‘Teamin’ Up’ food drive set for Aug. 22
The Sartell High School Volleyball Team will do its annual “Teamin’ Up for Hunger” food drive Thursday, Aug. 22.
The girls will go throughout Sartell neighborhoods, pickup up non-perishable food items residents are requested to leave on their doorsteps that day.
Those who want to donate but who will not be home on pick-up day can call Ronell Uran at Sartell High School: 656-3717.
First-time homebuyer class set Aug. 24
One step closer to homeownership
If you are looking to purchase your first home, now is the time to participate in Home Stretch, a first-time homebuyer workshop that takes participants through the entire home-buying process. The next workshop will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24 at Liberty Savings Bank, St. Cloud. Registration is required; participants will receive a completion certificate at the end of the workshop. In one day, you will learn about credit, qualifying for a mortgage, shopping for a home, the closing process, basic home maintenance and affordable mortgage products that may be available to first-time homebuyers. Some affordable mortgage products, government loans, and down-payment and closing-cost-assistance programs may require a buyer to receive a Home Stretch certificate. Homebuyer education is also offered as an online course. Framework is a new online tool to prepare you for successful homeownership. Framework will provide you with the facts you need to become a knowledgeable buyer. Many lenders have approved Framework to meet homebuyer education requirements.
Pre-purchase counseling is also available by appointment and is strongly recommended prior to taking Home Stretch. This is a free service to anyone who wants to speak with a certified homeownership counselor about their financial situation prior to buying a home.
Big Brother, Big Sister, Big Couple, Big Family and Big Grandparent
Make a new friend by mentoring a child. The most important things you can offer a child are support and quality time…to be there as a friend. A few things their matches like to do are: biking, shooting hoops, baking cookies, grabbing a bite to eat and visiting a park. Big Brothers Big Sisters works to match mentors with children who have similar interests. You and your match will be supported by a team of caring professionals. You choose the time, the activity and the day of the week. This opportunity is flexible, fun, and most importantly, changes both your life as a volunteer and the life of your Little. Mentors must be 18 and able to commit a minimum of two hours a week for 12 months. Training is provided as well as monthly support.
For Pets’ Sake
Volunteers will assist staff with sorting and categorizing donated merchandise, store stocking, customer service and helping to maintain an overall presentable environment and pleasant experience for customers. Must be 18 or older and have your own transportation. There is a required training prior to volunteering. Volunteers must be able to lift 20 pounds and commit to a minimum two-hour shift per week. Proceeds benefit the Tri-County Humane Society.
Contact Kim Williams, Tri-County Humane Society volunteer coordinator, at 320-252-0896.
Elder Network volunteers
Volunteers serve their peers by addressing mental-health issues. They receive special training in order to become skilled listeners. The most frequent issues dealt with are often associated with the aging process. These issues may include the following: transition stress, grief and loss, anxiety, isolation and more. After completing training, volunteers are matched with a senior client who has been referred to the program. The volunteer work consists of one-hour weekly visits with the client in their place of residence. Senior Helping Hands provides a monthly supervision meeting for all of its volunteers; these meetings are helpful but are not mandatory. Volunteers must be able to drive.
Contact Karen Burzette, CentraCare Health System, at 320-229-3760.
No One Dies Alone program
No One Dies Alone Program volunteers will extend caring concern to the patients and community of St. Cloud Hospital by providing a reassuring presence at the bedside of a dying patient who would otherwise be alone.
The Casting for a Cure Fish-A-Thon, Awards Ceremony and Celebration of Hope is a local event created to bring community together around a favorite Minnesota past-time of fishing while raising money for Greater Minnesota cancer awareness, prevention and resources. We have a common goal of supporting and bringing hope and healing to those individuals and families affected by cancer. Anglers of any age can begin fishing on Friday, Aug. 23, and Saturday, Aug. 24 on any body of water in Minnesota to participate in the fifth annual Catch-Photo-Release Fish-A-Thon. Anglers, families and community members alike then meet at the Blue Line Sports Bar in Sartell starting at 2 p.m. to turn in the fish logs with digital pictures and join in the day’s festivities. Even if you don’t fish, families can have fun in the outdoor activity area, enjoy the large silent auction and register for hourly door prizes! This year will boast even more fun and family friendly outdoor activities including Party Time Inflatables, casting contest, crafts, games and hourly door prizes. The evening of the Awards Ceremony and Celebration of Hope is open to the public and free to attend.
