Yard & Garden Partners

Here Comes the Sun…
After what does seem like years, the ice is melting, the pandemic is slowly waning, and with the new vaccines here, the smiles are returning to our faces. To celebrate this new season, this new appreciation of connection and community, Care Partners is bringing together volunteers and seniors for a Spring & Summer Chores Program.

Seniors, would you welcome help with spring cleanup, planting some flowers, or maintaining your garden? Volunteers, are you eager to get out and lend a hand or have a group that needs a project? Call us at 387-3788 or click here.

Nourishing Food Project

Care Partner’s Jennifer Trowbridge led an initiative to explore ways to bring nourishing foods, whole, sustainably-sourced, and local, to Cook County residents who are struggling with serious illness or other health challenges.

Christina Hartley Conroy, Diane Booth, Carol Bennett, Judi Barsness, and Pat Campanaro joined her to help pilot the project. Although Care Partners is not in the meal business, we were pleased to access nutrition funding to help the group pilot a food box program and provide a little extra support to some of our clients during a difficult time.

Jennifer worked with local food growers Creaking Tree Farm, Kim Knutsen, Christina Ridlbauer, Diane Booth and the Cook County Whole Foods Co-op for all ingredients used in the food boxes. The Cook County Community Center donated the use of their kitchen for cooking, box assembly, and food storage.

This food program aims to support physical and emotional health and make healthy meal preparation easier. Participants enjoyed the meals, support, and connection:

“My kids are overjoyed that I am getting such healthy food and enjoying it. Since my husband died, they have worried about me and have been concerned about my diet.”

“It’s really so helpful to have healthy food on hand while taking care of my husband, it saves time going to town and time cooking when he needs care- and the food is delicious.”

The Nourishing Food Project Pilot team did an amazing job on short notice and without volunteers due to COVID, putting together food boxes with prepared meal kits and meals that could be frozen. A total of 33 food boxes containing 664 meals were delivered to a group of 13 participants.  The pilot ended in 2020. Care Partners wishes the team well as they evaluate the project and explore ways to support residents with nourishing food. If you are interested in volunteering or supporting their efforts, contact Jennifer Trowbridge at Care Partners.

Cook County Aging Coalition

The Northland Foundation awarded a $65,000 grant to  support the Cook County Aging Coalition and their plans for helping area older adults successfully age in place. The grant is part of Northland’s three-year Integrated Rural Community Aging Program.

The Northland Foundation led planning process included creating a vision statement: The Cook County Aging Coalition envisions a connected community which empowers citizens to age successfully throughout Cook County and Grand Portage. Access to a wide array of services enhances quality of life, health, and social engagement.

Creating a Community Access Point for easy Access to Aging Services

The group’s two-year action plan includes creating a single access point with a variety of online, print and in-person ways for the public to learn about all available resources for older adults and the people who care for them. It will also establish a Care Navigator position to help manage the access point, provide in-person intake and referral, and facilitate improved communication and response by community partners to requests for their resources. Joint outreach will help build awareness for aging services.

Care Partners’ staff, Kay Grindland and Christie John, will help guide the project, with Christie serving as Care Navigator. “We are honored to be working with such dedicated local partners.,” Kay shared. “We all help older adults and their families find services, but with all the many programs it is sometimes hard to know where to start. It is exciting to collaborate on a joint venture that will make it easier for everyone to access the information they need.”

The coalition also includes The Hub; Cook County Public Health and Human Services; Grand Portage Health Service, Grand Portage Human Services, and Grand Portage Elderly Nutrition Program; North Shore Health Care Foundation; North Shore Health, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic and other community leaders.

