Tyndall, SD

Volunteering a few shifts at the Bargain Shoppe (located next to the Cavalier Center on Main street Tyndall) the past couple of months has proven to be a great experience!

Each time I have volunteered, I have been pleasantly surprised by the “new treasures” that appear.  I have noticed other “new treasures” from the previous volunteer shift that have found new homes.  It IS true: “One man’s/(woman’s) trash/(more than likely a result of a spring cleaning effort) is another’s treasure”!!  I have seen this adage verified by the flow of items through the Bargain Shoppe.

While having certain responsibilities when volunteering at the Bargain Shoppe, there are certainly ‘perks’ as well.  For example one can scope the shelves of kitchenware and household items.  One can investigate the titles and genres in the book shelves as well.  It can be noted the “Spring is in the air’ when straightening and placing clothing items on the racks in the center of the store and on the walls rack as one notices more of the light spring/summer style of clothing that is arriving.  I have been happy to place a few maternity clothing items, as well as baby items on the shelves as well this past week. (Need a car seat that stays in YOUR vehicle for that new grandchild, niece, or nephew? Yes, we have some!)  Oh…don’t forget to let the kids explore the toy bins.  Kids are wonderful little explorers who seem to find treasures buried in the bin that one would not notice at first glance…..Just try it!  I have also noticed an assortment of children’s books as well, along with a couple of puzzles boxes and ….Paper dolls! (Remember playing with paper dolls as children?  Remember how much fun it was to use our imagination?) I’ve also seen a few CD’s, a CD case and children’s videos from time to time.

Kudos to the person(s) responsible for hanging the wall racks for clothing.  It certainly is an asset to the space challenged Shoppe.  My thanks to Nelson Stone for his carpentry skills when the free arm hanging dress/curtain racks fell from the wall last Friday.(Who said vounteering was ever boring?)  We also have acquired an ironing board, iron , and water spray bottle for providing a little TLC to items that may have had a difficult transit to the Shoppe.

 Another ‘perk’ when volunteering at the bargain Shoppe are the wonderful people you meet and greet as they come through the door!  I have been privileged to meet and greet both new people (to me anyway) as well as re-acquaint with familiar faces.  How Wonderful!  As you can see, not all of the “treasures” are found on shelves or racks when one is volunteering at the Bargain Shoppe!

I encourage anyone and everyone to volunteer a shift or a few hours here and there at the bargain Shoppe or stop by to see what is new to you. (I may be what’s new to you…who knows?)  I have certainly found my experience to be:  Challenging(I’ve never taken a bookkeeping course/barely balance my checkbook, so find much joy when columns of numbers equal the amount of cash in the till), Creative(arranging a temporary home in the Shoppe for items donated), Soothing and Peaceful(the rhythm of the pace is pleasantly different from my job as an ICU nurse), Exciting(remember the racks which fell), and Wonderful(whether I meet you for the millionth time or for the first time)

Come and explore the treasures to be found at the Bargain Shoppe both as a volunteer and an explorer!!

jeannieb.

While I believe that the residents of Tyndall are very grateful for the opportunities that Horizons has provided our community, I think that “reducing poverty” and improving financial status for residents is going to be an uphill battle, given the national and regional views on the economy and in the political arena in general. Pessimism creeps in !!! I guess if we had a rash of business start-ups that would be able to employ locals at a decent wage, that would be of great help. I am an optimist!  Even one new business that could employ more than the owner would be a start. Tyndall has room for this growth. The larger businesses that we have are working hard to keep their employees but we know from our census statistics that around 35% of Tyndallites go out of town for a job each day. So, I would have to say that one large new business would be a start and a huge asset for our community. What do you think, Tyndall? Leave a comment at this post.

We can see what other Horizon communities are doing by going to the community list on the right of the blog site and click on any one of the towns. I could say from reading the blogs, that all of the communities have been affected and have educated their town on the many faces of poverty and as far as “reducing” it, that will take many years, if at all.  More funding would be needed, we have all found out.   Most of the towns have implemented projects that help those in need, and it has also raised awareness of the importance of supporting the local economy and school district if there is to be any viability in the future.  Many have learned of programs that can assist those in need.  Many have learned that they have important programs already in place and needed to advertise them more. I think Horizons has helped, but what do you think? Leave your comment here!

After almost 7 months of waiting, Cavalier Corner has obtained its tax exempt status!  The formal letter from the IRS came on Thursday to inform the board that our application had been approved under section 501(c)(3).  A special thank you goes to Lisa Rothschadl for her hard work in getting all of the paper work filled out and filed.

Wow, what alot of good opportunity to learn from other towns and cities.  Justin Wagner and I delivered a power point presentation explaining the Tyndall Horizon projects at the MidState Conference at South Sioux City, NE .  Although we  presented at the conference , we came away with many useful ideas and encouragement. There were many good presenters and wide varity of ideas or new approaches to the same problems.

