Care Partners is On the Move!

01/27/25 Update: It’s beginning to feel like the home stretch! By the end of the day, all of the walls and ceilings will have been primed and painted. The electrician is also hard at work today installing outlets, switches, plates and lights. Each step brings the space closer to looking like a real office! Tomorrow we hope the computer wiring will be completed and on Friday the flooring is scheduled for installation. People are probably tired of hearing me say that I’m privileged to work at a job that restores my faith in humanity on a daily basis, but it’s the honest truth. Throughout this process we’ve experienced the humble joy of watching people come together to create something beautiful. This project is another reminder for me that we are interdependent beings, reliant on one another’s generosity, gifts, skills, and wisdom – and I am so grateful for all of it! Also…I am really, really ready to move into the new space next week and start getting settled!
– Christie

01/16/25 Update: While Nace continues to drywall and tape, Care Partners staff and wonderful volunteers are priming and painting. It’s getting easier to imagine how the finished offices will look, and to appreciate the beautiful light and airiness of the space. My colleagues and I definitely miss being together on a regular basis and are counting the days until we can enjoy one another’s company again and welcome everyone to our new World Headquarters. So appreciative to all for their continued support and patience.
– Christie

01/10/25 Update: Work continues at a speedy pace! Nace has the drywall up and he’s busy mudding and taping. We’re thankful that Richard is here too to help us make the most of our existing equipment and furniture, and make good design choices for an office environment that is efficient, professional, and welcoming. Our new space will also include some unique, hand-crafted elements that reflect the beauty of our community! It’s looking like everything will be finished – well, finished enough – to move in during the first week of February. I’m trying not to pop in to the new digs too often while Nace is diligently working away…but my goodness, it’s so exciting to see the changes, do a little “air decorating and organizing” in my office-in-progress, and look forward to serving our community from a lovely new home.
– Christie

12/26/24 Update: So excited to see drywall beginning to go up…it’s fun to see our new offices taking shape. We’re grateful for the team that has been working toward making this vision a reality, including Nace Hagemann who continues to amaze us with his building skills, Jeb with Northern Electric for getting the lights and switches in, Jeremy Ridlbauer who is prepping our new space for all things computer, Max of Amax Plumbing and Heating for ALREADY being a rock star landlord, and for the extraordinary design and project management of the extraordinary Richard J. Olson! And of course for the World’s Best Volunteers who helped us pack and move, for all who have supported us through their financial gifts, and to everyone for their patience!
– Christie

12/19/24 Update: We have moved out of the office in the lower level of the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic. Care Partners staff is working primarily from home while our new offices are being prepared (see photos below!) Many thanks to the kind volunteers who helped us pack up and move our offices to temporary storage! We remain available by phone 10am – 3pm, Monday through Friday and in person by appointment. Thanks also to North Shore Health for temporarily opening a space so that we can safely store boxes and set up a small work station…and to everyone for their patience during this “in-between” season!
– Christie (Care Partners Programs Administrator)

For the past 10 years plus, Care Partners has been blessed in our partnerships with Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, North Shore Health, and North Shore Health Care Foundation – which birthed our program many years ago. Since becoming our own non-profit organization in 2015, Care Partners has been housed in the lower level of the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic. The clinic has recently expanded their Behavioral Health Program, so we need to spread our wings and find a new home for the next leg of our journey. We thank the clinic for their years of hospitality, and we look forward to continuing our partnerships with the Cook County medical community from a new location.

We are excited to report we have found our new home at ValMax Properties / AMAX Plumbing on the east end of Grand Marais! In 2025 you will find Care Partners at 615 E. Highway 61 in Grand Marais. For our local community, this was the previous home of Viking Electric. Please note that although our physical address will change, our mailing address will continue to be PO Box 282, Grand Marais, MN 55604.

We are grateful for our new partnership with Max at AMAX Plumbing and are very pleased to have found a site that gives us a bit more elbow room, is easily accessible, and includes plenty of parking for clients, volunteers and staff. We are grateful also for funding assistance from the Cook County/Grand Marais EDA and the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation to help offset some of the costs involved with this project. If you’d like to support this move into the next chapter of our story, please reach out to our Executive Director, Julie Wilson; your contribution would be so greatly appreciated!

We will pack up and move out of our clinic space the week of December 16th – our last day in the clinic will be ~~Thursday, December~~ ~~19th~~. UPDATE: Due to predicted snowfall on Thursday, our last day in the clinic will be WEDNESDAY, December 18th! Our team will work from home for the remainder of the year and into January as our new office space is being prepared. We will continue to be available via phone, email, and by appointment during office hours – 10am to 3pm Monday through Friday. We ask for your patience the week of December 16th during our transition.

As we move into the new year, we are also mindful that Care Partners will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2025! What a great opportunity to reflect on and be grateful for our rich history and look toward the future, as we continue to support our neighbors on the journey of aging and end of life. We look forward to inviting you to our new digs for a big anniversary celebration in the spring of 2025 – look for more announcements to come!

Peace and every good,
Julie Wilson
Care Partners Executive Director

WTIP Article and Interview with Julie

Care Partners will occupy the south side of the Amax building (closest to Hwy 61) and Amax Plumbing & Heating will continue to occupy the north side of the building.