Le Sueur Profiles 2013 by Kate Noet

PROFILES Celebrating�Volunteers: Our�Community's�Strength

lesueurnews-herald.com

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LE SUEUR PROFILES

Thursday, August 22, 2013

HELP FOR THE HUNGRY Sharon Pinney dedicates decades to Le Sueur Food Shelf

As part of her volunteer work at the Le Sueur Food Shelf, Sharon Pinney helps fill orders for hungry neighbors in the community. (Submitted photo)

By ERIN O’NEILL

eoneill@lesueurnews-herald.com

Every town has businesses, schools, churches and clinics that help support residents and provide them with access to basic services necessary for daily life. While these institutions are all very important, volunteers make the difference between a tight-knit community and just another settlement of individuals. Willing to step in and help others without incentives of personal gain, volunteers are the glue that binds people together and the true pillars of any community. The volunteers in Le Sueur are no different. Take Sharon Pinney. She started volunteering with the Le Sueur Food Shelf more than 25 years ago and has yet to stop giving her time, energy and compassion to neighbors in need. Q: How and why did you get involved with the Le Sueur Food Shelf? A: My church asked me to be the food shelf representative for the Presbyterian Church in 1986. I was raised in a farm family and saw my mother and father sharing produce, beef, pork and game with people in need in our neighborhood. The appreciation of food shared graciously had an impact on my desire to volunteer in many ways within and also outside of our community.

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Thursday, August 22, 2013

LE SUEUR PROFILES

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Hungry: Filling orders, thanking donors, collecting donations a few of Pinney’s duties at shelf From Page 2 Q: What do you do for the Le Sueur Food Shelf? A: There are numerous ways to help at the food shelf. Filling orders for our hungry neighbors is the more commonly seen role. As secretary, I take minutes and send out more than 100 thank you notes every year to donors and to others who help in many different ways. I also collect our donations at church and bring them to the food shelf. Serving on the advisory board of Hunger Solutions Minnesota gave me a real perspective into the state and federal government’s commitment to support the food shelf through farm bill legislation. Attending occasional area food shelf meetings gives us the chance to share ideas with other food shelves. With the high number of free and reduced lunches in our school program, I have made up summer snack bags to provide extra food during the summer for children not getting the special help that is available during the school year. Cereals, shelf stable milk, fruits, vegetables and protein products are passed out to each families’ school children during the summer months.

Q: How have you benefitted from volunteering? A: It is such a blessing to be able to volunteer and give time and resources to those in need. The satisfaction that I feel tells me that this is what I am called to do. I have heard people say that they have been inspired by what I do and I like to see people find that special path that gives them joy in how they choose to serve and give. Q: What advice would you give to someone who is considering volunteering their time? A: Finding a passion for your time and resources that you give is great, but sometimes it is small, mundane things that are equally Sharon Pinney (far left) has been the food shelf representative for the Presbyterian Church of Le Sueur for more than 25 years. satisfying. I can remember my dad (Submitted photo) sending me to dig a can of nightcrawlers for a man that fished to feed his family. He couldn’t afford to buy them from farms that sold them near the lake. My dad sent me to give them because he knew LE SUEUR PROFILES a kid wouldn’t be turned down. That small, small gift was as tearA special project of the Le Center Leader fully and graciously received as 62 E. Minnesota St., Le Center, MN 56057 any big gift I have given. No gift Publisher: Stephanie Hill is too small and that gift can bring Managing Editor: Suzanne Rook the greatest joy to someone’s spirMedia Consultants: Stephanie Hill, Sherry Wilmes, its. Kathleen Davies Ad Design: MaryJo Blanchard, Nikkie Gilmore, Reach reporter Erin O’Neill at Naomi Kissling, Keeley Krebsbach, Jenine Kubista, 931-8576, or follow her on TwitKelly Kubista, Paul Ristau ter.com @LNHeoneill. Cover Design: Nikkie Gilmore Page Design: Tony Borreson

GET INVOLVED The Le Sueur Food Shelf receives generous support from the people and business in Le Sueur. The food shelf is staffed by rotating volunteers from each church in Le Sueur, so every church has a representative to staff their designated month. For those not affiliated with a church in town, contact Ed Nugent, the chairman of the food shelf, at 507-665-6393 to learn more about getting involved.

