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Mike Miller taught a blogging update session to seven bloggers from around New Town early Friday afternoon, Feb. 15, 2008. Two bloggers from New Town and three from Stanley worked with us from McKenzie County.

Dorothy Reil of Alexander and I, Dale A. Swenson from Arnegard, learned much and practiced well in the computer lab. Doro planned on practicing Saturday. Everyone has something to do!

Readers! Please register on our blog site to become subscribers and leave comments for us, especially about Poverty reduction and Leadership development in McKenzie County, and how the topic of our blog works toward those goals. Thanks!

Anyone going to Bismarck with a pickup or a van?

update: the treadmill is repaired as of 3/28/08

Kathy from the Wellness Center is in need of someone to take a treadmill to Bismarck for repair under warrantee. We only need transportation to Bismarck for the treadmill-Scheel’s will unload it & order the parts after they inspect it.
If you know of anyone that plans to go to Bismarck in the near future, please let Kathy know. #842-6307

This would be a great way to lend a hand in keeping the people of our county healthy!

If it’s Tuesday, ladies are quilting at Wilmington Lutheran Church in Arnegard. Pictured are Phylis Hystad, Margaret Eikren, Ida Harmon, Margaret Hovde, Gen Bruins and Carol Mjelstad as they lay out fabric.

Ladies of Arnegard and Alexander Lutheran Parish meet every Tuesday to quilt for Lutheran World Relief, for people in the county who may have lost their homes to fire and for presentation to high school graduates who are members of the congregation(s). They sent quilts away last spring and resumed quilting Aug. 1, 2007. So far this winter they have 84 quilts prepared. They expect to send away more than 100 quilts this spring.

Lutheran World Relief is an international nonprofit organization that works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world’s most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives.

The Horizons program in McKenzie County is just 16 months old, and is scheduled to end the end of June, 2008, compared to LWR, which has worked in international development and relief since 1945. However, the organizations are both nonprofit and work to end poverty.

Please read Our Vision statement on the right column at the top of this page by clicking on the words. You will see 22 strategies. Why not volunteer to help with one you favor most? Leave a comment to that extent, please.

I was visiting with Alan Sims in Alexander last week and he showed me a power chair that he is willing to give away.

It is 100% operational but needs a new battery.

The JAZZY 1103 Ultra runs thousands of dollars new but a new battery is only three to four hundred dollars.

You’ll find a picture of the chair here:

http://www.pridejazzy.com/1103ultra.shtml

Alan’s phone number is:

701-828-3546

“I just donate to help someone who needs blood,” said Larry Haakenson, just one of 40 donors that day, but one who has given the gift-of-life “off and on” for over 50 years. For the past three years, as a resident of Watford City, he has made it a practice to be a donor of double the red blood cells, thanks to the use of the haemonetics machine, or 2 RBC, which removes twice as many red blood cells as a concentration while the donor is returned his own plasma, platelets and an additional 500 ml of saline solution.

“Some day I may need it,” reflects Larry.

Feb. 13, 2008 was cold, but more than 24 heroes came from Alexander, Arnegard, Charlson, Keene and Watford City. Those who registered to donate blood arrived to do so in Lower Level of 1st International Bank & Trust of Watford City. Many walk-ins came to donate as well.

The crew of five from United Blood Service in Bismarck used two rooms; one for interview and lab work, the other for gathering the units of blood. Kathy Skarda, McKenzie County coordinator, had organized the location as the Watford City Civic Center was being remodeled. She is on the far left in the photo, next to Mary Chap, Michelle Bollmouth, Sara Carr, Amanda Myers, and Donor Services Supervisor Amy Beehler.

I volunteered to greet and check identification, in addition to charging each donor to read three pamphlets from 11:30 until 2:30 p.m. That I.D. must include one of three things: a date of birth, a Social Security Number or a Blood System assigned donor number. The required reading lists medications and the proper amount of days the donor must be free of the specific med in order to donate. It also asks for a list of all countries, including city and area, that the donor has visited, along with the dates, in the past three years. If the donor has visited any European countries since 1980 they must also be listed.

Kathy Skarda periodically schedules Blood Drives in Watford City. You can help fill one of theose 75 sign-up slots by calling her at 842-2381 or home 675-2333. Or you may make an appointment through United Blood Services by visiting www.UnitedBloodServices.org

The third wave of Oil Boom is going strong in McKenzie County. Lessons of the past, revenues set aside by legislation to provide money to offset the impact and increased wages to retain hired help are factors that have eased its impact.

