Siouxland Life - October 2014

The longest running event in Siouxland

Students start early in giving back

A look at the children’s museum

A GUIDE FOR LIVING IN SIOUXLAND

GIVING BACK NONPROFITS WORK TO HELP OTHERS, MAKE CHANGES

INSIDE A HABITAT HOME

OCTOBER 2014

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CONTENTS October

2014

What does it take to make the world of nonprofits run?

This month we go behind the scenes and talk with people who raise funds, volunteer and propel organizations to new heights. You’ll learn about the struggle, the rewards and the challenges they face in a changing economy.

8 A SHOE-IN

What’s wrong with collecting shoes? And more shoes?

FEATURES 4 HOME a better life 8 COLLECTION shoes, glorious shoes 12 20 QUESTIONS with a donor 16 THE NONPROFIT LIFE the big event 18 THE NONPROFIT LIFE volunteers 20 THE NONPROFIT LIFE a housing need 24 THE NONPROFIT LIFE ALS windfall 26 THE NONPROFIT LIFE longtime event 28 THE NONPROFIT LIFE dollars for scholars 30 THE NONPROFIT LIFE starting up 32 THE NONPROFIT LIFE life of a fundraiser 34 THE NONPROFIT LIFE student givers 36 THE NONPROFIT LIFE beginning early 40 THE NONPROFIT LIFE sponsors 44 HEALTH disease registry 45 ADVICE medical advice 47 Parting Shot ©2014 The Sioux City Journal. Siouxland Life is published monthly by The Sioux City Journal. For advertising information, please call (712) 224-6275. For editorial information, please call (712) 293-4218.

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ON THE COVER Brett Volkert, 12, Chase Hammons, 5, Kristina Hargens, and Leah Volkert, 13, all of Le Mars, Iowa, along with friend Tammy Conlon, second from right, of Hinton, Iowa, pour ice water on themselves as they accept the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge outside Southern Hills Hy-Vee in Sioux City in August. Photo by Dawn J. Sagert

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A YEAR’S PLANNING It takes plenty of people, time to make ArtSplash go.

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STARTING EARLY Students at Buena Vista University get the pitch before they graduate.

PUBLISHER Steve Griffith EDITOR Bruce Miller EDITORIAL Dolly A. Butz, Tim Gallagher, Earl Horlyk, Nick Hytrek, Ally Karsyn, Michelle Kuester, Marcy Peterson PHOTOGRAPHY Tim Hynds, Jim Lee, Dawn J. Sagert DESIGN Kathryn Sesser ADVERTISING SALES Nancy Gevik ADVERTISING DESIGN Kayla Fleming SIOUXLAND LIFE

OCTOBER 2014

3

HOME earning

a better life

ONCESTRUGGLING SIOUXLAND FAMILY FINDS SATISFACTION IN THEIR NEW

HABITAT Text by Ally Karsyn | Photographs by Jim Lee

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OCTOBER 2014

SIOUXLAND LIFE

T HOME

Four months ago, Francisco Ramirez and Teresa Estrada and their children Andrea, 12; Bruno, 13; Paco, 10; and Zaira, 5, moved into a new home built by Siouxland Habitat for Humanity. They’re still settling in but take pride in home ownership.

f

FIRST, THE RAINS CAME. A steady pitter patter on the roof. Then, the Missouri River rose.

A couple and their four children had no place to go. Their apartment – three bedrooms, two baths, not bad – was in the path of the swelling waters.

Francisco Ramirez and Teresa Estrada had to abandon the place they called home. So did everyone else living in the complex.

They found a duplex across town in South Sioux City. It had just two bedrooms. A makeshift space served as the girls’ bedroom. It was barely big enough to fit a single and a toddler bed. A curtain separated their room from the boys’.

“It was a very uncomfortable situation for my children and myself and my husband also,” Estrada said.

Around the same time in 2011, Ramirez took a job at Beef Products Inc., initially working about 60 hours a week.

Then, the processing plant downsized and his hours were drastically reduced.

“My income was cut in half,” he said.

Between the lasting effects of the flood and the financial hit, they couldn’t save enough money to move out of their insufficient housing. Coming up with a security deposit for a new place in their budget was out of the question.

“We were stuck,” she said.

That changed in May when they received the keys to a Siouxland Habitat for Humanity home in Riverside, located at the former site of Riverview Elementary.

Their house is among 13 others in the new construction community.

Siouxland Habitat for Humanity has sold nearly 50 homes to partner families SIOUXLAND LIFE

OCTOBER 2014

5

Above: The family of six moved into a Riverside home built by Siouxland Habitat for Humanity in May. Located at the former site of Riverview Elementary, their home is among 13 others in the new construction community. Below: Francisco Ramirez checks a family photo hanging in the living room. Right: The dining room and kitchen inside the home.

since it started in 1992.

Partner families must have a demonstrated need for decent affordable housing, a means to repay the no-interest mortgage and be willing to invest up to 500 hours of labor into building or rehabilitating their home.

“It’s not just giving away something,” Estrada said. “You have to work for it. I’m so glad my children got to learn that.”

Achieving home ownership was a trying process and took months of working nights and sacrificing Saturdays in hopes of providing a better life for their children, Bruno, 13; Andrea, 12; Paco, 10; and Zaira, 5.

The uncertainty surrounding the couple’s living situation in South Sioux City agitated their oldest son’s Asperger’s Syndrome and caused undue stress.

“Having his own place, that is what he was waiting for,” Estrada said.

Now, they have three-bedroom home with room to grow. Right now, the girls share a room and the boys share a room, but more bedrooms and another bathroom could be added in the unfinished basement.

As with most families, they spend a lot of their time in the open-concept living and dining room. They like to sit and watch “MasterChef,” and Estrada enjoys plenty of room to cook in the kitchen.

“It’s so comfy here,” Zaira said.

A couple neighbor kids knocked on the front door, inviting her to come out 6

OCTOBER 2014

and play. They’re surrounded by a community of people who have endured similar hardships and gone through the same program.

Seated in the living room, Estrada looked at a few of the bare walls and curtain-clad windows, imaging the possibilities.

“You know it’s yours,” she said. “You made it as pretty or as ugly as you want.”

Framed pictures of the children and a group photo of the family hang prominently above the TV. She didn’t display

SIOUXLAND LIFE

them on the walls at their rental properties for fear of losing part of the deposit.

They were one of the first things to go up.

The family of six is still adjusting to their new life in Riverside and finding that home ownership comes with more responsibilities. They had to get a lawn mower, some tools and other things for upkeep around the house.

Ramirez finds a point of pride in it all.

“There’s satisfaction of having your own place,” he said. “Nothing is going to take that away from you.”

SIOUXLAND LIFE

OCTOBER 2014

7

COLLECTION shoes

glorious shoes

Connie Hansel, owner of Classique Closet, keeps a collection of more than 100 miniature shoes at her clothing consignment store in Sioux City. Friends, family and customers have added to the growing array.

SHOES ARE MADE

FOR COLLECTING, TOO

a

Text by Ally Karsyn | Photographs by Jim Lee

A RING HOLDER, FOOT file, snow shaker, door stop, cookie cutter, lipstick caddy, cake server and a hammer, plus porcelain pieces, Christmas ornaments and party favors, they’re all shaped like a shoe.

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OCTOBER 2014

These heels aren’t made for walking.

That’s just not what they do.

To her customers’ delight, Connie Hansel keeps a collection of more than 100 miniature shoes at her consignment store, Classique Closet. She has a

SIOUXLAND LIFE

long-held fascination for fashion that extends to the feet.

“It’s all about the shoes,” she said. “My sisters, family, friends, they keep adding to this collection.”

It began when Hansel was a girl.

She pointed to a pretty pink porcelain shoe embellished with flowers and a gold trim in the lighted display case behind the sales counter. The glazed slipper once sat on her dresser. She decorated with shoes and still does at her boutique.

She’s created window displays out of unwanted shoes, transforming them into hanging decorations with gold spray paint and fishing line. She has heels painted on the wall and propped up on shelves and pedestals.

She has a 365-day shoe calendar and a porcelain pair hanging in the bathroom. The heels act as hooks.

And she has big plans for a big shoe. A

3-foot-tall plush, zebra-striped shoe chair will be mounted on the freshly painted wall at the front of the clothing store.

If the shoe fits, mount it.

It’s shoe madness, and it runs in the family.

One of Hansel’s sisters recently reminded her of a pair of clear, Cinderella slippers that they fought over as little girls playing dress-up.

Hansel, wearing dangling silver shoe earrings, confessed she’s been looking for the long-lost slippers while cleaning out her parents’ house. They’re nowhere in sight, and she’s wondering if someone beat her to the punch.

“It’s all about the shoes. My sisters, family, friends, they keep adding to this collection.”

CONNIE HANSEL owner of Classique Closet

Above: Hansel’s shoe collection keeps growing, thanks to family and friends. Right: One of more than 100 miniature shoes displayed at Classique Closet.

She attributes part of her shoe obsession to watching her mom get dressed to the nines for a dance club. She couldn’t recall what kind of dancing it was, but she remembers her mother looking so beautiful in her high-heel shoes.

Hansel missed out on time getting to sport fashionable footwear.

She worked in a packing warehouse and had to wear work boots.

“I didn’t get to wear dressy shoes – all the more reason to increase your collection,” she said. “You could look at the pretty things at home. You couldn’t wear them, but you could look at them.”

She decided to pursue a college degree as a nontraditional student and studied business with thoughts of becoming a financial analyst.

She fell in love with consignment stores instead.

Even now, after 10 years of working in fashion, Hansel’s shoe closet at home doesn’t match the size of the miniature collection at her store.

Mary Jo Salem, a sales associate, called it a “little diva village.”

