The study averaged the net worth of each member. When members file their financial disclosure statements, they list assets and liabilities as part of minimum and maximum bet worth and CRP averaged those. For example, Sen. Amy Klobuchar reported a minimum net worth of $345,029 and a maximum of $1,104,000 for an average net worth of $724,512.

In Minnesota politics, the Republican members are much wealthier than the DFLers.

The wealthiest member of Minnesota’s delegation was Sen. Al Franken with an average net worth of $8,747,525 followed by Rep. Michele Bachmann at $1,783,508 and Rep. Chip Cravaack in 217th place with an average net worth of $1,391,551.

Those three were in the top half of Congress’ 535 members.

After Klobuchar’s $724,512 comes Rep. Erik Paulsen with an average net worth of $487,017, Rep. John Kline had $471,006, Rep. Collin Peterson had $263,005, Rep. Tim Walz with $247,502, and Rep. Betty McCollum with an average net worth of $88,005.

Rep. Keith Ellison had the lowest net worth, with negative $14,497.

The generally accepted cutoff for the top 1 percent of Americans in terms of net worth is about $9 million on 2010, a threshold that none of the Minnesota delegation report.

Eleven percent of Congress is in the top 1 percent in terms of net worth.

Source: donsutherland1, Flickr

Reps. Keith Ellison, Betty McCollum and Tim Walz joined 130 other members of Congress in filing a brief in a court case challenging part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

The members are challenging Section 3 of DOMA that denies benefits to some legally married couples in Massachusetts that others are afforded and the members say it compromises states’ rights.

The lawsuit began in 2009, when the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) filed suit on behalf of eight legally married same-sex couples and three surviving spouses after they were denied federal legal protections.

133 House members added their support for the couples’ lawsuit.

“Some [House members] voted against the Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”) while others voted for it; still others were not in Congress when DOMA was enacted. But all believe, today, that Section 3 of DOMA, which defines marriage for all federal purposes as ‘only a legal union between one man and one woman,’ lacks a rational relationship to any legitimate federal purpose and accordingly is unconstitutional,” the brief said.

Fourteen of the 133 House members signing the brief voted for the original law that they now view as unconstitutional. The only member of Minnesota’s congressional delegation to have voted for DOMA in 1996 is Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson, who has said he continues to support the law and voted to “reaffirm” it earlier this year.

Walz, Ellison, and McCollum have all been elected to Congress well after that vote. All three have also sponsored legislation to repeal DOMA.

The brief said, in part, that it was a response to House Speaker John Boehner’s decision to expend federal time and money on the Defense of Marriage Act.

“[The members] also wish to make clear that the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (“BLAG”), which has intervened in this case to defend Section 3’s constitutionality, does not speak for a unanimous House on this issue.”

The brief concluded that DOMA was a federal overreach into the individual states’ rights to determine marriage.

“Prior to DOMA, Congress achieved its legitimate federal interests in promoting the welfare of American families by working cooperatively with the states and respecting state marriage determinations. Congress’s radical departure from that federalist practice was a mistake; because Section 3 violates the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantee, it is also unconstitutional. The decision below should be affirmed.”

The case is being heard in the First Circuit’s U.S. Court of Appeals.

Here’s the full list of members who signed the brief:

Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, James E. Clyburn, Jerrold Nadler, John Conyers, Jr., Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin, Jared Polis, David N. Cicilline, Gary L. Ackerman, Robert E. Andrews, Karen Bass, Xavier Becerra, Shelley Berkley, Howard L. Berman, Timothy H. Bishop, Earl Blumenauer, Robert A. Brady, Bruce L. Braley, Lois Capps, Michael E. Capuano, André Carson, Judy Chu, Hansen Clarke, Yvette D. Clarke, Wm. Lacy Clay, Emanuel Cleaver, Steve Cohen, Gerald E. Connolly, Joe Courtney, Joseph Crowley, Danny K. Davis, Susan A. Davis, Diana DeGette, Rosa L. DeLauro, Theodore E. Deutch, Lloyd Doggett, Michael F. Doyle, Donna F. Edwards, Keith Ellison, Eliot L. Engel, Anna G. Eshoo, Sam Farr, Chaka Fattah, Bob Filner, Marcia L. Fudge, John Garamendi, Charles A. Gonzalez, Raúl M. Grijalva, Luis V. Gutierrez, Janice Hahn, Colleen W. Hanabusa, Alcee L. Hastings, Martin Heinrich, Brian Higgins, James A. Himes, Maurice D. Hinchey, Mazie K. Hirono, Kathy Hochul, Rush D. Holt, Michael M. Honda, Jay Inslee, Steve Israel, Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., Sheila Jackson Lee, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., William R. Keating, Dennis J. Kucinich, John B. Larson, Barbara Lee, Sander M. Levin, John Lewis, Zoe Lofgren, Nita M. Lowey, Carolyn B. Maloney, Edward J. Markey, Doris O. Matsui, Carolyn McCarthy, Betty McCollum, Jim McDermott, James P. McGovern, Jerry McNerney, Gregory W. Meeks, Brad Miller, George Miller, Gwen Moore, James P. Moran, Christopher S. Murphy, Grace F. Napolitano, Richard E. Neal, Eleanor Holmes Norton, John W. Olver, William L. Owens, Frank Pallone, Jr., Ed Pastor, Donald M. Payne, Gary C. Peters, Chellie Pingree, David E. Price, Mike Quigley, Charles B. Rangel, Laura Richardson, Steven R. Rothman, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Bobby L. Rush, Tim Ryan, Linda T. Sánchez, Loretta Sanchez, John P. Sarbanes, Janice D. Schakowsky, Adam B. Schiff, Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, José E. Serrano, Brad Sherman, Louise McIntosh Slaughter, Adam Smith, Jackie Speier, Fortney Pete Stark, Mike Thompson, John F. Tierney, Paul Tonko, Edolphus Towns, Niki Tsongas, Chris Van Hollen, Nydia M. Velázquez, Timothy J. Walz, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Maxine Waters, Henry A. Waxman, Peter Welch, Lynn C. Woolsey, John A. Yarmuth.

With the 2012 elections looming, states have passed a slew of laws making voting more difficult, including voter ID laws. Opponents of the new laws say the rules will make it harder for minorities and young people to vote in the upcoming elections.

The office of Democratic Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., announced that the letter urges secretaries of state across the country “to oppose new state measures adopted over the last year that would make it harder for eligible voters to register or vote.”

“A year from now, millions of Americans will head to the polls to exercise their most fundamental right—the right to vote,” Hoyer said in a press release. “Unfortunately, in states across the country, partisan measures have been adopted that would make it more difficult for nearly five million voters, particularly the poor, young people, the elderly, and minorities, to register and vote.”

House Democrats signing onto the letter said voter restriction laws were a “disturbing trend.”

“Election legislation and administration appear to be increasingly the product of partisan plays,” the letter read. “It is critical for our democracy that this does not continue. Voting hours, voting sites, identification requirements, voter registration regulation and access to mail ballots should not be used as weapons to achieve a preferred electoral outcome.”

The letter asked secretaries of state to “be vigilant in protecting against fraud but equally vigilant in protecting the franchise for all our citizens.”

“History has taught us that our democracy has suffered far more from elected officials who chose to deny some of our citizens the opportunity to vote than from any other cause,” the letter reads. “There is no greater threat to our democracy than a diminished belief that the rules are fair and fairly administered.”

The letter is signed by Rep. Collin Peterson, Rep. Keith Ellison, Rep. Betty McCollum and Rep. Tim Walz.

A voter ID law was vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton in 2011, although Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) has said she plans to pursue a voter ID law in 2012 as a constitutional amendment.

Federal elected officials from Minnesota released their fundraising records for the most recent financial quarter this weekend, with Rep. Erik Paulsen topping all other House incumbents by adding $340,134 to his already substantial haul this year.

Democratic Rep. Tim Walz, who is also expected to face strong opposition, pulled in $221,351, according to FEC filings.

Rep. Michele Bachmann is focused on fundraising for her presidential bid, for which she raised $4.1 million.

In Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, where at least four DFL candidates are vying to take on Rep. Chip Cravaack, Tarryl Clark gathered up $228,000, more than Cravaack, although Cravaack has more money on hand.

Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson raised the least of the group, although he had a healthy fund on hand at the end of the last election cycle.

Join the Minnesota Independent this week as we dig further into the fundraising numbers in each district.

All data comes from Federal Election Commission quarterly filings.

The Minnesota Independent covered a variety of issues this week, from in-depth looks at U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s inner circle to a state Senate special election primary in Minneapolis.