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LE SUEUR PROFILES

Elaine and Jim Tohal of Le Sueur have trained three Labrador puppies, including 8-month-old Emma, for Leader Dogs for the Blind. Le Sueur Lion Shirley Hespenheide (right) serves as the state chairperson for Leader Dogs for the Blind. The Tohals get the puppies at 8 weeks old, housebreak them, care for them and teach them basic obedience for a year how to sit, stay, come, heel, socialize and not be afraid of loud noises. They then are sent to formal guide dog training for four months and matched with a blind person. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Leading the Leaders Le Sueur Lion passionate about organization that pairs dogs with the visually impaired By PAT BECK

member of the Le Sueur Lions, asked me if I would join, I decided it would be good fit. In 2001, 5M2 Lions District Governor Elvera TretLe Sueur Lion Shirley Hespenheide started out tin asked if I would be interested in speaking about Leader Dogs for the Blind. After doing some research, as a reluctant speaker for Leader I thought ‘why not?’ It is a very Dogs for the Blind. She’s been good cause. speaking for the program for 12 HOW TO GET INVOLVED Describe what you do for years and still going strong. She started out as 5M2 Lions Leader Dogs for the Blind Leader Dogs for the Blind? Co-chairperson Joan Blank of District co-chairperson of Leader 1039 S. Rochester Road, Nicollet and I have been speakDogs for the Blind and became Rochester, MI 48307-3115 ing about the Leader Dogs for state chairperson in July. Phone: (888) 777-5332 “I went into this blinded; but, E-mail: www.leaderdog.org the Blind Program ever since. The region that I spoke in was over 12 years, it’s become my pasfrom approximately Hutchinson sion,” Hespenheide said. angling down to Northfield and It’s costly to raise and train leader dogs, but through donations, 14,000 visually impaired people from there down to the Iowa border. Starting on July 1, I have taken a position as in the world have graduated with their dogs. How and why did you get involved with the Leader Dog Chairperson for the state of Minnesota who will help train fellow Lions to take over the Leader Dogs for the Blind? When I retired in March of 1995, after working position I had previously held. for Green Giant/Pillsbury for 23 years, I needed See LEADER on 5 something to do. Since my husband, who was a pbeck@stpeterherald.com

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Thursday, August 22, 2013

LE SUEUR PROFILES

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Leader: Organization established in 1939 by Lions trying to help visually impaired friend From Page 4

How have you benefited from volunteering? In doing this, I have gotten over my fear of speaking before a group of people, met some very interesting people and know that three people in my district have benefited by each receiving a leader dog. I also volunteer at the Snack Bar at the Nursing Home in Le Sueur, do Meals on Wheels, am treasurer for my town home association, treasurer/ secretary to the Ladies Nite Out Bowling League and secretary for the Le Sueur Lions. I also enjoy bowling, reading and traveling. What advice would you give to someone who is considering volunteering their time? Be sure to become involved in something that you are interested in. Do a little research about the organization and when you start be sure to give it your all, but have fun doing it.

By my informing people about the program, there is money that has been raised and this allows a visually impaired person to go the school at no cost to them. The cost of raising and training a leader dog is about $38,000 for each dog, but through donations, the cost to the recipient is nothing, not even cost of airfare. This organization, established in 1939, is in Rochester Hills, Mich., and was started in 1939 by three Lions who were trying to help a friend who was visually impaired. They could not find a school at that time that could help. They looked around and found 16 acres of land for the cost of $50 per month with a farm house and some out buildings where the dogs could stay. Since that time, there have been 14,000 visually impaired people graduating with their dogs. Visually impaired from all over the world come there Reach Sports Editor Pat Beck at 931-8566, or to be trained with a leader dog. follow him on Twitter.com @SPHSportsPat

Lions Joan Blank (left) from Nicollet and Shirley Hespenheide, co-chairpersons for Leader Dogs, stand in front of a banner about Growing the Dream at the school in Rochester Hills, Mich. (Submitted photo)

Le Sueur Lion Shirley Hespenheide (right) picks up Lion Pauline Ulrey from Indiana and her her dog Gundy (8th dog) from the airport for the Lions Convention in Mankato. She has had Leader Dogs for 50 years. (Submitted photo)

