Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc.

2014

AUGUST NEWSLETTER

“People Helping People”www.tvoc.org

In This Issue:* From My Perspective (Dennis P. DeMers)* Glencoe and Hutchinson Staff Training Day* T.H.E. Bus in the Ox Cart Days Parade

In This Issue:* Upcoming September Calendar Items*What a Great Bunch to Work With!* Grafton Center Outside Painting

From My Perspective: Dennis P. DeMers

With this opportunity I ink my final thoughts from my tenure at Tri-Valley. As I transition into the next phase of my life (retirement) reflective thoughts wonder back to the early days and years of my employment. The memories of 114 South Main Street in Crookston are rich, deep and indelible. The angle parking along the south-side of the building and the Army green cubbies come first to mind. By 9:00am the narrow workspace would be clouded by the smoke billowing from each workspace and the break area speckled with amber ashtrays located near the back of the building and used for Board meetings. Bill Brummer had his office in the back along with another separate office for Jan Olson, the bookkeeper back then. Fifteen people worked out of this narrow environment and, by the

time I began, there appeared to be one crisis after another (or opportunity depending upon your perspective) as the Nixon administration set out to eliminate the Office of Economic Opportunity. Still, we endured. My eyes were naively wide and my mind swam with ideas leading to conquests in our War on Poverty. Like Don Quixote we chased windmill foes, swam turbulent waters of fear, and reached for golden rings of opportunity. Monthly the Out-reach Workers (Jean Dempsey, Evelyn Hermondson, Hazel Reipe, and Irene Carlson) would meet with management and program directors to assess the needs of the community, review funding opportunities, discover new rules and regula-tions, and renew the vigor necessary for the battle to be waged the next month. Together we provided each other support, direction and energy. It was exciting, chaotic, intense, fast and worthwhile. Our funding sources were our friends and allies. They would run interference for us and help us overcome obstacles, dodge attackers and score resources to meet the needs of those we came to serve.

Over the years we survived numerous attempts to, “…shut them down.” We saw resources increase, decrease, go away and reappear with a new acronym, from a new department or a different subdivision of government or philanthropy. When senior citizen funding was hot (Older American’s Act) we created Senior Citizen Centers, provided transportation (Pio-neers of the Valley), and started Meals on Wheels and Senior Meals and Activities Programs. Funding for early childhood led us to Head Start, Migrant Head Start, Day Care, Child Care Resource and Referral and a plethora of services not just for children but for families and communities. We saw the need to keep seniors busy, active, connected and purposeful and accessed funding for employment from Mainstream, Green Thumb, Senior Employment and a basket of other services leading to longer and better lives for the older generation. Youth needed direction, soft employment skills and some money in their pockets leading us to the Neighborhood Youth Corps and other youth employment programs which continue to this day. When gas and oil be-came expensive after the 1973 oil embargo we jumped at the opportunities afford-ed us with Weatherization, LIHEAP, Alternative Energy and many more energy related activities. (From My Perspective continued on next page)

(From My Perspective continued)- In order to keep seniors in their homes longer and provide the connections they desired we engineered the Valley Housekeeping Program, Chore Services, RSVP, and Senior Companion Services. We initiated the Northwest Economic Development Program which led to the creation of La-dyslipper Designed and it’s locally created crafts that were sold throughout the world. Tri-Valley started the WIC program in our area and spun the program off. Too, we worked to start many food shelves in the service area while develop-ing the North Country Food Bank. Along with Northwest Community Action and Inter-County Community Council we evolved and launched the Northwest Minnesota Multi-County Housing Authority. With the need for more coopera-

tion Tri-Valley assisted in the development of three countywide Family Service Collaboratives and was a jugular player in the development of the Northwest Minnesota Council of Collaboratives. We distributed cheese to the poor and even got pasta needed to make “mac and cheese,” for a short period of time in the late 1980’s.

The needs endure, resources are drying up, and the pace of doing business now is lightning fast. Our computers, boxes, apps and gadgets provide us with a mountain of opportunities while stealing our focus from oftentimes the real issue. We don’t rent as much as we did back then – instead we own buildings, and homes, and vehicles and assets. It now seems that funding sources are our monitors rather than our colleagues and friends. We run programs by script rather than meeting the needs at the local level. And, we are held accountable for outcomes which somehow get measured by inputs.

One could get cynical if it were not for the people and the opportunities. Yep, it really does get back to People Helping People. I know it may sound corny but I believe it to be true. It was people who started this effort back in 1964 and it was to provide opportunities at the local level to prevent and mitigate the causes of poverty. And it remains that it will be people at the local level who will make the difference in the lives of their neighbors going forward. There is a slow and evolving process emerging throughout the country that is a pushback to federal and state direct management and oversight of local programs. It will take time and it will be messy since accountability for fed-eral and state resources takes on a life of its own. This process will take years and the outcomes are not assured. Still, the concentration of management

and oversight at the state and federal level leads to stifling micromanagement without ownership for outcomes at the local level.

