Socially Distanced, but Still United

Socially Distanced, but Still United

Over this past weekend and in the span of a few hours we went from nearly 70 degrees to more than 7 inches of snow — what a difference a day makes!

We are fortunate to be of the hardy stock who take notice of such turns and then take stock of what needs to be done. The same holds true as we move forward in the current peacetime emergency. Businesses, governmental agencies and nonprofits alike have been turning their creative energy toward helping our neighbors and community weather the current Stay-at-Home “storm.” Your favorite fundraisers are being rescheduled, or re-tooled to uphold social distancing while maintaining community connectedness. The United Way of Steele County has been convening online meetings and gathering information by phone and by email to understand emerging needs and to craft plans to respond to local needs by leveraging collaboration and avoiding duplication.

We are learning about the scope of the problem. Calls to the 2-1-1 response line concerning housing have increased 28% as some families have had their household income reduced or eliminated. There’s also been a spike in calls concerning access to food and worries over utility payments. Calls to local law enforcement concerning domestic abuse have seen a meteoric rise. UWSC is tackling the challenge of determining the best use of dollars contributed locally to achieve the greatest relief in addressing unexpected community needs caused by the pandemic. Some partner agencies are currently unable to provide their services, while others are seeing an increased demand on their resources. You may have recently received a letter from Community Pathways about the thrift store side being temporarily closed while the food shelf side ramps up to meet increased demands.

The pandemic reminds us that maintaining the current vision of UWSC is more important than ever: a sustainable and vibrant community where residents enjoy an enriching quality of life, economic opportunities, and self-sufficiency, and are secure knowing a network of human service agencies is ready to assist them if needed. The need is present now more than ever. In response, the UW Board has established an emergency funding task force to consider solutions and be a sounding board on appropriate interventions using available reserve funds, or creating a public emergency fund like the one developed for flood relief in 2010. We note there are emergent needs, and recognize there will also be future and long terms needs as the community rebounds and recovers from the pandemic. On top of the usual but increasing needs in housing and food, how do we care for the caregivers, and create and increase connectedness to combat isolation? Your ideas are welcome, and needed! We all have a stake in having a healthy, thriving community. Soon, as emergency funding decisions are made, and as welcome and unexpected donations come in (such as the recent $2500 gift from PepsiCo), you will be able to see in relative “real time” how the money is going to work in this community through a page on the UW website.

It’s the time of year when partner agencies usually make presentations to Community Investment Panels about their plans and aspirations for making the lives of Steele County residents stronger and more resilient. These panels are made up of folks from the community who agree to critically review the grant applications, ask hard questions at agency interviews, and ultimately make funding recommendations to the UWSC Board of Directors on how to best use our local donations. The applications were received and the panels established before the Stay-at-Home order. In response to the order, the panels have now been suspended. But to help the partner agencies plan for the future and to eliminate one area of uncertainty, the UW Board has determined the standing Community Investment Committee will undertake the work of the panels this year in order to keep the deliberative process moving forward on the traditional time frame.

Though the United Way office is closed to person-to-person contact, the office phone is forwarded to a cell phone to keep communication as seamless as possible. Tom Worhach and Neil Lyons are staffing their phones and social media to gather information and curate the most relevant local information. They are maintaining a COVID-19 webpage to help people stay in the know about local responses and needs. Go to the website to sign up to have the update delivered to your electronic inbox. We are grateful for their thoughtfulness, attention to detail and problem-solving skills. We are also grateful President Kim Schaufenbuel has delayed her April 10th departure from UWSC, as the Board moves forward with the search to hire, not her replacement as she is truly on of a kind, but the right person to assume that important leadership position. Stay tuned!

Please visit https://www.unitedwaysteelecounty.org/covid-19 for local COVID-19 Resources. For comments or to communicate emerging needs call 507-455-1180 or email uwadmin@unitedwaysteelecounty.org The UWSC mission remains to positively “Change lives by mobilizing and optimizing the caring power of our community.”

Karen Duncan is a Minnesota District Court judge, United Way of Steele County Board member and member of the Community Investment Committee.