• 2/7/23 Volunteer Meeting Recap
    Many thanks to everyone who attended our first quarterly volunteer meeting of 2023! Here’s a brief recap… Care Partner’s Care Coordinator Betsy Blume gave us an overview of our Care Coordination and Caregiver Support services. Our Care Coordinators meet with clients to help them understand their choices, create plans for getting needed support, and connect
  • New Lunch & Learn Series Begins!
    Care Partners of Cook County and Cook County Higher Education are pleased to announce a 2023 Lunch & Learn series designed to support aging well in our community. Presented the fourth Wednesday of the month from noon to 1pm at Cook County Higher Ed, the sessions will feature speakers from area organizations including the Arrowhead
  • Emergency Preparedness Checklist
    A guide and checklist for emergency preparation at home and in your community from Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging Eldercare Development Partnership Program Developer Coordinator and Transportation Specialist Gavin Bukovich What is an emergency preparedness checklist? After an emergency, you and your family may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared
  • Care Partners News Fall/Winter 2022
    Support & companionship on the journey of aging and serious illness Community Engagement By Executive Director Julie Wilson I love the rich sense of community found here in Cook County. It is something that many communities strive for—yet seems woven into the fabric of this place and its people—whether native or transplant—wherever you came from—it
  • Next Volunteer Meeting – November 29
    We’re excited to hold an IN PERSON volunteer meeting on Tuesday, November 29 at The Hub/Cook County Senior Center (10 Broadway Ave, Grand Marais) from 1:00-2:30pm. Special guest Chris Bautch, The Hub’s Program Director, will fill us in on the events that happen there and other wonderful services they provide. We’ll share announcements and latest
  • Meet Care Partners Newest Staff & Board Members!
    We are happy to have recently welcomed two new Care Partners staff and two new Board members! Here’s a little info about them… Betsy Blume, Care Coordinator/Caregiver Consultant I have been visiting the North Shore for several years and in 2019 I moved here…a long held dream.  I enjoy hiking, biking, skiing and paddling and
  • CARE COORDINATOR / CAREGIVER CONSULTANT – PT
    Care Partners of Cook County is hiring! Perhaps you are recently retired or want to take on a very part time position while serving your community? Care Partners of Cook County provides vital support and services to help clients and their families address the transitions of aging, serious illness and end of life with safety,
  • Memory Café Returns!
    Care Partners is excited to announce the return of the Cook County Memory Café with an informational open house on Thursday, November 17 from 1:00 – 2:30pm at the Hub/Senior Center in Grand Marais. A Memory Café is a free, casual gathering where people with memory loss and the family or friends who care for
  • Lunch & Learn – Healthy Living For Your Brain and Body: Tips From the Latest Research
    For centuries, we’ve known that the health of the brain and the body are connected. But now, science is able to provide insights into how to make lifestyle choices that may help you keep your brain and body healthy as you age. You are invited to a FREE Lunch & Learn at Cook County Higher
  • Synchronicity & Harmony
    Care Partners has been family for me for about 6 months now. From the start I’ve sensed a wonderful synchronicity in finding this position just as I had made the commitment to move to Grand Marais. I am now coming to appreciate the harmony of this place and the ways in which our comings and
  • Volunteer Appreciation Event 2022
    What a lovely evening! We met at North House Folk School for a tour of the campus, then received expert pizza-making advice from North House instructor Cooper Ternes. We created our own individual pizza masterpieces which were baked in the school’s wood-fired oven, enjoyed learning some little-known facts about one another, and guessed the identify
  • Cook County Extension offers Free Workshops
    Cook County Extension will offer a series of free workshops at Cook County Higher Education and the Grand Portage Community Center on August 31st and September 1st. Sessions offered at Cook County Higher Education require pre-registration and may be attended in person or online via Zoom. No registration is needed for the Grand Portage workshops
  • Care Partners Seeks Volunteer Office Assistance
    Care Partners is seeking volunteer office assistance a couple of hours once or twice a week between the hours of 10am and 3pm.  An extra hand will be helpful as we adjust to personnel changes, possible staff needs for family-related time away, and an anticipated increase in service requests as fall approaches and area programs continue
  • Care Partners Seeks Part-Time Caregiver Support Coordinator
    If you are looking for meaningful work that makes a difference in our community, consider joining our team at Care Partners of Cook County. Care Partners provides support and companionship on the journey of aging and serious illness. We envision a community that is fully supported to navigate through our shared journeys of aging, chronic
  • Fall 2022 Community Chore Days set!
