Be The Best Parent You Can Be

Edna was my Mom’s name.  Some said she was “the salt of the earth”.  I was fortunate to have her in my life.  She was the youngest girl of 11 brothers and sisters.  She knew how to work hard and she made the best creamed peas and meat loaf on this earth.  She had a hearty laugh and gentle brown eyes.

Why am I talking about Mom?

Well …  I was thinking about the “Best the Best Parent You Can Be” resource listing United Way has developed and recently updated.  It is a valuable list of local services that can help parents of children of all ages.   Early Childhood Family Education programs are listed for parents of young children who want to know how they can better support their youngest, counseling services for when times get tough, and services for families with children with special needs.  It is a great resource for every family.

This list is available on our United Way website under Success By 6 and we have, through an Initiative Foundation grant, printed thousands of copies we are distributing throughout the year. 

If you would like this list for your group – a church, a business, a service club or just for your family, check out the website or give us a call: 320-252-0227.  We would be very glad to provide them.

We all remember special things about our parents.  Mom often had to go to work early in the morning.  She would always leave a note on the kitchen table for me – sometimes just an “I love you” and sometimes a funny drawing that made me laugh.  She made sure I was safe and warm, had clothes and food.  We were friends and mother/daughter.  That made for great talks and times sitting on the roofed-in porch when the rain would pour.

Every child deserves someone like my Mom, Edna, in their lives.

Who was Uncle Vic?

He was my next door mentor when I was a kid.  All of us need one – an adult who cares about us unconditionally.  A person who models the positive traits that we absorb because we want to be like that person.

There are all kinds of programs in the community that help children and youth have a mentor.  Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota does amazing work.  Bigs are matched with children and youth who need someone in their lives, in addition to their parent, who can be there for them – spending time together on a regular basis.  Kids who are matched often get better grades, feel more confident in themselves and often volunteer, side by side, with their adult match.  It is a win for everyone involved.  United Way is very proud to support this program that creates magic in the lives of kids.

Want to hear a little about Uncle Vic?

He was a plumber.  When I was 10 we moved into Luverne from our farm about 7 miles outside of town.  My Dad had been ill and could no longer farm.  Luckily we moved in next door to Uncle Vic.  My Dad died of a heart attack about 4 months after we moved to town.  It was just Mom and me at this new home and I was adjusting to a new school and trying to make friends.  Mom needed to work long hours as the head cook at a restaurant/catering business.  So … Uncle Vic would always check in on me, sit and visit, tell me jokes – plumbers know good jokes!  We would play cards and he would bring over homemade lefse my Aunt Marie had made.  We would feed the squirrels and just talk. 

It meant the world to me. 

All Girls Deserve a Chance

My daughter, age 14, has a very good friend named Katelyn.  The girls first met through our Girl Scout troop when they were in 2nd grade.  As a co-leader of the troop, I met other wonderful women, moms like me, who wanted their daughters to learn the value of teamwork and the fun of learning together.

Over the years, the girls learned horseback riding, a little about Japanese culture, defensive safety moves, money management, attended SCSU's Passport to the World cultural event more than once, visited the SCSU planetarium more than once, and got to know each other pretty well.  There was always guaranteed laughter and many questions at every meeting.  Once, my daughter and I created a dance to Japanese drum music.  We taught the dance to the girls and they lined up their moms and taught them the dance moves in theschool hallway.  They learned about self esteem, respect for self and others, and valuing the contributions each person makes.  On a very cold winter night they took money they had earned through cookie sales for the troop and purchased items they used to create birthday bags.  These were then donated to Catholic Charities Emergency Services after we had a tour.  Parents accessing the food shelf and clothing program can pick out one of these birthday bags if they had a daughter having a birthday and could not afford a gift.  It was a pretty special night.  They organized an event about animal care for younger Girl Scout troops in our community.  More than 200 girls and family members attended to learn about pet care; pet a chinchilla and rabbits and dogs; and to contribute money and donated items needed by the Tri County Humane Society.

There were tough times too when we were able to support each other:  loss of grandparents, one of the moms diagnosed with cancer, and one of the girls was bitten on the face by a dog.

Girl Scouts was a great experience for our girls.

United Way of Central Minnesota funds the Girl Growth program and Opportunity Fund of Girl Scouts.  These services help ensure all girls can be part of scouting irregardless of their family income.  All girls deserve that chance.

Taxes – Who wants to even think about them?

David Schlough and Rod Harren think taxes are fun! I even heard them say it at a public meeting this week.  Who are these men?

They coordinate the Free Tax Preparation Assistance sites in our local area.  They are based out of TriCAP and work with 70 trained IRS-certified volunteers.  These volunteers provide free tax preparation at three local sites for low and moderate income individuals and families.

More than 1,500 local households were helped last year and the total federal and state refunds brought back to these families was $2,787,749.  This helps these families and our local communities.

This is something every local business should be cheering for!

United Way helps through outreach – building awareness that these services exist and recruitment of volunteers who go through a rigorous training. 

If you know of an individual (making less than $30,000 per year) or a family (making less than $50,000 per year), let them know about this free tax preparation service.  Encourage them to call United Way 2-1-1 Community Helpline by dialing  2-1-1 or 1-800-543-7709 to find out about the local sites and times or click here for more information.