“Some customers have added to these since we’ve been here,” Salem said, giving a nod to the glittering display case.

Still, some shoppers try to get Hansel to part ways with her shoes. They’ll ask if the prized pieces are for sale and point out the one they want. Any in the glass cabinet, she won’t sell.

Nearly all of them were gifts. Each shoe has a story.

One of the latest added to her collection is a hanging ornament with a special message: “Today calls for big girl shoes.”

“There isn’t a celebration that goes by that I don’t get a shoe of some sort,” she said.

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OCTOBER 2014

SIOUXLAND LIFE

Proud to Live & Work in Siouxland

DOUGLAS A. WHEELOCK, DDS, PC Dr. Wheelock established his own dental practice in 1977. It originally was only 2 blocks from its current location at 4100 Morningside Avenue.

Dr. Wheelock was born and raised in Sioux City graduating from Sioux City Central High School in 1969. He went on to receive his Bachelors of Science degree from Briar Cliff College in 1973. He attended dental school at the University of Iowa and earned his Doctor of Dental Science degree in 1976. After graduation Dr. Wheelock returned to Sioux City.

Dr. Wheelock is involved in his community & church. Dr. Wheelock is married to his college sweetheart, Marilyn, and has three adult sons and three daughters in law. He is the proud grandfather of five incredible grandchildren.

Dr. Wheelock is proud to call Siouxland home and enjoys providing quality dental care to the community.

RYAN JENSEN, DMD

BRIAN B. BURSICK, DDS Dr. Brian Bursick is a Sioux City native growing up in the Crescent Park area. He attended West High School and graduated in 1986. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from the University of Nebraska Dental School in 1994. After graduation he practiced briefly in Sergeant Bluff, IA. In 1997 he joined Dr. Wheelock as an associate.

In 2004 he became a business partner.

Away from the office Dr. Bursick is busy with his family. He and his wife Kristy have three young sons.

Dr. Bursick is devoted to delivering quality comprehensive dentistry to the people of his hometown, Sioux City, IA.

Dr. Ryan Jensen was born in Idaho and lived most of his life in Idaho Falls. He earned his undergraduate degree in biology with minors in business management and chemistry from Brigham Young University. In May 2013, Dr. Jensen graduated from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio with his DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine). Dr. Jensen and his wife Kara have three children, ages 6, 4, and 2. They welcomed their fourth child in November 2013.

When not practicing dentistry, Dr. Jensen enjoys the outdoors, especially wake boarding, snowboarding, and whitewater rafting. He is also active in his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Dr. Jensen joined Wheelock and Bursick Dentistry in July 2013.

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Where Quality, Comfort and Value Meet.

New patients are welcomed!

DOUGLAS A. WHEELOCK, DDS, PC BRIAN B. BURSICK, DDS RYAN JENSEN, DMD 4100 Morningside Ave. • Sioux City, IA 51106 Phone 712-274-2038 Fax 712-274-0648 SIOUXLAND LIFE

OCTOBER 2014

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20 QUESTIONS with

a donor

Briar Cliff University donors Jody and Gina Sitzmann at the Stark Student Center.

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OCTOBER 2014

SIOUXLAND LIFE

20 QUESTIONS with a charitable donor

Gina Sitzmann Photographs by Tim Hynds

| Text by Dolly A. Butz

Gina Sitzmann, vice president and trust officer for Security National Bank, talks with Dolly A. Butz about her and her husband Jody’s contributions to local nonprofits that promote education, the arts and social services.

1. Do you remember the first charity you donated to?

“I can remember having church envelopes when I was a little kid at St. Matthew’s School in Le Claire (Iowa), and you were asked to save some of your own money and put that in there. We were all encouraged to do that in our family.”

2. How does giving to charity make you feel?

“I just feel compelled to do it. We feel like we’re so blessed. Every time I can help, even if it’s not a lot financially. I’ve seen the work of my dollars no matter how few or how great they are. I know that it’s helping somebody who’s been in a worse position than I’ve been in in life.”

3. What are some of the charities you donate to?

“Both my husband and I went to Catholic schools from kindergarten through college and we both graduated from Briar Cliff, so education has always been one of the main ones that we believe in contributing to – private and public. I’ve been involved with the arts, for example. Some of it is payback for some of the services they provide.”

4. With so many charities needing funds, how do you decide which ones to donate to?

“We donate to international ones through requests from missionaries through our church and to a Red Cross for some international disasters and things, but it generally tends to be an organization that has impacted me or my family personally. I think that’s true for a lot of donors.”

5. What steps do you take before donating to a charity?

“Because of my position in the trust department, I’m very familiar with all the legal and financial aspects of charitable giving. I have a lot of knowledge of nonprofits compared to the average

person.”

6. Are there websites that can help people research charities?

“There are public websites available, including one by IRS, where you can type in the names and know that it’s a qualified charity from the IRS perspective so you know that your donation will be a qualified donation. There’s just a wealth of information available on the Internet, but there are search engines like GuideStar that you can see the tax return that’s filed by the nonprofit organization and find out some information about them locally.”

7. What do you think about “challenges” to encourage donating to charity (example: ice bucket challenge)?

“Social media just took over there. If money can lead to research to eliminate that horrible illness someday, wouldn’t that be wonderful? Unfortunately, I think part of it was people were just doing it and it had nothing to do with the charity. It became more of an Internet sensation than a nonprofit support program, but regardless there was a lot of money raised there that they would’ve probably never been able to raise on their own.”

8. What if you don’t have a lot of money. Are there other ways you can donate to charity?

“Definitely. Even if it’s not a nonprofit... Some of the disasters we’ve had here recently in the area when there’s cleanup required or even some of the things a lot of us throw away or take for granted.

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Your time and your talent, everybody’s got some ability to help.”

9. Do you track your donations?

If so, how?

“My preference is to write checks; and then they can serve as documentation as well. You are required to get receipts for certain contributions over a dollar

amount and the charities know that.

They send you letters stating what your contribution is. I keep a spreadsheet at home to help us keep track of which charities we’ve given to and how much we’ve given and the time we’ve given.”

10. How many charities have you contributed to?

“We probably contribute to 40 or 50 charities in a year. Some of them are ongoing pledges and some of them are just annual campaign requests and some of them are more impromptu.”

11. Do you think that more people should donate to charity?

“Yes. Definitely. I think that the need is always there and there’s lots of needs.

You can probably find so many things that support your interests that count on gifts to charity to continue whatever their mission is. Life is about what you give, not about what you get.”

12. What’s the sign of a good charity?

“I think a sign of a good charity is the good press they get – when they’re highlighted for something they’ve done. That they’re not in the news negatively with any mismanagement.”

13. Are there red flags you should watch out for when picking a charity?

“Pretty much locally you’re generally going to see your dollars going to work. You’re going to see in the building.

You’re going to see who’s on the boards. ... I think with the Internet you’re more subject to being taken advantage of.”

14. Do people ask you to donate to their causes?

“Some of the people I work with, they’re on boards that I’m not involved with. They’ll come around and ask me to donate to events that they’re involved with.”

15. Do you get tired of people

SIOUXLAND LIFE

OCTOBER 2014

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“Charities and politics don’t get exempted from the Do Not Call list, so you could still get calls. If you give, you tend to get your name out there. You’ll tend to get more mailing requests that way.”

16. What do you do if the charity isn’t in line with your values or you don’t support what the money’s going to do?

“I don’t know that I’ve been really put in that position too much. ... I have turned down just a random call. I’ve just said, ‘I appreciate your time,’ because you don’t want to be rude to that person.”

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17. How long do you examine a charity before you decide to donate?

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“That’s not what motivates us to give.”

19. Does anything in Sioux City have your name on it because of a donation?

“There are a few places around town.

I think our name might be at Briar Cliff when we contributed there.”

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20. How do you encourage others to be good citizens and give to charity?

“I think it’s like anything, you model.

We have three children. They’ve seen us give. They’ve seen us work fundraisers.

We’ve asked them to do some of that when they were growing up.”

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OCTOBER 2014

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CELEBRATING NONPROFITS WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO TRY AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES?

THE NONPROFIT LIFE the

big event

Visitors walk past displays during the 21st annual ArtSplash festival at Riverside Park.

VOLUNTEERS AND THOROUGH PLANNING COMBINE TO MAKE

ARTSPLASH A SUCCESS

e

EVEN THOUGH ARTSPLASH IS only a two-day festival, it takes Erin WebberDreeszen, development coordinator for the event, and the rest of the staff at the Sioux City Art Center a year to get everything ready for Siouxland’s biggest celebration of art.

“When we finish an ArtSplash, pretty much immediately we have a good sense of what went well and what needs to be improved,” said Webber-Dreeszen, who has been on the ArtSplash staff for three years. “Right away we can make plans for the next year.”

She talks with guests and volunteers about their experiences and has artists fill out detailed surveys.

“Their feedback is so valuable,” said Webber-Dreeszen. “It’s our top priority.

We want to be as community-friendly as possible, but the artists are our centerpiece.”

Webber-Dreeszen credits the volunteers for making the event come together successfully every year.

“The volunteers are our life blood,” she said. “They are the ambassadors of the Art Center and Sioux City. They represent us so well time and time again.

The artists make so many comments

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OCTOBER 2014

Text by Michelle Kuester Photographs by Jim Lee

ArtSplash Development Coordinator Erin Webber-Dreeszen.

about how great they are. We couldn’t do the festival without them.”

Webber-Dreeszen said that the call for

SIOUXLAND LIFE

volunteers goes out in May, which usually brings in approximately 300 to 400 people who are willing to help.

Kiaralinda, an artist from Safety Harbor, Fla., sets up her display of Whimzey Wire during ArtSplash.

