Habitat for Humanity and schools partner

Fairmont Area Schools and Martin County West have each received $100,000 in grants to partner with Habitat for Humanity on some building projects. This is a win all around as the students will get experience in not only hands-on education, but on the importance of pitching in and giving back. It’s also a win for the community as it will provide some additional housing. Thank you to all involved in putting in the work to secure the grants. We look forward to watching these projects progress.

MCKAH prepares for 16th pack day

Today is the 16th annual Martin County Kids Against Hunger food pack. It’s always a great day when people from around the community come together and spend several hours packing up meals for people in need. It’s important to remember that the food doesn’t just go to some other counties, like Chad, where hunger is a serious issue, but that a portion of it stays local and feeds our neighbors, some of whom also deal with hunger. At last year’s pack 100,584 meals were packed and we hope to see that number increase this year.

Events target rise in youth screen usage

Two area professionals who work with youth, Emily Fett and Laura Odgren, will hold a book discussion next month using “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Handt. It’s great to see these professionals recognize how cell phone usage and a heavy screen presence in a child’s life can be damaging. What’s more is that they want to talk to parents about it in a way that’s not judgmental, but informative. We expect to see people take advantage of this great offering. For more information, go to fairmont.k12.mn.us/o/cer.