Speaker

 

 

Jeff Dahlman, Twin Cities Kids in Need Resource Center

 

Twin Cities Kids in Need Resource Center works with schools facing high poverty rates in St. Paul and Minneapolis by providing eligible teachers a shopping visit at our free store. Through our Caring Tree program, we award grants to social services and other community-based agencies across the state to distribute backpacks and supplies to students in need.

 

 

Kari Bednarczyk, executive director, introduced us to her relatively new GRACE non-profit organization.  GRACE is an acronym for Granting Respite and Care for the Extraordinary.

 

GRACE coordinates care-givers with special needs children providing a respite for families with special needs children.  The caregivers are volunteers who make it possible for families of special needs children or, as Kari Bednarczyk says, extraordinary children to have reliable and regulary scheduled time for a break so that they may better cope with the demands of having extraordinary children.

 

GRACE volunteers typically are students enrolled at local college and university in nursing or physical and occupational therapy career tracks.   

 

It’s obvious that Kari is motivated by the work and mission that GRACE strives to achieve. 

 

GRACE welcomes the opportunity to expand their list of volunteers and will welcome any gift to the 501(c) 3 organization.  Kari can be reached by calling 612-481-6362.

 

(Full Disclosure:  Kari is married to Nick, who is a member of CR Rotary)