New scout night held for Girl and Cub Scouts
From 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, Girl and Cub Scouts will jointly host a new Scout night at both Pine Meadow and Oak Ridge elementary schools. Pine Meadow is located at 1029 Fifth St. N., while Oak Ridge is located at 1111 27th St. N., both in Sartell. For more information on Cub Scouts go to bsacmc.org and on Girl Scouts go to gslakesandpines.org.
New scout night held for Girl and Cub Scouts
From 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, Girl and Cub Scouts will jointly host a new Scout night at both Pleasantview and Mississippi Heights elementary schools. Pleasantview is located at 1009 Sixth Ave. N., while Mississippi Heights is located at 1003 Fourth St. S., both in Sauk Rapids. For more information on Cub Scouts go to bsacmc.org and on Girl Scouts go to gslakesandpines.org.
City of St. Stephen to host citywide garage sales
The annual citywide garage sale weekend in St. Stephen will be Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 24-26. Individual sales will be marked.
Sauk Rapids begins flushing water lines
Beginning Monday, Sept. 14, the public works department will flush water lines. Residents may experience low pressure during the flushing. If the water from your tap becomes discolored, let the tap run for 10-20 minutes until it clears up. Flushing should be completed in two or three weeks.
Back to School 1, 5K to be held Sept. 26
The Back to School 5K and Kids 1K Obstacle Course, sponsored by PineCone Vision Center and Dentistry for Children, will take place at 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26 at Sartell Middle School, 627 Third Ave. N. The event is to raise funds for Sartell-St. Stephen School District Early Childhood Center.
Registration begins at 7 a.m. for the Back to School 5K starting at 9 a.m. The Kids 1K Obstacle Course begins at 10 a.m. An awards ceremony will follow each race. More prizes will be drawn and all participants will receive a T-shirt and a runner’s bag.
“This has been a fun community event and it keeps growing every year,” says Dr. Stacy Hinkemeyer of PineCone Vision Center. “We are excited to again partner with Dentistry for Children to help with early childhood services.” Other event partners include BLEND Fit Kids Club; Gold Sponsor Synergy Chiropractic; silver sponsors Mustang Signs, Central Minnesota Orthodontic and Rinke Noonan; bronze sponsors are 360 Chiropractic, GNP, Ehlinger Lawn and Rejuv Medical. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.
Register at pineconevisioncenter.com. Race packets are available for pick up from 4-6: 30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25 at the Sartell-St. Stephen Community Education Office, 212 Third Ave. N.
Slow down, school is in session
Authorities are reminding drivers to slow down as the school year begins, especially near pick-up and drop-off zones for school buses, as well as in neighborhoods surrounding schools as many students walk to school.
Lighten your load with laughter Sept. 16
Ridgeview Place Assisted Living will host a night of fun and laughter for those 55+ from 2-3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16 at their office, located at 1009 10th Ave. NE, Sauk Rapids. Plan for an enjoyable afternoon with refreshments afterward.
Laughing increases oxygen, stimulates your immune system and releases endorphins; in short, laughter is serious business. It’s been said children laugh an average of 400 times per day, how about you? Laughing at yourself and life’s little situations is great medicine for the soul. Come for a dose.
There is no fee to attend, but please register in advance by calling Sauk Rapids-Rice Community Education at 320- 258-1577 so we can plan for refreshments. Bring a friend and enjoy a good laugh.
Dinner to benefit promise neighborhood
A dinner will be held from 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13 at First United Methodist Church, 1107 Pinecone Road, Sartell, to benefit Promise Neighborhood.
Social Hour at 4 p.m. will feature bread from the clay hearth bread oven. Fresh from the garden dinner, prepared by local chefs using herbs and vegetables grown in the Promise Neighborhood Garden, will be served at 5 p.m. A program on “Why Promise Neighborhood Matters” will be held at 6 p.m. Comedian Adrian Washington will emcee.
Proceeds support Promise Neighborhood’s mission of “Building Bridges to Success for Children and Families.” Purchase tickets by calling Linda at FUMC, 320-251-0804, or Bill, PN Board President, at 320-253-3219. Can’t attend? Buy a ticket for someone who can’t afford the ticket price.
Rendezvous announced for veterans and families
Central Minnesota veterans and their families are invited from 1-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 to an event sponsored by the St. Cloud VA Medical Center, near Building 96 and the Walking Path at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center, 4801 Veterans Drive, in St. Cloud. Giving veterans a chance to connect with one another, this rendezvous will include music, food and fun activities for the whole family.
In military parlance, a rendezvous is a pre-arranged meeting point to return to following an operation.
“The Veterans Rendezvous is a chance for veterans to connect with each other and to VA services and to have some fun in a relaxing and welcoming environment,” said Brett Jagodzinski, a VA employee assisting with organizing the event.
