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Published June 28 2009
Local view: Obama’s Green Jobs Make Their Way to Duluth
By: Tony Cuneo, For the News Tribune
Bringing $1.5 million to Duluth is a big deal. Turning that money into a program that creates jobs, helps save residents potentially millions in energy bills and keeps climate-changing pollution from the atmosphere is a true accomplishment. Thanks to the work of the Duluth Energy Efficiency Team, I believe we in Duluth can look forward to that accomplishment.
The economic recession has not spared Duluth, and an opportunity to create or sustain jobs is an opportunity not to be missed. Many households are thinking about how they could save money in energy costs but don’t know who to contact to help prioritize and complete the appropriate work.
This is the opportunity: We need experts who can determine the best ways for households to save money and energy, and we need people skilled in completing the actual work. Those are jobs, and jobs that by their nature are local. And the work completed by those jobs will help keep more money — your money — in your pocket and in the local economy.
I am proud to have helped create the Duluth Energy Efficiency Team. With the leadership of state Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon, we won $1.5 million from the state Legislature this session to help seed a revolving energy efficiency loan fund. The $1.5 million will help make efficiency work accessible to people of all incomes. Insulation, air sealing, and other common energy efficiency improvements are not overly expensive, but upfront costs can be more than many people can afford. This loan pool provides Duluthians of all means very low-interest loans to improve the quality of their homes, save money, and reduce their energy consumption.
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Duluth At Work Helps Keep Small Businesses Up and Running
By: Andy Greder, Duluth News Tribune
Reaching the 10-year anniversary at Beaner’s Central would have been more arduous if not for the assistance of the program Duluth at Work.
As a year-old partnership between the city of Duluth and Duluth Local Initiatives Support Corp., Duluth at Work provides small business assistance and employment development for low-income earners. Beaner’s Central, with help from the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund program Growing Neighborhood Businesses, and was able to receive about $70,000 in loans to fix a leaky building, update its storefront and signage, and pay debt. “First off, they approached me and said, ‘We can help,’ which was great,” said Jason Wussow, who in July will celebrate a decade of ownership of the coffee, music and sandwich shop at 324 N. Central Ave. “Secondly, they beat the best commercial loan I could get by myself.”
The Growing Neighborhood Businesses program has visited 285 small businesses in the last year and given 21 companies, including Beaner’s, free consulting to rework business plans, straighten out finances and search for new marketing opportunities. “Jason is a prime example,” said Shawn Wellnitz, director of business development with the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund. “This program opened up new lending that he wouldn’t have been able to do. … This program allows him to meet the goals of doing what he loves — music — while providing him with a livable income.”
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Published April 06 2009
To learn more about Duluth At Work:
Duluth at Work is a program that assists people with barriers to employment and small businesses in need of assistance. If you’re eligible, contact program coordinator Emily Larson at (218) 355-8070.
Many local organizations are under the Duluth At Work umbrella, including:
• Churches United in Ministry Employment Services — helping homeless and those at risk of homelessness
• Duluth Housing Redevelopment Authority — aiding residents of the new Harbor Highlands development
• Community Action Duluth and Minnesota Chippewa Tribe — providing employment support to blacks and American
Indians in a partnership with St. Louis County
• Minnesota Teen Challenge — assisting graduates of their residential treatment program
• Neighborhood Youth Services — helping people ages 15-21
• Northeast Entrepreneur Fund (Growing Neighborhood Businesses helps small businesses in Duluth and CREATE trains and supports artists to become entrepreneurs.)
•SOAR Career Solutions — aiding adults with barriers to employment |
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Programs 
