Kathy Peterson and Jennifer Therkilsen of Kinship of the Park Rapids Area accepted a donation from Cleo Hartung, community health violence prevention coordinator for St. Joseph’s Area Health Services, Park Rapids, MN.
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Community Health services at St. Joseph’s Area Health Services, Park Rapids, MN, recently donated $2,000 to Kinship of the Park Rapids Area to support its youth mentoring program. The gift was made possible by a CHI Mission and Ministry Fund Violence Prevention Grant. “Providing support for youth mentoring is a proactive way we can work toward creating a culture of nonviolence and making the communities we serve healthier,” said Cleo Hartung, community health violence prevention coordinator for St. Joseph’s.
St. Joseph’s takes a multilevel approach to the complexities of violence. Prevention efforts include specialized curriculum for middle school students, the Be Kind program at Park Rapids Area Schools, parent and family resources, advocacy, collaboration and more.
The grant awarded to Kinship supports the youth mentoring program and assists with case management services. Kinship brings adult volunteers and youth, ages 6 to 18, together as a way to connect youth with positive role models. A core value of the Kinship program is the belief that regular, long-term relationships with a variety of adults are critical to healthy child development.
