[0:00] welcome to the 2023 2024 annual Council [0:04] presentation presented by the office of [0:06] racial Equity inclusion and belonging [0:08] the past year has been a transformative [0:10] one filled with initiatives and events [0:12] that strengthen our community and [0:15] promote equity and inclusion this review [0:17] kit saw for our last report ended the [0:19] summer of 2024 last May our inaugural [0:22] Bloom and Bloomington program lunch with [0:24] 10 interns in the city of Bloomington [0:27] and some with corporate Partners Mall of [0:29] America and larkman hoffin we celebrated [0:32] their achievements last August these [0:35] internships provided valuable work [0:37] experience and networking opportunities [0:39] setting a strong foundation for future [0:41] careers in August we also partnered with [0:44] the police racial Equity action team [0:46] hosting a community barbecue that [0:48] included a manyi recruitment session for [0:50] future officers the event was fun and [0:52] engaging and a great way to build trust [0:55] and interest in law enforcement careers [0:57] later partnering with the city's of [1:00] Richfield Eden Prairie and Egan we [1:03] celebrated welcoming week as part of [1:05] this celebration we partner with loriza [1:07] radio station the Minnesota Department [1:09] of Vehicle services and onito Minnesota [1:12] to deliver a program segment on driver's [1:14] license for all providing crucial [1:16] updates to Spanish speaking communities [1:19] later we supported the women's employee [1:21] research group and their leadership [1:23] panel which provided insights and [1:24] inspiration for aspiring female leaders [1:27] later in October we partnered with the [1:30] Bloomington chamber to recognize [1:32] National disability employment awareness [1:34] one additionally our staff presented at [1:37] the iap2 conference there they shared [1:40] the Innovative work of the welcome to [1:42] Bloomington design committee we wrapped [1:44] up the year supporting the edg's [1:46] passport panel this panel shared [1:49] immigrant stories and celebrated [1:51] cultural diversity we were proud to [1:53] participate in the first ever CI public [1:56] sector racial Equity dividends index [1:59] report Bloomington scored high in the [2:01] areas of leadership budget Public Safety [2:05] and public policy January saw us join in [2:07] partner cities for the national day of [2:10] racial healing Workshop it featured [2:12] renowned speakers who inspired us to [2:14] continue our work towards racial Equity [2:16] we also lunched the welcome to [2:18] Bloomington program today we've engaged [2:20] 50 new residents many of them who are [2:23] now actively participating in City [2:25] activities we continue to expand the [2:27] program Realtors are now provid in [2:30] welcome gifts at closing sessions [2:32] containing City swag information on [2:35] local resources and coupons to shop at [2:38] local businesses this initiative helps [2:41] new residents feel welcome and connected [2:43] to the community none of this work is [2:46] possible without the support of our [2:47] dedicated community members people like [2:50] Elise balarama who goes above and beyond [2:53] by canvas and neighborhoods with flyers [2:55] and bringing extra snacks to meeting and [2:58] also inviting friends and family to [3:00] introduce new residents C has devoted [3:03] countless hours to fostering a warm and [3:05] inclusive community in February we [3:07] supported the love wins event for our [3:09] newest ERG prism celebrating love for [3:12] all we also supported BB's Black History [3:15] Month Pioneer and change makers event [3:18] honoring those who have made significant [3:20] contributions to our community March [3:22] marked the lunch of our supplier [3:24] diversity initiatives ensuring our [3:26] procurement processes are inclusive we [3:29] also o took on new [3:31] responsibilities now handling housing [3:33] discri complaints and partner with local [3:35] agencies to provide essential resources [3:38] to affected community members we are [3:40] proud to announce that in March we [3:43] successfully completed the rigorous [3:45] audit by wel in America and met all of [3:47] the core requirements to become a [3:49] certified welcoming City this [3:52] achievement underscores our unwavering [3:54] commitment to creating an inclusive and [3:56] weling environment for immigrants the [3:59] the audit process was extensive [4:01] involving months of plinary research and [4:04] leading up to a 3-day audit with over 20 [4:07] hours of in-person interviews with staff [4:10] community members and local [4:11] organizations moreover Bloomington will [4:14] be the first city in the state of [4:16] Minnesota to achieve this prestigious [4:18] designation we wrapped up our mental [4:21] health popup events these events [4:23] centered culturally responsive mental [4:24] health practices in order to nalize and [4:27] destigmatize talking with one another [4:29] another about individual or Community [4:31] Mental Health needs in partnership with [4:34] Thea and Brickfield we have engaged [4:36] approximately 321 community members [4:39] normalizing and destigmatizing mental [4:41] health conversations across Generations [4:44] this work is facilitated by our partner [4:47] marn's table speaking of mental health [4:49] this may the mental health and [4:51] disabilities ERG hosted a successful [4:54] event bringing joy and awareness to [4:57] mental health issues and of course what [4:59] summer without Bloom interns this year [5:02] the program is back and better than ever [5:05] expanding the number of interns and [5:07] employers Bloom and Bloomington strives [5:10] to support and grow a more diverse and [5:13] accessible Workforce for the community [5:15] by matching young people with employers [5:17] and local government nonprofit and [5:20] private sectors our interns are doing [5:23] impactful work the second annual June [5:26] celebration Drew hundreds despite the [5:28] rain it featured giveaways Community [5:31] Building face painting and spread [5:34] significant Economic Development this [5:36] event supported by grants from Blue [5:38] Cross Bruce shield and in partnership [5:40] with the city of Bloomington Normandale [5:42] Community College and the Church of New [5:44] Life highlighted our commitment to [5:46] celebrating cultural heritage and [5:48] promoting Community engagement City Hall [5:50] was bustling with activity a testament [5:53] to our Vibrant Community additionally we [5:56] welcome new staff we welcome isella mola [5:59] as a a full-time office support [6:01] specialist Elizabeth tossman recently [6:03] joined as the new assistant city manager [6:06] and Arion Williams is our new Equity [6:09] inclusion program manager their [6:11] expertise and dedication are invaluable [6:14] to our mission in closing the [6:16] transformative work our team is doing [6:19] directly impacts the city's mission of [6:21] cultivating an enduring and remarkable [6:23] place where people want to be we're [6:26] grateful for community support and [6:28] engagement for more information about [6:30] work or if you're looking to get [6:32] involved please visit our website [6:34] together we're building a more Equitable [6:37] and inclusive Bloon