Senior Connection hosts Camp Ripley captain Feb. 9
Join the Sartell Senior Connection as Captain Bryan Pederson from Camp Ripley’s Visitors Bureau gives a history of Camp Ripley along with changes in training for deployment for the National Guard at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9 at the District Service Center, 212 Third Ave. N., Sartell. Audience questions are encouraged. Refreshments will be served.
St. John’s Prep hosts Discovery Day
Families interested in learning about the challenging curriculum and other opportunities at St. John’s Prep are encouraged to attend the upcoming Discovery Day on Friday, Feb. 19. Students currently in grades 5-11 are welcome to attend classes, meet the teachers and students and experience what it’s like to be a part of the St. John’s Prep community. Parents are also invited to attend an information session with faculty and administrators of the school. Guest students arrive before 8 a.m. and are matched with a “host” student for the day. The Middle School faculty will be available at 2:45 pm to meet with parents prior to picking up their child(ren). Registration for Discovery Day is required. Call today at 320-363-3339. Due to limited space, we encourage interested families to apply now for the 2016-17 academic year. Founded in 1857, St. John’s Prep is a Catholic/Benedictine, co-ed, private day and boarding school, providing students of all faiths in grades 6-12, with a college-preparatory curriculum. For more information, visit www.sjprep.net or call 320-363-3339.
Friends of Library sets annual meeting Feb. 10
The St. Cloud Friends of the Library annual meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10 in the conference room in the back of the Children’s Area at the Great River Regional Public Library, 1300 W. St. Germain St., St. Cloud. The agenda will include a 2015 budget review and proposal for 2016 budget; nominations for new members of the board, and updates from library staff. The public is welcome.
Alcohol, Drugs and Our Youth parenting class to be held Feb. 8
Do you have children, adolescents, or teens in your life? This free presentation will give you an overview of drug trends among youth, things to watch for and what YOU can do as a parent/grandparent/family member. This important and interactive session, presented by Jennifer Kenning, student assistance coordinator, and Tim Sigler, school resource officer, will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8 at the Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School, enter Door 4. Register in advance by calling Community Education at 320-258-1577 or register online at www.SaukRapidsRiceOnline.org.
Stearns History Museum hosts amateur baseball program Feb. 10
Tom Elliott, a sports writer for the St. Cloud Times, presents Amateur Baseball Wednesday, Feb. 10 at the Stearns History Museum’s Breakfast Club, 235 33rd Ave. S in St. Cloud. The program begins at 9 a.m. Join us for this engaging program as the stories, characters and passion blend together in the game of amateur baseball.
Through his numerous baseball associations, Elliott will recall the 1948 St. Cloud Moose in their inaugural Class B season. The ball club, consisting of highly talented St. Cloud Cathedral and Technical High School alumnus, was picked by some writers to win it all. Rudy “Cobby” Saatzer and Neil Rengel anchored the pitching staff. In their first tournament game, Don Winter blasted a home run that set the stage for their successful championship run.
Elliott’s knowledge of the 1983 St. Cloud Saints is more personal. As a writer, he covered the gifted squad led by 23-year-old rookie manager Jay Johnson. Elliott observed Jim Eisenreich’s explosive power and the unheralded play of catcher Rod Schafer. The Saints’ stellar playoff performance also hinged on pitchers Brian Deyak and Pat Opatz, who brought home the title.
Breakfast Club is free for Stearns History Museum members, a nominal fee is charged to nonmembers. Refreshments are served.
Latino Health Fair is Feb. 7 in Melrose
Family relations and diabetes will be the focus at the free sixth annual Latino Health Fair from 2-5 p.m. Sundaym Feb. 7 at CentraCare Health-Melrose, 525 Main St. W. in Melrose. St. Cloud State University Continuing Studies organizes the annual event each winter to bring together Latino families and Central Minnesota services. The event is a joint effort with CentraCare and other local organizations. The health fair features several free services such as health, vision and hearing screenings, therapeutic massage and information about MNSure Enrollment, finance, workforce development and access to higher education. St. Cloud Technical and Community College will offer basic dental services and education. Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center will give a presentation about family relations, and TRI-CAP will provide information on the Food SNAP program, energy assistance and tax assistance. Light refreshments, free daycare and free transportation from Long Prairie, Sauk Centre and around Melrose is available to all participants.
The event also gives visiting nursing students from the Universidad de Concepcion, Chile, a chance to present on a health topic while they are visiting SCSU. Visiting students Catalina Rubilar and Constanza Cortes from the Universidad de Concepcion are expected to present on diabetes and obesity, two important topics in the community. Diabetes is also a focus of CentraCare this year.
“There’s always something for everyone,” said organizer Elizabeth Valencia-Borgert.
Latino service organizations from the Twin Cities region and the tri-county area will present to reach out to Latino families from rural Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Health has joined as a sponsor this year. Information on services provided by United Way, Stearns-Benton Employment and Training Council and the Mexican Counsulate will also be distributed to participants.
Admissions officers from SCSU and SCTCC will give information about accessing higher education.
SCSU nursing students will provide screenings and health information, while communication and science disorders students will offer hearing screenings. Language and cultures students, international students and students who are heritage speakers of Spanish will help by serving as navigators and interpreters to assist families as they move from service to service.
The event is family focused.
