Good afternoon everyone!  As we are all working together do our part in keeping our community safe and healthy, FISH would like to be able to keep our network updated on services being offered and if you have needs that can be met to help facilitate your outreach.  We will be sending a daily update to our network in hopes this aids in communication and meeting needs.  Please let us know what services you are offering and the help you are needing.

Please email us at: fish@fishpartnernetwork.org

Some good news on a Monday update…..

What is needed:
***8/31/20 UPDATE: AN ADDITIONAL $500 HAS BEEN DONATED – THANK YOU! THERE IS A BALANCE OF $617.48 NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. ***7/10/2020 UPDATE: $400 has been donated. She would like me to express her gratitude for the generous donation! She is still in need of $1,117.48*** We provide Independent Living Skills (ILS) services to a woman with disabilities and a history of long-term homelessness. She receives a very small income each month that is used toward her basic living expenses and her vehicle is in desperate need of several repairs. She relies on her vehicle to get everywhere she needs to go and does not have a solid back-up plan should her vehicle not be repaired and stop working or become unsafe. Her ILS staff enlisted the help of a close friend who is a mechanic to look at her vehicle and see what needs to be repaired/replaced. The friend was able to make some repairs including; replacement of the rear door panels, replacement of the left front seat belt, buff the headlights for better visibility, and replacement of the left visor. She still owes for the labor and parts for the work already completed but the friend completed these repairs with the knowledge of her situation and that she will work out a payment arrangement eventually with him. For the labor and repairs that have already been completed, the total she currently owes is $372.72. There are still several other parts needing to be replaced including; a new timing belt, replacement of the lower rear control arm bushings; and replacement of the rear suspension springs (one is broken). The friend assisted with shopping around for hourly labor costs and the cost of the replacement parts for her vehicle. The estimate for the remaining repairs and labor costs for these repairs is $1,144.76. With her current income, she is unable to afford the cost of repairing her vehicle and is hoping to receive some form of financial assistance as she relies heavily on her vehicle to get to appointments and complete her basic needs tasks such as shopping.

Cost: $1517.48

What Created the need:
We are an Independent Living Skills (ILS) Services provider and this need is for a client of ours. Due to Data Privacy protections/laws, we are not able to release the individual’s name for this need and will act as an intermediary between anyone that wishes to help fulfill her need.

Amanda Myers
One Day at a Time Inc.
100 Fuller St S, Ste 135 Minnesota 55379
952-204-5815
email: amyers@odaatinc.org

Back to School Hairs Cuts Updates

Thank you to our partners Next Chapter Technology for donating $200 and the City of Savage Employees for donating $120!  If you know of a community business or organization that would like to be involved in helping kids with back to school haircuts, please let us know!!

Due to COVID and the cancellation of the in person Project Community Connect event this year, this event is now going to be a virtual event.  Project Community Connect provides services for those that are homeless or  near homelessness in the communities of Scott and Carver counties. Last year over 700 families were helped at this event and many families were offered a free haircut.  Since our event will be virtual this year we would still like to offer this to families in need.  We would like to gather gift cards and/or donations to purchase gift cards to hand out to those families in need of a haircut and help to make their day a little brighter.  You can either purchase a gift card at your favorite salon in Scott or Carver county or donate so we can purchase cards.  Please help a family in need, especially during this COVID crisis.  Donating $20 will help send a child back to school feeling confident and ready to reunite with friends and teachers!

If you would like to donate please use the following link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=B9ZKWM3EW5HY8&source=url

For more information please contact  Cara Madsen  Scott County Volunteer & Community Coordinator,

Phone 952.496.8169  cmadsen@co.scott.mn.us

Dear Together WE CAN Community,

How do we support our children during an ongoing pandemic? As we/they see images of violence and anti-Black racism across our nation? As our daily routines of work and school turn out to be “not so routine”?

…We do our best. We share our love, compassion, and honesty, and try to give a little grace under the chronic pressures and stressors that we face. We do this for our children, our families, our friends, our neighbors, and perfect strangers. During these challenging times we must all be a little more willing to give nd receive help and support.

This e-source focuses on what we know works in preventing child abuse and neglect: the Strengthening Families Approach. It is based on engaging families, programs, and communities in building five key protective factors. Below are some tips, tools, and resources you can use to build these protective factors in your home and community.

Together WE CAN_Community Connections_Issue 8.31.2020