As they plan for their fifth annual event, the Casting for a Cure team of volunteers and event coordinators set their sights on “Catching The Big One” in 2013. With a goal of raising $30,000 in donations, Casting for a Cure – the fundraising event for Greater Minnesota Fight For a Cure – will achieve their goal to donate over $100,000 since its inception in 2009. Through the efforts of community members and Greater Minnesota businesses, Casting for a Cure has donated $70,000 during the past four years. It’s in thanks to all of the generous community support and volunteer efforts that Greater Minnesota Fight for a Cure has donated funds to the following cancer resources during the past four years: The Coborn Cancer Center, Colon Cancer Screening, Enhancement Programs, Family Grants, the Gorecki Guest House, Hospice care, Quiet Oaks Hospice, Survivorship/Caring Conversations, Case Coordinators and Prayer Blankets.
To transfer the energy that has been absorbed by grief into an energy that can improve our community and the lives of those affected by cancer is a healing experience; this is the vision of Greater Minnesota Fight for a Cure and the Casting for a Cure event volunteers and coordinators. We believe there are other people who have experienced cancer and the impact it can have on a patient and their family.
The Karasch family, who initially started Greater Minnesota Fight for a Cure, is inspired by their mother, Sandy Karasch, whom they lost in November 2008 to multiple myeloma. At the age of 56, their Mom endured a bone-marrow transplant and a painful and exhausting year of battling the disease. Through Sandy’s cancer journey, and the family’s experience with cancer, they came to appreciate the intensity in which cancer impacts a family and the immense challenge imposed on the doctors, nurses and medical staff who treat cancer patients and their families. The diligent research, resources and support available for those impacted by cancer deeply influence the overall experience for a cancer patient and their family. It’s for this reason, and the Karasch family’s personal experiences with cancer, that they have started Greater Minnesota Fight for a Cure.
“Cancer is a disease that affects the entire family,” said Marc Vaillancourt, development officer for the CentraCare Health Foundation. “ Generous gifts, like the one we received from the Casting For a Cure event, ensures the Coborn Cancer Center staff can continue to provide the best possible patient and family-centered care. It also allows us to provide valuable resources to survivors and their families as they receive care.”
Cancer is real and it’s vast, and all of us have been affected in some way; either through associates and loved ones, or personally. The Karasch family, along with a group of dedicated committee members and volunteers, many of whom have also been affected by cancer, work hard to involve the community and raise funds for cancer awareness, prevention and resources in Greater Minnesota.
We invite you to transfer your experiences into positive energy toward cancer awareness, prevention and resources for Greater Minnesota. To make a donation of any amount, please visit www.castingforacure.org. To find out more on how to get involved with Greater Minnesota Fight for a Cure and Casting for a Cure, contact info@castingforacure.org.
New car seat recycling program
The Household Hazardous Waste Facility will begin accepting child car seats as part of its recycling program. Beginning Aug. 19, Stearns, Benton and Sherburne county residents can drop off their used car seats at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 3601 5th St. S. in Waite Park. The program is a partnership between Stearns County, McLeod County and Tri-County Solid Waste. McLeod County will be doing the recycling of the seats, disassembling them and recycling individual components.
Currently, there is no permanent recycling program in place for car seats in this area. Therefore, residents were often left with no option but to throw them in the garbage or they would be passed on to friends and family.
Car seats don’t have a long life span. They are unsafe and should not be used if they have been involved in a vehicle crash or if they are more than six years old.
The Household Hazardous Waste Facility is located three blocks south of the Stearns County Service Center, at 3601 5th St. S. in Waite Park. Hours for dropping off items are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 8 a.m.-noon the third Saturday of each month.
For more information call 320-255-6140 or 1-800-450-6140.
