers like Bennett, Kaden Lemley, Jay Ellingsson, senior at Chaska High School, is also here with his family. Wave, Jay. [Applause] We work together to set up the Monday market. All of the rescued fresh food is organized and put out on tables. And when the bell rings at the end of the day, it is beautiful chaos. Students come out of class and pack boxes of food to take home on the bus with them. Other students grab a snack on the way to the bus or to their afterschool activity or athletics and family members from our school and schools all across our district show up to take what they need. And some even show up and pack an extra box for their neighbor. Once it seems most have gone through the market, staff are invited down to take what they might need. And just when you think that the Monday market has made a meaningful impact on so many, the collaboration continues as Vicki and Martha and Jay Superstar um student pick up and help load the remaining food and deliver it to Diane and Heidi, the team at St. John's Lutheran Church for their community Monday night meal. All of the food that gets rescued gets used. And when school is on break or during the summer, we partner with Bountiful Basket, Gather and Grow in Waconia and the Carver County Free Produce Market me that is working with Micasa and Caitlyn Harris at the Carver County Public Health in the District 112 schools to continue to reach homes in our for our community members. What a gift it is to be part of and see this work of love in action. At a time when access to food, a fundamental human right, is increasingly uncertain for many families and those needs feel mo more urgent than ever, the Monday market reminds us of how powerful compassion and connection can be. The Monday Market is a living example of how people and organizations in a community can weave together resources and collaboration to show love to our neighbors. Thank you to Chaska High School teacher and community member Kate Kramer for noticing the special teamwork of the Monday market and the nomination for this award. A heartfelt thank you to the city of Chaska and the Chaska Human Rights Commission for honoring the Monday market today. We are all so grateful to be part of this Chaska community and we promise to continue this important work. Thank you. Another round of applause to um Josie Hoffman, Tara Harson, Jose [Applause] and the Chester high school for the Monday market. Thank you for all you do to make our community the special place that it is. One of this year's human rights award nominee is Sin Robertson, executive director of revitalizing veterans dreams. She recently shared an update about the organization with the human rights commission and we wanted to be sure the entire community is aware of the important work she's doing for veterans. Please help me welcome Syn Robertson to the podium to share more about the organization. [Applause] I am on a big mission to end veteran suicide and I believe that with the help of community we can make a real lasting impact in veterans lives. My name is Sin Robertson and I am the founder of Revitalizing Veterans Dreams, but you will often hear me refer to this organization as Revved. Today, as we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are reminded that real change doesn't usually start with policies and programs. It starts with people. People choosing to show up. People choosing to care. people choosing to act even when the outcome isn't guaranteed. Reb didn't start as a nonprofit idea. It didn't start with a plan or funding or even a board. It started with me going to the park with just an idea for a workout. And I was fully convinced that nobody was going to show up. I showed up anyways. I brought some equipment, a lot of nerves, and a quiet little hope that maybe one or two people would show up. To my surprise, people did show up. Veterans, the Chaska VFW, the American Legion of Chaska, future enlistes, families, and a really big community full of members that believe in us. They didn't show up because they were broken. They showed up because they were looking for connection. Standing there, I realized something very simple but powerful. When you create a space where people feel invited, they are willing to fill that space. Reb grew from that moment from showing up before we knew that there was proof in even the work. From choosing connection over comfort. But there is a deeper reason for this mission that why it matters so much to me. April 2023, I lost someone very deeply that I love deeply to suicide. And around that same time, I found myself surrounded by veterans who were silently struggling, strong and capable people carrying more than most of us could see. What be claimed? What became clear to me in this? We often wait till someone is in crisis before we act. But prevention starts long before that moment. Revitalizing exists to build belonging before crisis. We create space where veterans, active military, future enlistees, and families can show up as humans first. Sometimes that looks like community workouts. Sometimes it's game nights. Sometimes it's preparing young people for boot camp, not just physically, but mentally by surrounding them with veterans who say, "You are not alone and you don't have to do this by yourself. Healing doesn't always begin in an office or a program. Sometimes it starts with somebody remembering your name, making saving you a spot, noticing when you show up, and also noticing when you don't show up. Inclusion isn't just inviting people into a room. It's creating a space where they feel safe enough to stay. Revd was deeply honored to be nominated for the human rights award this year. And while Rev did not re is not the recipient, we are grateful for the opportunity to speak because it tells us the work we are doing matters. Human rights live in dignity. They live in belonging. And they live in whether we choose to walk alongside people instead of past them. If you're wondering how to support this kind of work, my answer is really simple. Show up. Invite somebody in. That's all it takes. And remember, prevention begins with connection. Thank you for honoring Dr. King's legacy. Thank you for seeing this mission. And thank you for helping build a community where no one has to struggle alone. [Applause] Thank you so much. As we wrap up today's program, I'd like to introduce our third and final musical performance. It's one of my favorites and definitely is uh fitting for the time, A Change Is Going to Come by Sam Cook. [Music] I was born by the river [Music] in a little tent. Oh, just like a river I've been rolling ever since. It's been a long a long time coming, but I know change going to come. Oh, yes. It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die cuz I don't know what's up there beyond the sky. It's been a long a long time coming, but I know change going to come. Oh, yes. I go to the movie and I go downtown. [Music] Somebody keep telling me don't hang around. It's been a long a long time coming, but I know change going to come. Oh, yes, we will. [Music] Then I go to my brother. I say, "Brother, help me please." But he winds up knocking me back back down on my knees. Oh, there's been times that I thought I couldn't last for long. [Music] But now I think I'm able to carry on. It's been a long a long time coming, but I know change going to come. Oh, yes it is. [Music] [Applause] Thank you all for coming today. As Mayor Hubbard mentioned in the beginning, we are a community that values respect and a sense of belonging. I encourage you to continue to listen, treat people with respect, and work together with others so that we can continue to be the community where everyone belongs and thrives. It takes many partners to hold this annual event. Thank you to everyone included in the planning and execution, including the MLK celebration planning committee and the City of Chaska Human Rights Commission and Administration. Can you please stand? [Applause] Please remember the youth coloring contest sheets and additional details are at the registration table. There will be prizes for the winners in each of the three age categories and selected pictures will be displayed at Chaska City Hall. Also, we have started a tradition of sharing insightful books that represent the spirit of today's event and the values of the Chaska Human Rights Commission. Before you leave, please take a look under your chair. If you see a special note, the books at the center of the table are yours to take home. Please read, discuss, and share. Thank you for all of our speakers, attendees, and please um have a wonderful day and keep Martin Luther King's dream alive each and every day. Thank you. [Applause]