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Listen to stories from Saint Paul community leaders representing Rondo, Frogtown, the East Side, the West Side and the Mississippi River.

By Chris M. Garner, Communications Specialist

Our communities are only as strong as our neighborhoods.

In the city of Saint Paul, our neighborhoods are tied together by the Mississippi River. For generations the river has served as a source for water, food and transportation, originally nurturing our state’s Dakota people and later migrants from all over the world.

At the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, we show how we value our communities by investing in community-led solutions and celebrating and highlighting their work.

We had the opportunity to sit down with the leaders of five Saint Paul organizations in five different neighborhoods to see what they are doing to support the vitality of their communities and ensure that they are around for generations to come.

Featured organizations:

Rondo: YWCA – Saint Paul
Frogtown: Asian Economic Development Association (AEDA)
East Side: Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi
West Side: West Side Community Organization (WSCO)
Mississippi River: Great River Passage Conservancy

YWCA Helps Build a Healthier Rondo

YWCA Saint Paul has been a part of Rondo for more than a century. Listen to learn how Ashley Booker, executive director of the YWCA Saint Paul, is helping support the next generation of Rondo residents.

Learn more about YWCA Saint Paul

AEDA Creates a Welcoming Community for Immigrant Families in Frogtown

The Asian Economic Development Association, or AEDA, has made it their mission to build economic wealth for Asian Americans in the Twin Cities. Watch the video to hear from Executive Director Va-Megn Thoj about how AEDA is supporting the Frogtown neighborhood.

Learn more about AEDA

Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi Keeps Saint Paul’s Indigenous History Alive on the East Side

Saint Paul is a Dakota place, and Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi is all about maintaining that legacy. Listen to learn more about how this Indigenous-led environmental organization is caring for Saint Paul’s natural places and sacred sites from Executive Director Maggie Lorenz.

Learn more about Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi

West Side Community Organization Uplifts Community Voices on the West Side

Since the 1970s, the West Side Community Organization (WSCO) has been fighting for rights and people who make up the West Side Neighborhood. Watch the video below to learn how Monica Bravo, executive director of WSCO, is helping her community’s voices be heard.

Learn more about west side community organization

Great River Passage Conservancy Connects People to the Mississippi River

Great River Passage Conservancy is dedicated to creating better connections between the Mississippi River and the City of Saint Paul. Listen as interim Executive Director Jody Massey shares what her organization is doing to turn Crosby Farm Regional Park into the Mississippi River’s outdoor recreational hub.

Learn more about Great River Passage Conservancy

As communications specialist, Chris Garner supports the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation’s work by showcasing it to the community through words, photo, video and other media. Chris has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Alabama State University and a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University.

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