Donors

Linda Alley
Katie Anderson
Phyllis Anderson
Chel Anderson
Paulette Anholm
Lynn Arnold
Leif Arntsen
Beth Benson & Lynn Wright
Yvonne Benson
Tracy Benson & Pete Kavanaugh
Lee Bergstrom
Patsy & Bill Bernhjelm
Beth Blank
Richard Bockovich
Nora Bockovich
Kathryn & Ed Bolstad
John & Barb Bottger
Penny & Tom Bradovich
William & Joan Burkhardt
Jean Bushman
Mary Humphrey Cameron
Pat Campanaro & Stan Tull
Mike Carlson
Julie Carlson
Margaret Carlson
Katie Clark
Nancy Dalbec
Georgene & Rollin Daubanton
Suzanne Davies
Larry & Elaine Dean
Jenny Delfs & Jeff Kern
Heather Derewenko
Mary Deschampe
Alicia Deschene
Cindy Donek
Lawrence Downing
Joan Drury
Randy Eastlund
Sharon Eliasen
Cathy Everett
Lois Eyinck
Kurt Farchmin
Karen Fehr
Dan & Diane Fitzgerald
Dennis Fitzpatrick & Maryl Skinner
April Gerard
Anne Swallow Gillis
Glenn & Chelly Gilyard
Don & Gerry Grant
Kathleen Gray-Anderson
Kay Grindland

Karen Halbersleben & Jack Miller
Carol & Peter Harris
David & Cathy Hawkinson
Emma Heath
Kristine Hedstrom
Howard Hedstrom & Bonnie Gay
Ann Norquist Hegg
Barb Heideman
Joyce Heiskari
Carolyn Hollstadt
Marnie Hovland
William & Mary Lou Huron
Jay Hutchinson
Marcia Hyatt & Tom Christiansen
Peter & Mary Igoe
Anita Jacobson
Megheen Jahren
Frances Jarchow
Janet & Gerald Johansen
Martha Johansen
Beverly Johnson
Lois Johnson
Erik Johnson
Jayne & Rick Johnson
Mark & Robin Johnson
Nancy Johnston
Robert & Ann Karrick
Beth Kennedy
Beth & Art Kidd
Karen Kobey
Nancy Koloski
Christine Kramschuster
Sandi Krohn
Carla & Donald La Pointe
Patricia LaFreniere
J Rory Laiho
Barbara & Michael LaMotte
Debi LaMusga
Cheryl Larsen
Nancy & Jeff Larson
Gary Latz
Layne & Rolf Lindquist
Jean Ljungkull
Donna & Orvis Lunke
Bill Lurton
Robert Mattson
Jack & Sandy McHugh
Marnie McMillan
Judy & Terry Meath
Regine Meissner
Jackie Meyers

Betty Michaud
Marilyn Morris
Helen Muth & David Quick
Yafa Napadensky & Bob Shannon
Hyla & Arnold Napadensky
Randi & Rick Nelson
Sue Nordman
Phyllis Olson
Phyllis Parker
Diane & Floyd Pearson
Joyce & Chuck Petek
Mark & Mary Peterson
Judy & Gary Peterson
Lou & Inger Pignolet
Steven Pincus & Michelle Strangis
Annie Possis
Kathy Reeves
Judy & Denny Renkiewicz
Sue Riley
Donald Ring
Tammy Rude
Ann Russ
Mary & Doug Sanders
Susan Scherer
Duane Schinn
Carolyn & Milan Schmidt
Dolly & Bill Schnell
Rhonda Schulte
Craig & Lynn Schulte
Maria Sheehan
Jim Shinners
Chris Silence
Jean Skinner
Fred & Fran Smith
Nancy Starr & Steven Nielsen
Judy Swanson
Kaye & Marc Tavernier
Myra Theimer
L. Douglas Throckmorton
Kevin Treacy
Emily Ulhorn
Michael Valentini
Mary Vox
Ruthanne Vos
Frithjof Wannebo
Terry Weeks
Cydney Weiland
Marilyn Wells
Karin & Craig Westgate
Ken & Donna Wielinski
Patricia Zankman

Memorials

Darrellyn Barrett
Richard Bockovich
Andy Byholm
Joan Drury
Lyle Gerard
Enid Grindland
Irv Hansen
Gloria Hutchinson
James Jacobson
Jim Johnson
Paul E. Johnson
Walter Karrick
Kathy Kimball
Jerry Lawson
Betty Murray
Marcy Podas
Marilyn Hooper Rohlfing
Alice Fox Rudh
Marilyn Starr
Stanley Starr
Jan Strathy
Ellen Stubbs
Nancy Tull
Phyllis Warsall
Michael Weeks
Karen Wilber
Boyd Truman Wiseman

From a delivery client: I am not able to leave my husband for the time it takes to drive to Grand Marais and pick up groceries. Thank you! Care Partners has given me hope!