Tyndall, SD

Tyndall’s Cavalier Corner is offering a GED program this fall!  They are teaming up with Joblink out of Yankton and to date there are seven individuals that have signed up for the program.  We know how important a high school education is and this program will hopefully help these people get a leg up so they can move forward with their education and work possibilities.  We all learned through Horizons the importance of education in the fight to reduce poverty and it is clear as crystal how true that is. Anyone needing info on setting up GED in your area, go to your school district and get started there.

Yay! We can say that we have accomplished so much because of the Horizons program and on Tuesday, June 24 we will have a “graduation” party of sorts where we will unveil the plans for one of our goals, the Tyndall Community Foundation ( working with the South Dakota Community Foundation), and also where we will receive $8500 plus a new laptop computer and printer for public use. (Ours will be housed at the Cavalier Corner on Main Street. It will not be allowed to be checked out but will be available to adults and children in the community).  We will also recognize the successes of other goals and also talk a little more about two new goals which have recently been brought forward and adopted….a daycare and re-installation of Frisbee Golf in our park. ( One of our youth participants is spearheading this project and we are very proud of him!) We hope City of Tyndall will be supportive of this venture.  Thanks to Northwest Area Foundation for providing Tyndall with this great opportunity to explore our assets and work on improving the lives of our residents.   Now all we need is for the economy to perk up and for outrageous gas prices to disappear…….

The Tyndall Business & Service Directory is finally ready to go out to the public.  It is a 3-fold brochure prepared by volunteers and printed/copied  locally by donating businesses in small amounts to start off. This will allow for inevitable changes down the road.   The brochure was initially set up by a Chamber business several years ago and has been scooped up by Horizons and Chamber ( partnering), improved with additions of better listings of social services available, organizations, apartment contacts ( none are listed in the phone book except for Northpoint Apt. !), tourism information and shopping opportunities.

At this time, it is free to be listed in the brochure and it includes any business, service, or organization in Tyndall ( that we are aware of ). It is great to have by the phone and it will eventually be available for the public to pick up at participating businesses. It is already included in our “Welcome Basket” and will also be available at the city offices and at the Social  Services offices.  We have over  100  listings of  companies, businesses, services,  individuals, and  government  offices-not to mention  contact info for doing fun stuff in town!  If you didn’t see it in print, you would not believe it!    If other towns want to see it, call 605-589-4050.

Anyone interested in obtaining daycare for their children should attend a meeting Thursday night, May 1 at 7:00 PM at the Cavalier Corner. Chad Jodozi will be discussing the surveys which were sent out to all current day care providers, local businesses, and letters to the local people by the school banner. A needs assessment is being determined and your input would be appreciated. Everyone is invited to attend.

Committee members and 2 guests met at the Cavalier Corner, with Dave Olson present on April 8th. Shirley Mann, director at the Bon Homme Food Pantry, reported on her role and the purpose of the pantry, its supporters and its present needs.  It has been in existence for 17 years and she has worked with the program for 14 years!   Presently they serve 40 - 45 families in Bon Homme County, who have been recommended by Social Services, a minister, or a doctor as per the guidelines. She and her helper Pat and other volunteers prepare 50 commodity boxes once a month also. They get $1000 from the state once a year and the rest of the year are solely dependent on food and cash donations.  It gets pretty scarce from May to November……ideas anyone?

Day care has become a concern, or the impending lack of it actually….. A new goal in our strategic plan  has been identified, according to Chad Jodozi, and a committee is now working with the Governor’s office (Governor’s Day Care) on this issue.  They are required to do surveys of our present daycares (which parents are very grateful for!), along with a bunch of other hoops to jump through. Of course, funding is a key component.  More to come on this new goal.  Our young parents are the future of Tyndall-we owe them our support!

The Bargain Shoppe didn’t meet yet this month, but are planning to donate funds to a project in town, after expenses.  They did $100 business on the Open House day! How cool is that?  They have added a day to be open….now open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 - 5.  Now taking spring/summer items, and they have also been selling appliances, furniture and big things like that in addition to the regular items.

