Community Connectors

Community Connector are ambassadors to the Spanish and Somali community and help the City of Hopkins facilitate and build relationships between these populations. 

The City of Hopkins is an increasingly diverse community, with 38 percent of the population identifying as People of Color and 21.6 percent of people speaking a language other than English at home. 

Community Connectors are available to assist non-native English speakers navigate the City and connect them to the numerous services available.

What do Community Connectors do?

All residents desire to have a strong commitment to where they live, and to be full participants in processes if they are provided resources to understand and communicate. 

Community Connectors elevate underrepresented voices and build trust between community members and city government. These positions partner with the City to assist with engagement, share resources and address community concerns. Community Connectors strive to be someone residents can rely on and communicate issues with confidence. 

These paid part-time staff: 

  • Host open office hours to hear issues and concerns from community
  • Inform City decision making on a variety of projects, such as the Equity Strategic Action Plan
  • Support access to public engagement and programming opportunities City-wide and project-based
  • Help residents navigate websites, permitting processes and facilitate understanding of the resources available.

Community Connector Goals

In addition to their day-to-day work, Community Connectors strive to: 

  • Build a stronger relationship between community and local government 
  • Help build power of underrepresented communities most impacted by barriers to public engagement and increasing participation in meaningful and inclusive public engagement
  • Support a shifting culture of how City government engages with community in decision-making
  •  Serve as a bridge for continuing dialogue, advancing racial equity, and surfacing the ideas, concerns, and dreams of community members
  • Serve as a trusted voice within a community.