In the Sabo Center, we work closely with many different communities in the Cedar-Riverside, Seward and East Phillips neighborhoods. A core part of our work is to connect our campus community with those living and working in the neighborhoods adjacent to campus. This provides learning opportunities for our students, staff and faculty, and lends support to our neighbors in meaningful ways.
As long as Cedar-Riverside has been a neighborhood it has been a neighborhood of immigrants. Today, those immigrants come from many places, mainly East Africa and many from Somalia. The warmth and welcome, the spirit of joy that permeates Cedar-Riverside has been amplified by the Somali community. We at the Sabo Center likewise extend that warmth and welcome to our Somali neighbors and all immigrant communities near and far. We stand in solidarity with our neighbors and will do all that we can to support and keep safe as many people as possible. We invite you, allies, collaborators or wherever else you stand, to join us.
The following are ways to support Cedar-Riverside:
- Share the care and respect you have for the Somali community widely using social media and any other outlets available to you. Augsburg’s community is rich with examples of the contributions that our Somali students, colleagues, and friends have made and will continue to make.
- Join Trinity Lutheran and friends in providing some care and welcome to our Muslim neighbors. We’ll be serving tea and coffee at Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque this Friday, December 5th at 1:15 pm. If you would like to walk from campus together, please meet at the Sabo Center in Oren Gateway Center at 1:00 pm.
- Support the Brian Coyle Community Center in feeding our neighbors. Their food shelf is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. With many residents afraid to leave their homes, they need help making deliveries. Stop by during open hours to lend a hand.
- Give money. The Brian Coyle Community Center is part of Pillsbury United Communities, there are multiple ways for you to support their work. Make sure to note that you would like any funds you contribute go to Brian Coyle by making a note when you donate.
- You can also support those working to protect immigrant communities by giving to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC).
- Report ICE sightings, find resources, learn about trainings, and find Know Your Rights materials in English, Spanish and Somali at Monarca.
- Join Sabo Center Staff next Wednesday, December 10th at 12:30 pm to learn more about the neighborhood and have lunch at Sagal. We’ll meet at the Sabo Center, please fill out this short Google Form to let us know you’re interested.
- Spend time in the neighborhood. Cedar-Riverside is rich in wonderful restaurants and entertainment. Grab dinner at the West Bank Diner or Nader before catching a show at the Mixed Blood Theater or the Cedar Cultural Center–if you haven’t had the great pleasure of seeing Black Market Brass make your way there this Friday!
- You can follow these social media accounts on Instagram to keep updated on what’s happening: MIRAC, Unidos MN, Immigrant Defense Network, MN Copal, CAIR MN.
- The Sahan Journal and Minnesota Reformer are good local media sources for keeping apprised of what’s happening.
We will continue to post opportunities to engage here on the Sabo Blog and in A-Mail. Please reach out to Jenean Gilmer, Community Engaged Learning Community Manager in the Sabo Center (gilmerje@augsburg.edu) with any questions or concerns.