Parker Nelson, 3, Sergeant Bluff, has his face painted during ArtSplash.

Organizing everyone might seem difficult, but Webber-Dreeszen noted that it’s important to make sure that everyone has a job.

“I think the key to volunteering is when people show up at the worksite, they have a job and feel like they’ve made a difference at the end of the day,” she said.

And they have made a difference, she said, because ArtSplash completed its 21st year this September, having never missed a year.

“It has been cold and it’s been blazing hot and we just go to it no matter what,” Webber-Dreeszen said.

ArtSplash had always been held on the riverfront until 2011 when floods forced organizers to move it to Grandview Park. Webber-Dreeszen found that the location wasn’t as user-friendly to the ArtSplash crowd, and, after an especially hot 2012 ArtSplash weekend, the event was moved to Riverside Park.

“We lost patronage at Grandview due

to the difficulty of walking up and down the hills. Especially in the heat, it was rough,” she said. “Grandview is perfect for Saturday in the Park. It was made for them. It wasn’t perfect for us.”

Webber-Dreeszen doesn’t foresee ArtSplash moving back to the riverfront because the event has outgrown that venue.

“We’re also really comfortable at Riverside Park,” she said. “It’s a great size and shape for what we do.”

The event evolved out of an art fair that used to be held downtown. Previous Art Center employees Candy Gaskill, Jackie Baker and Linda Hartje put the original ArtSplash together and it has grown ever since.

“They laid the groundwork,” said

Webber-Dreeszen. “There have been some important people in the mix that have made it bigger and better, but it’s maintained the core tradition that they created.”

ArtSplash generally brings in between 20,000-25,000 attendees with a large portion of the proceeds going to support the Art Center. A secondary portion, approximately $16,000-$17,000, goes to other area nonprofits that help put the event together, such as Boy Scouts who sell water, firefighters that help set up tents and youth groups and sports teams.

“It just feels really great to give back to these awesome groups,” said WebberDreeszen. “ArtSplash is a way to generate excitement about art but also give back to the community in so many ways.”

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THE NONPROFIT LIFE volunteers

Left: Steve Ambrose, of Sioux City, crosses the 10th floor to start his downward climb during the first annual Storm the Centre Challenge at Ho-Chunk Centre in Sioux City,. The challenge proceeds will be used to assist patients of the June E. Nylen Cancer Center with non-medical needs related to their illness. Center: Crymson Aldrich, of Winnebago, reaches the finish line during the first annual Storm the Centre Challenge. Right: Sioux City Firefighter George Glass suits up in full gear before participating in the event.

EVENT PLANNING TAKES TIME, TALENT AND IMAGINATION

i

Text by Earl Horkyk | Photographs by Dawn J. Sagert

IT DOESN’T MATTER IF you can contribute time, talent or treasure, there’s always a need for a good volunteer.

That’s the philosophy of Tracy Feathers, director of marketing for the June E. Nylen Cancer Center, Hospice of Siouxland and Siouxland Paramedics.

“People think it’s strictly a money thing,” she said, “but we also need people who are willing to lend a hand and help us organize an event.”

Feathers This is certainly the case with the Cancer Center’s 18th annual “Race for Hope,” an event held at Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve on Sept. 20.

“Race for Hope is one of the area’s longest-running 5K/15K charity walk/ runs,” Feathers explained. “Every year, it takes more than 120 people at least six months to plan. It’s a big undertaking.”

Feathers said as many as 1,000 people will be taking part in the walk/run, often as a way to support a friend or family member whose life was altered by cancer.

“Cancer impacts practically everybody at some point,” she said. “That’s

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OCTOBER 2014

what makes (large-scale events) so important.”

Drawing upon her previous experience in nursing, education and the business sector, Feathers said the key to successful event planning is good marketing.

In addition to “Race for Hope,” the Cancer Center also hosts a “Cancer Sucks! Comedy Rocks!” fundraiser every March.

“We’re always looking for unique and fun ways to hold fundraisers,” she said. “We plan early enough and try to market it as effectively as we can.”

Also, individuals and groups have planned fundraisers where the proceeds will go towards cancer awareness and protection.

They include a BBQing Hogs for Hope, a charity founded by West Middle School eighth-grader Tayvin Schmoll held at Lewis & Clark Park on Oct. 4 and Storm the Centre event at Sioux City’s Ho-Chunk Centre, held Sept. 13.

“That’s the nice things about the Cancer Center,” Feathers observed. “We have people who are willing to step up to the plate and help us out.”

Yet she acknowledged there are

SIOUXLAND LIFE

many other worthwhile organizations in the community.

“There are great causes out there who are helping people on a daily basis,” Feathers said. “We don’t look at other organizations as being the competition because we all do great work.”

Indeed, she said there’s enough money and manpower to go around.

Still, Feathers is constantly looking for ways to increase her organization’s visability. She does this by organizing large fundraisers and smaller events that she calls “friend-raisers.”

“A friend-raiser is simply an event that’s designed to keep our name in the public or raise awareness for something very specific,” she said, citing the Cancer Center’s past “Boxers and Bras for a Cause” breast cancer awareness campaign.

Even with the most creative fundraising gimmick, Feathers is quick to point out none would be effective without the help of volunteers.

“People have been willing to give the June E. Nylen Cancer Center their time, talent and treasure and I’m so appreciative of their support,” she said. “They are as passionate about fighting cancer as we are.”

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THE NONPROFIT LIFE a

housing need

RONALD

MCDONALD

HOUSE

IS ‘HOME AWAY FROM HOME’ FOR MANY Text by Dolly A. Butz Photographs by Jim Lee, Tim Hynds

f

FAMILIES OF SICK CHILDREN are worried, tired and stressed when they arrive on the Ronald McDonald House’s doorstep.

Over the past 20 years, the two-story beige house with white trim at 2500 Nebraska St. has served as a home-awayfrom-home for 2,500 families.

Although the charity has a licensing agreement with McDonald’s, executive director Barb Knepper said Ronald McDonald Charities of Siouxland, Inc. raises nearly 100 percent of its operating budget, which is close to $400,000 annually.

The relationship with McDonald’s, she said, links the nonprofit with some national donors and offers support services.

“We do fundraising. We do special events. We do donation appeals. We raise funds just like any other nonprofit does,” she said. “We have operated in the black for 20 years. We’re really proud that we’re able to be financially sound.”

In addition to serving a couple hundred families every year with food, shelter and support, Knepper said the nonprofit also runs a scholarship program and grants program to fund other charities in the community that are doing things to improve the health of children.

The only requirement to stay at the Ronald McDonald House, Knepper said, is having a child under the age of 21 who is receiving medical care in Siouxland.

The nonprofit can accommodate six families at a time.

Knepper said the majority of the families who stay at the Ronald McDonald 20

OCTOBER 2014

Above: Barb Knepper stands outside the Ronald McDonald House in Sioux City. The house offers a place for families to stay while their children are undergoing medical treatment. Top: Subtle cues to the house’s namesake abound at the house, such as this cookie jar shown in the kitchen.

House come from a 60-80 mile radius around Sioux City. Many families, she said, are referred from the Storm Lake area. She said they have infants receiving neonatal services at UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s.

“We try to take some of those daily housekeeping and daily decisions out of their lives so that they can concentrate all of their time and energy on their child,” she said. “We want them to come

SIOUXLAND LIFE

back here and feel comforted, not only with the physical surroundings, but also with the other families and our staff.”

Families from 30 different states and six foreign countries, Knepper said, have also sought shelter at the Ronald McDonald House, which provides van transportation to and from the hospitals.

“We had a family that came from New Zealand because Dr. Quentin Durward was their chosen physician for their

Above: A bedroom is shown at the Ronald McDonald House. Top: A sitting room is shown in the house.

daughter’s brain surgery,” she said. “We had a family from Japan when Teikyo Westmar (University) was in existence.

A Japanese student had a medical issues and his family came from Japan.”

Each family receives a private room.

All bedrooms are located on the second floor except one, which is handicap accessible.

Above: A statue of Ronald McDonald is shown on the outdoor playground. Top: The Ronald McDonald House.

The house offers a place for families to stay while their children are undergoing medical treatment.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

OCTOBER 2014

21

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

Above: Barb Knepper is shown in a guestroom at the Ronald McDonald House in Sioux City. Top: Executive director Barb Knepper is shown in a play room.

The first floor contains offices; a sitting area with a plaid couch, chairs and a fireplace; and a large open dining room and kitchen area that promotes interaction.

The space features wood flooring, a round, oak table with eight chairs and a large island for preparing food. The freezer is stocked with ready-made meals.

“The real beauty of staying here is the interaction and the support that the families give to one another,” Knepper said. “They’re all in the same situation where they have a child who’s sick. It’s really terrific to see the relationships that form between two families, five families or six families.”

Downstairs, guests can do their laundry or relax in a family room, where the bookshelves are stocked with books, puzzles and games. The leather couches and chairs were donated by La-Z-Boy. Each year, Knepper said, the furniture manufacturer allows her to order a few new pieces. A playroom, decorated with an undersea mural, is also located in the lower level.

Touches of Ronald McDonald are scattered throughout the home. A cookie jar of the red, yellow and white clown sits on a kitchen counter. A framed Ronald puzzle hangs on the stairway wall leading to the second floor and a statue in the outdoor play area also pays homage to the fast food restaurant icon.

Knepper said children often ask, “Where’s Ronald?,” thinking he lives at the house bearing his namesake.

“His spirit lives here,” she said with a smile.

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THE NONPROFIT LIFE the

ALS windfall

ALS CEO VOWS TO FIGHT UNTIL

A CURE IS FOUND Leader of national nonprofit group hails from Le Mars, studied at Briar Cliff and USD

i

Text by Tim Gallagher Photographs by Dawn J. Sagert

IN RECENT MONTHS, THE money coming in to the ALS Association seemed to change by the minute.

