Floodwood, MN

THE WHO AND WHAT:
Over the next several months the Floodwood Horizons Team will be working on creating a Floodwood Area Service Directory. What is a service directory and why does the Horizons team think the Floodwood Area needs one?

THE WHY AND WHEN:
In March, 2007 a group of Floodwood area residents came together and talked about ways to reduce poverty in our area (Study Circles.) Many wonderful ideas came out of these meetings: creating a volunteer network, connecting people with community education or classes at the school, providing access to affordable housing, creating an emergency funds, etc. However, after much discussion we began to realize that many of these resources already exist in our community. Someone asked “maybe we need to connect people with existing resources not create new resource?” So the team decided to create a service directory or an asset clearinghouse which will include as many existing resources as we possible can. The service directory will be organized into several sections: churches, social services, government, education, youth, senior citizen services, health services, business services, etc. We hope to have the directory done (in a yet to be determined form) by May, 2008.

THE WHERE AND WHY ME?
We need your help in brainstorming resources, sections, areas, etc, that should be included in the directory. All of you are connected and interconnected in the community. You go to church, belong to clubs, go to school, work in service related jobs. You know what information people are looking for. For example, at City Hall we receive many calls a year about how to obtain a ‘911’ address. I would propose this information should be included in the directory for people who live in the city and those who live in area townships. How does this relate to poverty? The fire department can’t find a home, the home is a total loss. A situation like this can easily throw a family into poverty.

Please respond and post your ideas for the Floodwood Area Service Directory. Think of it as an blog brainstorming session. The key to a successful brainstorming sessions is get as many ideas out; right, wrong, silly, complicated, or simple. Each idea stimulates the generation of more ideas.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:
1. Click on “Service Directory Brainstorming Session”.
2. Scroll down and read comments posted by others.
3. At the bottom of the page you can “leave a reply”.
4. You do need to leave your name and email address.
5. All comments be submitted for moderation and will be edited if necessary. Once your comment is approved it will be posted.
6. Don’t forget to check back in from time to time… other ideas might bring new ideas to mind.

Sorry refreshments won’t be provided but at least you don’t have to attend a meeting!

There will be a blog training on Saturday, February 2nd from 9:30am to 12:30pm at the Hibbing Public Library in Hibbing, MN.

The library is located at 2020 5th Avenue East. For directions, click here.

Please email Sara at radje002@umn.edu to RSVP or to get more information!

Floodwood Makes the News: Listen to Minnesota Public Radio December 12, 2007 Mid Morning broadcast “State Legislators Aim to End Poverty”

Floodwood’s future squads will be meeting Wednesday November 28th at the Fair Building to review the Horizons work done in Floodwood and discuss the future of our future squads.

Floodwood values unique ideas. Our creative support for arts and culture foster an environment of energy and passion where new initiatives are embraced. All community members are true ambassadors to our collective well-being; our conversations support one another and our community. Because we already have what other communities seek, we are ready to embrace new ideas to build an exciting future.

Floodwood is a community that is in the business of entrepreneurship. Our business building attitude taps our technological connections to the world and is boosted by the creative ways we build links between our vibrant downtown, our tourism niche and our natural environment. While we adapt to change, we will remain a quaint town where one can experience small-town America at its best.

If you want to check out our town of 503 click on this link here (Floodwood) and you will see everything from our businesses to our administration who runs Floodwood!

Thanks,

Brady Donnahue

The blog trainer, Griff Wigley, came to town yesterday (October 3rd 2007) along with people from Eveleth and Virginia. Everyone came around 6:00 for a brief dinner and then everyone headed up to the computer lab at Floodwood School. We sure did get some information about blogging! I learned a lot and I’m sure for others everything was new to them! (Thanks to Myspace this thing is kind of easy!)

-Thank- you everyone who decided to travel the distance to Floodwood and learn about blogging! I think this thing is going to come to use!

-Also, thank-you Griff Wigley for your time and teaching all of us these fundamentals for the internet! It sure helped me a lot and I’m sure it also did with the others!

The 16 members of the Minnesota Legislative Commission to End Poverty by 2020 visited Floodwood on September 27  to understand what poverty is really like.  Floodwood was one of eight stops on their trek across the state. 

Horizons enthusiasts from Chisholm, Eveleth, and Floodwood showed up tonight in Floodwood to learn how to blog.  You too can blog about Floodwood Horizons, comment on entries, or check the site for latest and upcoming community happenings.  To find out more, email Lori at roths040@umn.edu.