Be sure and check out the other Horizons blog sites…there has been some interesting things happening that, according to the bloggers, would not have happened if it were not for the Horizons program that we have almost completed. When you read them, you understand the ” heart” of South Dakotans.
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!
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.
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.
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.
The structural changes I have noticed in the last year in Tyndall is 5 new businesses on Main Street. We have added a new cafe, 2 businesses which sell memorials, a resale shop and a youth center. These new businesses deal with a wide scope of people from senior citizens to youth and allow for the people of the community to stay in town for their needs.
What would the residents of Tyndall and the members of the business community like to see in new small businesses on Main Street or on the highway? Do we want to have more business on the highway, or do we want to concentrate on downtown? We have a couple of “holes ” on main street that we can fill up. We know we have a low-income housing issue - got any ideas on that ( maybe employing our local contractors ?) Do we know an alumni or former resident who would love to relocate to a smaller business community? Our Horizons committees have worked hard the past two years-since August of 2006- to come up with improvements. We greatly appreciate those of you who have participated in the meetings and planning sessions and shared your ideas, but we could use more. Our economic future depends on your entrepreneurial bravery!!!! If you have an idea or opinion, leave a comment here!
How has community leadership expanded since we began Horizons and are more people in the community involved in leadership positions? These are some questions we have been asked to address and we would like some comments from all out there!
Are we training new leaders ? There is a project being researched right now about teaching LeadershipPlenty to our juniors and seniors at Bon Homme High School. I can tell you that this would not be happening at all if we had not participated in the Horizons project. We have certified leadership trainers now in our community that are able to do this. Do you think this is a good idea? Post your comments and tell us what you think.