“If we have a healthy family, we will have a healthy community,” Valencia-Borgert said.
For more information, call Elizabeth Valencia-Borgert at 320-308-0955.
St. Cloud VA hosts local veterans art show
The annual Veterans Art Show is scheduled from 12:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10 and from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11 in the Auditorium (Building 8) on the main campus of the St. Cloud VA Health Care System, 4801 Veterans Drive, St. Cloud. The show is open to the public.
The show features entries submitted for the Art Competition, and includes art from among 53 different categories, including fine art such as painting, drawing, sculpture and photography; applied art that includes ceramics, woodcarving, needlework and leatherwork; and craft kits such as string art, poster art and fabric art.
The Veterans Art Competition and Show is an annual competitive event that provides veterans receiving treatment at VA facilities the opportunity to participate in creative self-expression in art, creative writing, dance, drama and music as part of their therapy, and to gain recognition for these artistic accomplishments.
Local artists will judge the artwork to determine first, second and third place in each category. The first-place winners will advance to the national level where they will compete with entries submitted by veterans from other VA facilities around the country.
First-place winners from the national competition have the opportunity to be invited to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, hosted this year by the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System in Reno, in late October.
Limited vehicle parking is available to the east of Building 8, which is on the northeast portion of the VA campus.
SCSU to host women’s lecture
“Sport, Culture, Religion and Empowerment: Girls at the center,” will be held as part of the St. Cloud State Women’s Center noon-hour lectures, on Wednesday, Feb. 10 in Atwood Theatre in the Atwood Memorial Center, 720 Fourth Ave. S, St Cloud. What happens when researchers, community leaders and girls come together to pose solutions to barriers that keep girls from desired physical activity, including organized sport? MAGIC! The lecture will be presented by Dr. Chelsey Thul, a lecturer in the School of Kinesiology and an affiliate scholar of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota. A groundbreaking collaboration to create culturally and religiously appropriate attire for Muslim girls wanting to be physically active and play sports was born from an initiative aptly named the GIRLS program. This project has received national, state and local recognition for the creativity, partnerships and community involvement it’s achieved. Join us to learn the genesis and impact of this amazing work!
United Way Volunteer Opportunities
Reading buddy sought at Roosevelt Boys and Girls Club
Help a child read and volunteer in their Super Readers program! A volunteer is needed to listen to children read on a one-to-one basis, spending 10 minutes per child. Volunteers must be patient and comfortable working in an active environment; however reading does take place in a quiet space. Reading takes place Thursdays from 3-5 p.m. during the summer months (busiest time 3-4 p.m.) and 4-6 p.m. during the academic year. Volunteers must be able to relate well with children in a group environment, participate as an active team member with staff and other volunteers, and abide by volunteer policies. Boys and Girls Club requires a minimum commitment of 20 hours during a three-month period. Volunteers will need to go through an enrollment process (includes orientation). All volunteers are asked to complete a criminal background check before their first volunteer experience. Apply on their website at www.bgcmn.org. Contact Bethany Theisen, volunteer coordinator, at 320-257-5115 or [email protected].
Train to become an advocate
Volunteer sexual assault advocates provide information and guidance to sexual assault victims on the 24-hour crisis phone line, at medical facilities and at law-enforcement centers. Shifts fall on evenings and weekends. Forty-hour training is required prior to volunteering as an advocate. The next forty-hour training will start on Monday, Feb. 29 and will consist of Monday evenings and two Saturdays. See CMSAC’s website for an application and more details. Contact Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center at www.cmsac.org or call 320-251-4357.
Child-care assistants sought
Hands Across the World is a nonprofit organization that provides classroom instruction in English as a Second Language and other skills for immigrant and refugee newcomers to St. Cloud. They are in need of assistants to help the child-care director care for children. Their goal is to give children the love and attention they need while they help them learn English and adjust to life in St. Cloud through activities and games. Parents are considered the primary caregivers, and will be responsible for changing diapers and feeding; the volunteers will help the director supervise and carry out activities for the children. If you have worked or plan to work in education or social services, if you just enjoy children or if you’re interested in other cultures, this is a great opportunity for you to help others while learning more about them. Contact Brianda Cediel, executive director, at 320-260-1072 or [email protected].
Lead activities and help with prep work
Country Manor Apartments East Commons Memory Care Unit in Sartell is looking for volunteers to assist with preparations for the week’s activities. For those volunteers who would be comfortable, there is also a need for volunteers to lead small group activities and provide the tenants with stimulation and socialization. Contact Caitlin Tierney, Country Manor Campus volunteer coordinator, at 320-258-8936 or [email protected].
Change your life; become a hospice volunteer
Do you enjoy visiting with other people? Kind people like you are needed to provide companionship to hospice patients in Central Minnesota. Our companions visit patients and families and offer emotional support as a part of our hospice team. Visiting may involve talking with patients and families, reading to patients or participating in activities with them. Visiting times are flexible and are individualized to our patients and volunteers’ schedules. Training is provided as well as ongoing support from our dedicated hospice team. Please respond to this listing if you are interested or are seeking additional information. Contact Jennifer Lahmann, St. Croix Hospice volunteer coordinator, at 320-249-3351.
For more information, contact Mary Krippner, United Way volunteer engagement coordinator, at 320-223-7991 or [email protected].