Chisholm, MN

     HarvestHouse Community                     Food Distribution:   During our January 19th Horizons Training session, the subject of Harvest House was brought to our attention by Mrs. Burnett.  The third Saturday of each month, they hold a food distribution service in a warehouse behind the Family Video Store in the Graysher Shopping Center, Hibbing MN.  She mentioned their need for volunteers to help unload the semi and to distribute the food.            I decided to check it out on the 3rd Saturday in February partially out of curiosity. I arrived a bit before 6:30 for the truck unloading/sorting crew. This crew works from 6:30 till about 9:30 or until all is set up. About 60 people helped sort the food after it was unloaded by a forklift. We bagged onions, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and other veggies into plastic bags, stacked cans of soup, packs of mushrooms, cartons of milk, and boxes of lettuce on the length of tables set up.  Once everything was sorted, the volunteers were called into the unloading area for instruction.  Twelve or more of us volunteered to help cart out the food to the vehicles, while the others would distribute the food to those in attendance.  The distribution ended around 12:30 or so and cleanup till past 1:00.  When they say “for each share bring 3 large boxes” they mean it.            All are welcome to partake in this act of generosity and many communities are represented.  I had a great time working with a large group of new friends. A large number us were there to volunteer for the first time.  I was surprised to find out that the distribution has been running since last summer.The next distribution is slated for Saturday, March 15, 2008. Shares are $15.00 donationThe tentative timetable is:6:30 - Helpers welcome to unload truck and sort food.8:30 - Distribute food11:30 - Clean upStay to help as long as you wish.Questions - Call 218-263-4971 Pastor John or Athena

Submitted by: Gus Cronberg

Horizons Youth Engagement

Meeting of February 12, 2008

at the Chisholm Youth FacilityPresent: Lois Fesnick , Shane Walters, Gus CronbergOld business: Turned in Lois’s surveys for her evaluation. Continued discussion topics of swap meets, bullying concerns, consumer education classes, summer job opportunities, and a continued working relationship with the IRYA youth center advisor and the youth of Chisholm. New thoughts and program ideas: Creating a youth center web site, acquiring computer programs useful for career ideas, 2008 voting program, summer job bulletin board, community education learning opportunities, and working with the Chisholm Rec. Department. Shane has many other programs that he is working on for the benefit of the Chisholm youth. He is planning an Open House invite for all parents later this Spring, and is working on a facility schedule for Jr. High youth.The Chisholm Youth Facility is in the process of receiving laptop computers and internet hookup through a grant request from Qwest and others. This will help tremendously in the advancement of some of these program opportunities.The annual IRYA Make a Difference Conference is being held Wed, Feb 20th at Fortune Bay Resort, Lake Vermillion. This is an all day conference managed by kids,for kids and about kids. Workshops will be presented by 8 different Iron Range School youth groups touching subjects as Extreme Kindness, Eating Disorders, and Body Image and Self Esteem. The Keynote speaker this year is Aric Bostick speaking about Leadership Skills-The Power of One.

The next Youth Engagement meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 11 at 5:00 in the Youth Facility. Submited by: Gus Cronberg

Just to let you know the schedule of the committees: Youth Involvement Group: will meet on the 2nd Tuesday of the Month (next meeting March 11th), contact Gus Cronberg 218-254-29601 or Marketa, Sadie and/or Kelsey Anderson 218-245-7628  Horizon Team: will meet on the 3rd Tuesday of the Month (next March 18th) @ 5:00pm @ the Range Center; contact Lynne Johnson for more info @ 218-996-1256 Community Awareness: will meet on the 3rd Tuesday of the month (next meeting March 18th) @ 6:00pm @ the Range Center; contact Karen Amistadi @ 218-969-1310 or Suzy Pocket-Fesnick @ 218-254-5538  Any questions you have, please feel free to contact any of the above listed contacts! 

Chisholm Dial-A-Ride Day
Every Wednesday

Pick ups start at 10:30am

This service, within the city limits of Chisholm, can take you from your door to any where you need to go in Chisholm such as medical appointments, pharmacy or grocery store

Returns start at 11:30

Make arrangements for your pick up by calling: 1-800-862-0175 or check out the AEOA Website and or Northland Rides for more information and options.

Kyle with AEOA was our guest speaker last night at the Community Awareness Meeting to introduce us to a new program being offered called, Rural Rides.

Rural Rides is a program avaialable for “Employment Related Appointments”.  Persons seeking this program need to be under the 150% of poverty.  They work 1-on-1 with a Transportation Advocate to:
*Look at their particular sitation & needs
*Look at options
*Create a “Transportation Plan” (most efficiect & cost effective way) which may include but not limited to:
~Arrowhead Transit 
~Taxi Vouchers
~Reimbursable Volunteer Drivers
~ Dial-A-Ride
~ Work Buddy

For more information please contact Kyle at 218-748-2274 and/or Marcia 218-748-7566.

We met on a very frigid evening to gather around a wonderful meal of Pizza & Wings, purchased from Jim’s Sports Club.  On an evening like this, the Hot wings did the trick!!  Many wonderful, concerned and energetic people from the community were on site to begin to brainstorm our Community Goals and trainings and/or resources needed to achieve them.

·      Youth

o       Drive-in, walk-in movie theater

o       Sports equipment swap

o       School sports will be available to all

o       Swim beach in Chisholm

o       Have basic life training for all youth

·      Community

o       Reinstate “We Like U” wagon – staples and community resources booklet

o       An event that would celebrate diversity in the community

o       Citizen advisory group running

o       More women as city officials

o       Fill vacancies on volunteer fire department

o       Diverse citizens in community spot light

·      Resources need

o       Blog training

o       Advertising

o       Resource book

o       Life Skills Training

o       Contacts and money to clean lake

o       Volunteers

o       Chisholm Public Access TV

o       Radio Show – Craig and Kate

o       Boy Scouts

Churches – Horizons – Fire Department Community Drive

Your Opinion Counts!  Feel free to leave us a note, or give us a call on your thoughts!

On Feb. 2nd the Horizon’s had a blogging training at the Hibbing Library. Those who were in attendance: Gus Cronberg, Karen Amistadi, Marketa Anderson and Kelsey Anderson. Sara from Horizon’s was there to show us how to add pictures, change text, edit, and more. The Chisholm Horizon’s will be taking over the editing of our blog come July 2008, so we are getting the training to learn how to do this. We are looking into making our blog a community awareness on all events that are going on in Chisholm. We will be looking for information on community events to have blogged. If you have information you would like to have posted on any event or meeting you can contact any of the above people.

For more information on how to blog click here.

The meeting in January was cancelled due to weather. The re-scheduled date is: February 19th, 2008, 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. at the Range Center in Chisholm. Guest speaker will be Kyle to discuss transportation. Please R.S.V.P. Karen Amistadi 969-1310 or Suzy Fesnick 254-5538