KOOTASCA Community Action

09/03/2026

🏫 Head Start Open House is coming up! 🎉

We’re excited to welcome our enrolled Head Start families to Open House! This is a great opportunity to visit the classroom, meet staff, and get ready for a great school year together. ❤️💙

Please note: Open House is for currently enrolled families only.

Not enrolled but interested in learning more about Head Start or Early Head Start? We’d love to hear from you! We still have openings available in our program.

📧 [email protected]
📞 218-999-0814

We can’t wait to welcome our families back and kick off another great year!

09/02/2026

✨ Staff Recognition ✨

KOOTASCA Community Action is proud to recognize our own Nick Hansen, Planning & Development Director, for earning his Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) certification!

The CCAP credential recognizes leaders who have demonstrated deep knowledge, experience, and commitment to the mission of Community Action. It is one of the highest professional honors in our field, showing excellence in leadership, advocacy, and service to low-income communities.

Congratulations, Nick, on this well-earned achievement! We appreciate your commitment to our mission and the communities we serve.

🎉 Please join us in congratulating Nick! 🎉

Congratulations to Nick Hansen from KOOTASCA Community Action on earning your Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) certification! The CCAP credential recognizes professionals who have demonstrated leadership, knowledge, and a strong commitment to the Community Action mission. We are proud of your dedication to helping individuals, strengthening families, and building stronger communities. Nick will be recognized at the National Convention in St. Louis this September and at the Minnesota Community Action Annual Conference next April. Congratulations on this well deserved achievement!

09/02/2026

Circles of Support: Engage, Grow, Belong
Join us for lunch today from 11:00-1:00

Welcoming spaces with clear signage, good lighting, accessible design, and respectful staff help people feel secure and comfortable navigating a space and connecting with community members.

KOOTASCA hosts weekly programming to help people build social connections and reduce isolation.

Monday Community Meal 4:00-6:00 at 822 NE 5th Ave.
Wednesday Lunch 11:00-1:00 at 822 NE 5th Ave.

KOOTASCA’s advocacy work for older adults is funded in part by Age-Friendly Minnesota.

09/01/2026

❄ Energy Assistance season will soon be here!

📝 The State of MN has started sending applications to those who were on the program last year and will soon start sending applications to those who have newly requested one.

💻 To apply online, go to
https://energy-assistance.web.commerce.state.mn.us/

🏠 Beginning Oct 1st, If you are a homeowner who is experiencing a heating system related emergency, please call (218) 999-0825 or (888) 249-8879 if afterhours.

Energy Assistance can help:
✅ Pay towards your heating and electric bills
✅ Provide assistance for households experiencing a heating or electric emergency
✅ Provide Energy Related Repair to homeowners with a malfunctioning heating system

08/31/2026

People who feel included are more likely to believe in their ability to manage life stressors.

Join us today at KOOTASCA's main office building for a free community meal. Everyone welcome, including those in need of a hot meal and well as those interested in fellowship with community. Pre-registration is not required.

Location: 822 NE 5th Ave, Grand Rapids
Time: Mondays from 4:00 - 6:00

Menu 8/31: Taco bar, fruit, cookies
Beverages: Coffee, tea, water, lemonade

08/30/2026

The need for food in our communities is growing, and it currently far outweighs the resources available to help.

So far in 2026, KOOTASCA Community Action has provided food assistance to 431 households made up of more than 1,000 people, including 363 children. At the same time, state funding that helps support this work has not been available to KOOTASCA since June. As families continue to face rising costs, support from our community is more important than ever.

Through our ongoing Neighbors Helping Neighbors Campaign, your donation helps KOOTASCA respond when local families need food and other basic necessities. Your gift stays in Itasca and Koochiching Counties, and up to $8,700 in matching funds are available to double its impact.

Every gift matters. Together, we can help keep food on our neighbors’ tables and build a stronger community for everyone.

Donate through GiveMN: https://www.givemn.org/story/2j5rhf

08/30/2026

🏠 Your Path to Homeownership 🏠

Homebuyer education provides the tools you need to move toward your goal of becoming a homeowner! Join us for a virtual Home Stretch workshop and start your path to homeownership.

📅 Wednesday, September 23rd 9 am - 5:30 pm
💻 Hosted live on Zoom
🟩 $40/household

Learn more about building a household budget, credit, qualifying for a mortgage, home inspections and more!

🔗 To register, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/september-2026-homestretch-workshop-tickets-1993627426299?aff=oddtdtcreator

08/29/2026

What challenges and opportunities are you experiencing in today’s job market?

KOOTASCA Community Action and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis want to hear from workers and jobseekers in our region. Your feedback will help provide a better understanding of people’s experiences with employment and the job market.

Please complete the brief survey by September 25, 2026. All responses will be kept confidential.

Complete the survey here: https://www.research.net/r/8L5B6RZ

You can also scan the QR code on the attached flyer to participate. Please share this post to help us hear from more people in our communities!

08/28/2026

🧩💛 Growing Together, One Piece at a Time!

Our team spent time learning, connecting, and growing together through Conscious Discipline training! We explored strategies that help us build strong relationships, support self-regulation, and create safe, nurturing environments for children.

We’re excited to take what we learned back to our classrooms and put it into practice. Every piece matters, and together, we’re building something great! 🧩✨

08/27/2026

🎒 Backpack Pick-Up 🎒

KOOTASCA is at United Way of 1000 Lakes backpack pick-up event at Yanmar Arena! Registered students will receive a backpack filled with the grade- and school-specific supplies they need to start the school year ready to learn.

Be sure to stop by the KOOTASCA table to meet our friendly staff and learn about our agency and the programs that are available to help area families. We're excited to be a part of this amazing collaborative community event, and wish area students all the best as they start a new school year!