Seventh annual Gather the Women event brings together all ages

ST. JOSEPH — Every woman has a story to tell.



At the seventh annual Gather the Women celebration at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, they can share their stories to better understand themselves and one another.

“It is through the sharing of stories that barriers have a tendency of coming down, or at least lessen, and people can talk to each other more on a one-on-one basis,” Sue Smith-Grier said.

Smith-Grier, a Minneapolis storyteller, will be featured at the free event March 21 with her portrayal of Harriet Tubman’s role in the Underground Railroad, bringing slaves to the North.

“It’s a story of hardship, difficult times and slavery, and coming into freedom — a journey of gathering inner strength to overcome obstacles and helping people along the way,” she said.

Power

Gather the Women is a global organization honoring International Women’s Day that awakens and celebrates the collective power of women, according to organizers.

“When we get together, we are providing self-sufficiency to women, so in the future they can be new leaders in the community,” said Brianda Cediel, executive director and co-founder of Hands Across the World, a resource for immigrants and refugees in Central Minnesota.

Cediel is a co-organizer of the Gather the Women celebration in St. Joseph, which is the largest in the nation. Her mother hails from Colombia and her father is of Italian descent.

“For me, the most exciting thing about Gather the Women is it’s an opportunity for women from various cultures to get to know one another,” said Linda Hutchinson, a co-organizer of the event.

Omeka! program brings cultures together

This is a woman's world. At least it is during Omeka!



It is a world where guests greet each other with a hug and a smile. It is a world where the welcoming feeling is immediate when these African and African-American women walk into a hostess' home on a Sunday.

As Central Minnesota has become increasingly diverse, programs have risen to help newcomers adapt to the nuances of American culture. But fewer opportunities have existed for social interaction between cultures.

With monthly gatherings in local homes, Omeka!, launched in November, is making those connections for African and African-American women in Central Minnesota.

"Omeka!" is a Swahili word meaning to display; to speak out; to spread out.

In an atmosphere complete with food, music and storytelling, the women share their journeys, cultures and ideas, and they learn from one another.

Debra Leigh, an Omeka! organizer and professor at St. Cloud State University, recognized the division that was developing between African and African-American women in the St. Cloud area. Working with Sister Chrispina Lekule, a student at St. Cloud State University, she traveled to Zanzibar, Tanzania and began researching resources for African women in terms of survival skills, leadership skills and building community.

"We wanted to see what it takes for women to succeed," Leigh said.

Lekule said they also visited different women's groups to see what they were doing to empower themselves economically. Their findings, coupled with the observed cultural division in St. Cloud, led to Omeka!

Store becomes gathering place

By Britt Johnsen • bljohnsen@stcloudtimes.com • January 28, 2009

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Buzz up! A new group of stores in St. Cloud isn't just a place to buy rice, lamb and spices. It's a community hub where people gather to talk with each other, eat lunch at a deli and watch television.


Mogadishu Meat & Grocery Store opened earlier this month at 1725 Seventh St. S. The former gas station is now a cluster of commerce. You can buy groceries such as Italian cookies, spices used for East African and Middle Eastern dishes, and rice. You can buy clothes, rugs, perfume and audio CDs with readings from the Quran. And you can eat lunch at a restaurant inside the store.

Stop by on any given day and you'll find cars in many of the parking lot's spaces. Chatter can be heard throughout the store, by the cash register, in the aisles by the cookies and juice, and over coffee and food in front of a television. The deli offers such meals as catfish with fries and pasta with goat meat.

Owner Tohow Siyad says the store has become a community gathering place. Students sometimes come by on Sundays to watch sports on TV, and some customers come just to eat meals at the deli.

It's a good place for people to come together, he says.

Siyad owns other grocery stores, including St. Cloud Meat & Grocery Store, as well as a store in Minneapolis called Macca Meat & Grocery. He recently moved to St. Cloud.

The economy is tough on many businesses — he said he is breaking even right now, not losing money but not making money, either. And the Somali population — one segment of its shoppers — has been hit with unemployment as manufacturers that employ Somali immigrants have laid off employees to cope with the recession.

