The United Way of Crookston and Polk County DAC has a long-standing relationship working together. This year the DAC used grant money from the United Way to purchase curriculum for their clients. United Way Executive Director Lori Wagner said that Jo Bittner, DAC Executive Director, and Becky Johnston, DAC Program Coordinator, have been great partners for the United Way. “United Way and the DAC have been partners for a long time,” said Wagner. “I can tell you; Jo Bittner has been a wonderful partner for the United Way. She does things for the United Way within her four walls year-round. She makes bars and asks her people who want to donate a quarter for this bar and that kind of thing. She does her own internal campaign for United Way; she just does wonderful things. Also, her associate Becky Johnston is also great for the United Way. This year what we partnered with them on is an education curriculum.”
Wagner said the DAC staff were excited about the ways the curriculum could benefit their clients when they presented at the United Way grant hearings earlier this year. “They want to keep their program fresh and interesting,” said Wagner. “They want to keep stimulating them, motivating them, challenging them, and serve a variety of different skill levels. This year they worked with the UDAC out of Duluth and were so excited when they came to talk to us during the hearings for United Way. They wanted to purchase this curriculum that was developed out of Duluth. This is what we helped them purchase.”
The activities in the curriculum teach skills such as turn-taking, fine motor skills, and cause and effect. Over 50 activity boxes are teaching different skills such as matching, and folding laundry explains Johnston. “This activity here is different types of matching games,” said Johnston. “We make it into a fun, competitive game for everyone. We have over 50 boxes constructed so far with different curriculum. The point of this is making sure we’re able to color identify and fold our laundry.
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