Project Grant

Access: 1. This nearly doubles our service area. SCA United Way serves Elk River, Princeton, Zimmerman, Santiago, and Big Lake. CMAB gives us access to Benton, Sherburn, Stearns, and Wright counties. 2. We will target Zimmerman, Princeton, Elk River, and Big Lake for relationships with "cornerstone partners." We hope to develop partnerships with them for services in their area, following the partnership we already have established with Union UCC in Elk River. 3. We continue meeting with local for-profit institutions like Guardian Angels, and other home care facilities like the BEE HIVE, health care groups, offering teaching sessions or programing at their location. (i.e. Engle Haus in Albertville) 4. We will work with Tri-Cap and Trail Blazer bus/van services in the transportation of our participants. That will expand access to Sherburne and Wright County residents. 5. RSVP, under the leadership of Heather Brook gives us access for community volunteers. Local, sponsoring sites also assist with volunteers. 6. SCA United Way's board and the advisory board from Art Bright are constantly giving us insights about our audience and their needs. UWay is a direct conduit to the community and its resources. 7. We will access resources from Central MN Council on Aging. Ben Byker is our point of contact. 8. SCA United Way provides us with a media specialist who will design a portal and assist with social media. We will also join "Around the Cloud." 9. We will continue to offer service groups, faith groups, youth clubs, etc. programming which will promote resources and understanding of our goals. 10. We continue to use hard print news outlets like the STAR NEWS, and radio outlets. Access Outcomes: A. Goal of six, four week, in-person sessions shall be offered in the region. B. Goal of no less than four "cornerstone partnerships" within the region will be formed. We target Big Lake, Elk River, Zimmerman and Princeton. C. New, themed, Power Point programs/ curriculum will be written and developed by Paula Benfer. They will be used with classes, posted in a portal, and will be available to homebound residents. D. Programming will be offered to service groups, clubs, faith groups, etc. They will be given a follow-up opportunity to pledge financial support, memorials, or direct donations. E. Finally, a primary goal is to increase community awareness and build participation. Archival records will indicate numbers of participants, volunteers, sessions, and anecdotal quotes. Learning: Related to Art and Cultural Understanding The visual arts and sensory exploration we use in ART BRIGHT offer experiences for aging populations which may have never experienced art before. It many rural schools, like those our participants experienced as children, few offered art education classes in the curriculum. Certainly few had a K-12 sequence for art classes. Some of our participants voice their surprise at the hidden talents they demonstrate. Paula Benfer designs every ART BRIGHT class around a theme which is compatible with all cultures. For instance, the theme of "Schools" may be used to spark conversation. An appropriate image for "Descriptive Review" is a painting of a girl with a black eye, sitting in the principal's office. It was created by Norman Rockwell. As participants describe and review the image, they begin to tell their own stories about missteps that led to disciplinary action in their life. Then the participants are moved to social time. Paula collects objects like a lunch box, year books, an apple, school photos, report cards, etc. They are in the middle of the table; when people have their treats and coffee, she calls them to the large table by ringing a brass school bell. She invites someone to write on her grandmother's slate with chalk, and she uses a Power Point to project images of "school days." They talk about their favorite hot lunch dishes, recite familiar school cheers, and tell stories of their favorite teachers. Through that conv