But the demand for the products Siyad offers is still there.

This is the fifth East African grocery store to open in St. Cloud, said Mohamoud Mohamed, director of the St. Cloud Area Somali Salvation Organization. The fact that a fifth store can open and survive says something about the demand for their products and services. It also shows that the Somali community, despite the effects of layoffs, is still thriving in St. Cloud.

"The people are settling and have a sense of establishing themselves," Mohamed said.

Even though many of the store's customers are East African, it welcomes all shoppers. Siyad says his store sees every ethnicity, from Asian to Caucasian to African.

"They eat. They buy something. That's what they need," he said.

‘I Am Somalia’ event to highlight culture

‘I Am Somalia’ event to highlight culture
Times staff report • January 22, 2009

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Buzz up! A celebration of Somali culture will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday in the Atwood Ballroom on the campus of St. Cloud State University.


“I Am Somalia” will include performances, poetry, a fashion show, traditional cuisine and other activities showcasing Somali culture. It is sponsored by St. Cloud State University and the Somali Student Association.

The cost is $7 for students and $10 for faculty and community members.

For details, contact student association at somali@stcloudstate.edu.

Man arrested after assault, threats

e arrested a St. Cloud man Thursday morning in connection with a report of a domestic assault.


Police were called at 1:12 a.m. to the 600 block of 14th Street South. A man struck the mother of his child several times in the back and neck and choked her, police said.

He threatened to kill the woman and pulled the phone cord from the wall when she grabbed the phone, the report said. Hussein Hassan Farah, 23, was taken to Stearns County Jail. The 25-year-old victim sustained minor injuries.

Voices on the economy: Worker holds on to faith, patience

By Britt Johnsen • bljohnsen@stcloudtimes.com • December 15, 2008

Mohamed Ismail was working close to 40 hours a week as a production worker in Clearwater. But the business cut its budget, reducing his work to about 25 hours per week.


He’s been looking for a job every day since that happened. He’s been praying and searching and waiting. And he has been talking with Mohamoud Mohamed, director of the St. Cloud Area Somali Salvation Organization.

People like Ismail may not be using advertisements or nonprofit groups as much as they are using Mohamed’s office in their job searches. His office on Wilson Avenue is a hub, a gathering place, for the Somali community. That’s where they find out about job openings and get support during hard times.

As a recession bleeds into the community, and more employers lay off workers or cut back hours, Mohamed sees how it is impacting the lives of many members of the Somali community.

It’s not that more people are coming in to Mohamed’s office. It’s what they’re talking about.

Before people even say hello to Mohamed in the morning, they ask him, “Do you have news for me?” They want to know if he knows about any jobs, Mohamed said.

But “we are not hearing good news,” he said.

Mohamed estimates that 1,500 Somali immigrants are unemployed.

He does what he can to help them. Some, though, have to move to other states. He’s helped find jobs for local Somali immigrants in places such as Lincoln, Neb. He’s also helped immigrants in St. Cloud find work in Hutchinson, Marshall and Little Falls.

Ismail is looking elsewhere for employment. Denver. California. Chicago.

But his family is here — his wife and his children, ages 9, 13 and 15. It would be tough to move them.

He is also thinking about becoming a taxi driver.

Few firms post hiring signs on the door. Still, he goes to companies and fills out applications. Visiting in person brings him a better chance at getting hired, so he can show he is interested and dedicated, he said. His best shot? When they say they’ll call if they have an opening, he said.

In the meantime, he’s done what his employer did: cut his budget.

And Ismail practices his Muslim faith. Mohamed explained that Muslims believe God, or Allah, writes people’s stories before they are born.

So Ismail, during his daily bread, is patient. He accepts the day ahead for what it brings. “You have to just adjust yourself to ... the situation,” he said, speaking through Mohamed as his interpreter.

“We appreciate it if we receive more. If we receive less, we thank God,” he said.

He expects this situation to continue for some time.

“It’s not going to change overnight,” Mohamed said. “I pray for our community.”

