GATEWAYA Merrick Community Services Publicationgate•way ˈgātˌwā/ noun:1. A means of access or entry to a place2. The role Merrick Community Services plays as a gateway to needed services and programs on the East Side of Saint Paul3. The name of the publication that provides access to information about Merrick Community Services

Inside this Issue

Building Skills, Building a Future

Merrick Mix & Mingle

Volunteer Recognition Awards

Food Shelf Goes Mobile

Youth Summer Programs

Job Training Graduates

VOL. 1FALL 2014

Adults use our job bank, and some were trained to work livable-wage jobs in

construction.

Family members lives are strengthened with case management, parent

education, and gatherings. Children receive leadership

training, tutoring, summer youth programming.

Low-income households received emergency food

support, seasonal food donations and holiday gifts.

Low-income seniors maintain independence

with Meals on Wheels, Brown Bags of groceries, chore services and social

group opportunities.

2,075 Adults

875Family Members & Children

11,900 Individuals

725Low-IncomeSeniors

Employment Families & Children Food & Resources Senior Support

Volunteer Kyle Findlay working in a summer garden he created with participants of Merrick’s Summer Youth Program.

I pick up the phone and hear the roar of a

very large motor. Kristin Andrew is calling

from her job, a construction site where

she is an assistant project superintendent.

Our conversation has to be accompanied

by this large motor because she has been

traveling, driving, and working around the

clock at her new job.

It’s not just a reality that didn’t exist in

Kristen’s world a year ago, it’s a reality

she didn’t even imagine.

A decade ago, Kristin, a single mother

of five, was struggling with chemical

dependency and had two felonies on her

record for possession. She went through

treatment and has been clean for eight

years, but still struggled to make ends

meet working 2 to 3 jobs and supporting

her family earning $8 or less per hour,

while also suffering through depression.

This past spring Kristin emerged from her

depression, looking to start a new phase

of life for herself and her family. “I heard

about Merrick through my sister and I was

so grateful to find this program a week

after it had started. I wasn’t sure if I would

be able to be in it, but they let me in. The

whole program was helpful. I can’t put

my finger on one thing that was the most

helpful, but getting my Class A license has

opened up so many doors” Kristin said.

Kristin was part of a 10-week Construction

Workers Training Program where she

was educated in construction, CPR,

confined spaces, OSHA 30, flagging,

managing finances, and math and reading

skills. When her training concluded and

she tested for her Class A license she

attended a job fair, hosted by the East

Side Collaborative, where she applied and

was hired into her current position.

Kristin is now able to drive almost any

vehicle you see on the road, including

a 52-foot tractor trailer. She is proud to

bring stability to her family now that she

is earning much more than she ever did

before.

José Santos, Employment Services

Manager at Merrick Community Services,

supported Kristin and her classmates

throughout the program and helped them

secure employment. “Kristin came and

she did all the training sessions, made

a commitment, and stayed with it. We

all deserve a second chance and for

someone to have a little faith in us. That’s

what we do at Merrick, we help people.”

“Everyone at Merrick wants people to

succeed. I’m really grateful to all of them.

They really care,” Kristin said. With this

opportunity, Kristin has reconnected with

her family, built a community around her,

and created a future. Kristin is now looking

forward, with a dream of building her

own home for her family in the country.

Because of her dedication and her

experiences at Merrick, she believes that

this dream will become a reality.

Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 2

Fall 2014

Building Skills, Building a Futureby Anna Bucholz

Kristin Andrew, graduate of Merrick’s Employment Services

SPRING 2014

On Thursday, October 23rd, the community is invited to support Merrick

Community Services at the Merrick Mix & Mingle event! Tickets are

$75. A premier table for 8 is $1,000. Proceeds will support Merrick’s

programs, including Senior Services, the Food Shelf, Family and

Children’s Services, and Employment Services.

To purchase tickets:

Visit www.merrickmixandmingle.eventbrite.com

To volunteer:

Contact Angela Rankin at arankin@merrickcs.org, 651-771-9339

On Tuesday, July 22nd, Merrick supporters

gathered at the Wilder Center for the

Merrick Momentum Breakfast to support

the changing of 16,000 lives each year.

Attendees were inspired by Ms. Fannie

Barber, a long-time Merrick volunteer. Ms.

Fannie, a St. Paul East Side resident,

has volunteered with Merrick Community

Services for four summers, using her

background in nutrition to help with

preparing and serving meals in Merrick’s

summer lunch program for kids. She

says – “I do it because the food is the most

basic need, and if people go hungry, very

little else seems to matter”.

