Events - Month View

Do you find it hard to really get to know members at our large programs … or those featuring a speaker? This spontaneous event might be just right for you! Join us for a casual conversation online. Take this opportunity to meet new members and reconnect with some you haven’t seen lately.

Join us as we return to our early morning walks--with pandemic protocols*--along the banks of the Mississippi River. All level of walkers are welcome. To meet the group, show up at the Stone Arch parking lot. The group leaves promptly at 8:00 a.m. and will proceed across the Stone Arch Bridge so members on the east side of the river can catch the walk as it comes down Main Street about 8:20 a.m. Walks are held each Tuesday and Thursday morning. Attention first-time walkers: Please call Mill City Commons at (612) 455-3329 so we can ensure another member is available to greet you.
*Pandemic Protocol:
Please plan to walk in pairs, six feet apart with face masks. Please refrain from attending if you think you have been in contact with anyone infected in the last two weeks.

Schedule time with a Tech Support Guru on Zoom and have your nagging technology questions answered during our complimentary Help Desk. The zoom link will be provided in your confirmation email.

Since late December, Avivo Village has gradually opened "tiny houses" for individuals experiencing homelessness in Hennepin County. What started as 16 units has now become 100 units and the village provides much more than just a roof and a bed. We’ll hear from Emily Bastian, Sheila Delaney and Bri Sharkey-Smith for an insider look at the mission, vision and operations that made Avivo Village possible and learn about their holistic and comprehensive service approach to ending homelessness in Minnesota.

Join your friends and neighbors on Zoom for a morning chat. This adventure requires no reservations!

Join your friends and neighbors on Zoom to discuss our book of the month. This gathering requires no reservations! This month‘s book: The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion.

An exclusive opportunity (and great deal!) for MCC members, this weekly class focuses on strength, balance and stretching to keep you fit and strong.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is the crown jewel of Minnesota and America’s most visited wilderness area. This same Wilderness is also one of the most endangered and currently threatened by a toxic sulfide-ore copper mining. Join the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters’ Board Chair, Becky Rom, to learn about where we are at with the Twin Metals‘ Mine Plan, what our plan is at the State & Federal level, and will provide ways for you to help us bolster these efforts as we fight to preserve the Boundary Waters from proposed copper-nickel mining.

Join us as we return to our early morning walks--with pandemic protocols*--along the banks of the Mississippi River. All level of walkers are welcome. To meet the group, show up at the Stone Arch parking lot. The group leaves promptly at 8:00 a.m. and will proceed across the Stone Arch Bridge so members on the east side of the river can catch the walk as it comes down Main Street about 8:20 a.m. Walks are held each Tuesday and Thursday morning. Attention first-time walkers: Please call Mill City Commons at (612) 455-3329 so we can ensure another member is available to greet you.
*Pandemic Protocol:
Please plan to walk in pairs, six feet apart with face masks. Please refrain from attending if you think you have been in contact with anyone infected in the last two weeks.

Are you new to meditation or have you been practicing for a while? Either way, attending this class is a wonderful act of self-care. Enjoy an hour of guided meditation including body scans, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and heartfelt discussion/reflection. Give yourself time to press pause on worries and the never ending to-do list and enjoy the company of fellow MCC members who are seeking a more mindful and relaxed state of being. This course has been surprisingly impactful, even on zoom!

This virtual lunch alternates weeks with the Men‘s Coffee and Conversation. Make yourself lunch, click the zoom link and enjoy connecting with MCC members. No reservations required!

This month‘s topic: Gingerly Emerging From Isolation…Let’s Frolic (Safely)!
It’s been a long hard winter…er…year. Now that we are getting vaccinated and inching towards gathering with other human beings, let’s chat about how we’ll gingerly emerge from hibernation over the next few months. Where will you be dipping your big toe? Let’s explore where we will feel safe and share any research that we’ve done. Which restaurants or patios do you feel will be most safe? Which live music venues will be able to adapt? Will MN Orchestra or theatrical performances be safe? How about movie theaters? If you’re connected to any arts organizations, let us know what they’re planning. Let’s bring on the fun…carefully!

Celebrate spring with a series of bird-watching walks! We hope to see migrating warblers and other songbirds. Gregg Severson, naturalist with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, will lead the walks. Participants must bring their own binoculars and field guides, if you have them.

?

