October and November Updates
Día De Los Muertos Member Meeting
This year IX celebrated Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with our members. It was a time to pay tribute to all members and family members who are no longer with us. We celebrated life, our struggles, the investments we have made to our communities, and the legacy that our loved ones have left us to continue to push for change.
Día de Los Muertos is a massive celebration that takes place throughout Mexico and some places within Latin America. This celebration has been passed down for centuries from the Mexicas, Mixtecs, Texcocans, Zapotecs, Tlaxcalans, Totonacs, and other Indigenous tribes. It is believed that the spirit of our ancestors would return home, to the world of the living, to live with their families and to be nourished by the essence of the food that is offered to them on the altars that are created by the families in their honor. Death, however, does not represent an absence but a living presence since it is a symbol of life that materializes in the ofrenda (offered altar). Day of the Dead takes part on November 1st and 2nd but preparations start mid-October.
Tenants at 3100 Bloomington Continue to Stand in Solidarity
Tenants at 3100 Bloomington are continuing to stand together and push for repairs, affordable and respectable rent, and safety. Since the start of the rent strike in May tenants have seen minimal repairs done. However, winter is soon approaching and many are worried about window repairs that are yet to be completed.
At the moment they continue to voice out their concerns and demand that important repairs be made as soon as possible. We continue to stand with them in their struggle.
Winter Resources
At IX we often receive questions around housing resources that assist families. While we don’t directly offer housing services, we understand that there is a high need for resources and would love to share that the Minnesota Energy Assistance Program can help! Applications are open and available in multiple languages. Call your utility company to make an arrangement and apply today. The cold weather rule is in effect, but stay ahead rather than get behind.
If your utility bills are running high, apply to the Weatherization Assistance Program!
IX’s New Puppet
This month IX was chosen by Full Moon Puppet Show to partner on this year’s Mutual Aid Puppet Project. This was such an amazing opportunity for all of us at IX to work with artists who helped us design and build the puppet. The puppet that was created will be used in future direct actions. We are super excited to be able to integrate our new puppet into the struggle and into our family. Make sure you keep an eye out for it as we continue to support tenants through the struggle.
Your Support Is Important to Us
We thank you for all of the support and solidarity. While this year will soon come to an end, the struggle for dignified housing continues. We are hopeful to see more changes come as well as see new opportunities that IX can take part in to create change within our communities. Your support means a lot to us and to all the families who we work alongside.
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