Foster Grandparents: A Gift to Our Communities Written by Laura Schwarz, Foster Grandparent Program Intern

Despite its swirling snow and glistening icicles, the month of December is always associated with the warmth and cheer of the Holiday season. But this year, as the economy continues its unceasing and unpredictable slide, more and more people will be forced to reduce or even give up their usual seasonal traditions. Under such circumstances, it is easy to succumb to the gloom of December’s sharp winds and frigid temperatures.

Luckily, one particular group of people hasn’t given up on the Holiday spirit of good will and hope for the future. On these dark chilly mornings, the women and men of the Central Minnesota Foster Grandparent Program can be found diligently scraping their car windshields or waiting patiently at bus stops. They are on their way to schools, childcare centers, residential facilities, and other nonprofit agencies, where they will spend a sizable portion of their days working with children who have special, emotional, or exceptional needs.

These outstanding volunteers, all age 60 or better, give 15 to 40 hours each week to create meaningful mentoring relationships with these children. For these children, the Foster Grandparents provide gifts that are more meaningful than anything they might find in their stockings: love, friendship, and compassion. Foster Grandparents offer the one-on-one attention that teachers might not always be able to supply, listening when the children need to talk and providing the positive influence of an older adult.

Through their service, the Foster Grandparents are also giving a gift to our entire community. Their work with our children is an investment in the future, a physical embodiment of the belief that the future can and will be a brighter place. By inspiring and motivating the youngest generations, our older volunteers are ensuring that these young people will care for themselves and for our world as they grow older and take responsibility for our collective futures.

This is especially admirable when most of the Foster Grandparent volunteers will not even see the long-term results of their gifts. As a Greek proverb states, “A society grows great when we plant trees whose shade we know we shall never sit in.” The Foster Grandparents might not actually witness their first-graders growing up to become contributing members of society, but it will be because of their dedication and love that these children will have the confidence and ability to do so.

Foster Grandparents are shaping the world into a better place, a place where warmth radiates in spite of financial difficulties, or where those difficulties vanish altogether, swept up the chimney by a roaring and comforting fire.
Happy Holidays from the Foster Grandparent Program!

*****
For more information about the Central Minnesota Foster Grandparent Program, please contact Pat Scherf at 1-320-293-0682 or pscherf@gw.stcdio.org.

Knights girls basketball team is 3-0, win at Lake Park-Audubon 64-41 tonight

On Tuesday night, the Knights girls basketball team raised their record to 3-0 with a Heart O' Lakes Conference win over the LP-A Raiders, who were a sub-section finalist in Section 8A last season.

Hoffman City Council meets, accepts Swanson's resignation in lieu of his new post as county commissioner - City audit reviewed

...Prior to going to the City Council meeting on Monday night, I took a few minutes to get photos at the Boy Scouts meeting, taking place in the same building (the community center). Here is a glimpse of the pie-throwing contest that the scouts did after a successful fund raising venture with Christmas wreaths.

What an awesome afternoon in Hoffman - Santa Days is a smashing success - large crowd on hand for Christmas-season festivities

More photos and information will be uploaded on Sunday night!

2008 Minnesota Cattle Feeder Days present strategies for feedlot producers

The University of Minnesota Extension Beef Team is proud to announce this year's Minnesota Cattle Feeder Days to be held Dec. 9-11. This year's program will focus on strategies to assist feedlot producers in discovering and developing new profit sources for their operations. The topics and speakers for this year's program are: Mixing integrity of diets containing byproducts by Dr. Sheri Bierman of Corn Belt Livestock Services; Determining the value of manure in feedlot operations by Dr. Mindy Spiehs of the USDA Meat Animal Research Center; Backgrounding calves: Strategies and Management by Dr. Grant Crawford of the U of M Beef Team; Value of corn crop with various harvesting methods by Dr. Alfredo DiCostanzo of the U of M Beef Team; and an update on bovine TB and the bovine TB assessment by representatives from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Minnesota Cattle Feeder Days will take place at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris and the Blue Mound Banquet Center in Luverne on Tues., Dec. 9; the Royal Loon in Slayton on Weds., Dec. 10; and the Southwest Research and Outreach Center in Lamberton and the LaQuinta Inn in Rochester on Thurs., Dec. 11. Registration will begin in Morris, Slayton, and Lamberton at 9:00 a.m. with the program starting at 9:30. In Luverne and Rochester registration is at 5:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 6:00.

The cost for registration is $30, with each additional person from the same farm or family at $15. The registration fee includes a meal and all educational materials. Pre-registration is encouraged by contacting the location coordinator. For Morris, contact Rhonda Wulf (320-231-7890 or wulfr@umn.edu); for Slayton, contact Mike Boersma (507-825-6715 or boers001@umn.edu); for Rochester, contact Lori Schott (320-225-5055) or (weddl002@umn.edu), and for Luverne and Lamberton, contact Grant Crawford (320-234-0441 or craw0105@umn.edu). Minnesota Cattle Feeder Days information can also be found on the Beef Team website, http://www.extension.umn.edu/Beef.

My second issue is off to the printer

...I hope it looks as good on the newsstand as it did on my computer before I sent it down to Lowry!

I would love to get more photos/videos added to this blog, but time constraints have prevented me from getting that done. As December goes by, with all the Christmas activities going on, I will get more added.

Hope to see big crowds in Hoffman this weekend. Enjoy the mild weather...we KNOW it won't last!

Exciting happenings in Hoffman ... Two new businesses move into Galleria this week

Jean Sasek, a retired University of Minnesota-Morris worker, works to gather items for another new business in the Galleria. As of now they don't have a name, but it will include collectibles.


A glimpse of "Re-Done Duds by Diane and Judy", a new business that specializes in giving "new life" to clothing. Their main items include purses, vests, and mittens.

More information on these businesses as well as other events in Hoffman this week can be found in the December 4th issue of the Hoffman Tribune.