Pres. Barack Obama’s job plan went to Congress, where it’s expected to face opposition from Minnesota Republicans despite White House claims that the plan would create up to 100,000 jobs in the state.

In the race for the Republican presidential nomination, a PAC aligned with Republican presidential candidate and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann put out another ad, this one painting Texas Gov. Rick Perry as soft on immigration. The radio uses the slogan “illegals take jobs.”

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty left the Republican presidential race with an impressive debt, this week’s endorsement of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will likely help ease the burden. (Comedian Stephen Colbert said Pawlenty’s endorsement was like Miracle Whip endorsing mayonnaise). As Romney’s spokesman said: ”If Tim Pawlenty wants our help, that’s something we’d help him with, just as we help all our friends.” Texas Gov. Rick Perry snagged a handful of Pawlenty supporters despite Pawlenty’s endorsement of Romney.

As his formal presidential rivals continue to trudge through the primary process, Pawlenty is planning a vacation; he’ll attend the annual National Review cruise as a guest speaker.

In the Republican tea party debate, Perry came under attack by U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann for his support of an HPV vaccine mandate. Bachmann later went even further, linking theHPV vaccine to “mental retardation,” which all experts say is false. Despite a storm of criticism, Bachmann has stood firm, saying she never misrepresented herself as a doctor or scientist. Bachmann’s argument against Perry and the drug company, Merck, is now being used in California to urge a veto of that state’s HPV vaccination mandate.

Bachmann spent the days after the debate wooing controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has kept prisoners in tent cities with extreme heat and provided inadequate food.

The Minnesota Independent’s Andy Birkey dug into the beliefs of Bachmann’s main supporters, finding fringe ideas like abolishing public education and even a terrorism charge for stockpiling guns in Uganda.

In Minnesota, the employment rate is stagnant, with 7.2 percent unemployment.

Minnesota for Marriage, a coalition of conservative Christian groups that are working to convince voters to back a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, has signed on the former communications director of the Minnesota Family Council in the run-up to the 2012 vote.

Lynne Torgerson launched her campaign against U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison on 9/11. She said Ellison is a “radical Islamist” who wanted to install Sharia law into the Constitution. Ellison said that this whole movement to ban Sharia law that no one is trying to install in the United States “is a very thin-disguised effort at religious persecution of people who are Muslim.”

Bradlee Dean, head of the You Can Run But You Cannot Hide ministry, was also back in the news with an open letter to Pres. Barack Obama.

A piece in the New York Times about conflict in the Anoka-Hennepin School District brought the issue of harassment of LGBT youth to the nation’s attention. The Minnesota Independent published a primer on the issue, giving a background to the reporting we’ve done on it for the last two years. Citing the school district, U.S. Sen. Al Franken called for an end to discrimination against LGBT students.

U.S. Rep. Tim Walz joined the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, which now includes 122 House members. Ellison and U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum also signed a letter with 72 other members of Congress urging the IRS to clarify tax rules for legally married same-sex couples—the rules are confusing and contradictory, they said. Members of Congress also announced the HIV/AIDS caucus, although no members of the Minnesota delegation are signed on.

In the special election primary for Senate District 61, state Rep. Jeff Hayden came out on top with DFLers, but Sadik Warfa made a strong showing, demonstrating the growing political clout of the state’s Somali-American population.

In Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, former congressman Rick Nolan picked up a slew of big-name Iron Range endorsements in his bid for the DFL nomination to take on U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack.

If you have any news tips, please contact us at tips@minnesotaindependent.com.

U.S. Reps. Betty McCollum and Keith Ellison urged the IRS Friday to provide guidance to same-sex couples when filing their federal taxes, which McCollum said should have been provided by the agency years ago.

McCollum, along with 74 members of Congress, signed a letter that says the agency has a responsibility to provide information for same-sex couples, who encounter complicated tax statuses because of inconsistencies in tax law between the states and federal government.

Same-sex couples who have legal relationships in at least 15 states through marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships aren’t recognized by the federal government because of the Defense of Marriage Act. That makes filing taxes much more complicated for those couples.

In fact, in some states, the IRS is inaccurately penalizing same-sex couples. In Nevada, Washington and California, which have community property deduction laws, the IRS has improperly assessed fines against couples who claim that deduction, because the IRS systems don’t recognize what would otherwise be a legal deduction.

