Minneapolis leaders and neighbors are working to strengthen connections across the city and build trust, especially as the community reels from recent violence.

Resident and city visitors at Neighborhood Day got the chance to cultivate meaningful relationships, with about 40% of Minneapolis neighborhoods holding events for community building.

“The motivation is really to get more people involved in the neighborhood organizations, to make sure that all voices are being heard, and then information from those neighborhoods come upwards to elected officials, city departments and so more folks that are involved in everyday activities and everyday decision making, the more powerful city as a whole is together,” said Steven Gallagher, the neighborhoods program manager for the City of Minneapolis.

He says Neighborhood Day is in its fourth year with food, games and educational materials.

“We have around 5,000 people that participate in neighborhood organizations. Out of 400,000, we just like to have more people involved, more voices on the table,” Gallagher said.

Mayor Jacob Frey says he and Minneapolis police showing up to community events allows them to come face to face with the people they try to protect.

“A big part of safety is making sure that we have the kind of partnerships that are set up when things are going well, so that when something difficult happens, we’re better able to respond,” Mayor Frey said.

If you’d like to get involved in your neighborhood organization or find out what neighborhood you’re in, you can call the City of Minneapolis at 311.