Story by Amy Overgaard
Rotary Community Core at Lake Street
What can emerge when one person gets the internal nudge to take action, then brings her network along for the journey?
A lot of support, new relationships, and healing. For Suzanne Kochevar, what emerged was an initiative called Rotary Community Core at Lake Street (RCC@LS).
In the summer of 2020, businesses along Lake Street in Minneapolis bore the scars of the uprising that took place across the city in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Like many other Twin Cities residents, Suzanne wanted to do something to help. “Everybody can make change individually,” she says “but if major change needs to happen, you probably need more than one person.”
A long-time member of the Excelsior Morning Rotary Club, Suzanne pitched the idea of building a relationship with a business owner along Lake Street, helping them get back on their feet and sustainably grow. Her club quickly got on board — along with a number of other clubs in the district.
Suzanne Kochevar
Suzanne connected with Lake Street Council (LSC), the business organization for the area. The partnership took time to develop, but by late 2020, a diverse group of business owners raised their hands for support, and eight local Rotary clubs sprung into action, with each club assigned to partner with a different business owner. RCC@LS was born.
“The first goal was immediate — we really had to be able to help in any way that the owner needed as they rebuilt their business,” says Suzanne. “The second, and, to me, the most important goal, was to build long-term, genuine relationships with the business owners. That's how we are going to have sustainable change — developing friendships.”
As business owners raised specific concerns, their partnering Rotary Club listened, then stepped into the gap, with members using their vocational expertise and networks to meet needs. Amina Osman at Post Plus needed insurance and legal support, plus help with electrical work at the storefront. Mireya Bustamante of Sol Travel received help with furniture and signage. Guillermo Quito and his family had to restart their restaurant, Los Andes Latin Bistro, from scratch; his biggest request was for support in helping his community through food distribution.
But rebuilding a customer base was a repeated theme. “We heard from every single business owner: ‘How do we get people back to Lake Street?” Suzanne says. “They needed customers.”
This has been a major topic of discussion during RCC@LS’s monthly networking meetings among Lake Street business owners, aimed to help them connect and have a stronger voice in policy making and civic involvement. The growing network of business owners gathers monthly to discuss concerns, learn from one another and local experts, find support, and collaborate on events that will bring people in to support these vibrant and diverse businesses.
Irene Kelly and Tim Conners of the Eden Prairie AM Rotary Club join Suzanne to form the leadership trio for RCC@LS. In every part of their work, which they hope to expand to other Twin Cities neighborhoods, Suzanne says, “We're building trust. And honestly, we're building a heart connection with people, their businesses, and with the community.”
Are you a Lake Street area business owner who would like to get involved in monthly networking meetings? Involved in Rotary and want to pick up this partnership model?
Email Suzanne at alexa@rotary5950.org.