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790 WORDS | 6.1 MINUTE READ
Hi John,
As summer speeds to an end, I enjoyed another busy, wonderful week at home in Minnesota. From visiting businesses to fighting food insecurity, it was a memorable one! Read on for more details, and if you're headed to the Great Minnesota Get-Together, don't forget to check out these new State Fair foods before you go!
Celebrating BIPOC Businesses
Last week, I visited BIPOC-owned businesses to listen and learn about their successes and challenges and to discover how I can best support them through my work on the House Small Business Committee. My first stop was at Bamboo Village in Anoka. After the warmest welcome, I sat down with owner Connie Li and her team to learn more about their business and enjoy some authentic Chinese cuisine. It was the best possible start to my day, and I left inspired by their outstanding food, friendly staff, and dedication to their business.
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| Thanks to Connie and her team for the conversation and amazing eggs rolls! |
August is Black Business Month, so next, I made a trip to Nadia's Kitchen in Brooklyn Park. Nadia serves outstanding Jamaican food, many from recipes her mother created when she was growing up in the island nation. After a tour of her space, I shared a delicious meal and conversation with owner and chef, Nadia Wotrang-Brown, and Sheletta Brundidge. We talked about the highs and lows that come with starting a business, and the need to support small businesses, particularly those that are minority-owned.
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| The lunch at Nadia's will be hard to beat, and I commend her for the hard work to make her dream of being a small business owner a reality. |
After fueling up at Nadia’s, I headed to N1 Motion Gym in Brooklyn Park, a Black-owned, independent gym that offers six different types of training from sports, personal, nutrition, recovery, and more. While getting a tour of their impressive space, I talked with owner Rakim Anim about what it was like opening his business during the height of the pandemic and how he found success afterwards.
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| I am so impressed by the resilience that Rakim and his team have shown to build their business back up after the pandemic. |
My final stop was to Premier Shaves, an independent, Black-owned barbershop in Maple Grove. During an insightful conversation, owner Anthony Starks let me sit in his "inspiration chair" where he chats with his younger clients about their futures, providing the mentorship they need to create passionate and successful futures. I left inspired by the dedication he has for his craft - and for being someone our younger generation can look up to.
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| Mentoring our young people is crucial to future success, and I commend Anthony for being a steward of this work. |
On the Job with Dean
Did you know that Minnesota is third in the nation in formal volunteering and sixth in informal volunteering? Talk about Minnesota nice! To do my part, I went On the Job with AmeriCorps, Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa, ServeMinnesota, and Three Rivers Park District. After getting trained in, I helped with seed collection, talked with their staff to learn more about their efforts in the region, and left with a lot of gratitude for all their work to foster positive social and environmental change.
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| There's nothing more patriotic than service, what a treat to work alongside these amazing volunteers. |
I picked up my next shift at Three River Parks’ Baker National Gold Course, where I helped their team collect driving range balls with the ball picker, cleaned them off, and returned them to the driving range. After seeing what it takes to maintain their squeaky clean greens, I headed inside and tried my hand at flipping burgers and chicken sandwiches in the clubhouse - what a memorable afternoon learning all about golf course operations!
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| If you or someone you know owns a business or organization in our community, I invite you to offer me a shift On the Job! |
Fighting for Food Security
No person in the United States of America, one of the most prosperous nations in the world, should have to go hungry. That's why I convened advocates from ICA and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger for a roundtable conversation about food insecurity and how we can shape the future of federal nutrition assistance programs, like SNAP, in this year’s Farm Bill. As deliberations over the 2023 Farm Bill continue, I'm committed to supporting policies and programs that protect our most vulnerable and improve food security across our nation.
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| It was a pleasure to meet all these amazing advocates, and an honor to support their important work. |
I have had an amazing August at home in Minnesota!
Keep the faith, keep in touch, and stay cool!
Dean Phillips
Member of Congress
 Resources For You
My team and I are here to serve every person and every corner of our community. I want to make sure you have the resources you need to succeed:
- Donuts with Dean: Welcoming Minnesotans to Washington is one of my favorite parts of this job. We'd love the opportunity share some conversation, and donuts, next time you’re in town! To reserve your spot at an upcoming event, please complete this form, including all attendee information and the date of your preferred session.
- Energy Savings Hub: The U.S. Department of Energy has launched a one-stop shop for American families and consumers to access tools to cut energy costs through rebates and energy efficient upgrades. Click here for a list of green tax credits and other rebates.
- Look before you book: Do you have international travel plans on the horizon? Make sure you are prepared before you book! Visit https://travel.state.gov/ to check your passport expiration date, apply for a passport, and much more.
- The Congressional App Challenge is back: Calling all middle and high school coders - are you innovative, creative, and driven to solve problems? Then the Congressional App Challenge is for you! Registration is open, so head to my website to learn more.
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