“The LGBT community still faces discrimination in this country and that is unacceptable. In this case, it’s even more disturbing when this discrimination comes from our federal government,” McCollum said in a statement Friday. “The IRS has the ability to provide federal tax guidance to same-sex couples, and it should have done so years ago. The LGBT community deserves to be treated fairly and equally by the U.S. government not only for federal tax purposes but in any other situation.”

The letter presses the IRS to come up with a set of guidelines to aid same-sex couples in filing their taxes.

“The IRS has the ability to provide specific guidance to ease the complexity and uncertainty surrounding these couples,” the letter states. “While full equality cannot be achieved without repealing DOMA, this guidance will provide significant relief to hundreds of thousands of taxpayers, and save critical resources by avoiding unnecessary audits and inappropriate enforcement actions.”

McCollum Ellison letter on LGBT taxes –

In his address to Congress Thursday night, President Obama outlined his “jobs plan” to jump start the American economy. Minnesota’s elected officials and interest groups weighed in on Obama’s speech, and the responses fell along party lines.

Rep. Betty McCollum called on the tea party to “Stop the Game Playing and Pass Obama’s Jobs Legislation”:

“The President’s common-sense proposal to put Americans back to work should be passed by Congress as soon as possible. However, even with millions of people out of work and hurting, passing this jobs package requires the Tea Party majority to act in a responsible, bipartisan manner which is doubtful.

“For the past eight months, the world has witnessed an out-of-control Tea Party majority in Congress, harming our economy and stalling job growth with their posturing and political games. The American people want jobs, not dangerous and harmful Tea Party schemes to protect polluters, bust unions, eliminate Medicare, and outsource more jobs.”

Rep. John Kline called on Obama to roll back regulation on corporations:

“For weeks, I have been in Minnesota hearing from job creators, workers, and too many frustrated unemployed Americans about how we can get America working again. They want to see positive solutions that put the nation’s fiscal house in order and remove Washington’s regulatory roadblocks to job creation.

“I was pleased to hear the President heed the call of Americans by expressing a desire to work together to promote long term economic growth. Unfortunately, his call for more stimulus-type measures ignores the reality that people – not government – are our nation’s true job creators. The private sector doesn’t need Washington to tell them how to create jobs; they need Washington to get out of their way.

“I join most Americans who aren’t content with yet another speech. We need commonsense solutions that put Americans back to work. Earlier this year, House Republicans put forth a pro-growth agenda that builds on the Pledge to America, our governing agenda focused on job creation and economic growth. Our ‘Plan for America’s Job Creators’ will address our economic challenges, foster innovation and investment, and help job creators without raising taxes on working families and small business owners. The President should consider our in-depth proposal as well as urge the Democrat-controlled Senate to vote on numerous House-passed bills that could immediately spur job creation.

Sen. Al Franken praised Obama’s plan:

“Our top priority must be getting people back to work. The President presented a smart plan that will create needed American jobs and won’t add a dime to the deficit. This plan will benefit Minnesota, and Congress needs to act on it quickly. This package would put lots of Minnesotans back to work, including teachers, first responders, and construction workers, and put more money in the pockets of our state’s working families.”

Rep. Erik Paulsen said he’s willing to work with Democrats, but not on Obama’s plan:

“Neither party can escape blame for our nation’s economic turmoil. Republicans during the Bush years made mistakes, spending lots of money the country didn’t have. But a few of my colleagues and I want to reform Washington’s reckless, unsustainable ways,” said Paulsen. “I’m always willing to work across the aisle on good ideas to revive the economy. Unfortunately, the President’s remarks tonight were more of a rehash of previously failed policies. He and we can do better.”

Presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann delivered her own response to the president’s speech:

Unfortunately, it seems, every time the President speaks, his policies have cost the American people jobs and future prosperity.

Tonight the President under the veil of one of the most sacred deliberative forums, a joint session of Congress, delivered another political speech where he doubled down on more of the same policies that are killing the economy. Mr. President, what among your proposals was new? What here hasn’t already been tried and failed before? While the President’s speech comes on the heels of a trillion dollars of failed stimulus, bailouts, and temporary gimmicks aimed at creating jobs, the President continued to cling to the idea that government is the solution to creating jobs.

My conservative colleagues and I have been fighting over the last two and half years for pro growth policies.

