Abdifatah Mohamed is the executive director of the Willmar nonprofit Community Connector Services (CCS) where he actively involved in leading initiatives such as the monthly Youthwell Collective series, the Comprehensive Plan Open House, Somali Independence Day and the Mindful Willmar Champions League. Beyond CCS, Abdifatah engages with broader community events like Welcoming Week in Willmar and the International Heritage Festival. His work focuses on creating spaces where everyone feels included and supported.
News
Welcoming Week in Worthington with Suree
Suree Sompamitwong was born in Thailand and moved to the U.S. when she was 7 years old. She’s the executive director of Creative Healing Space — a nonprofit that promotes mental health, healing and all things creative — as well as a youth employment specialist at the Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council. Suree wants to strengthen and empower the people in her community to be more healed and vibrant. She’s a past Growing Local: Emerging Leaders participant and a current Initiators Fellow. Suree has helped plan Welcoming Week in Worthington for three years.
Welcoming Week in Glencoe with Kerry
Kerry Ward and her family are lifelong residents of Glencoe. Kerry is a Community Health Educator for McLeod County Health and Human Services and Meeker-McLeod-Sibley Community Health Services, working with the community to improve the health and safety of residents. She chairs the grassroots community group Together we are Glencoe that plans local Welcoming Week events and other opportunities to advocate for welcoming and belonging in her community.
Child care gets a boost from Heron Lake-Okabena Community Foundation
Heron Lake Day Care Center opened in 1975 in the small town of Heron Lake in Jackson County. Kaye Fury started caring for kids at the center in 1980 and is currently the sole staff member. Earlier this year, Heron Lake-Okabena Community Foundation (HLOCF) awarded a grant to the center to pay for in-service training to comply with licensing requirements as well as supplies and activities for school age kids.
The Ripple Effect of Quality, Affordable Child Care
Personal experience informs Ari Zaske’s commitment to finding quality child care solutions for everyone. When she and her husband, Mark, were expecting their second baby, their child care closed suddenly in 2022. The closure was “so emotional,” with families scrambling to find an alternative. Today, Ari’s family has found child care that’s a great fit for them. She’s also part of the Hutchinson Child Care Coalition, working to provide families options for quality, affordable child care in the community.
Cottonwood Area Community Foundation grant helps equip first responders
Our community foundation partner the Cottonwood Area Community Foundation granted $1,000 to help the local fire department to purchase additional equipment for a new tanker/pumper truck that replaced a very old tanker truck. National First Responders Day in October honors the bravery and dedication of first responders who keep people in our communities safe. We’re shining a spotlight on the grant from our local partner supporting this essential public service.
