Direct From the Pie Capital of Minnesota...

If you didn't know... Braham, Minnesota is proudly hailed as the Homemade Pie Capital of Minnesota (declared such by former Governor Rudy Perpich in 1990).

But you know what else is special about Braham? ...and no, it's not that they're a participant in our HCP program!

Not only does Minnesota's first woman lieutenant governor, Marlene Johnson, hail from this small town of 1,600 but so too does our new Children, Youth & Families Specialist, Sara Dahlquist!

Sara started with us just a couple weeks ago and yesterday she participated in her first official training session with our three new early childhood coalitions from Elk River, Pine River-Backus and Wadena County. Here's a clip of Linda's introduction of Sara and a bit of her in action:



Sara replaced Jana Shogren, who is enjoying her new position as the executive director at Bridges of Hope in Brainerd. We'd like to welcome Sara to the foundation - we're so glad you've joined us!

If you'd like to learn more about Sara feel free to read the news release or find her in our staff directory.

Thank You!

We recently said "goodbye" to a few special people...

MaryAnn Schefers started working at the foundation in September 2002, and worked in both our donor services and finance departments throughout the past seven years.

Today she starts a new adventure in Pine City working in the accounting department at Pine Technical College. Curt Hanson, who probably worked the most with MaryAnn, had this to say:

"MaryAnn could be a poster child for the “typical central Minnesota farm kid,” in that she thrives on hard work, is reliable and very conscientious, and solves problems rather than pointing them out and complaining about them. Pine Tech made a good choice."

We will miss her dedication, attention to detail and great sense of humor!

Thank you, MaryAnn!

*********************
In December we recognized a few foundation friends who "retired" from our board of trustees. Gloria Contreras Edin of Inver Grove Heights and G. George Wallin, PhD. of Big Lake had both served since 2000. Jim Anderson, of Crosslake and Key Largo, Fla. had been a Trustee since 2007.

In recognition of their service to the foundation, all three were invited to select a charity of their choice to receive a $1,000 grant. They selected:

• Perseverancia (Cold Spring), to support opportunities for Latina leaders, in recognition of Gloria Contreras Edin,
• Saron Lutheran Church (Big Lake), for the hospitality committee, in recognition of G. George Wallin, PhD., and
• Kinship Partners, Inc. (Brainerd), to support a youth mentoring program, in recognition of Jim Anderson.
  

To learn more about their contributions to the board, read the news release from last week or to meet our current board members, visit our website.

Thank You, Leah!

Leah Posterick has been working at the Foundation since 1998. As a Development Assistant and Program Assistant she has helped thousands of people in their quest to make their communities better places to live, work and play.

My first contact with Leah was when I was on the other side of the phone as a community leader in Pequot Lakes and we were going through the Healthy Communities Partnership program. She was always gracious and patient with me as a community volunteer. I now have the privilege of working at the Foundation and have been a team member with Leah for over eight years!

Now she and her husband, Dennis, are embarking on an amazing adventure. Next week Leah will be leaving the Foundation. They have sold their home of 20+ years and will be moving in with their eldest son in Pittsburg, Kansas. Their plan is to serve as missionaries, most likely in Burkina Faso.

Where's Burkina Faso you say? Oh only about 5,700 miles southeast of central Minnesota! It's a country in West Africa, about the size of Nevada and is one of the poorest in the world. Leah & Dennis will be coming back to the states every so often to visit their family, which includes four children and three grandchildren.

A couple of weeks ago we gave her some send-off gifts - a solar powered oven and a supply of "Life Straw" water purifiers. (Special thanks to John Sumption at Cass County for donating the oven!)

Leah has done some amazing work over the past eleven years. I will miss her hard work and dedication to small communities all over Central Minnesota, but I am thrilled that she will be able to follow her heart into a great new adventure!