NENA Currents
			2012 NENA Board Election Results:  NENA welcomes new Board members. Board list (10/31/12) Sorry, NENA is no longer offering matching grants for the Commercial Facade Improvement Program.(5/27/11)

NENA is a 30 year-old nonprofit volunteer organization whose goals are to promote neighborhood improvement and revitalization, and to encourage citizen participation in civic affairs. 1996, NENA has been the designated group to receive Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) funds for the four south Minneapolis neighborhoods of Keewaydin, Minnehaha, Morris Park and Wenonah. (Nokomis East map). The independant NRP has since been replaced by a City department, Neighborhood and Community Relations (NCR).

Through the years, NENA volunteers and staff have developed over 20 programs in the areas of Housing, Environment, Neighborhood Development & Planning and People Services & Safety. The programs are part of NENA’s Neighborhood Action Plan (NRP Full Plan), funded by NRP.

NENA's first Neighborhood Action Plan strategies were designed during a lengthy process by neighborhood volunteers with much input from residents, and ratified by a community-wide vote in 1998. A similar, but shortened process was used to develop NENA's (current) Phase II plan, ratified in 2010.

At any given time, a number of programs are in various stages of planning and implementation. Volunteers often work with partner agencies to implement projects. For example, Housing Task Force members work on guidelines for our home improvement loans while the Center for Energy and Environment administers the program. The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board oversees the implementation of the Lake Nokomis Naturescape project, but neighborhood gardeners work to keep it looking good. These are just a few of our partnerships where volunteers provide the inspiration and energy that make things happen in Nokomis East.

As a neighborhood organization, NENA also tracks and responds to community issues and concerns. Besides this Website, which is updated several times per week, NENA also produces a newsletter that is mailed to all Nokomis East addresses. We regularly write a column in the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger which highlights events and issues important to the neighborhood.

NENA holds several town meetings each year to provide information on topics of interest and to give residents an opportunity to share their ideas, comments, and concerns. Past town meeting topics have included Lake Nokomis Improvement projects, Light Rail Transit, school closings, crime and safety issues, affordable housing projects, and NRP Phase II. We also host special public meetings on topical issues or neighborhood concerns. Recent hot-topics have included the affordable housing project on the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center campus, the Riverview Apartments (Section 8) project and the expansion of the Lake Nokomis Community School, Keewaydin Campus.

Discussing neighborhood issues is an important part of NENA's Town Meetings.

NENA Mission Statement
	The mission of Nokomis East Neighborhood Association is to better the quality of life and build a sense of community pride by sponsoring actions which help our environment, businesses and homes. NENA creates and manages solutions by leading a community-based process that advocates for the neighborhood and empowers members of the community.