Chisholm, MN

The Women of Steel Local 9349 and Chisholm Horizons are asking for your help in supporting the Home of Hope, an emergency homeless shelter in Chisholm. Donations may include lightly used or new household items such as pots, pans, dishes, paper plates, sheets, pillowcases, towels, wash/dish rags, dish soap, laundry soaps, shampoos, conditioners, etc.  The Salvation Army will monitor the supplies and deliver to the Home as needed by the family or persons using the temporary housing.

Contact Marketa Anderson (218) 254-7628 or Karen Amistadi at (218) 969-1310 for more information or drop off items at the Range Center 1001 8th Ave. NW in Chisholm.

from the Hibbing Daily Tribune Online:

Duo donates ‘Home of Hope’
Serving as emergency homeless shelter
by Jeff Warner
Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, March 8, 2009 6:08 AM CDT

CHISHOLM — Two area residents are donating a single-family property as a first step toward what they envision as a “Homes of Hope” movement that could curtail the area’s rising homeless rate.

John Egloff and Erik Sundquist are currently offering the home — located at 412 S. Central Ave. in Chisholm — as a seven-day emergency homeless shelter. Those using the shelter will be able to access social service organizations that might help them find a more stable mode of living.

Egloff and Sundquist are working with agencies such as The Salvation Army, Range Transitional Housing and Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency, to deter mine the home’s most effective use.
“Our ultimate goal is to make a difference in the homeless rate around here,” said Egloff, who moved here from Colorado on a business venture. “We just want to help people and see where it goes.”

Sundquist said after they met last year, they decided to make a joint effort toward providing people with affordable housing by donating the Chisholm property.

“What’s nice about a s maller community like this is a couple of people can get together and actually make a difference, see a difference and feel a difference,” he said.

Sundquist, who owns a housing rental business, learned that space constraints at an area homeless shelter last year caused 186 people to be turned away. This, he said, led him to realize that one of his rental units could potentially erase this statistic.

“Here, I have 40 apartment units I own,” he said. “How can I sleep at night knowing that I have an empty unit and someone is sleeping on the street?”

Sundquist has previously provided temporary housing to people in need, and rents units to Range Transitional Housing’s clientele. However, “Homes of Hope” is something new, and he hopes the effort will grow.

Initial discussions with an area social service organization revealed a lot of “red tape” regarding the logistics of setting up a homeless shelter, he said. Therefore, he and Egloff independently organized and financed the project. Although costs for providing the shelter are mounting, it’s “a drop in the bucket” compared to the potential good the effort will bring, said Sundquist.

He and Egloff say they’re using their spiritual gifts and resources to make a difference, and they urge others to step forward.

“I just think if people were to step up to the plate within their realm of being able to give, it could really make a difference,” said Sundquist. “If more business people, especially leaders of our community, came together with (unified) missions and causes, we’d be living in a different world.

“It’s not just about making money, it’s about making a difference,” he added. “Success is measured by what you can give back.”

Egloff is grateful to be involved with this process, and also hopes the effort will blossom. He said taking care of people is a community effort, and local organizations are already joining together.

The Hibbing Salvation Army is initially stocking the Home of Hope’s shelves with food and household items. And Range Transitional Housing is providing furniture. However, everything from citizens’ time to material resources is still needed to make this effort a sustained reality, he said.

“We all get blessed by helping others too,” said Egloff. “We’re not looking for the blessings. We just know this is what comes from it.”

If aware of someone in need of help, or to donate to “Homes of Hope,” call The Salvation Army at 263-5096 or Erik at Iron Range Rentals, 750-7949.

    Chisholm Horizons received and approved a  Chisholm Close-Up request for funding of their trip to Washington DC.

Formed in 1971, Close Up is a nonprofit that exists to educate and inspire young people to participate in our democracy.

We fulfill our mission with exciting, hands-on programs for students and teachers in Washington. We use the city as a living classroom, giving students unique access to the people, processes and places that make up our nation’s capital. Our students are a diverse group – coming from every state and beyond and from all walks of life. Over 650,000 have graduated from our experiential programs. Countless more have participated on our TV show and used our textbook (Current Issues) to debate hot issues in classrooms nationwide.

Chisholm Horizons feel this program has been a valuable conduit for our students to learn How the system works, How they can make a difference locally and nationally and to Work within the community to make needed changes for the betterment of all.
We applaud these youngsters on their interest in community and government and happy to donate $300 for this cause.

Chisholm Horizons is using a matching Field of Screams grant to sustain their Summer Rec Scholarship Fund.  This ensures that Chisholm and Balkan K-6 youngsters who have qualified for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program at their schools have an opportunity to join in the 6 week Chisholm Summer Rec Program.  Applications will be distributed to the classrooms in early May. Attached will be an explanation of the Horizon Discount.

More info at 254-2960

Each Halloween season the Chisholm Field Of Screams volunteers entertain Northern Minnesota with a ghoulish array of monsters and theatrical scares.  Money from the ticket sales each year is given back to the community through grant requests from the volunteer groups who take part in the 7 evening extravaganza. A dozen stations manned by over 150 volunteers took part in the 2008 Field of Screams held on the grounds of the Museum of Mining.

This year, 17 groups received various amounts of money based on hours donated to the project. The Chisholm Youth Center manned a station this year and received a $900 grant for equipment for the Center.  Chisholm Horizons, based on their hours donated, received $900 for their project to sponsor low income children in the Summer Recreation Program.

All the fun and work put into this community effort surely pays high returns.                                                                                                                                                                                                         

The annual city-wide cleanup of the parks, lakewalk, city entrances, and public property in general will take place on Saturday, May 2 from 9:00 to 11:30.  The Chisholm Youth Center will be coordinating the event, held in conjunction with Join Hands Day, bringing together youth and adult volunteers to work together for the benefit of the community.

Headquarters for the event is the Chisholm Youth Center at 314 W Lake St , where the volunteers can pick up their assignment, trash bags, and gloves if needed.  A lunch for the volunteers will be held afterwards at the Chisholm Senior Citizens Center compliments of St. Anne’s Lodge # 156

Any groups or individuals who would like to help are asked to contact Shane at 969-7762 or Tammy at 254-7909.

some excerpts from Chisholm Tribune Press