“Right now, it’s $110.5 million,” said Barbara Newhouse of the Ice Bucket Challenge phenomenon that swept across the Internet and the country, raising the profile and filling the donation coffers for those at the ALS Association.

“It’s wild. This has been working nonstop, 24/7.”

Newhouse, a Le Mars, Iowa, native who earned an undergraduate degree from Briar Cliff University and a master’s from the University of South Dakota, was named president and CEO of The ALS Association in June.

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OCTOBER 2014

Or, about $100 million ago.

“I didn’t have the normal honeymoon period,” she said.

The popularity of the Ice Bucket Challenge has raised the profile of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the neuromuscular disease named for Lou Gehrig, the Hall of Fame first basemen who played for the New York Yankees in the 1920s and 1930s. He played in a then-record 2,130 straight baseball games until the early effects of ALS took baseball’s “Iron Horse” from the game he loved and practically perfected.

It is believed that up to 30,000 persons in the U.S. currently battle ALS, which, to date, has no known cause or cure.

What ALS has is a determined foe in Newhouse, who won’t soon forget the day she spent at an ALS clinic this summer. She sat with a woman and her

SIOUXLAND LIFE

Barbara Newhouse, a native of Le Mars, Iowa, and a Briar Cliff and USD graduate, was named president and CEO of the ALS Association in June.

BRIAR CLIFF TIES REMEMBERED While Barbara Newhouse, the CEO and president of the ALS Association, works in and around Washington, D.C., her thoughts are never far from Siouxland.

Newhouse, a Le Mars, Iowa, native, graduated from Briar Cliff College in 1980, with a major in social work. She would add a master’s degree from the University of South Dakota a bit later in her career.

“What I learned at Briar Cliff set in motion how I’ve lived my life,” Newhouse said. “That is to really take the time, look at things and do the right thing.”

Elected officials take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge in Sioux City in August. The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised more than $110 million for the ALS Association, a group headed Le Mars, Iowa, native Barbara Newhouse.

family as a neurologist gave them the dreaded diagnosis: The woman had ALS. Newhouse, like the woman she joined that day in the waiting room, is 56.

“When he (the neurologist) looked at her and confirmed the ALS diagnosis, my heart went into the pit of my stomach,” Newhouse said.

Thankfully, Newhouse said her immediate family hasn’t been directly impacted by ALS. And while she hasn’t had to go to bat for a family member, Newhouse’s role now is to champion the cause of all patients and families hit by this mystery disease.

She has done recent interviews with reporters representing news agencies from around the world, including The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio and on television stations across the United States.

Her point: Let’s keep applying the pressure.

“Never before have we been in a better position to fuel our fight against this disease,” she communicated to supporters in August. “Increased awareness and unprecedented financial support will enable us to think outside the box. We will be able to strategize about efforts in ways that previously would not have been

possible, all while we work to fulfill and enhance our existing mission priorities nationwide.”

Currently, the ALS Association supports 98 active projects and recently announced $3.5 million in funding for 21 new projects led by the world’s top scientists.

Newhouse is driven by the notion that research will one day soon lead to a major breakthrough and, perhaps, a cure for ALS. “I get up each day and come to work as I believe we have a responsibility to continue to look for ways to solve these issues,” she said. “I believe that we, as an organization, are in the business to put ourselves out of business.”

That’s why, in fact, Newhouse took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, joining millions of others.

She was challenged to do it dozens of times.

As a leader of an organization in the limelight, Newhouse counts her blessings, calling the ALS Association grateful in the wake of a national phenomenon that became an international sensation.

“I was told one of my interviews was used in Japan,” she said.

As she talked, the bells rang and more money came the way of her organization.

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Newhouse graduated from Briar Cliff and landed a job running a community sentencing program for minor offenders. She would later take a position with the United Way and then the American Cancer Society.

Later, as executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Big Sioux Chapter, Newhouse helped initiate the Wine and Roses Festival 20 years ago, and watched it become one of the region’s most prestigious special events, one that grossed more than $200,000 annually.

Newhouse went on to become a member of the national Alzheimer’s Association’s senior leadership team and then became chief operating officer of the Autism Society of America.

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REIMAGINING

RIVER-CADE

THE NONPROFIT LIFE the

longtime event

SUMMER FESTIVAL LEARNS TO ADAPT TO CHANGING TIMES

d

Text by Earl Horlyk | Photographs by Dawn J. Sagert and Jim Lee

DON’T LET THE MEDIEVAL get-up fool you, Phil Claeys is always looking toward the future.

In fact, Claeys, also known as “Fallen Friar Phil” from River-Cade’s Gathering of the Kingdom of Riverssance renaissance festival, has big plans for River-Cade, one of Iowa’s largest and longest lasting summer festivals.

Started in 1964, River-Cade was designed to celebrate the importance the Missouri River had on the area.

Over the past 51 years, River-Cade has grown to include parades, concerts, smile contests, river regattas and hundreds of other events, including Riverssance, which will be Oct. 4 and 5 at Riverside Park.

Yet River-Cade also has had to withstand the reduction of barge traffic, economic hardships, unpredictable weather, flooding and a devastating site change as well as increasing competition from other summertime events.

Still, board member Claeys said what kept River-Cade going is its ability to adapt to changing times.

“We know we’re no longer the only game in town,” he said. “And, guess what? That’s OK.” Claeys said the introduction of such high-profile events as Saturday in the Park, Awesome Biker Night and ArtSplash have merely increased the options people have in the summer.

“We don’t see rivalries,” he said. “We only see community people who want to bring fun things to Sioux City.”

To that extent, Claeys said he has expanded River-Cade’s calendar to include things staggered throughout the summer and, indeed, throughout the year. For instance, a cardboard sled race is usually held in February, a youth fishing derby is held in early June and Riverssance is held in early October.

“I really like that River-Cade is no longer simply a week-long event in July,” Claeys said. “Having multiple events allows us to try new things.”

Among River-Cade’s most popular recent events have been its “Kids Zone,” held during Saturday in the Park, as well as RiverFest, a series of concerts featuring top-name acts held at WinnaVegas

Left: Phil Claeys is shown as Fallen Friar for Riverssance Festival, in a wooded area near his home in Sioux City, Iowa. Claeys is also the Event Coordinator and the 2013-2014 Commodore for the festival.

Above: Diane and Rod Gaskell are shown at River-Cade’s Kingdom of Riverssance at Riverside Park on Oct. 2, 2013. Top: River-Cade royalty waves to the crowd during the parade in downtown Sioux City.

Casino Resort in Sloan, Iowa.

Despite that, Claeys knows River-Cade’s real legacy comes from the goodwill and memories people have for the event.

“I can’t tell you how many times people come up to me and say that becoming River-Cade royalty was one of the highlights of their lives or participating in our smile contest was a cherished memory for their childhood,” he said, with a grin. “River-Cade wasn’t just a festival to them. It was a part of their lives.”

As a nod to nostalgia, Claeys even introduced an honorary River-Cade Royal Court, made up of members from the Siouxland Center for Active Generations, this year.

This is also why he is committed to

seeing River-Cade grow in the future.

“I see the number of young families watching our parade or going to our carnival midways,” Claeys noted. “These are the people who are making lasting memories of River-Cade today.”

What is Claeys’ own River-Cade memory? He remembers having his first kiss under the carnival midway during the inaugural River-Cade.

“That girl was the first of many,” he recalled with a laugh. “I’ve had a lot of memories at River-Cade.”

Claeys is also positive that more memories will be made in the future.

Can he see River-Cade lasting another 51 years?

“Absolutely,” he said. “Wouldn’t that be great?”

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27

THE NONPROFIT LIFE dollars

for scholars

SCHOLARS USE DOLLARS FOR NEXT GENERATION

i

Text by Tim Gallagher

IDA GROVE, IOWA | Brian Waller earned a Horn Memorial Scholarship as a senior at Ida Grove High School in 1981.

The full-tuition award came in handy as he pursued a degree in finance the following four years at Iowa State University.

Waller and wife Sheila Waller, a 1981 Ida Grove HS grad as well, never forgot.

In fact, they put their money where their memories are; and returned to Ida Grove eight years ago with a $12,000 check in presenting the first Waller Make a Difference Scholarship. They’ve done likewise in each of the past eight years.

It’s a big drop in the scholarship bucket at Ida Grove. Actually, the bucket here when it comes to supporting high school seniors is one of the largest in the state.

In May, seniors at OABCIG earned scholarship awards totaling $418,124.

For two decades, an education scholarship foundation has presented awards to every senior that turns in an application. Additionally, private individuals, like the Wallers, and a host of community groups and businesses, have created and continue to support other scholarships for graduates.

“I just worked with a couple of individuals today and it looks like we’ll have two more scholarships to present this May,” says Patrick Miller, OABCIG High School principal.

Brian Waller, 51, is now in his 20th year leading Insurance Finance Corp., a firm that finances commercial insurance premiums for agents across the U.S. His company’s sale of a second business several years ago helped allow he and Sheila to establish a scholarship at their alma mater.

“We called it the ‘Make a Difference Scholarship’ as the Horn Memorial Scholarship allowed Brian to make a difference in his life and the lives of others,” says Sheila, who directs an interior design business.

“We were struggling college students,” Brian says, recalling how he and Sheila wed as ISU students and struggled to make ends meet in the mid-1980s. “My first job out of college was for $11,500

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FOUNDATION AWARDS Since 1995, students at BCIG High School (and now OABCIG High School) have earned scholarships through the school district’s education scholarship foundation, a group now called the OABCIG Dollars for Scholars unit. Here’s a look at the dollars awarded from this fund alone since 1995.

