The Crookston Care and Share recently received a significant grant from the Otto Bremer Trust for $43,760. Executive Director Brian Halos said the grant includes replacing the carpeting in common areas throughout the building. “Well, $30,000 of that grant is for our general operating cost,” said Halos. “It’s figured right into our budget. The other $13,760 was for carpet replacement throughout the building. That’s going to be all of the hallways, stairways, landings. Basically, everything except for individual rooms, all of the common areas throughout the building. Our operating costs are everything we have to do to keep the place open. That’s utilities, physical costs of maintaining the building, wages to employees, direct services to employees.”
The Care and Share has been fortunate enough to receive multiple grants in the past from Otto Bremer, most recently last fall explained Halos. “I just came on board in January, so I haven’t been involved with them in the past, but I know we’ve received support from them,” said Halos. “Last fall, right before I came on here, we did get a grant for around $20,000 from them for boiler repair. Our boiler had to be rebuilt last fall, and Otto Bremer paid the majority of that cost.”
Halos said the Care and Share and its Board of Directors are grateful for the continued generosity of the Otto Bremer Trust. “We hope we can continue to receive support from Otto Bremer,” said Halos. “They’ve been pretty good to us in the past. And I’ll tell you what, getting this carpet replaced is going to be a big improvement. The carpets were so dirty, they smelled dirty, it’s been a long time. It’s looking and smelling better. As we speak, the installers are here removing and putting in the new carpet, so it’s looking good.”
