Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization

Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO) works to transform the Central Neighborhood to represent a community that represents safety, justice and equity.

 During these unprecedented times CANDO has taken on the task of deepening its work of building a community that represents equity for all its residents, businesses, institutions and organizations. Nested within CANDO is Plant-Grow-Share, the food justice program of the Central Neighborhood.

The Central Neighborhood has become the center focus of the world in making this possible as one of its corners rests on the intersection of 38th & Chicago in South Minneapolis, the place where George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis Police Department on May 25, 2020. This murder sparked a national Uprising and a demand on changing the policing system as we know it.

The Uprising coupled with Covid-19 has propelled our community to show up in need and in deed.

We’ve built community by :

-  Held weekly Community Conversations with our residents. 

- Providing over $20,000 of mutual aid funds to neighbors in need.

- Distributing over $70,000 to businesses and organizations in the Central neighborhood that was directly impacted by the Uprising

- Provided part-time organizing positions for local community members

-  Built partnerships with local safety teams to increase safety measures for the Central and Southside Minneapolis Community

It is our goal to continue to provide a space of awareness to educate our community on systemic racism and structures that has been historically used to propel the dangerous agenda of keeping black and brown bodies unsaWe are now at a place to continue, grow and strengthen the work. CANDO is committed to empowering more residents to become leaders and build a safe equitable community. Unfortunately, Covid-19 is beyond human creation. However, dismantling systemic racism was created by humans so now we have the task to undo and recreate a community that is systematically free of all biases. 

We need your resources and financial support in helping us make this possible.

With your support we can

- Provide anti-racism training for our residents

- Provide part time organizing job opportunities for residents 

- Provide mutual aid support local residents affected by Covid-19

CANDO has the worlds attention let make it count by re-imagining a community that's free of all systematic biases.