2005 $151,000 1995 $15,500 2006 $172,000 1996 $17,000 2007 $173,000 1997 $18,000 2008 $173,000 1998 $20,000 2009 $158,000 1999 $27,500 2010 $179,000 2000 $38,000 2011 $180,000 2001 $42,000 2012 $207,000 2002 $110,000 2013 $186,000 2003 $123,000 2014 $224,000 2004 $157,000 (annual salary).”

The Horn Memorial Scholarship, however, helped him get through ISU without a substantial debt load. It enabled him to pursue a partnership opportunity that

SIOUXLAND LIFE

Sheila Waller, left, and husband Brian Waller, right, are shown with 2014 OABCIG High School graduate Paige Whitney, the recipient of the Waller Make a Difference Scholarship in 2014. The award, which amounts to $12,000 for Whitney in each of the next four years, was presented during the high school’s annual Scholarship Night event. The Wallers, both natives of Ida Grove, have given a four-year scholarship on this night for the past eight years.

presented itself in West Des Moines in 1993.

Brian Waller learned a decade ago that funds fueling the Horn Memorial Scholarship had dwindled over time. He and Sheila decided shortly after to step in and positively address this void, thus offering future students some of the same opportunities Brian enjoyed.

“It was our wish to try to give back something to the community and when the Horn scholarship was reduced, this seemed logical,” he says.

When the Wallers awarded the first scholarship, annual costs for tuition, room and board at state universities in Iowa came to $12,000. They set the scholarship for that amount, but did not limit

recipients in their choice of school. A few of the winners have attended private colleges; one attended a school in Colorado.

Others have gone to Iowa State.

Those who earn the Waller Make a Difference Scholarship do so by applying and then interviewing before a committee. The Wallers don’t meet the winner until the awards presentation.

“Each year, we’re told, the interview is probably the difference-maker,” Brian Waller says, noting how accomplished each applicant is in the classroom, in a variety of extracurricular activities and in community service.

“All of these kids are good kids,” Miller notes. “The winners have been involved in everything over the years, and they’ve really shown a commitment to our school and the community in community service.”

The importance of giving back, Miller adds, hasn’t been lost on a current generation of OABCIG graduates. And if there’s one lasting impact of the Dollars for Scholars program, and of scholarship awards like the one funded by the Wallers, it’s the fact that OABCIG seniors will get a boost in heading off to school.

That is, if they’re good about giving something to OABCIG and its communities in the years leading to graduation.

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

OCTOBER 2014

29

THE NONPROFIT LIFE starting

up

GEARING UP

Children’s Museum of Siouxland prepares for final phase of construction

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Text by Ally Karsyn

THE COGS HAVE BEEN put in place, and the wheels are turning to bring a decade-old project from concept to completion.

In more than one way, the Children’s Museum of Siouxland speaks to the power of play.

Ten years ago, Brandy TenHulzen and three other mothers imagined a place where infants, toddlers and children could gather and get their hands on knowledge.

She took her daughters, then ages 3 and 5, to the Iowa Children’s Museum in Coralville and watched them react with glee as they explored the educational playground. Through a maze of exhibits, they found things to push, pull, build, climb and create.

“A children’s museum is all participatory and interactive. Every display is meant to be touched,” she said. “We wondered why we couldn’t have one in our community.”

TenHulzen, Debbie Bernstein La Croix, Lily Higman and Jenny Uhl played with the idea.

The Junior League of Sioux City created an ad hoc committee, and, since then, schools, families, city officials, businesses and organizations have gotten behind the $7 million project.

From the early stages of research and development, a core group of dedicated volunteers – those four mothers who dared to dream – drove the project forward.

When the committee conducted a survey among Sioux City schools years ago, the results showed enthusiasm for the project and highlighted a need for supplemental education.

“The biggest comment we received that was a surprise to us was that so many teachers said that we live in the Midwest, however, no students know how food gets from farm to market,” TenHulzen said.

Farm Credit Services of America made the first major donation to the museum

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OCTOBER 2014

Children’s Museum of Siouxland Executive Director Kari Kellen.

just a little more than two years ago by providing funds for a life-size replica of a milking cow. The bovine will be a part of a comprehensive agriculture, commerce and trade exhibit, where a model farm, grocery store and café will allow visitors to track the movement of food from farm to table.

All of the exhibits encourage interactive, hands-on learning through play, giving children ages 6 months to 10 years old the opportunity to learn, grow and play in a space that’s geared just for them.

“We plan to excel in early childhood development,” Executive Director Kari Kellen said.

She anticipates the grand opening to take place late next year.

In the meantime, fundraising efforts continue in order to ensure the exhibits live up to the imagination and that finances are in place to sustain programming and operations.

The Sioux City Musketeers hockey team skated in to help. For one game, a portion of the ticket sales went to the children’s museum. The nonprofit also set up a booth and fans contributed more than $5,000.

“Whenever we get a chance to go out

SIOUXLAND LIFE

and talk to the community about what this will be when our doors open, the excitement level heightens,” Kellen said.

“This is really about hands-on education and family engagement, adult-child interaction where they can learn science, technology, engineering and math concepts.”

Other community members have rallied around the idea through unsolicited support.

A group of ladies hosted a bake sale.

They made gourmet cupcakes and raised $1,000.

For children’s birthday parties, instead of getting presents, young backers of the project asked for money to be given to the museum in hopes of hosting next year’s celebration at the downtown attraction.

And from time to time, Kellen receives barely legible handwritten notes with money enclosed from children.

“Those dollars are the most fun to receive,” she said. “It gives us a renewed energy.”

Generating interest at all age levels, the museum has held themed fundraisers aimed at children and adults.

Lemonade Days in June got pint-sized philanthropists involved and gave them the opportunity to learn basic business skills while benefiting the museum through lemonade stands.

The annual Oktoberfest has been popular among adults.

Through one of the latest fundraisers, called Get a Gear, donors can buy a 6-inch plaque for $100, 8-inch for $300 or 10-inch for $500 and have it inscribed with their names or to honor someone else.

The next step for the children’s museum calls for hiring staff, building a network of volunteers and partnering with other organizations to collaborate on programming and workshops.

Kellen and others have been exploring the possibilities from a writer’s workshop with authors and illustrators to events featuring robotics and 3-D printing.

The wheels are turning. Get ready to play.

Above: A comprehensive exhibit allow visitors to track the movement of food from farm to table. The commerce and trade area features a grocery store and café. Top: The wind exhibit features a climbing component of curved ramps. As children climb, they’ll find wind cannons and feel the impact of air. They’ll also be able to build different flying items out of foam, cardboard and Popsicle sticks. Left: A comprehensive exhibit allow visitors to track the movement of food from farm to table. The agriculture area features a grain bin, garden and farm animals. Bottom left: The construction exhibit features building blocks and six simple machines.

All of the museum’s interactive exhibits touch on concepts of science, technology, engineering and math.

Below: The river exhibit features a 1,000-square-foot water table, where children can explore the uses of water, as well as concepts of flooding and irrigation.

THE NONPROFIT LIFE life

of a fundraiser

Noah’s Hope Animal Rescue board member Judy Stanwick holds rescue dog Joleen while sitting in a van purchased from donations at the nonprofit organization’s thrift store.

AREA NONPROFITS EXPLORE VARIOUS AVENUES FOR

FUNDRAISING

r

Text by Michelle Kuester | Photographs by Tim Hynds and Jim Lee

RAISING MONEY AND AWARENESS for a nonprofit group takes creativity on top of blood, sweat and tears. A simple car wash or bake sale isn’t going to pay thousands of dollars in veterinary bills, help sustain the environment or build houses for low-income families. That’s why representatives from area nonprofit groups can never stop brainstorming unique ways to fund their organizations.

NOAH’S HOPE ANIMAL RESCUE: SOCIAL MEDIA Deanna Jarvis and Judy Stanwick know how to navigate social media. The two, president and board member of the group, respectively, along with other volunteers have boosted Noah’s Hope’s Facebook’s followers from 1,400 three years ago to more than 13,000 today.

“I think most of our fans come from

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OCTOBER 2014

Deanna Jarvis holds Soo at Noah’s Hope Thrift Store.

Soo was found abandoned on a gravel road with a cardboard box of puppies.

the fact that we don’t just have the typical ‘This dog is for adoption’ post,” said Jarvis. “We have the dogs’ stories. A lot of times the dogs come in neglected or abused. We post pictures and updates

SIOUXLAND LIFE

and people like it when they see those same dogs healthy and getting adopted to a family later.”

It’s this emotional appeal that makes Facebook followers want to do anything they can to help the group in their mission.

“Anytime there is a contest that involves voting online and we post it to our Facebook page, it’s done. Our followers vote for us so many times that the competition is done,” said Jarvis. “We appreciate that so much.”

The group recently won 500 pounds of dog food to feed approximately 60 rescue dogs that it fosters at a time and it also won a $10,000 Chase grant which helped alleviate veterinary bills which typically run $5,000 per month.

“People can adopt, foster, donate, fundraise, anything,” said Stanwick. “It all

Invitations for the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center’s annual Nature Calls fundraiser are shown in a recycling tote.

makes a difference and it’s all going to help these dogs.”

DOROTHY PECAUT NATURE CENTER: BEER TASTING Finding ways to raise money from new audiences can be a challenge that nonprofit groups face. Often, creativity is key to making ends meet.

Enter: Nature Calls beer tasting event for Dorothy Pecaut.

“We were looking for ways to be a little broader reaching and raise money from people who might Snyder not normally come to the center,” said Dawn Snyder, naturalist and educator for Dorothy Pecaut. “That’s why we came up with the beer-tasting fundraiser.”