NOTE: You don’t have to be a serious birder to participate—this is a chance to learn! And these are not strenuous hikes but rather easy walks with lots of stopping.

NOTE: Due to physical distancing guidelines, this event is limited to ten participants. Per CDC guidelines fully vaccinated people may gather outdoors maintaining physical distancing without masks. Have a mask with you in case it is needed with other park attendees. As always, please refrain from attending if you are not feeling well.

Do you find it hard to really get to know members at our large programs … or those featuring a speaker? This spontaneous event might be just right for you! Join us for a casual conversation online. Take this opportunity to meet new members and reconnect with some you haven’t seen lately.

Join us as we return to our early morning walks--with pandemic protocols*--along the banks of the Mississippi River. All level of walkers are welcome. To meet the group, show up at the Stone Arch parking lot. The group leaves promptly at 8:00 a.m. and will proceed across the Stone Arch Bridge so members on the east side of the river can catch the walk as it comes down Main Street about 8:20 a.m. Walks are held each Tuesday and Thursday morning. Attention first-time walkers: Please call Mill City Commons at (612) 455-3329 so we can ensure another member is available to greet you.
*Pandemic Protocol:
Please plan to walk in pairs, six feet apart with face masks. Please refrain from attending if you think you have been in contact with anyone infected in the last two weeks.

Through discussion we will explore ways of building a just community, equitably including all citizens.
This month: There was a collective sigh of relief hearing the guilty verdict at George Floyd‘s trial. However, the work and fight for racial justice is not over. Our discussion will reflect on what insight the trial brought and the continued path to rooting out systemic racism and supporting policy change. Please see full web description for resource links/reading materials.

Chief Arradondo was the commanding officer during the high profile police-custody death of George Floyd. A month later he cancelled future contract negotiations with the Police Union, with plans to examine how contact with the Police Officer Federation can be restructured to create a warning system that provides transparency regarding "troubled" officers and offer flexibility for true reform. Join us as Chief Arradondo discusses his vision and plans for public safety, and answers questions. *Please note: Due to time constraints and expected audience size, this program will be moderated by MCC member Bill Davnie. MCC Members are asked to submit questions for Chief Arradondo here by Friday, May 7 at noon. We will do our best to ensure your question gets asked/answered during the program. There will be limited time at the end of the program for MCC members to ask questions directly.

Join your friends and neighbors on Zoom for a morning chat. This adventure requires no reservations!

This guided discussion group with professional facilitation supports MCC members and nonmembers who are in a caregiving role.

An exclusive opportunity (and great deal!) for MCC members, this weekly class focuses on strength, balance and stretching to keep you fit and strong.

Caffeine and camaraderie for members of MCC! This group meets every other Thursday and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going. Conversation Leader: David Christensen

Join us as we return to our early morning walks--with pandemic protocols*--along the banks of the Mississippi River. All level of walkers are welcome. To meet the group, show up at the Stone Arch parking lot. The group leaves promptly at 8:00 a.m. and will proceed across the Stone Arch Bridge so members on the east side of the river can catch the walk as it comes down Main Street about 8:20 a.m. Walks are held each Tuesday and Thursday morning. Attention first-time walkers: Please call Mill City Commons at (612) 455-3329 so we can ensure another member is available to greet you.
*Pandemic Protocol:
Please plan to walk in pairs, six feet apart with face masks. Please refrain from attending if you think you have been in contact with anyone infected in the last two weeks.

Appetite For Change (AFC) is a nonprofit in North Minneapolis dedicated to sharing the power food has to connect us and build social change. Through strategic partnerships, youth and workforce development programs, social enterprises, and policy initiatives, AFC works to build community capacity to engage with the food system in a fresh and sustainable way. Most notably, AFC prepares and delivers thousands of fresh meals each week to neighbors and healthcare workers. Tasha Powell, AFC‘s Executive Director, will join us to discuss the history and future of the organization, and the incredible impact they have in our community.

Celebrate spring with a series of bird-watching walks! We hope to see migrating warblers and other songbirds. Gregg Severson, naturalist with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, will lead the walks. Participants must bring their own binoculars and field guides, if you have them.

?

NOTE: You don’t have to be a serious birder to participate—this is a chance to learn! And these are not strenuous hikes but rather easy walks with lots of stopping.

