The way it is

The Way It Is

by William Stafford

There’s a thread you follow.

It goes among things that change.

But it doesn’t change.

People wonder about what you are pursuing.

You have to explain about the thread.

But it is hard for others to see.

While you hold it you can’t get lost.

Tragedies happen; people get hurt

or die; and you suffer and get old.

Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.

You don’t ever let go of the thread.

Cause for Connection: Mark and Lisa Adopt

In the spirit of casual Friday and because personally, I'm excited that my own family will be expanding due to my recent engagement to the best person I have ever known, I wanted to share the adoption website of two my dear friends, Mark and Lisa! The two of them are looking for an open, domestic adoption where they'll be able to be in communication and relationship with the child's "first parents." Because Mark and Lisa will benefit from more and more people knowing that they are ready to be parents, I want to ask you to watch the video and visit their website, in the hopes that you or someone you know may be able to make a family connection!

Announcing the 2011-2012 Humphrey Policy Fellows!

Congratulations to the talented and community-minded Minnesotans who have been selected as this year's 2011-2012 Policy Fellows! See below for their names and affiliations and to get a sense of the diversity and capacity of this group.

As a 2006-2007 Fellow, I'm pleased to now be active with the Alumni group, which recently hosted a conversation with Governor Dayton where he announced that he would be taking action to end the Minnesota state shutdown. As we continue to support the Policy Fellow program's growth and mission, we'll also be looking to increase the number of program applicants and participants from the nonprofit sector. If you would count yourself among that crowd, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what is unique about the Policy Fellows program compared to other nonprofit sector training and leadership programs, what the value is of nonprofit voices in the Fellows cohort, and what might be additional promotional or marketing opportunities in the sector. Drop me a line in the comments below or at minnesota[at]gmail.com. Thanks for your insights and ideas!

2011-2012 Policy Fellows

Center for the Study of Politics and Governance

Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

The Policy Fellows program offers practical training in public affairs leadership for emerging leaders seeking new experiences and skills. The nine-month leadership and professional development experience equips participants with core leadership competencies to inspire, organize, and work effectively with others to advance the public good.

The 2011-2012 Policy Fellows will be part of a diverse cohort of 35 people representing Minnesota's public, private, and non-profit sectors. Fellows meet once a month as a group between September and early June, and travel to Washington, D.C., for a multi-day study trip with prominent elected officials and national leaders in public affairs. Fellows also engage in a group project of their own design, working with community partners to address a public policy issue. To read more about the program, please go here.

Congratulations to our newly selected Fellows:

Mr. Jamal Adam, Counselor and Instructor, Minneapolis Community and Technical College

Mr. David Asp, Associate, Lockridge, Grindal, Nauen, PLLP

Ms. Karly Baraga Werner, Associate, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Mr. Chad Bell, Senior Director, Best Buy Co., Inc.

Lt. Col. Sandy Best, Director of Government Relations, Minnesota National Guard

Ms. Jessica Beyer, Public Information Director, Blue Earth County

Mr. Nathan Burkett, County Administrator, Todd County

Mr. Mike Buttry, Vice President for Corporate Communications, Capella Education Company

Mr. Sunny Chanthanouvong, Executive Director, Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota

Ms. Elise Diedrich, Manager, Government Affairs, SUPERVALU Inc.

Ms. Valerie Dosland, Director of Government Affairs, Ewald Consulting

Mr. Jeremy Drucker, Director of Public Affairs, Minnesota Department of Human Services

Ms. Carly Eichhorst, Associate Director of Financial Aid, Augsburg College

Ms. Huda Farah, Executive Director, HEAL Institute

Mr. Cuthbert (Curt) Fernandez, Manager, Environmental Health, City of Minneapolis

Mr. Richard Fischer, Global Communications Manager, Medtronic Foundation and

Community Affairs

Ms. Ankur Garg, Program Manager, St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division

Ms. Anika Hagenson, Senior Group Manager, Government Affairs, Target Corporation

Ms. Kate Johansen, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

Ms. Emy Johnson, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Target Corporation

Ms. Mariah Levison, Program Director, The Conflict Resolution Center

Ms. Danna MacKenzie, Director of Information Systems, Cook County Government

Ms. Sona Mehring, CEO, CaringBridge

Ms. Erika Mork, Fundraising and Development Manager, Three Rivers Park District

Ms. Kathleen Houlihan Motzenbecker, Director of Membership, Minneapolis Downtown

Council

Ms. Sandy'Ci Moua, Strategic Community Organizer, Community Action Against Racism (CAAR)

Mr. Kavon W. Nikrad, Assurant Health, Inc.

