Healthy Community Initiative

Healthy Community Initiative has been hearing a lot from community members in the past two weeks asking what they can do to help their neighbors. Here are some suggestions and links:

Community Action Center

The Community Action Center helps people across Rice County through their locations in Faribault and Northfield.

• Food donations: The CAC has food available and is committed to distributing it safely! If you want to donate purchased items, those in most need are: beans (black and pinto, dried), white rice, maseca (masa harina), eggs, toilet paper, diapers (size 6), and menstrual products. Financial donations are welcomed to support this effort. 
• Proxy shopping: People may designate someone they trust to shop for them during regular food shelf hours. If you don’t have someone who can shop for you, the CAC is partnering with the Growing Up Healthy team to assemble a small group of vetted volunteers. Call 507-573-6452 (Northfield) or 507-573-2603 (Faribault) to set up your proxy.
• Shelter: CAC is experiencing an increase in requests for rent and utility support. Please consider donating to the CAC Community Response Fund to support families’ abilities to stay in their homes.

Click here to download a flyer with this information translated into Somali and Spanish.

Faribault Community Schools 

Faribault Community Schools are experiencing an increased need from students and families for resources from the schools’ Nest spaces. They are running low on some much-needed items. If you have the means, please consider dropping off any of the following NEW items:

• Water bottles and bottled water
• Deodorant
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Body wash
• Modest dresses (sizes 10-16 and girls’ junior sizes XS-M)
• Tennis shoes (sizes 6-12)
• Belts
• Paper towels
• Menstrual products
• Baby formula

Donations can be dropped off at the main office of any community school site and addressed to The Nest.

Northfield Arts Guild

Northfield Arts Guild is gathering new or gently used art supplies for art kits that will be distributed to community members who are afraid to leave their homes. Most needed supplies are crayons, markers, and colored pencils. They can be dropped off at 304 Division St. when the Guild is open (check the website for days and times) starting Saturday, Jan. 24.

Northfield Supporting Neighbors

Northfield Supporting Neighbors supports Rice County individuals and families that are facing financial hardship related to immigration status, and it has trained legal observers who monitor enforcement activity in the area. Visit the website to learn more about how to volunteer or donate.

TORCH (Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes)

The TORCH student support fund provides direct assistance to Latino students in the Northfield School District who have been affected by the ICE operations in Minnesota. Donations will help families pay for rent, heat, electricity, food, and other basic needs. To donate, write a check to Healthy Community Initiative and write “TORCH” in the memo line, or donate on our website by clicking here and leaving a note that the donation is for TORCH.

Additional resources

City of Northfield

The City of Northfield lists resources on its Immigration webpage, including a link for reporting ICE-related harm, and links to passport and notary services available at the Northfield Public LIbrary. You can also watch a recording presentation for local businesses about immigration enforcement and I-9 compliance, and what to do if ICE agents show up at your place of work. 

National Lawyers Guild Minnesota Chapter

24-hour hotline for free legal support: call 612-444-2654