September 2007
Dakota Woodlands is the only facility for homeless women and children in Dakota County.
Our mission is to empower homeless women to create stable futures for their families.
Make a Difference!
EAT AT NOODLES!!
Saturday, October 27th
USA Today has challenged the nation to take one day to make a difference in someone's life. On Saturday, October 27th, the West St. Paul Noodles & Companyt will donate 10% of their sales to Dakota Woodlands!! The food is fantastic, the atmosphere is casual (and
family friendly) and we'll be there to answer any questions you may
have about our facility.
noodles & company
1590 Robert St S.
West Paul, MN 55118
In This Issue:
Links:
From Our Executive Director:
Reyne Branchaud-Linsk
Getting Ready for Flying Home
A Dakota Woodlands Special Event
We've been busy getting ready for the 2007 Flying Home Event that will be held on Saturday, October 13th at Ecolab's Schuman Center in Eagan. The food is will be superb, the decorations gorgeous and wait until you see the bird houses and gift packages we've received for the Silent Auction! Al Franken drew his free-form United States map on a birdhouse and Kare 11's meteorologist, Sven Sundgaard created a 'weather-themed' birdhouse complete with a Norwegian Flag on the roof! We're eagerly awaiting a birdhouse from Jayne Haugen-Olson, the Lifestyle Editor for the Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine, which I'm sure will be a show-stopper! So far we have over 80 hand-painted birdhouses and they are all wonderfully creative and beautiful.
Al Franken's USA Birdhouse Sven Sundgaard's Cards by Paper Cloud for
Weather Birdhouse The Birdhouse Boutique
There are some new additions to this year's Flying Home; we are fortunate to have Bob Radecki as the evening's emcee and live music performed by pianist Nicole Marshall. We've also added a new feature, The Birdhouse Boutique, a "store" filled with unique bird-related gifts, crafts and artwork donated by various artisans and organizations that will be for sale. Of course, The Raptor Center will have their Bald Eagle, Hawks and Owls on display, which are absolutely breathtaking.
Ticket sales are in full swing, we're hoping to sell 250 and have already sent out almost 1/2 that number already. We'd love for you to invite your friends and family, so get out your address books and everyone know about Flying Home. They can order tickets online or contact Dakota Woodlands and we'll take care of everything. This is going to be a great evening...you can socialize and shop knowing that your generosity is going to help countless families "Fly Home" to better lives for themselves.
We look forward to seeing you on October 13th for Flying Home!
Get your tickets now for Flying Home!
Saturday, October 13, 2007
7:00 to 10:30 p.m.
at Ecolab's Schuman Center
655 Lone Oak Drive
Eagan, MN 55121
Tickets are $50.00 per person and now available online! To order by mail, or for more information, contact Lane at 651-456-9110 or e-mail resource@dakotawoodlands.org
Mollie Johnson
Mollie is an upbeat, out-going woman who has always been able to take care of herself and never imagined that she and her son, Tre’ (11) would find themselves homeless. As a licensed beautician, Mollie had a job cutting hair in a local salon and could always pay her bills. There wasn’t much left at the end of every month, but she and Tre’ were getting by and just living their lives. However, a caretaking agreement she had with her landlord for reduced rent fell apart and Mollie wasn’t able to pay the increased amount for her rent, forcing her to move out. They were able to live with friends and family here and there, but Mollie realized that she and her son needed a permanent place to live, and soon. “Tre’ was starting to get really stressed out, I was stressed out, we were broke and I didn’t have a car,” said Mollie. “Plus, I was so exhausted by that point that I literally couldn’t figure this out myself. I had to get some help.” She called the Dakota County’s Supportive Housing Unit and they referred her to Dakota Woodlands.
“You know, I was a little scared about Tre’ and I going to a ‘homeless shelter’, but at the same time, I was just so relieved that we were going to have a place to live. From the first second we got there, we felt comfortable and Tre’ even said it was like a big house.” said Mollie. “I took a Responsible Renters Class, learned how to make a budget and learned ways that we could save money by using coupons and taking advantage of deals.” The most important thing that Mollie learned at Dakota Woodlands is that it’s not a bad thing to ask for help when you need it. “I’d been raised to think that you should just ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ and deal with your own problems by yourself. I just couldn’t do it…I didn’t have any bootstraps to pull up!”