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LE SUEUR PROFILES

Thursday, August 22, 2013

ABOVE BEYOND AND

Local teen lets morals guide her in work with TARGET By ERIN O’NEILL

eoneill@lesueurnews-herald.com

From helping with blood drives to encouraging kids to be chemical-free to serving as a town ambassador as the newest Le Sueur Princess, Taylor Edberg is always on the move, giving her time to help and serve others. As a member of the TARGET program at the high school — which promotes volunteering and a chemical-free lifestyle for teens — Edberg has led by example, encouraging classmates to get involved with volunteer opportunities and making a big impact with her own projects and endeavors. Q: How and why did you get involved with the TARGET program? A: I got involved in the TARGET program my sophomore year in high school after being approached by many upperclassmen about joining. I felt that TARGET provided me with a great support system of people with the same morals as myself — to be chemical-free and to volunteer. I joined knowing that I would find a safe place to express myself and that I could make a difference in someone else’s life, as well. Q: What do you do for the TARGET program? A: TARGET provides an opportunity to go out into the school and community and give back in anyway you can think of. One of the main programs we offer is a blood drive in both the spring and the fall. As one of the officers this year, my responsibility was to organize, promote and provide an opportunity to donate blood to the blood drive. Noah Hynes-Marquette and I met with representatives from the American Red Cross and used their heart-wrenching facts to encourage students to donate. We promoted the blood drives a month in

advance by decorating windows and posting fliers throughout the school. Then TARGET members took turns signing students up to give blood in the weeks leading up to the drive. On the day of the blood drive we asked community volunteers to be supervisors for the day and then had TARGET members work shifts at the sign-in and set-up/ take-down. I was involved in organizing a total of three different blood drives throughout my high school career and at each one I was told I could not donate myself. I really encourage everyone to donate blood as it provides thousands of victims with the gift of life. Q: How have you benefited from volunteering? A: I volunteer in other aspects of the school and community, in addition to TARGET, and let me just say that it has shaped the person I have become. When you have the chance to help someone or an organization your heart fills with joy. You get reminded constantly of how precious life is and how easily life can change. Volunteering to me is not providing for the needy but simply helping out friends, old and new. Le Sueur-Henderson is a small district and part of our responsibility in this community is to look out for others because one day they will look out for you, too. Q: What advice would you give to someone who is considering volunteering their time? A: To anyone who wants to volunteer, I say ‘go for it!’ There is no other life experience like it. The Taylor Edberg was awarded a red cord from the American Red Cross for volunteering to help with three way it impacts your life and makes you live for a different blood drives, as a member of the TARGET program. (Photo courtesy of Taylor Edberg) better tomorrow is truly life changing. All you have GET INVOLVED to do is give a little of your time or a simple smile to overflow your heart. To get involved with the TARGET program contact Sue Hynes at Le Sueur-Henderson High School by calling 507-665-5882. Reach reporter Erin O’Neill at 931-8576, or Also, if you have a volunteer opportunity for the TARGET follow her on Twitter.com @LNHeoneill. members, please let Sue know!

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Thursday, August 22, 2013

LE SUEUR PROFILES

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WHAT GOES AROUND

Angie Deegan and the Le Sueur Rotary donate food to students in need By JESSICA BIES

jbies@stpeterherald.com

One of two Le Sueur Rotary members that have helped spearhead a backpack program for Park and Hilltop Elementary students that don’t have enough to eat, Angie Deegan is passionate about putting an end to childhood hunger. Volunteering her time to pack bags with with breakfast, lunch and snack items for students to take home over the weekends, she is reaching out to area students who qualify for free or reducedprice school meals, as well as other families who may be in a crisis or an emergency situation. And others can do the same, she said. Deegan, who not only helps coordinate the backpack program, but serves on the Rotary’s International Committee and helps fund-raise for the group, says it’s easy to volunteer in Le Sueur. Here’s how she got into volunteering and how she says others can too. How and why did you get involved with the Le Sueur Rotary? During the 2008-09 school year my family hosted a Rotary Exchange Student from Lithuania. During this time I had the opportunity to meet many Rotarians and had several friends that were already members. I really connected with their mission: The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill

and peace through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders. Describe what you do for the Rotary. For the past three years I have served on the International Committee; this committee help students who want to participate in the International Exchange Program, both incoming and outgoing…I have also helped with the Rotary rose sale that takes place in October, the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot, Rotary Bingo in the park during Giant Days and will be promoting the Rotary peach sale in the next couple weeks. All of the money earned from these fundraisers help support the exchange students, the backpack program, donations to the food shelf and other community requests Last but not least, the Backpack Program has been a very special project coordinated by me and Ann Porter. This program served 76 children last school year in kindergarten to fifth grade at Park and Hilltop Elementary schools by providing a backpack filled with food items that could be easily prepared by a child and would help sustain them through a weekend. …We emphasize that this program does not require any proof of financial need and if a family needs this type of assistance they should contact the child’s teacher or school principal. We are expecting to serve approximately 100 children in the 2013-14 school year