NOTE: Due to physical distancing guidelines, this event is limited to ten participants. Per CDC guidelines fully vaccinated people may gather outdoors maintaining physical distancing without masks. Have a mask with you in case it is needed with other park attendees. As always, please refrain from attending if you are not feeling well.

Do you find it hard to really get to know members at our large programs … or those featuring a speaker? This spontaneous event might be just right for you! Join us for a casual conversation online. Take this opportunity to meet new members and reconnect with some you haven’t seen lately.

With the “Brexit transition period” coming to an end this year, the United Kingdom will formally leave the European Union at the start of 2021. With negotiations between the two entities continuing to stall, what does the future of Europe and the UK look like? Will the UK survive a possible Scottish vote to leave? Who will step up and take command of Europe now that Angela Merkel is out of the spotlight? Norma Noonan will be our speaker.

Join us as we return to our early morning walks--with pandemic protocols*--along the banks of the Mississippi River. All level of walkers are welcome. To meet the group, show up at the Stone Arch parking lot. The group leaves promptly at 8:00 a.m. and will proceed across the Stone Arch Bridge so members on the east side of the river can catch the walk as it comes down Main Street about 8:20 a.m. Walks are held each Tuesday and Thursday morning. Attention first-time walkers: Please call Mill City Commons at (612) 455-3329 so we can ensure another member is available to greet you.
*Pandemic Protocol:
Please plan to walk in pairs, six feet apart with face masks. Please refrain from attending if you think you have been in contact with anyone infected in the last two weeks.

Discovering better treatments for Alzheimer‘s disease and other forms of dementia, among the most feared and common causes of debilitation in the elderly, has resisted the valiant efforts of researchers worldwide. Join us for a lecture by Karen Ashe, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology and Director of the N. Bud Grossman Center for Memory Research and Care at the University of Minnesota. You’ll learn how scientists are building on exciting new knowledge about how the brain breaks down in dementia to discover better treatments.

Join your friends and neighbors on Zoom for a morning chat. This adventure requires no reservations!

Current international news and U.S. foreign policy provide an endless trove of topics for learning and discussion. Retired foreign service officer and MCC member Bill Davnie will identify a topic in advance, although news can always lead us in a fresh direction. There will be both presentation and discussion.

An exclusive opportunity (and great deal!) for MCC members, this weekly class focuses on strength, balance and stretching to keep you fit and strong.

Note: Scripts will be mailed to you in advance of the meeting. Jo Holcomb will assign parts and provide the zoom link via email.

Play: Sonia Flew by Melissa Lopez
When Sonia learns of her son’s decision to leave college, enlist in the military and fight against terror in Afghanistan in the weeks following 9/11, memories of her own childhood overwhelm her. She struggles to reconcile being forced as a young girl to leave Cuba at the dawn of Fidel Castro’s rule with her own responsibilities as a mother facing uncertainty. Sonia must find a way to come to terms with her past, her lost parents, her own children and her adopted country—or risk losing everything that she loves. Set between post-revolutionary Cuba and post-9/11 America, SONIA FLEW telescopes the large cultural and political forces of a historic moment to examine their impact on the intimate lives of ordinary men and women. What do we owe our parents? Can we forgive the past? This poetic and urgent play bridges time and culture in a drama about the cost of forgiveness.

Join us as we return to our early morning walks--with pandemic protocols*--along the banks of the Mississippi River. All level of walkers are welcome. To meet the group, show up at the Stone Arch parking lot. The group leaves promptly at 8:00 a.m. and will proceed across the Stone Arch Bridge so members on the east side of the river can catch the walk as it comes down Main Street about 8:20 a.m. Walks are held each Tuesday and Thursday morning. Attention first-time walkers: Please call Mill City Commons at (612) 455-3329 so we can ensure another member is available to greet you.
*Pandemic Protocol:
Please plan to walk in pairs, six feet apart with face masks. Please refrain from attending if you think you have been in contact with anyone infected in the last two weeks.

Are you new to meditation or have you been practicing for a while? Either way, attending this class is a wonderful act of self-care. Enjoy an hour of guided meditation including body scans, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and heartfelt discussion/reflection. Give yourself time to press pause on worries and the never ending to-do list and enjoy the company of fellow MCC members who are seeking a more mindful and relaxed state of being. This course has been surprisingly impactful, even on zoom!