Hands Across the World: Helping for 5 years

By TaLeiza Calloway • tcalloway@stcloudtimes.com • December 19, 2008

Five years ago, Hands Across the World began with the intent to help immigrants learn English and adapt to American culture. Over the years, the nonprofit organization has blossomed into a program that offers much more.


“It has taken us five years to shape the curriculum and become an integral program,” co-founder Brianda Cediel said. “I believe that this is one of the most important programs in our community.”

The mission

Hands Across the World serves as the first contact for many immigrants and refugees when they arrive in St. Cloud. Through classes and training, the program helps families survive after arrival. It has helped 160 new families this year and more than 750 families total, she said.

It has taken a long time to build the program because they take the time to meet all participants and address their needs, Cediel said. From knocking on doors and visiting with families to monthly sessions on a variety of issues, the needs of participants are a priority.

“This is a community-based program. Each need is different,” Cediel said. “Each person is one world — one culture.”

The merging of cultures enriches the program, and that diversity is evident among the students and staff.

About eight volunteers help with Hands Across the World programs.

They come from countries such as Mexico, Venezuela, Somalia and Togo.

“The volunteers are very committed,” Cediel said.

Sister Antonia (Tonie) Rausch, co-founder of the program, remembers the first winter for her Somali students in the program. They wore sandals in the snow.

Now, they teach each other about dressing warm, she said.

Rausch has taught in the program since its inception. The feedback has been positive about the program, and it is continuing to grow, she said.

“From day to day, we have about 30 to 50 people,” Rausch said. “You get a real taste of the realities of their lives (by working with them).”

Program growth

The program offers many services that benefit entire families. They include English, math, computer skills, health, cooking, civics and citizenship classes.

Changes to the program include extended adult education courses, a monthly women’s breakfast, child care for parents, preschool preparation for Early Head Start and parenting training via the Early Childhood STEM-A or the Science, Technology Engineering, Math and Arts program.

Cediel said Hands Across the World also has teamed up with the University of Minnesota’s Youth Institute to tackle youth gangs in the community. They work with police officers, parents and children in this program.

“We are building leaders for life,” Cediel said about the initiative. When crises happen, it is important to be proactive, she said.

Volunteer Mary Lou Lenz has taught English as a Second Language in the program for the past three years and says the program has been helpful. She often sees students after class, huddle up and continue working on assignments.

“The lack of English is their main problem when it comes to finding jobs (and more),” Lenz said. “They are very motivated to learn.”

Judge to rule on workers’ benefits

By David Unze • dunze@stcloudtimes.com • November 20, 2008

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Buzz up! An unemployment law judge held a hearing Wednesday in St. Cloud for nearly two dozen Somalis who used to work at Gold’n Plump but no longer do because of a dispute over prayer time in the workplace.


The former Gold’n Plump workers are appealing a decision by the state Department of Employment and Economic Development to deny them unemployment benefits. Unemployment Law Judge Frank Villaume III listened to testimony Wednesday and said he would issue a decision in the future.

Gold’n Plump made news earlier this month with the announcement it had settled lawsuits brought by Muslim workers and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about prayer breaks at the Cold Spring plant.

The group of workers involved in Wednesday’s hearing at the Lake George Municipal Complex worked for Gold’n Plump in Cold Spring until early September. At issue is whether they were fired or quit.

Villaume said that if the workers quit, he must decide whether it was for a reason that would be considered an exception to the ineligibility for benefits.

And if the workers were fired, he had to decide if it was because of conduct that would make them ineligible for benefits.

Gold’n Plump admitted no wrongdoing in its settlement of the class-action workers’ lawsuit and the EEOC suit, according to testimony Wednesday from Timothy Thornton, an attorney who represented the company in settlement negotiations.

The company settled the lawsuit to stabilize the workplace and stimulate morale, he said.

That settlement allows for two 10-minute breaks — one in the morning and one in the afternoon — instead of one 15-minute break. An unpaid, 30-minute lunch break remains.

