About Us

Vision

The large immigrant and growing refugee communities in Northfield have been largely invisible for many years and suffer issues that are specific to them. Neighbors United and other groups in town work to bring visibility while empowering the community.

Mision Stament

Neighbors United is committed to be a group open to everybody with the intention to break barriers and gaps between groups. Everybody is welcomed no matter their race, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or economic status.

The sizable immigrant and growing refugee community in Northfield has been largely invisible for many years and suffers issues that are specific to them. Neighbors United works to advocate, bring visibility and empowerment to this community”.

History

Neighbors United started with a core of four immigrant women and the support of their husbands. The four women were also at the time the anchors at the local radio show in Spanish. “El Súper Barrio Latino”, in The One, KYMN, local radio station in Northfield. From there the group has become a larger group where everybody is welcomed.

Neighbors United had been working in the Northfield area in Southern Minnesota for two years before it was founded January 31st of 2017 by Marlene Rojas, Taide Rodriguez-Marcial, Lucy González Mirón, Mar Valdecantos, Erubiel Marcial and Anthony Pahnke.

Focus Areas

The large immigrant and low-income communities in Northfield have been largely invisible for many years and suffer issues that are specific to them. Neighbors United and other groups in town work to bring visibility while empowering these communities.

We strive to work on areas that need to improve in our community. Those areas include but are not limited to:

Housing

Working towards having more immigrants and people of color be homeowners and build equity for their families.

Apartments: Worked with the City of Northfield and the outcome was the new rental ordinance and tenant protections
Support to Viking Terrace Manufactured Home Community sold to a national company.

Business and Economic Development

Supporting minority owned businesses.

Promoters and creators of the Mercado Local, a market of local vendors seeking to work and promote their business through a common goal and project.

Cultural

Working to share our culture and know other cultures. Expanding cultural activities with art, exhibits, murals and music.
Seeking to create cultural center spaces in Northfield.

Education

We created the Hispanic Committee with the Northfield Public Schools. Community members from the Immigrant Community meet with the Superintendent three times per year to share people’s worries and what can the schools offer to families. An excellent way to know each other