A special thank you to AgriBank for

sponsoring this event and for its ongoing

support of Merrick Community Services

throughout the year. If you were unable

to attend the event but would like to

provide a monetary contribution to Merrick,

please contact Angela Rankin, arankin@

merrickcs.org, 651-771-9339.

Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 3

Fall 2014

Mark your calendars!

Merrick Momentum Breakfast

Fannie Barber and her family at Merrick’s Momentum Breakfast

This summer, Merrick Community Services

took its food shelf services ‘on the road’

to reach more people. This pilot program

provided culturally specific food and

outreach to Asian and Latino families

at various churches on St. Paul’s East

Side. The distributions took place the last

Saturday of each month, serving up to 120

This summer was full of adventure,

fun, volunteerism, and leadership for

community youth participating in Merrick’s

Summer Youth Program at Hope Academy.

Neighborhood kids had a safe place to go

during the summer days, with opportunities

to keep their minds sharp and bodies

active through the following activities:

teambuilding skills through lacrosse,

nutrition and cooking classes, pet and

animal care, maintain an on-site vegetable

families each. In addition, representatives

from MNSure, Ramsey County Public

Health, SNAP, and volunteer nurses with

glucose and blood pressure checks were

also at the events.

This program has been a success because

of the wonderful partners who have been

involved providing distribution site space

and/or volunteers including Holy Apostle

Episcopal Church, El Shaddai Christian

Center, and Harding High School. A

special thank you to Lee Miller for getting

this program started.

garden, volunteer with the food shelf, and

outings to parks and community events.

Many thanks to the organizations that

partnered with Merrick for this year’s

program – Hope Academy, the Leo Lewis

Foundation, the University of Minnesota

Extensions Service, the MN Horticultural

Society, the St. Paul Police Department,

the MN Humane Society, and Metro

Transit. Congratulations to the youth

who were dedicated to this program this

summer!

Merrick is seeking permanent funding

for this program to continue after its pilot

phase. If you are interested in donating

or volunteering, please contact Angela

Rankin at arankin@merrickcs.org or 651-

771-9339.

Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 4

Fall 2014

Children deliver food donations to Merrick’s Food Shelf

Summer Youth Programs

Youth participate in team building activities during Merrick’s summer youth programming

Merrick Food Shelf goes mobile

SPRING 2014

On May 15th, Merrick Community Services

celebrated its wonderful volunteers for all

their hard work and support. In 2013, 603

Merrick volunteers provided 13,395 hours

of their time to serve people on St. Paul’s

East Side. This is a total monetary value

of $325,632. Merrick could not accomplish

all it does without these dedicated

volunteers. Special recognition was

presented to several volunteers.

Lee Miller was recognized as an

outstanding Merrick volunteer with the

Dick McCarthy Award. Lee has worked

with Merrick’s food shelf for a number

of years and has been instrumental in

getting Merrick’s Mobile Food Shelf up and

running this summer. Lee’s contributions

of time, talent, and financial resources

have been greatly appreciated.

The Merrick Legacy Award was presented

to Terry Hildebrandt and Mallory Birch

representing The Salvation Army. Each

year, The Salvation Army provides the toys

for distribution at Merrick’s Holiday Sharing

program which serves approximately 1,000

families.

John Bredesen was recognized with

the Mary Virginia Merrick Award for

his contributions on Merrick’s Board of

Directors. John has only been on the

Board for two years but his enthusiasm

for Merrick has shone through in all he

has done for Merrick. John has quickly

stepped into leadership positions on the

Board to continue to guide the organization

on its mission to serve St. Paul’s East Side

community.

The Outstanding Dedication Award was

presented to Ray Brunner. Ray is a

part-time staff member at Merrick. Ray’s

dedication to Merrick is demonstrated by

his relentless advocacy of our mission

– even a friend of his donated a van to

Merrick to transport clients to activities.

Recognition was also provided for the

following volunteers and partners in

Merrick’s programs.

Food Shelf AwardsSandy AbernathyClyde JonesBetty & Greg NelsonNancy TateRichard WilliamsGershom Wu

Employment Services AwardsGeorgia BarnesChris FavreauFloor Coverers’ Training CenterKaren Gerdin, HUBBS CenterJohn O’PhelanWorkforce Solutions

Youth & Family Services AwardsFannie BarberSt. Paul Public SchoolsSamantha LoePAL-ITAHOPE Community AcademyMaychy VueHumane Society

Senior Services AwardsGail & Mike AhrensEllen & Gene BovyDepartment of Human ServicesBeverly & Paul Gorgos Donald & Verlie JorenbyMetropolitan State University

Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 5

Fall 2014

2014 Volunteer Recognition Dinner and Awards

Vounteers gathered at Merrick’s Volunteer Recognition Awards

On Saturday, August 23rd, Merrick

Community Services distributed backpacks

and school supplies to nearly 600 students

at its annual Back-to-School Celebration.

