Articles

Cre Larson is the executive director of First Call for Help of Itasca County, a nonprofit that provides free, confidential and nonjudgmental crisis intervention, active listening and information and referral services. In 2020, Blandin Foundation awarded three grants totaling $48,000 to increase access to mental health services for Itasca area residents during COVID-19. “The year …

Jeff is a local entrepreneur and graduate of ILT Academy, a program partnered with Itasca Economic Development Corporation to teach and train local innovators and entrepreneurs the skillsets needed to develop successful ventures. After solidifying his idea throughout ILT Academy, Jeff recently won second place in The RINK pitch competition for his invention The Water …

John is a long-time resident of western Itasca County. Now in his 80s, John is an ElderCircle client for both the Home Visitor Program and the Assisted Transportation Program. In 2021, Blandin Foundation provided a $134,000 grant to support operating expenses for ElderCircle and their Home Visitor Program. This year was another rough one for …

Megan Perrington is a social worker for Itasca County Public Health. Through her work, children and adults with disabilities can live as independently as possible through the delivery of home and community-based services. Blandin Foundation awarded a $11,850 grant to offer remote learning services for individuals with disabilities living in the Itasca area during 2020. …

Rachel Herring is the Anishinaabe Education Academic Tutor at Deer River Schools. Due to the schools’ hybrid learning model, Rachel worked with community leaders to create “Learning Hubs” in Ball Club and Inger where students can access high-speed Internet to participate in distance learning. In 2020, Blandin Foundation awarded five grants totaling $410,000 to address …

Ron Maki owns and operates the Locker Room Bar & Grill in Coleraine, Minn. This year Ron took out a loan from the IEDC Small Business Relief Loan Fund to assist with the impacts of COVID-19 on his business. In 2020, Blandin Foundation repurposed more than $1.6 million in investments to establish loan funds for …

Rose Carpenter graduated from Greenway High School in 2019, and is in her third year as a Communications major at the College of St. Scholastica where she serves as Student Trustee on the Board of Trustees at the College and is the Enrollment Management Intern. She is a first-generation college student, and recipient of a …