On November 13’th Ranjit (his son and a friend), Mike, Charlie, Dennis and hie wife Kathy sorted, stamped and packed book for the Legacy Family Center. The Legacy Family Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose goal is to address unmet social, emotional, and educational needs of children and their families with emphasis on developing the capacity of the family through partnerships and collaborations in the community.
Crew shown here with their President Victoria Karpeh and the 500 books packed and ready to go!
On November 20’th Elanor, Charlie (and wife Susan) visited with Jonathan to visit with asylum seekers, share a meal, and make them feel welcome in the win cities. Asylum seekers come to the US seeking protection from persecution or human rights violations. They come from the most troubled regions of the world in hope of finding safety and a normal life. While completing the years-long asylum process, they face many material challenges, the greatest one being the ability to find stable housing. The Jonathan House extends shelter, hope, and healing to asylum-seekers in Minneapolis/St. Paul. They offer supportive housing, strategic connections, practical assistance, and a welcoming community with a desire to help them recover from forced displacement and begin to rebuild their lives.
Elanor and Charlie’s wife Susan meet their new We get an overview of the Jonathan House and then
Friend Ishimwe from Rwanda share a fabulous potluck meal
Rotary Service Event Calendar
Date
Event
Location
Volunteers Needed
November 15’th-December 9’th
Toy drive for Solid Ground. Support two families and provide stockings for children. Drop off stockings and gifts at Dennis’s or Charlie’s house by December 9’th.
Solid Ground
Whole club
December 8/9/10
Salvation Army Bell Ringing at Cub (3 per shift to cover the 2 doors per day) 1-7pm
Shoreview Cub Foods
27
January (Friday TBD)
Dresser Build for Bridging
Roseville Office
12
February/March
Procure and feed Middle School and High Schoolers Host Human Trafficking Seminar
Today's speaker was MN State Demographer Susan Brower. Susan has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Michigan. She provided an overview of results from the 2020 Census, which have started to some in. We learned that Minnesota's population grew by 7.6% between the 2010 and 2020 Census. Our population now stands at 5.7 million people. This growth rate is much higher than most midwestern and eastern states. Only North Dakota and South Dakota growth rates are higher. Not surprisingly, our growth has come primarily in the Twin Cities metro area, with many rural counties experiencing declines. The population of both Arden Hills and Shoreview grew slightly over the decade and now stand at 9,939 and 26,921 respectively. When our state's growth is analyzed by racial group, we see that racial minority populations account for most of the growth. Locally the minority groups that grew the fastest were Hmong and East Indian. Another slice of the data shows that we are about half-way through the trend we have seen in which baby-boomers are retiring and leaving the workforce. These retirements are just one of the reasons that unemployment rates are so low right now but it means that this aspect of the current trend is not going to go away for another 10 years.
Our speaker today was Dylan McDonough, Volunteer Program Coordinator for Solid Ground, an organization based in White Bear Lake, MN that helps families transition out of homelessness. Our club has provided strong support for Solid Ground over the past 5+ years. Solid Ground currently runs eight programs in suburban Ramsey and Washington Counties. These programs have housed over 100 families annually. While the majority of their client families consist of single mothers with young children, they serve all family structures, including single fathers and two parent families. While living in Solid Ground housing, families receive support to help them make the transition from homelessness to stability. Parents meet regularly with their Solid Ground Advocate to develop and work toward their goals. The organization provides support in finding employment, continuing education, and managing health. Our club members recently contributed over $2,000 in cash and goods to their annual winter coat drive. Members have also generously supported their annual Christmas holiday program to ensure that families are able to celebrate the holiday with gifts, food and fun.
Today's speakers were Casey Mahon and Heather Kliewer from the Elk River Rotary Club. Their subject was the district grant and additional Shark Tank funds they were awarded to purchase a golf cart for The Magnus Veterans Foundation facility in Dayton, MN. The facility sits on 37 acres and includes 6 buildings. It was donated to the Foundation to house programs for veterans and it opened early this summer. The Foundation itself was founded by Dr. Shawn Alderman, retired Army Lt. Colonel. Its mission is "To heal and honor our veterans and their families through community fellowship and a comprehensive approach to restoring the mind, body, heart, and spirit" Their plan is to research, organize, and develop facilities and resources that specialize in veteran health and will go well beyond traditional primary care services by focusing on the whole person (physical, spiritual, psychological, and social) to achieve individualized performance goals. The site in Dayton is a beautiful estate that includes a medical and psychological health clinic, human performance facility, mindfulness spaces, and multiple community engagement venues. The golf cart being purchased by the Elk River Rotary will facilitate moving veterans around the large estate which is especially needed by veterans with physical disabilities.
Today's speaker was Kevin Watson, Vadnais Heights City Manager. Kevin has been with the City for 8 years, working previously in city management in Oregon where he is from. He comes from a family line of city managers, with both father and grandfather serving in similar roles. His wife hails from the Twin Cities - hence the move here. He spoke about some of the new real estate development activity and retail openings in the city, including a Marshalls store, Radiance Spa, Olive Me Chiropractic office and a number of new homes being built. The largest real estate development under way is The Reserve at Sono - new high end apartments under construction at the corner of Hwy 96 and McMenemy Road. Pickleball enthusiasts will be happy to learn of new dedicated PB courts in Bridgewood Park. Kevin spoke of the age old struggle to balance new development with the desire of residents to maintain existing open space in the community. The median home value in the city is now $325K. There will be a small property tax increase this year to fund a new fire truck and other items needed for public safety. The 2020 Census shows that the population of Vadnais Heights is now 12,900, which is slightly higher than in the 2010 Census. As with most cities, the population has become somewhat more racially diverse.