In episode 7, co-founder of Minnesota Elder Nonviolence Coalition, Monique Linder talks to MENC podcast co-host Carly about her conversations in the community with elders.  Her recent senior events at Sabathani Community Center in Minneapolis and Martin Luther King Center in St. Paul, MN showed the urgent need for the community to get involved in fighting for "Elder Justice."

The Minnesota Elder Nonviolence Coalition initiative hears testimony from the community.  In this podcast episode, you will hear the story of elder abuse of Mr. Timmons, told by his son, who passionately explains his challenges in advocating for his father.  Lorenzo believes his father is being neglected and exploited financially by Anoka County.  Lorenzo also feels he is not being heard because he has a criminal record.  Sadly, after Lorenzo's court hearing to get the guardian assigned by Anoka county removed, he was returned to prison on a technicality.  

MENC is a grassroots advocacy organization, not investigators, therefore we reached out to our partners, MN Elder Justice Center and referred Lorenzo to the State's MAARC system to file a complaint. The ombudsman's office is involved.  Sean Burke of MN Elder Justice Center said that Mr. Timmons' son is doing everything he can to advocate for his father.  

Minnesota Elder Nonviolence Coalition was proud to present its youth leadership Carly & Jesse to the elder community and families at the Twin Cities Selby JazzFest held September 14th in Saint Paul, MN. 

In its 18th year, the Selby Ave. JazzFest was started by the owners of Golden Thyme Coffee Shop.  It is located in the heart of the historical Rondo community and serves as a cultural community celebration featuring food and outstanding live music, art exhibits, vendors, a wellness village and fun family activities.   

The day featured a steady flow of music from Patricia Lacy, Bossa Soul, The Jazz Standards, Brio Brass and the Selby Ave Brass Band, followed by this year's headliner, R&B sensation Goapele.

MENC podcast hosts Carly & Jesse recorded elder abuse testimony throughout the day and a special segment recorded Professor Mahmoud El-Kati telling the story of how jazz originated and its connection to culture and community.

Learn more about the Minnesota Elder Nonviolence Coalition initiative at: mneldernonviolence.org.  

The Minnesota Elder Nonviolence Coalition initiative is supported by Rep. Rena Moran, Chair of the Health and Human Services Policy Committee.  Rep. Moran is eager to learn from elders about their health and safety needs. 

Carly and Jesse will seek testimony from elders and families in the community that will help inform a bill that Rep. Moran will create to supports the need to allocate more resources to address the cultural needs and abuse of elders and families living in underserved communities throughout Minnesota.

Rena L. Moran Bio:  

Rep. Moran is a Minnesota politician and member of the MN House of Representatives.  As a member of the MN Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), she represents District 65A, which includes portions of the city of Saint Paul in Ramsey County in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.  Moran graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, where she received a B.S. in Early Childhood Education. She overcame homelessness when she and her six children first arrived to Minnesota. She recently worked as a Parent Leader Coordinator for Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota.  Moran was first elected to the House in 2010 and was re-elected in 2012.  Moran is married and has seven children.

The MENC initiative is meant to educate communities to adopt a nonviolent lifestyle in the way in which we were culturally trained by our ancestors, to love and care of our elders.  We have a big problem in our community with elder abuse.  We need your help in telling the stories for the scared and voiceless elders in your community.   There are resources and information online at: MNElderNonviolence.org to report abuse and get help.  

It is your elder abuse stories that will bring about change in our community.  Please call  the elder abuse testifier voicemail at: 651.324.9561 or submit your story online at: mneldernonviolence.org under TAKE ACTION.

Dr. Josie R. Johnson Bio:

An activist for equality for over five-decades, Dr. Josie Johnson is one of Minnesota’s most celebrated civil rights leaders. She has been called a “trailblazer” and “The First Lady of Minnesota Civil Rights.” In the 1950’s and 1960’s she lobbied to pass Minnesota’s anti-discrimination laws, was part of a small group of Minnesotans who took part in the historic March on Washington and served as a community organizer for the Minneapolis Urban League, eventually becoming its director in 1968. In her career, Dr. Johnson served as a legislative liaison to the Mayor of Minneapolis during the Civil Rights upheaval, served as Chief of Staff for the Lt. Governor of Colorado, and worked as the organizer for the Jimmy /Walter Mondale campaign in Tennessee and Kentucy.

Dr. Johnson taught in the African American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota and became the first African American appointed by the Legislature to the Board of Regents at the U of M. She served as the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and a Senior Fellow for the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs and directed their All-University Forum as diversity director.  The University of Minnesota created “The Josie R. Johnson Human Rights and Social Justice Award” in 1997 in her honor.

 

Recently, Dr. Johnson published her memoir, “Hope In The Struggle” and is often found throughout the community engaging youth in conversation about the love of community that was passed down from our ancestors.

MN Elder Nonviolence Coalition

The Minnesota Elder Nonviolence Coalition initiative is to address violence against elders in all forms in under-served communities throughout the Great State of Minnesota. This is a grass roots cultural community outreach initiative that will capture testimony from elders that will serve to shine a spotlight on elder violence at home, in nursing facilities, senior daycare centers, on public transportation and address egregious predatory financial exploitation, that will be delivered in a way that educates communities to adopt elder nonviolence as a way of living in the spirit of our ancestors. 

MN Elder Nonviolence Coalition

The Minnesota Elder Nonviolence Coalition initiative is to address violence against elders in all forms in under-served communities throughout the Great State of Minnesota. This is a grass roots cultural community outreach initiative that will capture testimony from elders that will serve to shine a spotlight on elder violence at home, in nursing facilities, senior daycare centers, on public transportation and address egregious predatory financial exploitation, that will be delivered in a way that educates communities to adopt elder nonviolence as a way of living in the spirit of our ancestors.

Special Guest Bio:

Mahmoud El Kati

Hosts Jesse and Carly introduce the grassroots culture and community initiative known as Minnesota Elder Nonviolence Coalition with its co-founder, Monique Linder and special guest Sean Burke of the Minnesota Elder Justice Center.