Handy people's day of caring at dakota woodlands

Front row: Elizabeth Flaherty, Marcia Roepke, Jenny Stanley, Brad Holden, Peggy McDermott Second row: Nicole Bathgate, Mary Flanagan, Donna Bierbach, Mark Petersen Back row: Tom Fenenga, Harrison Kral, Josh Risberg

​​By Trusted Media Brands' The Family Handyman

​On a steamy-hot afternoon in June, 11 employees from Trusted Media Brands’ The Family Handyman reroofed a shed and cleared weeds as part of their company’s Day of Caring initiative.
 
The Family Handyman is a do-it-yourself home improvement brand that produces a print magazine, special interest publications for the newsstand and books. They also support a dynamic website and have an active social media presence. The Family Handyman’s editorial office is in Eagan, with 25 employees onsite.
 
Trusted Media Brands, The Family Handyman’s parent company, was formerly The Reader’s Digest Association, with headquarters in New York. Since 2005, the company has promoted an annual Day of Caring during which employees are encouraged to participate in community service projects. Habitat for Humanity, Project for Pride in Living and Feed My Starving Children have all been recipients of TMBI’s generosity.
 
This year, The Family Handyman chose to partner with Dakota Woodlands. They worked with Nicole Bathgate, Operations Director, to select projects that needed to be done on the Dakota Woodlands grounds. Reroofing the shed and clearing an overgrown patch of land were projects the group thought they could accomplish in an afternoon.
 
Thanks to good planning, plenty of water and snacks, plus a big dose of DIY determination, the shed now has a new roof and the weedy patch is clear. This was a win-win for everyone involved.

---