About

Central Area Neighborhood and Development Organization (CANDO) is a neighborhood organization and 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving the Central neighborhood of Minneapolis. The Central neighborhood is located between Lake Street to the north, Chicago Avenue to the east, 38th Street to the south, and 35W to the west. CANDO is proud to have contributed to the Thirty-Eighth Street Thrive Strategic Development Plan, a plan to uplift and preserve the cultural heritage found within our neighborhoods.

Mission

We Activate neighbors and leaders to Build relationships across identities to mobilize Collective Power through:
- Anti-racist Organizing
- Food Liberation
- Environmental Justice

Activities

As a neighborhood organization, CANDO seeks to connect neighbors and business owners to both resources, opportunities and one another. 

Our primary bodies of work include grassroots food justice organizing with our flagship program Plant-Grow-Share (PGS) and anti-racist organizing through the South Central Minneapolis Antiracism Collective (SMAC). We partner with HOME Line to bring tenant organizing to Central, Bryant, Powderhorn, Bancroft neighborhoods- and beyond.

In addition to organizing neighbors around food and antiracism, our staff stay in regular communication with other neighborhood organizations and groups, government activities (affordable housing, safety, livability) and assist our neighbors with making their voice heard by government officials.

Plant-Grow-Share accepts volunteers on a rolling basis. For information about volunteer opportunities, visit www.plantgrowsharempls.com or email growfood@thecentralneighborhood.com to get started.