This event was a Merrick Community

Services celebration for the entire family.

Produce, laundry soap, and dental kits

were distributed to families; haircuts were

The ‘For Sale’ sign came down in late April

when Merrick sold the Edgerton building,

its former community center. Many

memories were made and thousands of

lives changed at ‘The Edge’ where Merrick

was located for over 50 years. Though

sad to leave the building, Merrick is excited

about a future in a new location with the

capacity to change more lives.

given to students; books for students of all

ages were provided; and more.

Thank you to the organizations that

helped make this event possible –

AgriBank, Assumption Church, Caring

Tree Foundation, Half Price Books,

The Hartford, Our Redeemer Lutheran

Church, Read Indeed, Simon Says Give,

Sunrise Banks, Wells Fargo Place/Unilev

Management Corp, Unity One Credit

Union, and The Greater Twin Cities United

Way.

Merrick plans to serve even more students

For now, Merrick is spread out over four

sites on the East Side as work on the

Capital Campaign continues to support a

new location.

• Merrick’s Administrative Offices are

now located at The Swedish Bank

Building, 965 Payne Avenue, St Paul,

MN 55130

• Merrick is partnering with Hope

Community Academy to continue

youth programming located at 720

Payne Avenue, St Paul, MN 55130

next year. If you are interested in donating

or holding a school supply drive at your

company or organization next year, please

contact Angela Rankin at arankin@

merrickcs.org, 651-771-9339.

Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 6

Fall 2014

Books, backpacks, and more were put in the hands of hundreds of students!

Back to School Celebration

Merrick on the Move

• Merrick’s Meals on Wheels program

is operating out of the Hudson Road

location at 1075 Hudson Road, St

Paul, MN 55106

• Merrick’s Food Shelf is now housed

in the Woodland Hills Church at 1740

Van Dyke St, Maplewood, MN 55109

Keep an eye out on Merrick’s website

at www.merrickcs.org for updates on

Merrick’s capital project!

This September, Merrick’s Environmental

Construction Worker Training Program

(ECWTP) will begin accepting applications

from adults seeking livable-wage careers.

This is the second round of training taking

place this year! Merrick is proud of this

program and the Highway Heavy On-

The-Job Training Program, both of which

trained 53 adults who already graduated

in May of this year. Our community now

The Minnesota Department of Human

Services (DHS) has been volunteering

with Merrick’s Meals on Wheels program

since 1994. Delivering 376 meals a

month through 30 different routes, DHS

employees have helped to deliver 94,000

individual meals over the last 20 years.

What an impact!

has more trained individuals ready to fill

construction job vacancies. Students

spend time at various union training

centers where they received hands

on construction training with the floor

coverers, sheet metal workers, painters,

Joe Dotson has been a committed DHS

volunteer for 20 years. For many years,

Joe has been the volunteer coordinator

for DHS’ routes. Merrick will miss Joe as

he retires later this year from DHS. But,

an equally DHS dedicated volunteer, Mark

Thiel, will be taking over the volunteer

coordinator role. Merrick is extending a

big thank you to Joe for all his years of

effort - and a warm welcome to Mark into

the DHS volunteer coordinator role.

and pipefitters. Graduates have been

placed in jobs in the painting field and

on the Highway Heavy program. Others

plan to pursue additional training for

sheet metal and pipefitting. For more

info contact José Santos, Employment

Services Manager, jsantos@merrickcs.org,

651-771-9339.

Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 7

Fall 2014

Senior Services Spotlight

Mark Thiel and Joe Dotson, Meals on Wheels Volunteers

Employment Training

The Environmental Construction Worker Training Program is

a four-month skills and training course offered by Merrick

Community Services and funded through

the National Institute of Environmental

Health Sciences and the Greater Twin

Cities United Way.

Merrick Community Services mission: to improve the lives of the residents of the East Side of Saint Paul, by empowering individuals, strengthening families, and promoting their independence.

965 Payne Avenue, Suite 300Saint Paul, MN 55130(651) 771-9339www.merrickcs.org

Merrick Community Services Executive

Director Dan Rodriguez thanks

volunteers who have dedicated years of

service to helping children, families and seniors on Saint Paul’s

East Side.