Celebrating What We Accomplished — Together

This giving season, we are filled with immense gratitude for the donors, volunteers, partners, and community members who make our work possible. Your generosity has fueled meaningful progress across Itasca County—expanding programs, strengthening nonprofit capacity, and creating lasting change for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families.

Because of you, 2025 has been a year of growth, innovation, and deeper community connection. Whether you’ve made a financial gift, volunteered your time, shared your expertise, or helped spread the word, every act of kindness has advanced our mission. Together, we are building a future where every resident can be safely housed, pursue education and career pathways, and experience prosperity across every community we serve.

Thank You for Volunteering!
Our volunteer community continues to amaze us. Through the volunteer portal, people from across Itasca County stepped up to lend a hand where it mattered most.
In 2025, your generosity led to:

• 619 volunteer connections
• 1,439 hours of service
• Support for 52 local organizations

And behind the scenes, our Volunteer Coordinators Network (VCN) kept strengthening the backbone of volunteerism—helping 45 nonprofits share strategies, learn new digital tools, and make volunteering even more impactful.
Every hour you give creates ripples of good. Thank you for being part of that momentum.

Thank You for Advancing Understanding of ALICE Families!

This year marked a major milestone in our work to shine a light on the challenges faced by ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households. With your support, we released our first ALICE Report for Itasca County, offering a clear, data-driven picture of the cost-of-living realities facing thousands of working families in our region. This report is already shaping conversations, guiding partnerships, and helping leaders make more informed decisions about community needs.

We also launched new ALICE Simulation Experiences, inviting businesses, schools, and community groups to step into the shoes of working families navigating impossible financial trade-offs. These sessions are sparking powerful dialogue, building empathy, and inspiring action to support long-term solutions.

Thank you for helping deepen understanding, elevate local voices, and move our community toward greater economic stability for all.

Thank You for Taking Action!
Day of Action continues to be one of our proudest traditions—because it shows just how powerful we are when we work side by side.

Since 2013, 1,298 volunteers have rolled up their sleeves for more than 7,553 hours of service. The impact? An estimated $223,743 of community value—directly touching parks, neighborhoods, schools, and families.

This is people power at its best.

Thank You for Empowering Students!
Stuff the Bus had its biggest year yet—and it’s all thanks to you.

You helped 436 students start school with backpacks full of supplies and confidence. You created brighter starts, calmer mornings, and happier first days.

Participation jumped more than 20%, showing just how much our community believes in lifting up its kids. With the ALICE framework guiding our work, we supported 203 households and welcomed 103 volunteers, who gave 229 hours over three days.
This is what it looks like when a community refuses to let kids fall behind.

Thank You for Helping Kids Smile!
One of the most exciting achievements this year was expanding access to dental care for kids who need it most.

Our pilot mobile dental clinic launched in March and hit the ground running—providing 14 cleanings and 14 restorative treatments in just its first month. For many kids, this meant eating, learning, and playing without pain for the first time in a long time.
And thanks to growing support, mobile clinics are now serving families in Marble, Grand Rapids, and Deer River, right inside early childhood hubs.

We’re also bringing together local dental providers, higher education partners, career pathway leaders, and nonprofits to strengthen oral health care in rural communities. Preventive education, workforce pathways, expanded services—we’re building a brighter, healthier future.

Thank You for Fighting Hunger in Our Schools!
Through Flavors of Our Community, families received culturally meaningful pantry packs designed with care and respect. This year alone, we delivered 662 pounds of food to 551 families across area school pantries.

And something new—and powerful—happened:

We helped launch an Itasca Area School Pantry Coalition, bringing together leaders from 12 school pantries to collaborate, share resources, and improve access for students.
With a $15,000 annual investment fueling this work, we’re able to provide weekend meals, school-day snacks, and essential pantry supplies—leading to:

• 1,524 pounds of food distributed so far for the current school year
• Nearly 21,700 healthy snacks provided in the current school year

Food is love, and your support made that love visible.

Thank You for Helping Families Transition Home!
Our Home for Good program is small but mighty—giving families the everyday items they need to turn shelter into home. Cleaning supplies, toiletries, basic household goods… these simple items are often the first step toward independence.

This year, 51 families received essential supplies that eased financial strain and supported long-term stability. When you help someone get back on their feet, you’re not just meeting a need—you’re restoring dignity and hope.

Your generosity inspires us every day. As we celebrate this season of gratitude, we want to recognize the collective effort that makes our work possible. Every donation—big or small—has moved our mission forward and created real change for families across Itasca County. Your compassion, your dedication, and your belief in what we can achieve together are the driving forces behind our success. Thank you for showing up for your neighbors and for strengthening our community in countless ways. We are truly grateful.

Thank you—for everything.