    EVERYONE is welcome! You are invited to lend a hand for Care Partners Fall 2022 Chore Days – a special effort to help our older Cook County friends and neighbors with outdoor clean-up and winter prep projects. Volunteers may be asked to help with tasks like raking, exterior painting, garden cleanup, or firewood stacking. Workers
  • Volunteer Appreciation Dinner 2022
    Save the date – September 13, 4-6pm We’re excited to announce that Care Partner’s 2022 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner will be held at North House Folk School and feature custom-crafted wood-fired pizza! Participants will build their own pie (or we can build one for you) using your choice of toppings and a regular or gluten-free crust.
  • IN-PERSON Volunteer Meeting!!!!!
    We’re SO EXCITED to finally be able to hold a face-to-face Volunteer Meeting on Thursday, June 9 from 4:00-5:30pm at the Grand Marais Recreation Area Rec Hall! Come and meet our new Executive Director Julie Wilson, enjoy some light refreshments, get the latest Care Partners news and put your name in the hat for a
  • Greetings from Care Partners New Executive Director
    Volunteers are the heart of any organization. I am so honored to come alongside you in serving our neighbors who are aging or managing serious illness. Thank you for the important work you do in providing companionship, rides, deliveries, and so much more. As you know from the spring newsletter – we have put roots
  • Care Partners News – Spring 2022
    Journeying With Care Partners by outgoing Executive Director, Kay Grindland – I love that both Care Partners’ mission and vision— a community that is fully supported to navigate through our shared journeys of aging, chronic illness, and end-of-life—use the word journey. The road…
  • Quilt Raffle Tickets are Here!
    We’re happy to report that despite plenty of cold, white, piled-up evidence to the contrary, summer WILL eventually show up this year (so far as we know!) So…we went ahead and printed a BUNCH of quilt raffle tickets for the 2022 Ice Cream Social scheduled for August 28th! Raffle tickets are sold for $5 each
  • Updated Masking Policy for Volunteers
    March 13, 2022 – Going forward, keeping up with the latest COVID recommendations is going to be a bit like tracking Minnesota weather. Each week the CDC will be posting a rating of risk level, (low, medium or high) for each county. It’s based on the number of hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and
  • Spring 2022 Companion Volunteer Training
    Companions befriend older adults through visits, telephone calls or outings. Volunteers are reimbursed for mileage and can choose assignments and schedules that work for them! Companion training participants learn about safety, end-of-life, comfort measures, dementia, elder awareness, communication and more. Current volunteers are always welcome to attend training – perhaps as a “refresher” course if
  • Who Needs Perfect?
    We are so excited to share this news! HUGE thanks to Cook County potters!!!! Cook County potters will hold a Seconds Pottery Sale at The Hub to benefit Care Partners from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 19. Look for pottery from a number of local potters including Maggie Anderson, Adrea Beres, Kari Carter, Elaine
  • “I would be lost without a vehicle…”
    WCCO News recently aired a great segment highlighting the need for volunteer drivers, especially in rural parts of our state. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about becoming a Care Partners Senior Rides volunteer, please give us a call! We are…
  • The numbers are in!
    Kay has just finished pulling together statistical information about the services that Care Partners provided in 2021. If it seems like you were really busy volunteering at Care Partners last year, it may be…
  • February 9 Volunteer Meeting Notes
    We began with intros and the question, “What was your favorite thing to do in the snow when you were a kid? (or…if you didn’t have snow when you were younger, what do you like to do in the snow now?) Lots of wonderful…
  • Living Well With Chronic Pain
    ElderCircle and Fairview Health have teamed up to offer a FREE virtual six-week course entitled “Living Well With Chronic Pain.” This class is a combination of presentations, discussion, and activities with others who…
  • Light Up a Life Link
    Light Up a Life will be held by Zoom only on Thursday, December 9th at 5:30 pm. Care Partners staff and Pastor Enno Limvere from the Grand Marais First Congregational UCC will lead participants in a time of reflection and connection, with the opportunity to share brief stories and memories of loved ones who have
  • Help Wanted – Caregiver Consultant
    Care Partners of Cook County in Grand Marais Minnesota is seeking a part-time Caregiver Consultant to support family caregivers through caregiver coaching and dementia education. The Caregiver Consultant listens to each client—assessing needs and goals, providing education, and coaching. We will provide training in the process. They work closely with staff, volunteers and other providers
  • Help with Heating
    Are you aware of a senior who struggles to afford heating or who may need help repairing a broken furnace? The Minnesota Energy Assistance Program (EAP) helps pay home energy costs for low-income households. Services include payment of energy bills, help with energy shutoffs or necessary fuel deliveries, education on efficient and safe use of