The lawsuit settlement calls for Gold’n Plump to pay $215,000 to the EEOC, which will decide who gets that money and how much. The settlement is scheduled for final approval Feb. 17 in U.S. District Court

Gold’n Plump awards workers in settlement

Gold’n Plump awards workers in settlement
By Britt Johnsen • bljohnsen@stcloudtimes.com • November 11, 2008

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Buzz up! A group of up to 100 Muslim people will receive $365,000 after discrimination cases involving Gold’n Plump were settled earlier this fall.


Attorneys representing employees of Gold’n Plump Poultry Inc. released a statement late Monday explaining details in two cases involving Muslim employees who worked in plants in Cold Spring and Arcadia, Wis.

Gold’n Plump could not be reached for comment Monday evening.

When the federally mediated settlement was announced in September, the poultry processor had agreed to allow Muslim workers to take short prayer breaks and to refuse to handle pork. The agreement also requires employers to accommodate the Islamic prayer schedule and the belief that the Quran prohibits touching and eating pork products.

The plants will add a paid break during the second half of each shift to accommodate prayer. Timing of the added break can now fluctuate during the year so it can coordinate with Muslim prayer schedules. During Ramadan, for example, prayer times vary.

A group of 40-80 people who made religious discrimination claims against Gold’n Plump will share $215,000, said Nick Pladson, trial attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The suit was brought in 2006 on behalf of nine people who worked at Gold’n Plump plants in Cold Spring and Arcadia, Wis.

The suit also alleged that a group called the Work Connection based in St. Paul required Muslim applicants to sign a form saying they could not refuse to handle pork — and that Muslim workers who didn’t sign the document weren’t hired. The group hired workers for Gold’n Plump plants.

A group of 26 employees will share $150,000 regarding those complaints, Pladson said. Those workers will be offered a job at Gold’n Plump if they were previously turned away because they didn’t sign the form. The agency also won’t use the form, according to the statement released Monday.

The Work Connection could not be reached for comment late Monday. But earlier this fall, Jeff Wold, vice president of the Work Connection, said his company “categorically denied all the allegations of discrimination” and was “happy to say that this case has been resolved.”

Leave religion out of workplace

Times Writers Group: Leave religion out of workplace
By Vicki Ikeogu • November 6, 2008

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Buzz up! The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission founded under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids discrimination against race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The EEOC also states an employer must make reasonable accommodations for an employee’s religious practices, provided they do not make any hardships for the conduct of business.


But what may be considered accommodations to some seem like religious preferential treatment to me. Case in point, the Gold’n Plump Poultry plant in Cold Spring.

Gold’n Plump has been the hot topic of the EEOC recently. According to a St. Cloud Times report “Prayer leads to disputes in workplaces nationwide,” some workers at the plant, mainly Somali immigrants, argue that they aren’t allowed time to pray, a fundamental part of their religious beliefs. Some have gone as far as to file a lawsuit against the company, saying that the plant is violating their religious civil rights clearly defined under the EEOC.

In an attempt to reach a settlement, Gold’n Plump decided to alter its break schedules. Instead of workers given the usual 15-minute break, the company has chosen to give their employees two 10-minute breaks to better accommodate Muslim prayer.

While this may be seen as “reasonable” in an attempt to address religious intolerance, other employees of different religions seem to be overlooked.

The EEOC was developed to protect the civil rights of all employees and to prevent employers from judging a worker based on the individual’s race, sex, or religion. It was designed to give all employees equal treatment and protection from discrimination in the workplace.

In the case of Gold’n Plump, it seems to have done just the opposite.

While the intent may have been to protect Muslims from religious intolerance, the adjustment caused religious preferential treatment. By being forced into a situation where it has to change around breaks for everyone, the company is accommodating one religious group. And the EEOC overlooked a big part of what it stands for — justice for all employees.

According to EEOC policy: “Nothing … shall be interpreted to require any employer … to grant preferential treatment to any individual or to any group because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin of such individual or group on account of an imbalance which may exist with respect to the total number … employed …”

Other employees’ faiths have been overlooked in the case of Gold’n Plump. While it may be that the Muslim faith dictates prayer five times a day, other beliefs have their worship time, too.

People of different religions have to work on days reserved for worship, like Saturdays for Jews and Sundays for Christians. Places like Gold’n Plump, which operate on Sunday nights, couldn’t possibly allow accommodations for the Christians who work there to start at midnight.

