HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-10-12 PACKET 05.Viewpoint: Cottage Grove Yellow Ribbon group stands ready to help I South Washington... Page 1 of I
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Viewpoint: Cottage Grove Yellow Ribbon group stands ready to help
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Cottage Grove became a Beyond The Yellow Ribbon City on Aug. 23. This means that a group of residents of Cottage Grove worked together to create a
Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Network group that was approved by Gov. Mark Payton.
The leaders of this effort were Ken Smith, the city's communications coordinator; Mary Slusser, a local business owner and past president of Cottage Grove
Area Chamber of Commerce; Gary Bloedel, retired Minnesota National Guard member and the group's chairman; Sgo Erik Hoban, National Guard training
noncommissioned offcerhin ic; Steve Campos, retired Air Force and Air National Guard and National Guard community outreach support specialist In
deployment cycle support and Beyond The Yellow Ribbon Network of Washington County president; and many others, including elected city and county
oFciaw and city Public Safety Department staff,
The Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Network of Cottage Grove and similar organizations in other cities help the famines of deployed personnel from all branches
of the military by connecting them with volunteers who will do things for them that their service member does when he or she saii deployed. Examples of
such work include lawn mowing, trimming shrubs and trees, snow plowing or shoveling, minor home repairs and other needs that arise that a volunteer can
be found to handle.
The organization recruits volunteers from wr in and outside the community to do the work. If you're interested or know someone who might be interested in
volunteenng, please go to our Facebook page or cobage.groveyellowribbon.org, or contact Gary Bloodel at gbloedel @gmaii.com or (651) 518 -8998, You're
not required to volunteer a certain amount of time; you help when you're able.
We're always seeking families of deployed military personnel to help, If you know of such a family, please refer them to us, We have a small army of
volunteers wading to help, and our ability to assist fam7lse grows every day.
In orcer Ro get our name out in the community and raise funds, we've hosted two fundraisers. First, we held a spaghetti dinner with e silent auction on May 21
at the VFW Red Barn. The food was provided at cost by Carbone's, bakery goods were provided free of charge by Super America and Emily's Bakery and
coffee was provided free of charge by Caribou Coffee. Many businesses graciously donated items to the silent auction. Sieve Campos arranged for an F -4
fighter jet cockpit display for gawking and picture taking. We raised over $3,400. In addition, we publicized our group and recruited volunteers. Second, on
Aug. 13, we served brats at Von Hanson's Meats. We raised over $300, We were also able to recruit several volunteers and show off our energetic faces to
the public.
There are many organizations that want to help families of both deployed and ratimpioyed military personnel and the military personnel. There are ,we
starling points for getting help. First, the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Family Assistance Center researches and reports to the family the organizations that can
help them. The contact is Jill Monson and she can be reached at jiil.monsonl
@ng.army.mil or (651) 282.4138. The other source of information is millumlonesource.com. It directs the family to organizations that might meet their needs.
Chroofe Thompson
Cottage Grove
Thompson is a member of Beyond The Yellow Ribbon Network of Cottage Grove and Cottage Grove Human .Services Herman Rights Commission.
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