I Almost Didn't Send This Newsletter
Your safety matters more than any event. Your business matters too. Here's how we show up for each other.
Hi friends,
Let me be honest with you: there are more important things in the world right now than networking events.
This has been an incredibly difficult month in Minnesota. I want to say this clearly: please don’t risk your safety to attend networking events. Your wellbeing comes first, always.
If you’re not feeling ready to go out, that’s completely understandable. Stay warm, stay safe, and take care of yourself.
Normally, I’d fill this newsletter with a list of upcoming networking events and opportunities. But honestly, right now that doesn’t feel as important. What feels important is saying this: you’re not alone, this community cares about you, and we’re here for each other.
And yet. This is also a business community. My main purpose for running Twin Cities Collective is to support local businesses and the people who run them. For many of you, networking isn’t just about collecting business cards or attending mixers — it’s lifeblood. It’s how you find clients, build partnerships, discover opportunities, and create the connections that keep your business going. Especially during times like these.
So while I would never ask anyone to put themselves at risk, I also want to honor the reality that many of you need these connections to survive and thrive. Some of you may be ready to show up. Some of you may need to stay home. Both are valid. Both are okay.
Here’s the link to the events this month if that is what you are here for. If you want to keep reading I have more to say
What Twin Cities Collective Stands For
Let me be crystal clear about who we are and what we’re building here:
Twin Cities Collective is welcoming to all. We are inclusive. We believe in community over competition, connection over division, and showing up for each other — especially when times are hard.
Whether you’re a solo founder, a side hustler, a creative, a connector, or someone just looking for genuine community, you belong here. We celebrate diverse voices, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. That’s what makes us stronger.
This isn’t just a networking group. It’s a community that believes in lifting each other up, championing local businesses, and creating space where everyone feels seen and valued.
Why the Twin Cities, and Why Community Matters
People move to the Twin Cities for a thousand different reasons. Maybe it was a job opportunity that brought them here. Maybe it was love, or family, or the promise of something new. Maybe they were drawn by the lakes, the arts scene, the neighborhoods with character, or the reputation of Minnesota Nice.
I stay here because this place has become home. Not just the physical place, but the people. The connections. The sense that when things get hard, we show up for each other. That’s not something you can find everywhere, and it’s not something to take for granted.
Right now, in the middle of an incredibly difficult time, that sense of community is being tested. But it’s also when it matters most.
We’ve been through tough things before. We will face tough things again. But we’ve also shown, time and time again, that we’re stronger together. We will get through this.
How You Can Help Our Neighbors
If you’re looking for ways to support our community, here are specific resources and organizations actively helping Twin Cities residents:
https://www.standwithminnesota.com/
Minneapolis Mutual Aid Clearinghouse
A comprehensive directory of mutual aid resources for our neighbors, including frontline organizations, food distribution sites, neighborhood-based mutual aid, and direct family support.
View all resources at linktr.ee/mplsmutualaid
Organizations on the Frontline
Unidos MN — Supporting immigrant communities
Immigrant Movement MN — Inspiring, educating, empowering, and mobilizing the Hispanic community. Venmo: @MIMMN23
CAIR Minnesota — Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota
MIRAC — Grassroots immigrant rights organization fighting for an end to immigration raids and deportations at miracmn.com
COPAL — Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action
Immigrant Defense Network — Protecting the human rights and dignity of every Minnesotan
Immigrant Law Center of MN — Legal aid to immigrants and refugees at lnkd.in/ghcGPhru
Community Food Distribution
Dios Habla Hoy Ministries — Food supplies for people who cannot leave their homes. Anyone who needs food will receive food, regardless of religious affiliation at lnkd.in/gGBq7NE6
Joyce Uptown Food Shelf — Make a one-time or ongoing monthly donation to support neighbors who are missing meals at lnkd.in/g-RNZNZj
La Vina Community Church — Community food support
The Midway Food and Empowerment Project — Neighbor-led food access in Hamline Midway, supporting an average of 50 families each week at Hancock Recreation Center
Community Aid Network MN — Free food distribution Thursdays 5-7pm at Bethel Lutheran Church (4120 17th Ave S, Minneapolis). Email communityaidnetworkmn@gmail.com to join their weekly mailing list
Mutual Aid & Direct Support
Twin Cities Mutual Aid Project — Find local mutual aid sites and donate supplies at tcmap.org
Neighbors Helping Neighbors — By Flourish Placemaking Collective
Greater Twin Cities United Way — Supporting nonprofits driving community-led change at gtcuw.org
Financial & Basic Needs Assistance
Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County — Energy assistance, water assistance, MNsure application help at caphennepin.org
Community Sharing Fund (Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation) — Emergency grants up to $1,000 ($1,500 for housing) for East Metro residents at spmcf.org
MNbenefits — Apply for cash assistance, food support, child care assistance, and housing support at mnbenefits.mn.gov
Civic Engagement
Resistbot — Turn your texts into faxes, postal mail, or emails to your representatives. Delivered in minutes at resist.bot
For more ways to support immigrant communities and families affected, follow Beyond Beurre Blanc on Instagram (@beyondbeurreblanc) for ongoing updates on food drives and local restaurant drop-off sites.
Supporting Our Small Business Community
As a business owner whose clients are primarily local, I want to speak directly to what we’re all feeling right now: this is tough. When our community hurts, we all hurt. When people are staying home for safety, our coffee shops feel quieter, our boutiques see fewer visitors, our service providers have gaps in their calendars.
The people behind these businesses — the ones who took a leap of faith to open their doors, who know your regular order, who remember your name — they’re navigating the same uncertainty we all are, with the added weight of keeping their businesses alive. They moved here or stayed here for the same reasons we all did. They believed in this community. They invested in it.
If you’re able, please support local small businesses.
Shop local — Order from neighborhood restaurants, buy gift cards, support small retailers
Hire local service providers — Cleaners, organizers, creatives, consultants — they need clients right now
Check in on neighbors — A text, call, or doorstep visit can make a difference
Share and amplify — Promote local businesses on social media, leave reviews, spread the word
Volunteer your time — Many organizations need help; even a few hours matters
Every small gesture ripples through our community and helps real people — our neighbors — keep going.
We’re all affected. We’re all in this together. And that’s exactly why community matters more than ever. We need to support each other not just because it’s good business, but because it’s who we are. It’s why we’re here. It’s the fabric that holds this place together when everything else feels uncertain.
Upcoming Networking Events
When you’re ready to connect — whether that’s this week or next month — I’ll be keeping this document updated with local networking events and opportunities to meet fellow entrepreneurs, creatives, and community builders.
I’m building a running list of Twin Cities networking events, workshops, and community gatherings. Check back regularly for updates, or let me know if you have an event you’d like me to share!
Mental Health Resources
If you’re struggling right now, please know that support is available:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call or text 988
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness): 651-645-2948 or visit nami.org/minnesota
Minnesota Warmline: 651-266-7890 (peer support, non-crisis)
Hennepin County Crisis Line: 612-873-2222 (24/7)
Ramsey County Crisis Line: 651-266-7900 (24/7)
Minnesota Department of Human Services Mental Health Resources: mn.gov/dhs/mental-health
This community is here for you, today and always. We’ll get through this together. 💛
Jenna Redfield
