Stefi Villebrun stayed up until 3 a.m. making potato salad for National Night Out. She organized this year’s annual event at Mino-Bimaadiziwin, an apartment building in south Minneapolis. Villebrun and other residents refer to it as “Mino-B.”
Villebrun lives and works in the building. Her hope was that the food and the games she had planned would draw residents out of their apartments.
“They get to know their neighbor and everything. Because they could walk by, and they don't say anything to anybody, like ‘hello’ or whatever. So, it's more inviting tonight,” Villebrun said.
For residents who live at Mino-B, National Night Out contributed to a sense of safety. The better they know one another, the more they look out for each other, and the safer the building.
Mino-B is one of the first tribally sponsored housing developments in the United States. The building is owned by Red Lake Nation, a tribal nation in northwestern Minnesota. The 110-unit building is home to a diverse community of families.
Safety has been a huge issue for Mino-B residents this past year. In April, Tiago Antonio Gilbert, 34, was shot and killed leaving the out-patient treatment center next door where he was receiving services. Minneapolis police issued warrants for three men in connection with Gilbert’s death in early May.
Villebrun and other Mino-B residents say they must also contend with the fentanyl epidemic that’s gripped the neighborhood. It’s a big part of the reason why Mino-B residents chose to hold the event inside the building’s private courtyard.
“It's nice and quiet, and people can't get in because it's fenced in. Because there's a lot of chaos around this neighborhood right here with a lot of the drugs going on,” Villebrun said.
Butch Sinette owns a company that provides security for Mino-B. His adult son and his son’s family live in the building. Sinette says the event is a good opportunity for neighbors to meet one another.
“With a bunch of people living in a building like this, they don't always necessarily get to interact with each other — you got kids, a job, you're moving in and out, you know,” said Sinette. “Where National Night Out, it's like, ‘Oh, you live in 302, I live in 305. So nice to meet you.’”
Marvino Wilson also lives at Mino-B. He’s a young father who also works in the neighborhood. He and friend Abdi Mohammed arrived early to the event excited for the grilled hamburgers and potato salad.
Wilson says it's important to him to spend time with his neighbors.
“I feel like it helps because we could get to see each other more often — because everybody be busy and working and going to school,” Wilson said. “I feel like it's courage and it's love and a good community base.”
By the end of the evening, Villebrun’s signature potato salad had all been eaten.
As soon as Villebrun finished serving food, she turned to give a hula hoop lesson to some of the young children who live at the building.
“And then I got a bubble machine for the little kids and chalk so they can write on,” Villebrun said.
Villebrun stayed to visit with parents and grandparents as they watched their children and grandchildren play in the courtyard.
