History of All Seasons Community Services

 

Harold and Louise Nielsen were committed to causes of social justice and world hunger.

 

Louise and a friend traveled to Mexico in the late 1960’s “I spent the whole month of March traveling and interacting with the local people.  There, for the first time in my life, I saw hopeless poverty – and was deeply affected. I came home and tried to convey the experience to Harold.”(HRN)

 

Harold represented Kenyon, MN at a World Hunger Conference at St Olaf College in the mid 1970’s.  His attendance to the conference, and Louise’s visit to Mexico, turned into a lifetime of commitment to serving the less fortunate. 

 

The experience led to travel on an experimental learning trip conducted by the Center for Global Education, at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, to Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua.  “We visited the worst slum I have ever seen- filth, terrible housing, no roads, bridges, or infrastructure. Nothing.”  HRN stated.

 

In 1978 the Nielsen’s formed the Winds of Peace Foundation, serving the marginalized people of Nicaragua.

 

Louise tackled her passionate causes, helping those less fortunate.  She was the initiating force, establishing Third World Friends Thrift Store in 1988. The nonprofit mission  providing clothing and monetary support for those in need in various areas in the world.

 

Through networking on some of their many trips, they connected with the Quixote Center, a multi-issue grassroots organization pursuing social justice and equality, located in Washington DC.  Another nonprofit, Counterpart International (CI) , Arlington VA, partners with local organizations - formal and informal – to  build inclusive, sustainable communities in which people thrive. CI helped ship containers of clothing items to  Belarus and Uzbekistan.

 

The thrift store took in clothing and houseware donations, selling some, and boxing clothing and housewares for shipping.  About 15 to 20 volunteers would come in and sort and pack items for shipment.  When the shipments were ready to be shipped 5 to 8 volunteers from Foldcraft Company (Kenyon, MN) would load the containers. From its inception to 2013, the organization shipped 166 shipments to several locations in the USA, (Kentucky, South and North Dakota, Arizona), as well as Nicaragua, Haiti, Mexico, Africa, Belarus, and Uzbekistan. Shipping charges became too expensive and the store currently sells its excess inventory to third parties.

 

The thrift store now sells the clothing and household items to support the Food Shelf, Youth Center and local programs of ASCS.

 

Buildings: The Thrift Store at 530 2nd St was purchased by the Nielsen’s in 1989.  A warehouse addition was added in 1991.  The Nielsen’s purchased the 528 2nd St building in 2008 and remodeled it to expand the store.   The store paid rent that covered the cost for the buildings insurance and taxes until the buildings were gifted to the nonprofit in 2012.

 

In 2011 a new Board of Directors was formed. The name Third World Friends was changed to All Seasons Community Services (ASCS). In addition it was decided to change the focus to more local areas.  The Board of Directors mapped out a 6 county area from Interstate 169 (west) to 52 (East) and Hwy 19 (North) and Hwy 14 (South).

 

Food  Security

Food insecurity refers to USDA’s measure of lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods.

 

Food insecurity reflects a household’s need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.

 

Feeding America statistics list Goodhue County with 4,260 food insecure people, with 62% below 165% of poverty threshold.

 

Food Shelf

The first program started the ASCS Food Shelf- Oct 2011.  The food shelf space was donated by Peterson Ford. It is a client choice food shelf that allows individuals to select their own variety of nutritional balanced food. The service area includes people from Kenyon, Wanamingo, Nerstrand, Dennision and West Concord.

 

Back Pack Program

The Back Pack program started in 2013.  ASCS supplies food for breakfast, lunch and a snack to grade school and middle school children in the Kenyon- Wanamingo School District for non-school days.

 

Community Meal

Monetary financial support was given to a Faribault, MN community meal in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

A Community Meal project in Wanamingo was started in mid-2016.  A meal is served once a month at the Community Center in Wanamingo. ASCS is committed to a 1 year trial.

 

Youth/ Activity Center

In 2012- 2013 a youth center started in the “Gallery Building” as a 1 year pilot program. A mother of 3 returned to school for a masters program using the youth center as a class project.  The demographic  target was middle school children.

 

In 2014, ASCS received several physical assets from the estate of the Nielsen’s. Those assets were sold and funded the remodel of the 516 – 2nd St (Youth/Activity) building.

 

In 2016, ASCS is exploring other possibilities for uses of the Activity Center.  Senior citizens are being considered at this time.

 

The future planning for the organization will be decided in early 2017.  The Board of Directors is a diverse representation of folks from the greater Kenyon-Wanamingo School District area

 

(10/2016)