The website committee will meet next week on the 17th.  Things are going a little slow right now, but our volunteers have been busy with regular jobs.  Businesses and residents with events to share can have them posted on the website community calendar. Go to www.tyndallsd.com - click on community calendar. School events continue to be listed on their own website.

The public policy committee, Mark and Joe,  has set up a public forum for April 16th on tax issues, low income issues, etc….there will be free blood pressure screenings by the hospital ( glad to have them participate!!!) and a guest panel to answer questions.  Cathy Brechtelsbauer from Bread for the World will be the speaker.  For the free supper you need to call asap by the 12th to Mark 589-3097 for food count for you and guests. Open to all and important for all!

The Cavalier Corner is going along smoothly at this time. The board is looking into setting up a GED program.  There is a tutoring program is place, but up to now the students are not taking advantage of this.  More education on this is probably necessary, as many parents and students may not know about it. Dave offered the board the possibility of a meeting to help them plan a 5-year strategic plan.

The Community Foundation committee has taken a back seat this month to some other things that popped up over Easter vacation  ( like a light manufacturing plant looking at Tyndall and other communities!) so they will get a date set for a public meeting, etc. soon.

LeadershipPlenty training is hopefully going to be offered for credit in the fall.  Janet is still working with administration on that.  There are two certified trainers in our school system to do the course and it would be just for upper class students.

The committee for Community Economic Coordinator has not met.  Judy is hoping to seat a feasibility study committee to research this more.  The planning committee members urged the importance of this committee for the future of Tyndall. Persons interested in serving on this can contact her asap.
Marilyn reported briefly on the Marketing Workshop and how communities have begun to “brand ” themselves to claim a uniqueness about their  community that would attract business, shopping, and new residents.
Dave urged members to continue blogging and to recruit “commentors” and even more bloggers.  He had helpful suggestions throughout the meeting and has been a great help to our committees.

The next meeting will be May 13th - same time, same place!

Tyndall Horizons Planning Committee will meet with Dave Olson on April 8th, Tuesday. We will meet at the Cavalier Corner and will have a light lunch prior to the meeting at 7 pm. Two topics have been added to the agenda: we will have a report about the Food Pantry from its director. Also, there will be the topic of daycare discussed. Seems Tyndall is having a baby boom, and we have some of our daycare providers either retiring or choosing not to provide daycare anymore in the near future. There are some ideas and it looks like the city is just as concerned about this as the new parents are, so partnering will again be in the forefront and since we have the new non-profit status at the Cavalier Corner….well, just imagine!! Anybody up for running a daycare????

This Saturday, April 5 join us at the Open House at the Bargain Shoppe in Tyndall!  We will be open from 10-5 and serving up some great bargains. We are now taking spring and summer items-all must be clean and in working order.  Make an appointment to drop off or stop by when open.  589-3955.  Run by ALL VOLUNTEERS, the Bargain Shoppe is an example of people leading the way, sustained by interested shoppers and volunteers.  If anything, it will outgrow its current location, as it will only improve.  It has shown to be a needed shop in town. Also, all monies are donated back into the community after expenses.  Stop by!

On Wednesday, April 16, at the Tyndall Community Center, there will be a public forum on policies concerning low income and high poverty issues. Cathy Brechtelsbauer, Bread for the World volunteer, is going to speak.  There will also be a guest panel to answer questions on these topics.   This is really for everyone.  There will be free blood pressure screenings from 6 - 7 pm and other information brochures on general health and wellness.  There will be a free supper catered by Eric from Sportsmans Rendezvous- we will need a supper count preferably by April 7th.  Call Mark at 589-3904 to give him your family’s count.  The meeting starts at 7 pm, in case you don’t want to join us for supper. 

 This is another example of Tyndall Horizons, helped greatly by Kari at SDSU Extension Services, providing an informational forum to raise awareness of this issue.  It also shows a community mobilizing to address the issue of the many faces of poverty.  The public policy committee has been a leader and instrumental in the organization of this forum-an example of community structural change as we did not have something like this before. It is also a committee that will need to be active in the future, as policies change and information made available. 

  New members to the committee are welcomed. Come and check it out.    Hope to see you at the forum. Do you have concerns about policies now in place that affect the low incomes?  Leave a comment here.

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.

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!