The casual event takes place at the end of September and features a large variety of brews and hors d’oeuvres.

“There’s been great success over the years with this event,” said Snyder. “It’s in its 11th year and it’s neat seeing a different group of people than normally come to the center.”

In recent years, Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center was able to renovate its exhibits, build a large raptor house and construct an outdoor play area from proceeds raised at the event.

“All of the money we raise from it goes back into the center,” Snyder said. “If we don’t provide learning opportunities and stress the importance of protecting habitats and clean water for local and rare animals and plants, they won’t be around to enjoy and sustain future populations.”

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: RECYCLING Home renovation projects almost always result in perfectly good items being thrown away to make room for newer items that match the design scheme. Katie Roberts, executive director of the Siouxland chapter of Habitat for

Above: Katie Roberts, executive director of Siouxland Habitat for Humanity, is shown at a Habitat for Humanity home under construction in Sioux City’s Riverside neighborhood. Top: Volunteer Marilyn Milbrodt reaches for an empty bottle while assembling invitations for the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center’s annual Nature Calls fundraiser.

Humanity, encourages people to think twice before tossing.

The group, which builds affordable houses for low-income families, also runs a ReStore where people can donate gently used household items where lowincome families can purchase the goods at a fraction of the cost.

“If someone just doesn’t like the color of their cabinets and they want to switch them out, they can donate them,” Roberts said. “It’s an easy way for people to give back.”

The ReStore also receives donations from local retail stores, contractors, churches and businesses that are

renovating either a customer’s or their building and have extra items that they no longer need.

“It saves them the expense of having to take things to the dump and it gives us items for the houses,” Roberts said.

The group assists families who, despite working hard, have difficulty making ends meet with high rent payments and too few rooms to accommodate multiple children.

“It’s important to make sure that we help the people that would otherwise fall through the gap,” said Roberts. “We take pride in the fact that we’re a hand up not a hand out.”

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33

THE NONPROFIT LIFE student

givers

GIVING BACK

MORNINGSIDE STUDENTS GO ‘INTO THE STREETS’ FOR GOOD CAUSES

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Text by Earl Horlyk | Photograph by Tim Hynds

BEING IN CHARGE OF more than 800 students who are working on behalf of more than 60 nonprofit organizations in a single day may be as challenging as war games.

If that’s the case, then consider Anna Christensen a Patton in the making.

A member of Morningside College’s 34

OCTOBER 2014

Omicron Delta Kappa national leadership honor society, she is in charge of the school’s annual “Into the Streets” day of community service.

This year, the eighth annual event will be Oct. 1.

“I’ve been involved with ‘Into the Streets’ since my sophomore year,”

SIOUXLAND LIFE

Christensen, a nursing senior, explained.

“I think it’s very important to give back to the community.”

Likewise, Christensen’s co-leader Maria Bohling has been involved with “Into the Streets” ever since the chemistry major was a freshman. “”Working on behalf of a common

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Above: Morningside College students remove sandbags from homes in the Riv-R-Land Estates area in South Dakota after the Missouri River flooding during the summer of 2011. Left: Morningside College students remove debris from a Riv-R-Land Estates area home that was damaged by Missouri River flooding during the summer of 2011. Approximately 600 Morningside students volunteered for the cleanup effort as part of the college’s annual “Into the Streets” community service day.

Morningside College students Maria Bohling, left, and Anna Christensen plan the college’s Eighth annual Into the Streets event.

goal is a great way to bond and make friends,” Bohling said. “That’s why I’ve been involved with the program ever since.”

“Into the Streets” allows Morningside students to perform a variety of a tasks – such as cleaning, painting, reading to elementary school kids or working with the elderly – for an ever-growing list of nonprofits.

A few weeks before the event, Bohling and Christensen are still calling organizations to see if they need assistance.

“Many of the nonprofits expect our call every year,” Christensen said as she looked at spreadsheets inside a

community room at the college’s LAGS Hall. “But we’re always bringing new organizations on board.”

A Waconia, Minn., native, Christensen said she has always been involved in volunteerism.

“I remember doing things for my high school and church when I was younger,” she said.

Yet, Christensen said there is a purpose behind her altruism.

“I’m looking to develop and improve my leaderships skills,” she explained.

“Being behind a project as big as ‘Into the Streets’ is a great way to show leadership.”

Similarly, Bohling knows that volunteerism is an important thing to include on an application for medical school, which is something she’s thinking of doing.

“That’s certainly a consideration,” the Carroll, Iowa, native noted. “When you’re a senior, you think about those things.”

Still, both women simply want to give back to their college community.

“I think it says a lot about Morningside College to have this program in place,” Christensen said. “It has a long history and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

For Bohling, “Into the Streets” allowed her to connect with people both on and off campus.

“This allowed me to interact with people I may not have otherwise known,” she said. “I have my regular friends and my ‘Into the Streets’ friends. It’s cool to have both.”

Christensen said volunteerism has given her the confidence to break out of her shell.

“In college, you’re used to dealing with certain types of people,” she said.

“In ‘Into the Streets,’ you’re working with people from all walks of life. That’s been a great experience for me.”

It will, no doubt, help Christensen achieve her dream of becoming a nurse.

“Most people are nervous during their senior year but I can’t wait to graduate,” she said with a laugh.

Flipping through lists of students and nonprofit organizations, Christensen reflected for a moment.

“When you’re helping other people, you feel good about yourself,” she said.

“Being able to be a part of a day devoted to doing good things makes you feel especially proud.”

SIOUXLAND LIFE

SEPTEMBER 2014

35

THE NONPROFIT LIFE beginning

early

UNIVERSITY GIVING

BEGINS AS A STUDENT

b

Text by Tim Gallagher

STORM LAKE, IOWA | Amy Jones connects with Buena Vista University alumni sooner than you might expect.

How soon? One month into their freshman year at BVU. Before those students are alumni.

“In our Alumni and Development Office, we look at our students as future alums,” says Jones, a 1996 graduate of Buena Vista. “We want to make a connection as early as we possibly can.”

So, each September, Jones does a presentation about the history of Buena Vista and the traditions the Beavers have established and followed through the long history of this institution along the shores of Storm Lake.

Students respond, often making their first alumni gifts back to BV while they’re still taking classes. The Class of 2013, for example, raised money for a fire pit that was a popular spot for students last year.

Yes, BV students are often making gifts back to BV while paying back college

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OCTOBER 2014

“We try to foster that attitude of gratitude. We want to make sure they know there are others who are helping make their experience (as students) possible.”

AMY JONES Director of annual fund and alumni relations at Buena Vista University loans at the same time.

“We try to foster that attitude of gratitude,” says Jones, director of annual fund and alumni relations. “We want to make sure they know there are others who are helping make their experience (as students) possible.”

The people who make a student’s experience possible are often those who were in that student’s shoes. Graduates of

SIOUXLAND LIFE

Amy Jones serves as director of annual fund and alumni relations at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa.

Left: Buena Vista University’s Class of 2007 donated funds to purchase this clock, which stands in the center of the Harold Walter Siebens School of Business/ Siebens Forum on the campus in Storm Lake, Iowa.

Funds for the clock represented the first gift as alums for members of the class. Right: Buena Vista University’s Class of 2013 raised money for a new fire pit near the shores of Storm Lake on the campus.

any college or university are often called upon to fund ongoing programs through their gifts, large and small.

Some alumni have buildings and stadiums named in their honor; some receive special advanced degrees. Many have their names printed in annual reports and publications sent to each graduate. Still others simply give and wish to remain well behind the scenes.

At Buena Vista, alumni gifts help support the school’s $135.5 million endowment for future programming while also addressing current needs that range from technological upgrades to scholarships to faculty awards and more.

“Some people really like something tangible (like a building, for example), and some shy away from that as that’s not what drives them,” Jones says. “I think there’s a different driver for individuals in regard to support.”

There are also different stages in one’s life. Some alumni are just starting a career; others may have children of their own in college. And some may be at the time in their life when they’re considering the role college played in their own success.

As varied as those stages, so are the ways Jones and her office may reach givers. Messages flow from campus via Twitter, Facebook and in a number of publications such as “BV Briefs” and “BV Today.”

Jones helps oversee a student-led alumni phone-a-thon each year. She’ll also write lots and lots of personal notes to those who’ve graduated and have returned for a visit.

Occasionally, T-shirts, mugs and even an alumni cookbook return home with the alum.

Those who contribute funds for scholarships at Buena Vista are invited to campus at least once per year for a special Celebrating Scholarships dinner in April.

At that time, the scholarship donor dines with the student or students whose educational pursuits they’ve aided.

“We seat them at the same table as the student so they can learn about one another,” Jones says, noting the event has had nothing but positive reviews since starting one decade ago.

Jones says it makes the scholarship that much more tangible for both student and donor. And it represents another chance for her office to help connect various generations of loyal BV’ers.

The Time of

Your Lifeis here

All InclusIve senIor lIvIng leArn more todAy!

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

OCTOBER 2014

37

ask a professional Q. Doctor, what’s the best way to prevent any injuries from running?

A. First of all, congratulations on taking care of your health! Besides losing weight, running can also improve your concentration, memory, and cardiovascular health, as well as shape and tone your body. Additionally, studies have shown that bodies “in motion” tend to stay “in motion”. Keeping your body moving, tuned up, and in shape will help you retain your ability to stay active as you age.

Dr. Joel Pistello, DC There are 4 things to remember to help prevent injuries from running. The first is to have a solid foundation, your feet. While running, that foundation supports forces up to 3-5x of your body weight. That means if you weigh 150 pounds, your feet each need to support, sustain, and move 450-750 pounds of pressure each step.