Ron Anderson, McKenzie County commissioner from Keene was first to present information on local and county issues at Tuesday’s (Feb. 12, 2008) meeting in a Town Hall Meeting sponsored by the McKenzie County Jobs Development Authority, the North Dakota Petroleum Council and the North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Counties held in Watford City. (more…)

The Community Action Partnership (CAP) with an office in Williston is a private non-profit organization which serves Region I (Divide, McKenzie and Williams County).

For over 25 years the mission of the agency has remained the same: “Community Action Partnership provides a range of services, which enable, educate, and assist with self-sufficiency to individuals and communities in western North Dakota”, according to Deeann Long, Director.

CAP has many income-based programs which help individuals and families. A few of the programs include:
Supplemental Commodities for Elderly,
Senior Companion Program,
Weatherization,
Home Rehab,
Housing Development,
Emergency Assistance
and Income Tax Assistance.

Also included is Prevention/Safe Communities programming. CAP staff have been active with the McKenzie County coalition to provide assistance on goals to decrease underage drinking/drug use.

For additional information on CAP visit their website at www.willistoncap.org.

Or call 701-572-8191 and ask to speak to:
Deeann Long
Region I Client Services Director

If you are at least 18 you may be interested in serving as a VISTA worker.

Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is the domestic version of the Peace Corps. VISTA members sign up with a host agency to a full-time term of service - 365 days. In return for their service, members are provided with orientation and training, a living stipend calculated at no less than 95% of the poverty line, settling in and transportation costs, child care benefits, and a basic health care plan. Upon completion of their one-year term, VISTA members have the option of receiving $1,200 or an education award of $4,725.

A VISTA is a catalyst for change. They channel their ideals and energy into becoming poverty-fighters who build successful and sustainable programs that help people and communities lift themselves out of poverty.

While VISTAs appreciate these benefits, many say the most attractive part of VISTA is the skills and leadership they gain and the deep sense of satisfaction they feel when they know they’ve made a difference.

If you are trying to figure out what they want to do with your life, or if you are through college and want to gain skills, experience, and a network, please look into a year with VISTA. Information for this article was obtained from http://www.americorps.org
and from the area contact person:

Miriam Smette
RSVP Project Director and who also signs up Vista workers.
307 5th Avenue SE
Minot ND 58701
701-852-3799 Williston Area Phone 701-770-7905

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) offers maximum flexibility and choice to its volunteers as it matches the personal interests and skills of older Americans with opportunities to serve their communities. RSVP volunteers choose how and where they want to serve—from a few hours to more than 40 hours a week. RSVP volunteers provide hundreds of community services.

Some of the areas that would directly affect the Horizons Vision would be for volunteers to do the following:

Modeling parenting skills to teen parents;
Participating in neighborhood watch programs;
Planting community gardens;
Helping community organizations operate more efficiently;
Providing counsel to new business owners;
Building houses.

Several other important areas where RSVP’s could serve are:
Offering relief services to victims of natural disasters; and
Tutoring children in reading and math;
And helping get children immunized;

RSVP volunteers must be at least 55 years of age.

Benefits: RSVP volunteers are able to put their unique talents to work for community and faith-based organizations that are significant to them. In addition, they receive the following benefits:
Pre-service orientation;
On-the-job training from the agency or organization where they are placed;
Supplemental insurance while on duty.

For anyone interested in becoming a volunteer please contact:
Miriam Smette
RSVP Project Director
307 5th Avenue SE
Minot ND 58701
701-852-3799 Williston Area Phone 701-770-7905
http://rsvp.ndsu.nodak.edu

This county has a Thrivent Chapter, which is a local group of members that plan and carry out charitable, social and educational activities. They are petitioned for ‘contributing funds’ by various fund-raising interests. All Thrivent Financial members belong to a chapter, and they elect leaders.

This story is about the leaders.

Asisting the people of McKenzie County with medical/travel costs is at the heart of this organization’s effort. As the national level of Thrivent delivers a share of its billions of dollars, that otherwise would go to the payment of taxes, to the county chapters for dispersement among people who need benefits done to help them, this group of five handles the paperwork and accepts new members into the county-wide organization, among other duties. As usual, the McKenzie County Thrivent Chapter leaders met on the first Tuesday of the month for a luncheon meeting in TJ’s Pizza in Watford City, a middle-of-the-county meeting place for the county-wide group. They considered the fund-raisers they have encouraged with ‘contributing funds’ and accepted new members into the ranks of the organization. (more…)