Angie Deegan helped sort food for the Le Sueur Rotary’s backpack program. She is one of two Rotarians to spearhead the new program. (File photo)

How have you benefited from volunteering? Volunteering fulfills a very deep desire to help people in many walks of life. I am especially passionate about helping to improve the lives of children and would love to see an end to childhood hunger. As a child I watched my mom take care of the neighborhood; old people, college students, babies and kids. To this day she continues to take care of a mentally handicapped man that was aban-

doned by his family as a young man. She has been his caregiver on a completely volunteer basis for nearly 30 years. As a volunteer it’s important for me to only look at what I can give, not what I can get from volunteering; but the truth is, I really do get so much emotionally from volunteering. What advice would you give to someone who is considering volunteering their time? Find an organization whose mission you can relate to and find

out how to get involved. Every service club in every community is looking for new members, every person brings unique talents to those organizations. If a club doesn’t interest you, decide what age of people you would like to help or perhaps it’s a particular cause you’d like to promote. There are hundreds of opportunities for every age, gender and ability.

GET INVOLVED Want to get involved in the Le Sueur Rotary? Call Executive Secretary Julie Boyland at (507) 665-2501. Want to volunteer for the Le Sueur Rotary Backpack Program? The group will be packing on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. throughout the 2013-14 school year. Send emails to lesueur. backpack@gmail.com for more information.

Reach reporter Jessica Bies at Le Sueur Family 507-931-8568 or follow her on Twitter.com @sphjessicabies

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Thursday, August 22, 2013

GET INVOLVED

Jo Anderson and his class of geocachers show off their find. (Photo Courtesy of Youth Opportunities)

TREASURES

Local man devotes energy to activities for kids By JAMES STITT

jstitt@lecenter.com

Jo Anderson has dedicated his life to helping others, whether it is curing wounds and helping the sick, or taking a group of kids out to find hidden treasures. Anderson moved to Le Sueur in 1961 to join a family practice as a doctor. Since then he has been involved in the community in many ways, including volunteering in many activities. Pub“I don’t think of volunteering as a unique activity,” said Anderson. “In small communities it’s just what you do to keep up with friends.” Now 84, Anderson’s latest venture is geocaching, a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Anderson takes a group

aits

Thank you to all the volunteers who donate their time to Le Sueur-Henderson Public Schools! You all have Giant Pride & Character that counts.

Youth Opportunities is located in the Le Sueur Community Center, 821 East Ferry St. Contact it at 507665-6264 or at tredmann_1@msn.com.

of kids out to places like St. Peter, Belle Plain, and Le Sueur to search for hidden treasures marked on their GPS. “It’s amazing to see theses kids’ faces,” said Anderson. “They pile out of the bus and hold their GPS out in front of them.” When they find the treasure, they can look it up online to see the history of the object. The kids will also hide some of their treasure for others to find. On occasion, they will come across a travel bug, which can lead to some problem solving and unique adventures. They once came across a cache that had an animal skull in it. They had to find a place for it and the next place they went was the geocaching heaven in St. Peter. The heaven they were looking for was just behind the pearly gates. They searched just behind the pearly gates and found a container, a container that was a perfect fit for the skull. “It was very fitting that we found a container just big enough to fit the skull,” said Anderson. How and why did you get involved with the Youth Opportunities? About nine years ago, a long time friend of mine knew I was interested in geocaching and asked if I would be interested in sharing that with the kids in Healthy Communities — which soon morphed into Youth Opportunities. After a couple of years of teaching geocaching I was asked by the late Dr.

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Milton Mootz to serve on its Board of Directors. Describe what you do for Youth Opportunities In addition to teaching a couple of classes of geocaching I have had classes in kite building and flying, macrame, origami. The Board of Directors meets once a month and I have been secretary and past president. How have you benefited from volunteering? Whenever I volunteer for anything I feel strongly it should be something I can do and share with others. I “help” things happen in my community. Of course there is always the satisfaction of compliments and “thank you,” as well as new friendships. What advice would you give to someone who is considering volunteering their time? • Pick something you enjoy or didn’t feel you had time to do before. • Talk to others who are also volunteers. • Do not become so involved you cannot do other things with your family, etc. • Get actively involved — don’t think you are volunteering just by supporting the activity with money. Reporter James Stitt can be reached at 931-8572 or follow him on Twitter @LCL_j_stitt.

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