Ms. Pham Thi Hoa, Executive Director, CAPI

Ms. Kenna Poppler, Community Relations Manager, U.S. Bancorp Foundation

Mr. Jim Porter, Chief Financial Officer, Apogee Enterprises, Inc.

MAJ Kent Porter, Training and Administrative Officer, Minnesota Army National Guard

Mr. Laurence Reszetar, Associate, Litigation Practice Group, Maslon Edelman Borman &

Brand, LLP

Mr. Christopher Voss, CEO, RightSource Compliance

Mr. David Wilsey, Assistant Extension Professor / Regional Educator, University of

Minnesota Extension

Ms. Katrina Zabinski, Supervising Attorney/Project Manager, MN 4th Judicial District

You're Invited: Greater Twin Cities United Way Speed Volunteering

It's official! For the fifth year in a row, the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area ranks first in for volunteerism in large cities. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service's annual Volunteering In America report, we're number one! Are you proud to have contributed to the cause? Are you committed to helping Minnesota move from third to first in state rankings for volunteer rate? Check out the United Way's Speed Volunteering events on August 18 and help add hours to Minnesota's total for 2011!

Sign Up Now

Speed Volunteering

Whether you have 15 minutes or an hour, you can make a difference by joining a flash volunteer group in downtown Minneapolis or Saint Paul.

Popular local celebrities and entertainment will appear at volunteer stations to help make Find Your Way Day one to remember.

Find a way to make a difference.
A variety of events will be available for you to participate in.

Healthy Snack Packs

Create healthy snacks and provide essential nourishment to hungry children in our community. In our state, 39 percent of food shelf recipients are children.

Dental Supply Packs

Assemble dental supply kits and provide bright smiles for children and pregnant mothers. Tooth decay is a leading cause of school absenteeism.

Laundry soap

Bring dignity to low-income families by providing them with laundry soap so they can wash their clothes. Government food support programs do not allow recipients to purchase laundry soap and personal hygiene products with the funds.

Education Kits

Help families experience the joy of learning together with early education kits made just for them. Only 51 percent of Minnesota kindergarteners are fully prepared for kindergarten in the areas of language and literacy.

Blankets

Make a blanket to help comfort a child. 60 minutes = 1 blanket and warmth and comfort to a child in crisis.

Sign Up Now

You're Invited: YNPN-TC The Insider: Subsector Smorgasbord

If you've only gotten a small taste of the nonprofit sector, YNPN-TC is happy to present a substantial menu of offerings at their upcoming event: Subsector Smorgasbord! Whether you're interested in a particular area of work, curious about how you can transition to another nonprofit field, or just want to meet great leaders in the sector, you'll leave stuffed full of great ideas and connections!

You are invited to attend: The Insider: Subsector Smorgasbord Wednesday, August 24, 2011 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM It's a true buffet of informational interview opportunities! YNPN Twin Cities is bringing those interview opportunities to you. We've assembled a group of highly knowledgeable people across a wide variety of the nonprofit subsectors, and they'll come ready to answer your questions. Want to know what it's like to work in economic development? What it takes to break in to philanthropy? Who the people are to know in the capacity building world? Have we got an event for you! Great for people who: Are currently working in one subsector, but interested in shifting into another Are new to the sector, exploring which subsector they would like to be involved with Know the area they’d like to work, and need to find the key to unlock those opportunities Feel stagnated in a particular subsector and want to get to their career to the next level Be sure to come with all the questions you've been dying to ask about the nonprofit subsectors! See the event page for more details, a sample of the line-up, and to register! Attend Event Events powered by EventBrite

Copyright © 2011 Young Nonprofit Professionals Network - Twin Cities, All rights reserved.