Ecolibrium3

Community development: although ecolibrium3 works at multiple scales, our deepest work is centered on the traditionally disadvantaged lincoln park neighborhood. Ecolibrium3 serves as the lead community-based organization working to advance health, safety, economic development, and connectedness. Ecolibrium3 has partnered with businesses, studied crosswalks and parking, updated a condemned property, increased food access, and provided capacity building to multiple organizations. In 2024 we completed district energy planning with the city of duluth, led stakeholder engagement for the redevelopment of the business district, began the renovation of the lincoln park community center (lnpk hub), and construction of a grocery store. Ecolibrium3 also hosted neighborhood youth at the lnpk hub for an innovative summer video game course to teach computer programming skills. The annual ecofest celebration resulted in over 200 volunteers cleaning over 5,000 pounds of litter from the neighborhood.

Capacity building: our americorps vista program supported 25 americorps vista members who served for a year building the capacity of 13 local non-profit organizations and public agencies in the northland. The eco3 vista corps focused on addressing poverty holistically from various angles such as food access and systems, government policy, community development, education, public health, creative place making, energy security and more. Eco3 vista members worked with organizations that are deeply embedded in community to help develop solutions to community challenges through leveraging resources, building partnerships, expanding reach and improving organizational efficiency. Members recruited 1325 volunteers and leveraged $7.8 million of resources for their agencies. In addition, over 600 youth and adults experiencing homelessness were aided by member projects. Ecolibrium3 also regional capacity by assisting other organizations and governmental agencies in program and resource development centered on energy, environment, active transportation, and industrial transformation.

Food access: eco3 has a three-pronged approach to advancing food access and health in a low-income neighborhood of duluth, mn, including operating an urban farm, providing wholefood-based wellness programming, and development of a small footprint grocery in duluth's highest priority food area, lincoln park. The farm is part of our efforts to promote sustainable local food systems, which also includes a community food resource guide, community education, and production of food that is then distributed within duluth's low-income neighborhoods. The farm also provides plant material for local schools, youth and nonprofit programs, and community members so additional gardening and food production is supported. Located on the campus of lake superior college, the eco3 urban farm was transformed from underutilized infrastructure to a thriving ecosystem. This past summer and fall, community members connected with the land and each other. In 2024, the farm provided 1,837 free plant seedlings, distributed food to six local outlets for community members, hosted 20 free, onsite educational workshops, hosted over 900 visitors, and built the skillsets of over 350 volunteers. Eco3 continued to produce a quarterly food resource guide to assist food insecure individuals in locating support. This guide is a popular carry-over from the pandemic and continues to be requested by over a dozen community organizations and schools. The lincoln park hub, host of health and wellness classes for neighborhood residents and the lnpk grocery were under construction during 2024 with openings in 2025.