Among the day’s activities is the Mental Health Anti-Stigma and Awareness Walk. Veterans and community members are invited to participate to show their support and raise awareness for Veterans seeking mental health care. The event is a self-paced walk on the St. Cloud VA walking path. The course is rated easy and will accommodate most participants. Register at Building 96 prior to starting. The walk may be completed anytime between 1 and 4:30 p.m.
Live music by Charlie Roth and the Healers as well as other entertainment will be available from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Other planned activities include: free hearing screenings, car and motorcycle show, Red Cross blood drive, PTSD awareness presentation, acrylic painting, yoga, fun activities for the whole family and much more.
A variety of veteran-focused VA and community information booths will also be available throughout the day. Veterans can also discuss eligibility and apply if not currently enrolled for VA health-care benefits, sign up for My HealtheVet, and talk with a veteran service officer about earned benefits.
For more details visit www.stcloud.va.gov or go to the St. Cloud VA’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/stcloudvahcs. Veterans organizations wanting space for an information table should email Kerri.Schwegel@va.gov.
Free youth mental health first aid course set Sept. 25
National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota will hold a free Youth Mental Health First Aid training course from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25 at the Sherburne County Government Center, located at 13880 Business Center Drive NW, Elk River. The course is designed to teach participants the risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, build understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teach individuals how to help a youth in crisis or experiencing a mental health or substance-use challenge. Participants will also learn a five-step action plan to support an adolescent developing signs and symptoms of a mental illness or emotional crisis. To register (required) or get more detailed information, please contact NAMI Minnesota at 651-645-2948.
United Way Volunteer Opportunities
ReStore seeks volunteer staff
The ReStore, operated by Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity, is look for volunteers to fill shift times of Wednesday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 2-6:30 p.m. There are a variety of roles to fill.
About the ReStore: The ReStore is a discount home improvement retail store. It’s owned and operated by Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity. Individuals and businesses donate new and used home-improvement and building materials that are sold at a fraction of the retail price. Sales from the ReStore further the mission of Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity by providing affordable housing for low-income families. Anyone from the public can shop, donate items and volunteer. The majority of the ReStore team are volunteers. Volunteers can come for a one-time experience or on a regular basis. One-time volunteers help with general store tasks such as loading/unloading items, cleaning and stocking the floor. Volunteers looking for regular opportunities include the following roles: cashier and customer service, donations, sales floor, truck support team and tinkerer volunteer. Volunteer shift times are 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 2-6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Contact Derek Peterson, ReStore volunteer manager, at Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity, at 320-241-4643 or dpeterson@cmhfh.org.
Assist with shopping and yard work
Great River Area Faith in Action is a faith-based nonprofit organization that focuses on mobilizing volunteers, empowering their clients, and educating our communities and clients. They have a need for two people to do grocery shopping for clients on the southeast side of St. Cloud. They are also looking for volunteers to help with painting and yard work. Contact Cherise Robb, volunteer coordinator for Great River Area Faith in Action, at 320-290-3428.
Engage. Connect. Involve.
The Greater St. Cloud Area RSVP engages men and women age 55 or better in meaningful volunteer opportunities at more than 200 human-service agencies throughout the community. We are seeking compassionate volunteers in a variety of positions; including many roles with flexible commitments. RSVP staff will work with you to cater your volunteer schedule so it fulfills your needs and has a positive impact on your community. Contact RSVP at 320-255-7295 or rsvp@ci.stcloud.mn.us
Electronic waste recycling event
UCP is hosting an electronic-waste recycling event from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Sept. 11-12 at the Municipal Athletic Center located at 5001 Veterans Drive, St. Cloud. They will accept items like appliances, laptop and desktop computers, monitors, TVs, DVD players, fax machines, printers, cell phones and other electronic devices. There is no fee for working tablets, laptops or cell phones, 40 cents per pound for all other e-waste. Cash, credit cards and checks accepted. The net proceeds will benefit programs that empower veterans and people living with a disability. This helps our environment too. UCP needs volunteers to help with this event too. Contact UCP at 320-253-0765 for more information.
United Way Day of Caring ~ Last week to register!
United Way of Central Minnesota will host Day of Caring on Sept. 24. Day of Caring is designed to bring people together to volunteer on community projects. The day will begin with a kick-off breakfast at United Way’s office from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Volunteers will be provided with a continental breakfast during the kick-off and a free T-shirt (T-shirts can be picked up on Sept. 17 at the United Way office and worn on Day of Caring). This is a great opportunity to volunteer with co-workers, friends, family and service groups for your community. Projects include painting, packaging food, fall clean- up, children’s activities and crafts. Project sign-up will be available on our website, through Sept. 11.
For more information, contact Mary Krippner, United Way volunteer engagement coordinator, at 320-223-7991 or mkrippner@unitedwayhelps.org.