Tyndall Horizon committee members met with Dave on March 11 at the Cavalier Corner. Seven members were able to attend.

The Bargain Shoppe reported sales of around $300 for the past month. They gave some to the Cav Corner and they also discussed giving a portion to another project in town next month. They are trying to build their treasury so they can advertise, etc. Volunteers continue to run the Shoppe and they are looking at adding another day to be open. Yay!!! They had a bag sale and sold lots of bags. There will be an open house on April 5.

The website www.tyndallsd.com is progressing. Our volunteer designers are now putting businesses online. They have the Assistance page done which guides visitors to our Social Services and other areas of assistance for folks in need. Other pages include “History of Tyndall”, “Community Calendar”, “New to Tyndall”,”Organizations”. The next focus is advertising the website. The website has been supported by a donation and is taking other donations for future financial needs. At this time, all pages on the site are free. The Development Corporation funded the initial set-up and it has also been supported in part by the city.

The Public Policy Committee has been working with Kari F. on a workshop meeting on April 16 addressing poverty/low-income issues. Speaker will be Cathy Brechtelsbauer ” Bread for the World”. Activities will start at 6:30 at the Tyndall Community Center, west of Gemars Market. Open to the public!  The Policy committee has also checked to make sure Social Service and food assistance numbers, etc. are listed in our community business/service directory that is being worked on now by the Chamber.

The Cavalier Corner is doing good-some days not so busy, but continues to provide a safe place. They have added booths and more food items. There will be some added usages this summer-hopefully Hunter Safety Classes, CAP meetings occasionally, 4-H meetings, and church youth group bake sales. The board is working on other youth programs. The computer lab is up and running. The space is available for rent also-a great place to have a birthday party!

The Tyndall Community Foundation has begun work on getting organized….Dave stressed the importance of setting goals-meeting dates, agenda, etc…there will be a public information forum at the end of April and they will also begin fundraising. They are in the process of seating a diverse board of directors.

Two of our LeadershipPlenty instructors ( who are teachers at Bon Homme) are working on providing a leadership course in the high school for the fall term. They are currently working with the administration and school board on details. This is huge because leadership begins early in a person’s life and these instructors are great at what they do.

Our last committee for Community Coordinator has stalled and there is discussion on how to proceed with that important project. Economic development and economic maintenance is critical to a viable business climate. Dave suggested a steering committee to regenerate the process. As always, funding is a huge issue. What else is new!

Our next meeting is Tuesday, April 8 at the Cavalier Corner at 7 pm.

This is a workshop that will be available on Tues. March 25 over in Armour at the Blue Moon. Supper begins at 5:30 and then Dr. Milan Hall from the Heartland Center for Leadership and Development in Lincoln, NE will speak on how to market our area. Why is that important? We need to let people know we are a viable area and are available for small manufacturing and other small businesses.

Call Kari Freuchte ASAP at 605-688-4946 so they can get a food count. More info on http://southdakota.communityblogs.us page. This is FREE, by the way, and one more possibility provided by HORIZONS.

Horizons began in August of 2007. How time flies! Is our community operating differently? We have made what is called structural changes since the beginning of this program- the Cavalier Corner and the Bargain Shoppe. The youth now have a safe place to entertain themselves and be offered additional programs in after-school hours. The Bargain Shoppe has provided new opportunities to shop for gently-used items at a fraction of the cost and in turn, those funds are turned back into the community. Volunteers run both of these places-we didn’t know it was possible until it was tried. Another change not immediately visible is the progress in setting up a Community Foundation. (An informational meeting for the public will be forthcoming.) Of course, poverty issues do not go away overnight, or even in two years. Addressing the issue of poverty is huge, and taking small bites out of the problem is one way to start helping the situation. A living wage is probably the biggest obstacle in this day and age. Families are now depending on two incomes, no matter how big a town you live in. That is the reality. Horizons has offered possibilities and hope. Members of the community will be more aware of who needs help and we have learned of different ways to help. Leadership,hope, and possibilities are taught early-at home and in school. I have noticed more awareness of community service being taught in school. What are your comments on how this program has helped our town? Leave a comment here.

There has been many new and reinforcements partnerships in Tyndall over the past year. There are partnerships between youth, funders, school, volunteers, businesses, the city and USDA Rural Development.

It is hard to get a handle on how the reduction of poverty is going in our community, especially with the economic atmosphere of our country. But we have been monitoring the number of students who are receiving free and reduced lunches at school, checking with the food pantry for numbers of participation-new or increased use by the same families and talking to personal who deal with poverty such as clergy, police, and family services staff.