Now, the body has a unique system of arches in your feet to support your body’s movements, and each of those arches is comprised of 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 ligaments. If you don’t support those arches with a proper shoe, you can cause injuries in your feet such as plantar fasciitis, sesamoiditis, heel spurs, shin splints, and stress fractures, as well as low back, hip, and knee pain. Be sure and get to a shoe store and have one of their staff suggest a supportive running shoe, and have them work with you to ensure a proper fit.

The second is to gradually work up to running longer, further, and faster.

Start gradually and work up to your goal. A good start is 20 minutes a day of running, at average speed. Don’t focus on the distance, focus first on time, and pay attention to your form. As you get tired, you lose proper form, which can set you up for an injury much quicker that when you are using proper running form. Increase your speed as you feel able, and increase time & distance 10% per week.

The third is stretching: develop stretching protocols you can do consistently and be sure to include your low back, hamstrings, quads, and calves.

Fourth and foremost: do not work through pain. Pain is a warning sign and is not normal. Some discomfort is to be expected, especially if you have just started a workout routine. However if in doubt, get it checked out! You know your body better than anyone else; don’t ignore anything it’s telling you.

If while you are running you experience any pain in your lower extremities, back, or even neck, be sure and schedule an appointment with us to take a look at your feet. A simple non-invasive foot scan can demonstrate imbalances in your feet that are transferred up your body as you run. Take care and can’t wait to see you out on the trails!

Call 276-4325 today for an appointment 3930 Stadium Drive. (Between Wal-Mart & Explorer Stadium)

38

OCTOBER 2014

Siouxland life

To every patient who has walked through our doors

When Sunnybrook Medical Plaza opened, we envisioned a place where outstanding patient care wasn’t the exception but an expectation.

A facility with advanced medical technology and a convenient location right off of the bypass from Highway 20 and Highway 75. A home to several services, all committed to coordinating your care: • Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab • Family and Internal Medicine Clinic • Imaging and Breast Screening Services • Infusion Services • Lab Services • Multi-Specialty Clinic • Occupational Medicine Clinic • Physical Therapy • Podiatry Clinic • St. Luke’s Cardiology Services and Cardiovascular Associates • Urgent Care Clinic As we celebrate our first year in Siouxland, Sunnybrook Medical Plaza remains focused on helping you reach your individual health goals.

On behalf of our staff, thank you for the opportunity to care for you.

The point of unity is you.

Unitypoint.org/sunnybrook-life

Siouxland life

OCTOBER 2014

39

THE NONPROFIT LIFE the

sponsor

COMPANY ‘SET’ WITH NAIA

VOLLEYBALL PACT

j

Text by Tim Gallagher | Photographs by Tim Hynds, Jim Lee

J&L ENTERPRISES DIDN’T JUST roll out the welcome mat as sponsor of the 2014 NAIA National Volleyball Championships to be played at the Tyson Events Center at season’s end.

No, Sioux City’s well-known staffing and recruiting agency – and well-known sponsor – went beyond that level.

J&L Enterprises rolled out the welcome video, complete with the volleyball design that adorned the head of J&L employee Chris Anderson.

“We just got done filming the welcome video of our staff for the tournament,” says Susan Fey, director of marketing and public relations for J&L Enterprises. “We did a whole skit involving our whole staff. It’s volleyball related.”

Think “Bump! Set! Spike!” and you’ll have it.

According to Fey, the video is just one small part of the sponsorship pie. J&L Enterprises wants to do what it can, as a company, to make sure the event leaves a lasting impression on those athletes, coaches and their families who will visit Sioux City in December for the 24-team national tournament.

“Getting our name out isn’t the real reason we do this,” Fey says of the J&L sponsorship agreement. “First and foremost, we think the tournament is a great thing for our community. We want it to be great thing for those visiting our community.”

J&L Enterprises, a Sioux City staffing and recruitment firm located on West Seventh Street, is no stranger to corporate sponsorship. The firm, which employs up to 600, sponsors Awesome Biker Nights and the Heroes event for the Siouxland Chapter of the American Red Cross, an entity that J&L Enterprises President/Owner John Wockenfuss serves as board chairman.

“We’ll always be doing something for the American Red Cross,” Fey says.

“That’s a passion for John.”

As is making Siouxland shine. The staff at J&L Enterprises joined three dozen Siouxland businesses a year ago in hosting teams for the 32-team NAIA Division

Above: Briar Cliff University’s Monica Boeding, 7, and Rachele Harrill, 21, reach for the ball in a match versus the University Texas at Brownsville during the NAIA National Volleyball Championships at the Tyson Events Center in December 2013. The 24-team tournament returns to the Tyson Events Center this season. Left: Northwestern College’s Haley Chambers hits past Midland University’s Megan Farley during NAIA National Volleyball Championship action in December 2013 at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City.

II Women’s National Basketball Championships, also played at the Tyson Events Center.

The volleyball tourney? More of the same.

J&L Enterprises hosted Vanguard’s volleyball team for the national tournament in 2013 and provided members of the team with Sioux City gift bags upon their arrival. There were items from Palmer

Candy Co., Bath & Body Works and, of course, J&L Enterprises in each bag.

“We hosted the team for lunch and had them tour our building,” Fey says.

“We attended the opening banquet with the team and served as honorary coaches on the bench.”

When city officials approached J&L Enterprises to see if the company would like to go from co-sponsor to lead

SIOUXLAND LIFE

OCTOBER 2014

41

sponsor, officials examined the marketing budget and figured it was worth the extra investment.

“This event shows our community coming together,” Fey says. “This

is something where kids can go and be inspired. The student athletes who come to Sioux City for this are all so conscientious and service-oriented. It’s all so family friendly.”

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Chris Anderson, an employee with J&L Enterprises in Sioux City, had his head painted to represent a volleyball, a “prop” that was put to work in a welcome video made by J&L Enterprises, sponsor of the 2014 NAIA Volleyball National Championships, slated for early December at the Tyson Events Center.

Plus, other business leaders who attend or sponsor a team may, at that time or at a future time, be in need of workers. This tournament also represents a chance for J&L staffers to make connections with employers and dozens of would-be employees.

Again, the business bottom line isn’t the primary reason this sponsorship agreement was a winner for J&L Enterprises. That said, it sure didn’t hurt.

“Ultimately, the national volleyball tournament is a positive thing for our community,” Fey concludes. “And it’s something that we want to see continue.”

EssEntial Fall MaintEnancE chEcklist For Your hoME With fall quickly upon us, now is the time to focus on a few simple home maintenance projects to prepare for the changing weather ahead. The good news is that many of these are low- or no-cost DIY projects that can also help you save money on your energy bills.

Most importantly, they help protect your home investment.

Here are a few projects to check off your to-do list in the next couple of months:

Mind the Gaps

Heated air can escape from gaps that develop where building materials meet. Inspect areas where building materials may have pulled apart and caulk or seal any gaps that have formed. Check places where exterior siding meets windows and doors, around roof and foundation lines, around chimneys and where pipes protrude through walls or roofs.

Insulate Escape Routes

Heat rises, which means that heat from your home also can escape through any vulnerable areas of the roof. The most efficient way to stop that heat loss is by installing ceiling and roof insulation with an R-value of approximately 49. The R-value refers to the ability of any material to resist the passage of heat. For example, a fiberglass bat or blanket 9 ½ to 10 42

OCTOBER 2014

inches thick has an R-value of approximately 30. You can raise that number to 38 simply by adding two or three more inches of fiberglass.

Weather Strip Your Windows

Ensure that your storm windows and doors are effectively keeping warm air in and cold air out.

Look for any cracks around glass, sashes and window frames. Apply adhesive foam weather strips to the top and bottom window rails or nail felt weatherstripping where window sashes and frames make contact. If you live in a home built in the last 15 years or so, you likely have double or triple-paned windows and lowemissivity (Low-E) glass. Both these products increase your energy efficiency and can lower your energy bills.

pump with a high efficiency rating. If your system already is efficient, be sure to inspect and clean it regularly. Be sure that filters are clean and that you change them monthly. A timer model thermostat that can turn the heat down while you sleep or when no one is at home also can help you save money.

Performing routine home maintenance is essential and well worth the time and effort to keep energy bills low, protect your investment, keep your family safe and prolong the life of your home.

For more tips on home maintenance, go to www.siouxlandhba.com

Give Your Gutters Some Love

Gutters and downspouts are easy traps for leaves and pine needles, and squirrels often use them to store food. Be sure to clean gutters thoroughly, and pay special attention to elbows and bends in the downspouts. Keep hangers fastened securely and plug any holes and cracks. Touch up any sections showing signs of rust with rustproof paint.

Inspect Your Heating Unit

Consider replacing an older or inefficient heating unit with a gas or oil furnace or a heat

SIOUXLAND LIFE

Rich Callahan President

RASS Remodeling & Repair

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www.siouxlandhba.com

Make It Your Way

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Make your home more energy efficient and save on energy costs! We’d be happy to arrange a demonstration of a new OPTIMA system.

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Klein Insulation Inc.

Member

800-515-5691 or 712-540-5691 Locally owned since 1994 Northwest Iowa Dealer BIBS (Blow In Blanket System)

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Nancy Todd 712-224-6281 Siouxland life

OCTOBER 2014

43

HEALTH disease

registry

CHRONIC DISEASE REGISTRIES HELP KEEP CONDITIONS IN CHECK

Amy Slevin talks about computerized disease registries at Mercy Medical Center.

t

Text by Dolly A. Butz | Photograph by Jim Lee

TECHNOLOGY HAS TAKEN HEALTH care providers a long way from paper Excel spreadsheets to software programs that can analyze patient data, instantly telling doctors a patient’s medical risk and the cost associated with it.

