On Saturday, September 19, 2026 we hosted our Annual Bossen Block Party for residents at Bossen Apartments. More than 100 residents came out to enjoy food, activities and community! NENA and Bossen Apartment's partnership is longstanding, as we've hosted events, provided resources and connected with residents throughout the years. The Bossen Block Party is an opportunity for community to gather in celebration and connectedness. Year after year, it is one of the most anticipat

For only the second time in Red Cross’s history, the organization has declared a national blood supply crisis due to an emergency shortage of blood. Blood donations have dropped to their lowest summer level in four years. Despite people continuing to donate blood, the supply has not kept up with the demand, particularly during the summer trauma season. In response to this crisis, NENA is teaming up with Nokomis Tattoo to host the Nokomis East Blood Drive through Memorial Bloo

What a treat it was to spend the first weekend in August surrounded by neighbors during the 5th Annual Nokomis Days event organized by the Nokomis East Business Assocation! On Saturday August 1st, we were hanging out at the Car Show hosted by Nokomis Tattoo, Steve's Tire & Auto, McDonald's Liquor and New Branches. There, several board members and volunteers took shifts to chat with folks about NENA - explaining our programs and encouraging neighbors to get involved. We also p

We are thrilled to announce the soft launch of a Community Wide Calendar! After months of planning, we are rolling out a new events calendar on our website. The Community Calendar will share community wide events, beyond just those with NENA. We will continue to share NENA events through our events webpage and on our social media pages. The Community Calendar will incorporate events hosted by our partners and broader city and community events inclusive to all. What does “so

“It’s like a small whale.” This is how Caroline Hallstrom describes the volume of 25 cubic yards of soil she needed to find a place for in June after hustling to get it donated from the Hennepin County Master Gardener Program. Caroline, in partnership with others, led the way to start a decentralized donation garden project in the aftermath of ICE in Minneapolis. Building raised garden beds and bringing a large amount of dirt was the first place to start. At a community meeti