This virtual lunch alternates weeks with the Men‘s Coffee and Conversation. Make yourself lunch, click the zoom link and enjoy connecting with MCC members. No reservations required!

The Women’s Connect “Chat” in early May focused on how we might venture out from our Covid cocoons into some fun activities. Good ideas abound. Continuing the conversation in the longer format, let’s talk about some of the issues that dominated and continue to dominate 2020 conversations, rife with words like “woke,” “cancel culture,” “languishing,” “virtue signaling,” “justice,” “reform,” “confrontation,” “freedom,” etc. Bring a word for discussion. What does it mean to you? How do others react? Division and anger? Hope and inspiration? Boredom? How does our language shape our moods, our expectations? What are you reading that inspires and energizes? What do you wish you didn’t read, but feel you should?
Bring your ideas for future discussions.

MCC Women Connect‘s purpose is to gather to connect and grow, sharing our experiences and learning from each other as we adapt to life‘s changes and transitions. Discussion ideas come from members, volunteer facilitators and a list of suggestions being developed. We meet once a month on the third Thursday.

Celebrate spring with a series of bird-watching walks! We hope to see migrating warblers and other songbirds. Gregg Severson, naturalist with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, will lead the walks. Participants must bring their own binoculars and field guides, if you have them.

?

NOTE: You don’t have to be a serious birder to participate—this is a chance to learn! And these are not strenuous hikes but rather easy walks with lots of stopping.

NOTE: Due to physical distancing guidelines, this event is limited to ten participants. Per CDC guidelines fully vaccinated people may gather outdoors maintaining physical distancing without masks. Have a mask with you in case it is needed with other park attendees. As always, please refrain from attending if you are not feeling well.

This month‘s movie: TBD

Do you find it hard to really get to know members at our large programs … or those featuring a speaker? This spontaneous event might be just right for you! Join us for a casual conversation online. Take this opportunity to meet new members and reconnect with some you haven’t seen lately.

During these strange times when we are more-or-less house-bound, many members are sorting through decades of photos. Others say they are writing about incidents that happened in their lives. Join us as three members - Peter Gillette, David Grong & Bob Whitlock - share stories about their time in the military. It will be a time to ponder whether you can relate to their stories, or perhaps, be prompted to write one of your own.

Join us as we return to our early morning walks--with pandemic protocols*--along the banks of the Mississippi River. All level of walkers are welcome. To meet the group, show up at the Stone Arch parking lot. The group leaves promptly at 8:00 a.m. and will proceed across the Stone Arch Bridge so members on the east side of the river can catch the walk as it comes down Main Street about 8:20 a.m. Walks are held each Tuesday and Thursday morning. Attention first-time walkers: Please call Mill City Commons at (612) 455-3329 so we can ensure another member is available to greet you.
*Pandemic Protocol:
Please plan to walk in pairs, six feet apart with face masks. Please refrain from attending if you think you have been in contact with anyone infected in the last two weeks.

As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, MCC Member and retired physician Michael Brennan is keeping a close watch on all medical and health developments put forth by the CDC, NIH and MN Department of Public Health. Join us for this every-other-week meeting where Michael will share the most recent information available, his perspective of how to keep ourselves safe and healthy, and answer questions.

Join your friends and neighbors on Zoom for a morning chat. This adventure requires no reservations!

This guided discussion group with professional facilitation supports MCC members and nonmembers who are in a caregiving role.

An exclusive opportunity (and great deal!) for MCC members, this weekly class focuses on strength, balance and stretching to keep you fit and strong.

Caffeine and camaraderie for members of MCC! This group meets every other Thursday and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going. Conversation Leader: Kin Shing Lun

Join us as we return to our early morning walks--with pandemic protocols*--along the banks of the Mississippi River. All level of walkers are welcome. To meet the group, show up at the Stone Arch parking lot. The group leaves promptly at 8:00 a.m. and will proceed across the Stone Arch Bridge so members on the east side of the river can catch the walk as it comes down Main Street about 8:20 a.m. Walks are held each Tuesday and Thursday morning. Attention first-time walkers: Please call Mill City Commons at (612) 455-3329 so we can ensure another member is available to greet you.
*Pandemic Protocol:
Please plan to walk in pairs, six feet apart with face masks. Please refrain from attending if you think you have been in contact with anyone infected in the last two weeks.