I stand here tonight to say to the President, not only should Congress not pass your plan, I say, “stop; your last plan hasn’t worked, it’s hurting the American economy.” Instead of temporary fixes, do what has proved to work in the past, permanent pro growth policies that are driven by the free market.”

Bachmann offered her plan to create jobs:

1) Repatriate American business dollars earned from overseas, 2) Massively cut spending and the size of government, 3) Repeal Obamacare, which is the government takeover of America’s healthcare system, 4) Cut taxes, including corporate taxes, 5) Repeal Dodd-Frank, 6) Repeal job killing regulations, 7) Increase exports by finalizing free trade agreements, 8) Spur new investment in America, inspire innovation, 9) Provide job creating energy solutions, including decreased regulations on developing new energy supplies from our abundant domestic energy resources.

Gov. Mark Dayton gushed over Obama’s speech:

“The President’s speech was the best I have ever heard him deliver. He was exactly the decisive, strong, and forward-looking leader our nation needs at this critical moment. He properly called upon all of us to set aside our partisan differences and to unite in support of the best ideas and initiatives for the people of America, for now and for the future.

“The President’s vision should inspire Americans and galvanize Congress. As he stated so eloquently, the time to act is NOW. His American Jobs Act will put thousands of Minnesotans back to work; they need Congress to act NOW.

“As we learn more in the days ahead about the details of the President’s plan, I am confident we will find even more initiatives that will help Minnesota’s citizens, businesses, and economy. I look forward to rolling up my sleeves to support the President’s proposals and to put them to work for Minnesota.”

Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson also weighed in on the speech:

“President Obama took a major step toward pushing Congress to finally address our nation’s jobs crisis in his speech this evening.

“Washington politicians have already wasted too much time being guided by a Tea Party Republican agenda of protecting the super-rich while millions of Americans want and need to work.

“The American Jobs Act invests in jobs for middle class families and finally ensures the super-rich and big corporations start paying their fair share in taxes.

“Now is the time to be bold. We call on President Obama to act on his rhetoric and for Congress to end the political log jam to create the jobs Minnesota’s middle class families need.”

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would require the Obama administration to make a final decision on the expansion of the Keystone XL pipeline by Nov. 1. The vote was 279-147, with Minnesota’s delegation voting along party lines, with two exceptions: Democrat Collin Peterson voted with Republicans, and Rep. Michele Bachmann did not vote.

Friends of the Earth, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Sierra Club quickly responded, calling the move “reckless and politically tainted” in a statement released to the press.

“While the pipeline disaster on the Yellowstone River in Montana is still unfolding, we should not approve a pipeline that isn’t needed, will raise gas prices and threatens drinking water and other resources from the Great Plains to Texas,” said the NRDC’s Susan Casey-Lefkowitz. “This is another example of the House’s anti-environmental agenda, putting politics and special interests ahead of science and common sense.”

Last month, Reps. Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum were among 34 Democrats who wrote a letter to Environmental Protection Agency head Lisa Jackson and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, urging that permitting for the expansion continue only after issues like its greenhouse gas impacts, alternative routes, safety risks and impacts on low-income communities are analyzed.

Whether the bill will receive a vote in the U.S. Senate remains to be seen.

Minnesota Reps. Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum are among 34 Democrats expressing concern over an expansion to the Keystone pipeline, a 1,700-mile pipeline that’d carry some 700,000 barrels of oil extracted from Canadian tar sands from Alberta to Texas each day. In a letter to Environmental Protection Agency head Lisa Jackson and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the legislators asked for a meeting with State Department officials over concerns with the environmental impact of the line.

In April, the State Deparment released a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, but the legislators say they still have concerns. “In fact, EPA gave the draft EIS its lowest possible rating,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter dated Tuesday. “After reviewing the SDEIS, we still do not believe that the State Department has sufficiently addressed EPA’s concerns.”

They urge that permitting for the expansion continue only after issues like its greenhouse gas impacts, alternative routes, safety risks and impacts on low-income communities are analyzed. They also called for a 120-day public review period and hearings in states along the pipeline’s route.

House Republicans have been trying to fast-track approval for the pipeline, but many, including conservation groups and state lawmakers in Nebraska, have raised concerns about the project. A GOP House bill (pdf) seeks to force a decision from President Obama on the Keystone expansion no later than Nov. 1.

