Tuesday, August 28, 2012

MDH Commissioner visits Moorhead


Dr. Ed Ehlinger MN Commissioner of Health, stopped in  Moorhead on Tuesday morning, August 28th as part of his "Pitch the Commissioner" trip around Minnesota. In his visits Dr Erlinger has learned that there are acute needs in most communities and that the public health infrastructure is weakening. 

 Lakes & Prairies Executive Director Joe Pederson who is also chair of the Minnesota Community Action Partnership board of directors "pitched Community Action" as a key partner with MDH and county Public Health in keeping our communities healthy. He discussed with Dr. Ehlinger how Community Action Agencies play a key role in engaging low income and disadvantaged Minnesotans.
 
 
 

Joe Pederson (left), Dr. Erlinger (center), and Moorhead
Mayor Mark Voxland, (right)

What does your community need to be healthy? Lakes & Prairies Board members and staff emphasized the need for safe affordable child care, early childhood education, Head Start and Early Head Start and the importance of dental access for low income families. In the pictures below, Lakes & Prairies board members Lyle Hovland, and Stephanie Miranowski and Joe continue to "pitch Community Action" with Dr. Ehlinger at Davies Park in Moorhead. 

Lyle Hovland, Wilkin County Commissioner and Lakes
& Prairies Board Member pitches Community Action with
Commissioner Ehlinger
 

Stephanie Minanowski, Wilkin County Commissioner and
Lakes & Prairies Board Secretary/Treasurer pitches
Community Action with Matthew Collie, Legislative
Liaison, MDH.
 


Wednesday, August 22, 2012

State Bank of Hawley donates $2,500


Bruce Tellefson (center), State Bank of Hawley President and Emily
Hagen (left), Personal Banking Officer present a check of $2,500 to Lori Ward,
Lakes & Prairies Director of Operations. 

Bruce Tellefson (center), State Bank of Hawley President
 and Emily Hagen (left), Personal Banking Officer
present a check of $2,500 to Lori Ward, Lakes &
Prairies Director of Operations. 
A $2,500 gift from the State Bank of Hawley became worth even more with a match grant of $1,000 from Dakota Medical Foundation.  The gift and match will be used to support current health & wellness projects and to provide start-up funding for the 2013 Group Workcamp Home Repair project.  

Applications are already being accepted for the home repair project.  The first review of applications will begin November 1, 2012. Additional information can be found on the Lakes & Prairies 
website.  The host community for this project is Hawley, MN where some 400 volunteer youth and adult leaders will come together from across the country to repair homes for seniors, persons with disabilities and families experiencing economic hardship.

Health & wellness projects include ongoing efforts in the areas of counseling and application assistance for Medicare Part D recipients, health related programs for seniors, prescription assistance referral, File of Life materials distribution, and food support outreach projects including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Nutritional Assistance Program for Seniors (NAPS).

The gift, the match it created and an earlier gift of $500 for Mobile Food Drops in Clay County adds up to $4,000 of helping people and changing lives.  Thank you State Bank of Hawley.  .  . 

Friday, August 10, 2012

Family & Community Services Staff Receive Awards





Congratulations to (top left to right Marie Oihus, Becki Johnson
Rebekah Nelson, and Sarah Paterson.  And,( lower left to right)
Kala Anderson, Emma Schmidt, and
Colleen Murray, Program Director

The Lakes & Prairies Family & Community Services staff were chosen as the recipient of both the 2011-2012 Transitional Housing Program and the Family Homeless Prevention Assistance Program STAR Awards. The awards recognize and value this agency's contributions to MN’s Homeless Management Information System and efforts to end homelessness around the state.   Not only a job well done, but also a first time that both awards were received by
one agency.