Granted, this may seem unreasonable but when you enter the workplace, religion should not be an issue. You come to work to do what is expected of you in your job. When given an interview at a company, you are told what is to be expected of you. You are given a pay scale, job duties and told about break times. If you have problems with any of these conditions, you can turn down the job and look for another one.

Once you’re hired you know what you are getting yourself into. If you are required to remain at the production line until given permission to go on break, then you better stay there.

When you leave your job, you not only hurt the company, but your peers are left picking up your slack. Does that seem fair?

Certainly, the workplace should remain unbiased toward any religion.

In the case of Gold’n Plump, having breaks coincide with religious prayer time gives one group preferential treatment over others.

Unless they are willing to accommodate every employee’s beliefs, there should be no place for religion in the workplace.

This is the opinion of Vicki Ikeogu, whose column is published the first Thursday of the month.

4 treated at hospital after car collision

4 treated at hospital after car collision
Four motorists were taken to St. Cloud Hospital on Saturday after the car they were in was struck at an intersection in St. Cloud.


An Oldsmobile Alero driven by Rahmo Aden, 18, Waite Park, was westbound on University Drive. A Ford Taurus driven by Leila Hoium, 83, St. Cloud, turned left onto Cooper Avenue in front of the Alero.

Hoium was cited for failure to yield. The accident happened at 2:45 p.m.

Aden and three passengers were treated and released Saturday at the hospital. The passengers were Zeinab Mohamed, 53, Waite Park; Aziza Mohamed, 24; no address given; and Dool Mohamed, 39, Waite Park.

Preparing for polls: St. Cloud Somali population advised on voting process

By TaLeiza Calloway • tcalloway@stcloudtimes.com • November 3, 2008



Volunteer Jama Omar wants the Somali community in St. Cloud to have a voice in Tuesday’s general election.


He met Sunday with several area Somali residents to educate them on the voting process.

“I’m doing this to say to them, ‘Let the community know you’re here,’” Omar said. “I want to help them.”

During the meeting, Omar walked through Minnesota’s general election ballot, outlining who the candidates are, the meaning of the issues and what residents would be voting for on Tuesday.

“My aim is to show them the person running and who they’re running against,” Omar said. “We don’t care who they vote for. It’s important that they vote.”

Dahir Elmi was excited to participate in Sunday’s meeting. Tuesday will be his first time voting.

Many citizens who live here have never voted because they do not know how, Omar said.

The meeting Sunday was in the Somali Elders Council office in downtown St. Cloud. Ismail Ali, chairman of the Somali Elders Council, said Omar has been working on the voting initiative for the last six months, conducting meetings in different areas of the community.

“For many of them, this is their first time voting,” Ali said.

Ali also works for the St. Cloud school district as a student and family advocate at Roosevelt Education Center. The district is asking voters to approve a school levy. It’s an important issue for Ali.

While he will not be voting Tuesday, he is an advocate for educating others about the process. He projects that more than 500 Somali residents will participate this year.

Hassan Kodah of St. Cloud showed residents where to report for voting on Election Day. Using the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Web site, Kodah looked up polling stations based on residents’ addresses.

“It’s important to educate (about) how to vote,” Kodah said. “We organized on our own to help our community — to build a stronger community,” Kodah said.

In addition to introducing the voting process, Omar also explained that voter registration can be done on Election Day. Volunteers will be at the polls to assist residents, he said.

“It’s important to note that if you are in line at 8 p.m. when polling places close, you still have the right to vote,” Omar told the group. On Tuesday, he will be a volunteer with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to drive residents to the polls, he said.

Some of the questions raised in the meeting included who state candidates were, judges and the meaning of party affiliations.

He was also asked “Which one is better?” about the candidates, and he would tell them he can’t say because that was their decision—a decision they do not have in their country, he said.

The feedback was positive and some asked if they could call him later so that he could help others who could not attend the meeting.

“I’m really happy to see them voting,” Omar said.“It’s really important to me. It’s important to them. Their vote matters.”