Congressional-SDEIS-Letter-StateDepartment-EPA

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Keith Ellison toured parts of North Minneapolis and Fridley on Monday following a tornado that ripped through the area leaving two dead and two dozen injured. Minnesota’s elected officials have offered their support in the wake of the disaster, and community organizations have outlined ways that Minnesotans can help those affected.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the people and communities in Minneapolis, Fridley and St. Louis Park affected by tornadoes that struck on Sunday,” said Ellison, whose district office is in north Minneapolis. “I grieve for the loss of life and the broad scale destruction left in the wake of this disaster.”

Rep. Betty McCollum, who represents the district bordering Minneapolis, said, “My thoughts and prayers are with residents of Minneapolis and neighboring communities who have been impacted by Sunday’s deadly tornado and severe thunderstorms. When families experience tragedy, all Minnesotans come together to help. My office stands ready to help as needed.”

Sen. Al Franken offered his help as well. “My staff is on the ground in the area and I’ve contacted Mayor R.T. Rybak about the damage,” he said. “I assured the mayor that I stand ready to do everything I can to help as the extent of the storm damage is assessed and we move into the recovery stage.”

Relief workers have set up a Google Page with continually updated information for those affected and for those who wish to help.

Here are some examples of ways to help:

MONEY DONATIONS

1. American Red Cross www.redcrossmn.org text redcross.

text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation

*Contributions may also be sent to your local Red Cross chapter at American Red Cross – Twin Cities Area Chapter, NW 5597, PO Box 1450, Minneapolis, MN 55485

*Any donation, large or small, will help. For example, $3 can provide a comfort kit for someone in a disaster. $6 can cover the cost of a blanket, $10 the cost of a hot meal.

2. Salvation Army. Financial donations can be made online at www.thesalarmy.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY or mailing a check to The Salvation Army 2445 Prior AVE, Roseville MN 55113. In addition at $10 donation can be made by texting “blessing” to 85944, the charge will be added to your cell phone bill. Make sure to reply “yes” to confirm your donation.

3. .Minneapolis Foundation: The Minneapolis Foundation has established the Minnesota Helps – North Minneapolis Recovery Fund to assist with both short-term and long-term housing and recovery-related needs on the North Side. To make a donation by credit card, visit giveMn or send checks for the recovery effort to The Minneapolis Foundation, 80 S. 8th St., Suite 800, Minneapolis, MN, 55402.

4. Urban Homeworks People can also donate monetarily via the Urban Homeworks website and designate it for “tornado relief”

FOOD, CLOTHES & OTHER DONATIONS:

1. Salvation Army. Non-perishable food, hygiene items and diapers will be accepted at 2024 Lyndale Ave N. Minneapolis, MN. Used clothing and furniture donations are being accepted at the Salvation Army Donation Center at 900 N 4th ST in Minneapolis or at other Salvation Army thrift stores. Large quantity donations should first call 651-746-3400 as storage at 2024 Lyndale is limited

2. FM 89.9 KMOJ. 89.9 KMOJ Radio, in partnership with The Ackerberg Group and Catlyst Community Partners, will be opening up the Lower Level of our On-Air Studios in the 5 Points Building at the Intersection of W. Broadway Ave and Penn Ave. N. and accepting donations of non-perishable food items, clothing, bottled water, and any other items that you may be able to contribute. 612-377-3456 for more info.

3. The Prayer Center. 21 1/2 West Broadway Minneapolis, MN 55411. Contact Jariland Spence. 612-522-3015 theprayercentermn@gmail.com

4. Wilsons image barbers 1109 W. Broadway Minneapolis, MN. Special relief drop off event on Tuesday May 24th at 6pm. Contact: Sean @ (612) 558-5588 and visit the Facebook event page.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

1. ( NOTE: AS OF 1PM Monday May 23rd, Urban Homeworks does not need any more volunteers for the day. Please continue to check their website at www.urbanhomeworks.org for updated info. Thank you ) Urban Homeworks: Volunteering: Check in at 1823 Emerson Ave N (Cross Connections building) all day. Check back for updated check-in locations. Parking: Ascension Church on18th Ave N & Bryant. Also, you can park up & down Bryant Ave, police have waived parking restrictions. ( NOTE: Parking is a problem so preferred transport is to either car pool or bike. Urban homeworks have mentioned that they may set up shuttle service. More info and updates will be on their Facebook page.