Lastly, it remains all about the people. My family has given me the support, encouragement, and space necessary to be a player in this good work. The Board of Directors and Policy Councils that I have worked for have been diligent and given me many opportunities to succeed. My co-workers have been both friends and colleagues. And, our communities continue to make quality of life issues a daily direction. I cannot thank you all but you know who you are. For those I have hurt or angered – I apologize. These past many years have been filled with indelible memories, successes, failures, joy and pain. Still, because the Mission was right, the cause just, and the effort worthwhile - together we have made this a better place. Vaya con Dios,

Denny

Upcoming September Calendar Items:* Sept. 13- Crookston King of Trails Event* Sept. 13- MSHS/MSEHS Policy Council Meeting* Sept. 25- Retirement Open House and Social for Dennis P. DeMers* Sept. 26- Transportation Leaf Tour to Itasca State Park

Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc. (TVOC) is a community action agency headquartered in Crookston, MN. It is our Mission to provide opportunities to individuals and communities in order to improve the quality of our lives. In existence since 1965, TVOC provides services in 84 counties in Minnesota and Northeast North Dakota. For more information on services offered by TVOC please call 218-281-5832 or 800-584-7020.

Did You Know?...* You can receive more information on Tri-Valley’s programs and services by calling 218-281-5832 or 800-584-7020.

* You can keep up with Tri-Valley news on the TVOC website at www.tvoc.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TVOCInc and on Twitter at @TriValley_TVOC.

* Everyone can receive the Tri-Valley Newsletter. If you know of anyone who would like a copy please have them contact Mitch Bakken at 218-281-5832 or mitch.bakken@tvoc.org.

Glencoe and Hutchinson Staff Training Day! The staff broke into teams and made human pizzas, newspaper bridges that worked on communication, problem solv-ing, and listening, and finished the day with a nail-biter 4-3 kickball game!

T.H.E. Bus from Tri-Valley Transportation drove in the Crookston Ox Cart Days to let parade goers know that T.H.E. Bus is public transportation for everyone!

What a Great Bunch to Work With! (Story from Karen Martin, RTC Systems Coordinator,

Tri-Valley Transportation)

This morning Weasel arrived at the office to find a young man (Brian) sleeping on the pavement. He went over to see if he was ok and thank goodness he was. Weasel had a few minutes before his first pickup so he went to Arbys and purchased breakfast and delivered it back to Brian. A short time later Weasel called on the radio to see if I was OK. I responded that yes I was OK & wondered why. I did not see Brian out in the parking lot because he had taken shelter by Weasel’s pickup. (Thanks Weasel for your concern).

When Brian came in to the office he told me that he had a falling out with his boss and was no longer employed. He had walked from Polk County Park at Maple Lake (25 miles) the night before to Crookston. His understanding was that his former boss was going to come in to town and purchase him a Jefferson Lines bus ticket to go back to the state of Washington. The bus was scheduled to leave at 9:20 AM. Apparently the boss had called our office the day before to find out how much the ticket would be.

I told Brian that it did not look good for him because it was 10:30 and no one had arrived to purchase his ticket. I asked if he had anyone who could help him out to pur-chase his ticket. He told me the only person in his life was his Grandpa and he has no money.

For some time while Brian was waiting I noticed he was reading his Bible and praying. 11:00 AM came and no boss to purchase the ticket for Brian who had no money. Marcia called the Care & Share in Crookston to see if they could help him.

Weasel gave him a ride to the Care & Share and 15 min later the Boss comes in and does purchase him a ticket. 12:00 PM Brian walks back to our office to find that he now has a ticket to get back home. After he sat a while, he went outside. Jamie had an idea to put some cash in his Bible for him, Julie, Cassie, Jason & myself thought it was a great idea, so when Brian went outside again a short time later we put the money in his Bible.

Brian was visiting with James when he found the mon-ey and could not believe it. I watched as he counted the money over and over and over again and telling James that he had no idea where the money came from. James told him it probably came from the Lord. (Continued on top of page)

(What a Great Bunch continued)- Later Brian asked me if I was here when his Boss purchased his ticket. I told him yes and he explained to me that he found money and wondered if his boss had left it for him. I told him no if was not from your boss. With tears in his eyes he asked where it came from. I told him from his Guardian Angels. He smiled and said THANK YOU!!!

We then took up a collection of snacks that we all had at our desks and the 18 year old young man who arrived with nothing left with $47.00 and a big bag of snacks to help get him back home.

The Grafton Center took advantage of the perfect weather in August to have some fun outside painting!

This information is available in alternative formats to individuals with disabilities. Contact us at 1-800-584-7020 or by calling the Telecommunication Relay Service at 711 or 1-800-627-3529. Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer/provider. EOE/M/F/D/V