In February of 2007 she and Tre’ moved into a new apartment in St. Paul that they both love. “It’s really a great place and the best part about it is that it’s within walking distance of my job and Tre’s school. He’s got a ton of friends and we’re caught up financially, which is a huge relief for me,” said Mollie. She’s working full-time again as a hairdresser, but has bigger plans for her future. Mollie is planning to go back to college and get a degree in a Business Administration so she can be a distributor of beauty products. “I really like the business end of Cosmetology and I think I would be really good at it. Plus, it gets hard to be on your feet all day!”
Now, it’s Mollie’s turn to give back. “I go back to Dakota Woodlands twice a month to cut and style hair for any of the residents who need it. It feels so good to me to do something for them and I know what it feels like to be pampered a little bit when you’re in that situation.” But, it’s not just hair cuts that Mollie gives to the residents; with her bright smile and energetic personality, she encourages the other women too. “If I can do this, you can too! You’re doing great!” With a new haircut and a hug from Mollie, you can see that they believe her.
Fall
We Need Volunteers for ourFlying Home Event!!
This is our biggest fundraising event for the year. We're expecting 250 guests and there is much work to be done in setting up the venue, running the event and cleaning up.
YOU CAN HELP:
Friday, October 12th:
- Decorating-15 people from 2-6 p.m.
- Moving tables, unloading rental truck, setting up bars, etc.
- Display for auction items and Birdhouse Boutique
Saturday, October 13th:
- Greeters
- Selling Drink Tickets
- Food Helpers
- Silent Auction (set up, collect auction sheets, helping bag items for winners)
- Auction Check Out
- The Birdhouse Boutique (set up, selling items, etc.)
- Clean up
For more information about volunteering for Flying Home or other volunteer opportunities at Dakota Woodlands, please contact Ginni at 651-456-9110, ext. 15 or e-mail:volunteer@dakotawoodlands.org
Evelyn Purdy
Evelyn Purdy is a scientist; a chemist, to be more precise. Every Thursday, without fail, Evelyn volunteers her time and organizational skills at Dakota Woodlands by sorting donations we receive from Target stores in the area. Evelyn takes whatever time it takes to sort everything; she has her system down to a “science” so it goes pretty quickly. “I think this is the perfect volunteer job for me,” said Evelyn. “I love working with Dakota Woodlands because they really took the time to match my skills to the right job.”
Two and a half years ago, Evelyn’s work life changed and she decided to look for places where she could volunteer some of her time. “I needed to keep busy and I started doing a little research and calling non-profits in Dakota County to see what I could do as a volunteer. What I liked about Dakota Woodlands is that you could commit to the times that fit your schedule and would work with me to find the right fit.” She tried different things here, but it was sorting donations that really seemed to work for her. She comes at the same time every week, listens to her ipod while she sorts and organizes and when she leaves all of the items are neatly categorized and put away.
Ginni Lambert, the Volunteer Coordinator at Dakota Woodlands, works very hard to match volunteers to the right job. “I want people to feel valued and to have fun while they’re here,” says Ginni, “we want volunteers to be in their ‘sweet spot’…that way it works out better for everyone.
For Evelyn, working behind the scenes not only suits her personality, she knows how valuable it is. “I see what I do as the ‘glue’ in an organization. You only see glue, or notice it, when it’s NOT working. Either it’s in the wrong place or it’s not doing what it’s supposed to do. When glue is functioning properly, you never see it, you never know it’s there.” As a scientist, Evelyn likes the satisfaction of creating order out of chaos. Evelyn’s time and gifts to us means that we can devote our time to the residents needs. Thank you Evelyn and all of the volunteers that help us make a difference in the lives of families at Dakota Woodlands!
If you would like more information about how you can help, please contact Ginni at 651-456-9110 ext. 15 or volunteer@dakotawoodlands.org
Current Needs:
"Wish List"
- Juice
- Women's Deodorant
- Toilet Paper
- Kid's Underwear-all sizes
- Tall Kitchen garbage bags
- 32 Gallon Garbage Bags
- Disposable Diapers: Sizes 5 and 6
- "C" Batteries