Every day, Amy Slevin, Mercy Medical Center’s director of clinical program development, said physicians receive a report on all the diabetic patients they will see that day.

“Reports are nothing unless you do something with them,” she said. “They look at it and say, ‘When was the last time they had their hemoglobin A1c, which is an indicator of their blood sugars for the previous three months?

Have they had a pneumonia vaccine?’

We know that diabetic patients or any patient over age 65 should have a flu vaccine.”

The reports are individualized for each patient, but the beauty of the chronic disease registry, Slevin said, is that it lets providers see the population as a whole. This allows them to examine areas the network of clinics is excelling in and the ones they are lagging behind in based on national standards.

“Obviously we use the data to treat individual patients, but then we look at the data of the whole population,” Slevin explained. “We can select those and work with those. It is the ability to use this

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data to redesign systems so that we give better care to the individual patient.”

Although the Affordable Care Act reinforces the need for chronic disease registries to help manage the health care of patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, Slevin said the idea has been around for years.

“It started years ago with something called the chronic care model – getting physicians to talk with patients,” she said. “Having the physician and the patient being on the same page when they meet in the clinic and then to go from there in terms of getting the physician to know at that meeting all of the data that they need to know about that patient’s status.”

Today, Slevin said physicians are using the registries to keep all their patients up-to-date on preventive screenings. Having all the data they need for each patient in one place, she said, will help physicians determine who needs a colorectal screening, mammogram or pneumonia vaccine.

Healthy patients, she said, are the least expensive to the health care system.

“Those are the people that we need to work on to make sure they stay healthy,” she said.

The second most expensive group, Slevin said, are people with chronic

SIOUXLAND LIFE

diseases – hypertension, COPD and diabetes. She said the goal is to keep these patients from moving into the most costly group, which comprised 8 to 10 percent of the U.S. population and accounts for 30 to 40 percent of health care costs.

Chronic disease happens as people age, but Slevin said health care providers can do a better job of controlling their conditions with the help of chronic disease registries and keep them from reaching a crisis situation physically and financially.

“It’s the diabetes patient who has to end up in the hospital for an amputation because the blood sugars weren’t controlled. You can’t say cause and effect directly, but we know that if we keep the chronic disease people from getting into an acute situation, we can keep them very well controlled,” she said. “If we can keep them walking, taking their medicine, then they will be well even with a chronic illness.”

Health coaches, Slevin said, play an important role in the process of keeping patients healthy. They encourage patients to manage and monitor their conditions and adopt healthy behaviors such as eating the right foods and exercising.

“It can be as simple as reducing a can of pop one day a week,” she said. “It’s having them see that they can be successful and taking it to the next step.”

HEALTH medical

answers

‘DOC, I’VE GOT A QUESTION …’ answers to your medical questions

What happens if I don’t do something about high blood pressure?

My numbers aren’t that far off. Can I go without seeing a doctor or taking medication?

Getting your blood pressure under control is one of the best steps you can take to improve your health. Depending on how high your systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) have been running, your physician may allow you to try lifestyle modifications before starting medications. The DASH diet, or the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, emphasizes low salt intake along with increased fruit, vegetable, and whole grain intake. Large studies have shown that diet alone can reduce your systolic blood pressure by 10 points in two weeks! Additionally, consistent aerobic exercise and resistance training can lower your systolic pressure by another 5-10 points. Together, these can be about as effective as a medication. Diet and exercise do require commitment and should be overseen by a physician who can closely monitor your blood pressure and initiate treatment if it becomes necessary.

Why is blood pressure control so important? After all, you don’t “feel sick” with high blood pressure. One fact many people don’t realize is that high blood pressure is a major risk for stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney disease. Actively managing your blood pressure, taking appropriate medications, and diet and exercise can help stop these major killers before they even develop! The newest guidelines for hypertension, JNC-8, recommend a maximum blood pressure of 140/90 for most people.

For those over the age of 60, the guidelines are slightly higher at 150/90. If you notice that your blood pressures have been running at or above these numbers, you should make an appointment to be seen by your primary care doctor for further evaluation.

The sooner you get your blood pressure under control, the sooner you can stop the damage to your heart, brain and kidneys.

Do we need to worry about Ebola since they’ve brought patients to Nebraska?

Looking at pictures of health care workers in West Africa donning spacelike suits to prevent contamination, one can’t help but be intimidated by the Ebola virus. The virus itself is very basic, consisting of only seven proteins, but the havoc that it wreaks is considerably larger. Ebola is able to evade a person’s immune system until the virus reaches a significant level, at which point cells begin to die. Once the virus spills out into the blood stream, the immune system registers the attack and triggers what is

called a “cytokine storm”. The ferocity with which the immune system fights back causes the host to develop leaks in the blood vessels, increased cell death, and causes the blood pressure to drop dangerously low. Eventually a person succumbs to the damage, unable to clot off the bleeding (this is why it is described as a hemorrhagic disease).

Ebola’s death rate can be as 90 percent if untreated – more deadly than almost any other virus we know about.

This all sounds pretty terrible, right?

If Ebola is so deadly, why aren’t we sealing our borders, and furthermore, why are we bringing people with Ebola back to the US? Don’t worry. I have some good

MEET THE DOC Dr. Mara Groom grew up in a military family, living in several states and countries before finding her way to Wartburg College.

While in Waverly, she fell in love with Iowa and decided to hang around indefinitely. She went to medical school at Des Moines University and is now a second-year resident in family medicine. When she’s not at the hospital, Dr. Groom enjoys traveling, biking and shopping. news for you. First, Ebola is not airborne.

This means you physically have to come in contact with an infected person’s saliva, urine, feces or blood. You can’t contract the virus just from breathing the same air as an infected person. Second, Ebola is not infectious until a person becomes symptomatic. Early isolation of infected individuals greatly reduces the possibility of spread.

The major reason to not be alarmed

by Ebola is thanks to our public health initiatives. One of the biggest barriers West Africa is facing is a lack of public health and a lack of public education.

Superstitious beliefs often supercede scientific fact. Cultural norms often mean that sick family stay in the house instead of seeking care, infecting those around them. Burials involve touching and kissing of the deceased by all those in attendance – often the majority of a village.

Even when a person seeks treatment, the advanced care available in the United States is quite limited in West Africa.

There is no need to be concerned by patients with known infection coming to the US for treatment. The facilities accepting them (Emory and the University of Nebraska Medical Center) have specially designed infectious disease units with highly trained staff. The risk of Ebola spreading beyond those walls is minimal. If an asymptomatic infected patient does come to the US, we can be assured that the scope and severity of the infection will not be as far reaching as it has become abroad.

WHAT KINDS OF HEALTH QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? Submit your questions and they may be used in this monthly feature. Write to Siouxland Life at 515 Pavonia St., Sioux City, Iowa 51102.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

OCTOBER 2014

45

Home Healthcare Available.

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Call today and let us help.

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Dr Ryan Jensen Wheelock, Bursick & Jensen Dentistry

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To advertise on this page call Nancy Todd at 712.224.628 or email nancy.gevik@lee.net

46

OCTOBER 2014

Siouxland life

PARTING SHOT by

Bruce Miller

HOW COLD IS IT?

DON’T ASK ME

i

I TURNED ON THE heat at home the other night. I thought I was in a gas chamber.

Yeah, I know it’s “not time” to begin using the furnace, but I don’t like being uncomfortable. I’d rather have it so hot in the house I’m forced to remove clothes, not add them. In the middle of winter, I pretend it’s warm by cranking up the thermostat and wearing shorts and a T-shirt.

Now, it’s just that awkward period – the time when most people throw another blanket on the bed or add a sweater.

I’m from the “old people” school of heat: Turn it up! It’s at the right setting when you begin to fall asleep because you’re so warm. Blame it on my Scandinavian heritage. We like saunas.

I’m leery of uncovered floors, too.

Even though the rooms in my home have “beautiful hardwood floors” (real estate talk), I covered them with carpet because they were too cold in the morning. Let the next owner rip up the highlow shag and discover the beauty below.

Getting out of bed and landing on them was killer.

Even now, the rooms with tile (like the bathroom) are hard to walk in unaware.

I’ve laid towels on the bathroom floor just to make sure I wouldn’t get a jolt in the middle of the night. And, yes, I’ve looked into radiant floor heat. In the next remodel, it just might happen (damn the cost).

Growing up in North Dakota, I learned how to stay warm no matter what.

I’ve huddled around an oven, boiled water on the stove and sat in a fort of space heaters. As a child, my favorite spot was a corner in front of a heat register. I fought the cat regularly for it.

When teachers asked what we would like to invent, I said snow melters under the highway so we’d never have to drive on ice and be cold. (Little did she know how Bill Gates-like I really was.)

I broke down last year and bought Uggs. I know even Tom Brady got flack for wearing them. But, geez, they’re warm. I put those on at night and even toy with the idea of turning down the

thermostat to 75.

I’ve worn stocking caps to bed, mittens to dinner and scarves to take out the trash.

I’ve given every piece of furniture a throw – just in case – and arranged chairs around registers.

When my water heater didn’t quite last long enough for a shower (yes, I like long showers, too), I got a bigger tank.

And when I finally forced myself to shovel snow, I found a way to wear two jackets and a parka over two pairs of pants and three pairs of socks without tipping over.

Before you start diagnosing circulatory problems, just know I’m not good with summer heat, either.

I’ve driven with the windows down and the air conditioning on. I’ve bought several personal fans and I’m never too far from an icy drink.

Of course, when it gets too cold in the house (and yes, I’ve been known to crank it down to the 60s), I don’t have to worry.

I just put on the Uggs and everything is fine, just fine.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

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47

Reflect your own personal style.

715 East Ninth Street South Sioux City, NE 68776

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