Kids from The Cove Youth Center joined Cove Board members to assemble grief bags and donate them to Highland School. The grief bags will go to students who suffer a loss or tragedy.
Cove Board members McKenzie Schmiedt and Kalab Thompson worked on the grief bags. They include an assortment of calming items, such as weighted blankets and journals, as well as information about youth resources at The Cove. Schmiedt hopes the bags will never have to be given out, but they will be there just in case. “In the grief bags, we put in some weighted blankets, and then we put some journals and coloring books,” said Schmiedt. “We had some little fidgets and a Cove flyer and the fancy bag that everything got put in there, I think that was the majority of what was in there.”
The idea to create the bags was a collaborative effort between The Cove Adult and Youth Boards, who discussed how they could support kids in Crookston schools during a recent meeting. The idea was to give comfort to kids going through a tough loss in their family.
The bags were packed by kids at The Cove and were delivered to Highland Elementary School last week. The group is waiting on a few more items to arrive, so they can finish assembling some grief bags for Crookston High School.
Cove Youth Board member Avery Urness is grateful for the continued support from the community, which puts The Cove in a position to better help youth in the Crookston community. “We are really great at working with people in our community,” Urness said. “We have worked with so many different businesses, we’ve gone to so many businesses and gotten to speak to them about who we are as an organization in our town. The Cove is such a great outlet for a lot of different students, no matter who they are. It’s a place for them to fit in. And while the community of Crookston was able to donate what they could to us, we are so forever grateful for being here with them.”
The Cove also announced a partnership with the University of Minnesota-Crookston Equestrian Team to help chaperone at The Cove, allowing it to be open every weekday. This new partnership could open up new opportunities at The Cove, including expanded tutoring and trips to UMC for equestrian lessons and rides.
Urness encourages kids in grades 5-12 to stop by to see what resources and activities The Cove offers, including a music room, arts and crafts, and games. “We would like to formally invite any student in grades 6 through 12 to come to The Cove and see what it looks like for them, because I knew when I was a young student attending, I got to meet so many different new people,” said Urness. “I got to learn a bunch of new things, like with arts and crafts, the music room that we have, and I got to learn how to get okay at pool.”
The Cove is located at 113 S. Broadway in Crookston and is open from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
