Thanks to your support for the People for Parks Fund, teen girls who’ve been affected by incarceration have a safe place to gather and grow

On a recent Thursday night at North Commons Park, Cecelia Viel was getting set to dish out jerk chicken alfredo to about a dozen 13-to 17- year-old girls from around the neighborhood.

“I’ve never even heard of his recipe before,” Viel confessed. “But I try to give these young ladies what they ask for–within reason.” 

Sharing food every week has become a big part of “It’s OK 2 B U,” a 16-week program that’s been meeting out of North Commons’ rec center this season. But dinner isn’t the only thing on the menu for Viel, the founder of Start Anew, a non-profit that provides support services to BIPOC women and girls who have been impacted by incarceration.  As part of tonight’s meeting, girls will also be making masks, a craft project that Viel hopes will help spur conversations about the common bond they share–having family, friends, and neighbors who are involved in the justice system. 

“It’s an activity that will help us to ask, ‘What do you see, how do you see yourself inside on one side of the mask, and how do you think people see you on the other side?’” she says. “We may all be from different subcultures, but we’re building a sisterhood of young ladies who have this same issue in common, and giving them opportunities so they don’t have to graduate to prison, but can go on to fulfill their potential, whatever that may be.”

This work has been Viel’s mission since 2015, just five years after she fulfilled her own federal prison sentence. With empowerment programs that now move from place to place throughout the Twin Cities, she’s found that the Minneapolis parks provide the resources she needs to connect with her community. A 2024 grant from the Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s People for Parks Fund has also provided support for the “It’s OK 2 B U” program. 

“We don’t have a space of our own, but if you want to be where the kids are, you come to North Commons,” she says. “These parks offer so much in terms of hospitality and health, but they also provide a safe space for these young ladies to make some changes, and make some good choices.”

Your support for the People for Parks Fund makes more possible through our parks, from providing swim lesson scholarships to families in need, to inviting veteran, BIPOC and LGBTQI+Pride communities to discover the joys of kayaking. To donate, visit: https://mplsparksfoundation.org/support-parks/donate/