Bremer Bank in Amery, WI had many opportunities for employees and the community to participate in the June is Hunger Awareness campaign.
Bremer Banks Hunger Awareness Community Challenge resulted in three truckloads of food donated at Dynatronix, WXCE/MIX 105, AKF Martial Arts, and Bremer.
Close to $1000 in cash was collected through various events at Bremer including an employee bake sale, employee lunch donation, popcorn sales and the Taking Action Against Hunger tote donations. We also provide cold milk in the lobby for a June is Dairy Month promotion where free will donations are used to provide milk vouchers for the Salvation Army.
Posted by Maltee McMahon, NRS, Wisconsin
Monday, July 13, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Coverage: Backus, Hunger Coalition Receive Bremer Grants
Backus, Hunger Coalition receive Bremer grants,
By LAUREL BEAGER, Editor
Created 07/01/2009 - 9:31am
International Falls Daily Journal
Citizens for Backus and the Falls Hunger Coalition were among 66 recipients of grants authorized at a recent meeting of the Otto Bremer Foundation board.
Citizens for Backus AB was awarded $50,000 cash, which it received just a week ago, to be used exclusively on a kitchen project, said Ward Merrill, executive director of Citizens for Backus AB.
The grant also involves a $30,000 match, he said.
“It means if we can raise $30,000 on our own, Bremer will give us another $30,000; and we’ve already started to work on that,” he said.
Because of the match, Merrill said now would be a good time for anyone who would like to help support the kitchen project to donate.
“For every dollar received locally, we will receive another dollar from Bremer,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity to make your dollar go a lot further than it normally would.”
Citizens for Backus AB has begun to install a commercial-quality kitchen, which will allow the group to increase its food service for the community center.
The Falls Hunger Coalition food shelf received $15,000 from the Otto Bremer Foundation. This funding is for general operations of the non-profit food shelf.
The food shelf continues to see an increase in need within the service area of Koochiching County. As a result, during 2008, the amount of food available per person decreased by more than five pounds.
“This operational grant will assist the food shelf in weathering the current economic situation and maintain service at an acceptable Blue Ribbon Food Shelf standard,” said Nancy Anderson, director of Falls Hunger Coalition.
Falls Hunger Coalition’s yearly budget is based almost totally on hopeful direct public support, and local fund raising, Anderson said. Operational and program-specific grants help to offset what cannot be raised at the local level.
“Our community is extremely fortunate to have the ongoing support of the Otto Bremer Foundation,” Anderson commented.
Meanwhile, Merrill said the kitchen project is viewed as a source of sustainable revenue for the Backus Community Center.
By LAUREL BEAGER, Editor
Created 07/01/2009 - 9:31am
International Falls Daily Journal
Citizens for Backus and the Falls Hunger Coalition were among 66 recipients of grants authorized at a recent meeting of the Otto Bremer Foundation board.
Citizens for Backus AB was awarded $50,000 cash, which it received just a week ago, to be used exclusively on a kitchen project, said Ward Merrill, executive director of Citizens for Backus AB.
The grant also involves a $30,000 match, he said.
“It means if we can raise $30,000 on our own, Bremer will give us another $30,000; and we’ve already started to work on that,” he said.
Because of the match, Merrill said now would be a good time for anyone who would like to help support the kitchen project to donate.
“For every dollar received locally, we will receive another dollar from Bremer,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity to make your dollar go a lot further than it normally would.”
Citizens for Backus AB has begun to install a commercial-quality kitchen, which will allow the group to increase its food service for the community center.
The Falls Hunger Coalition food shelf received $15,000 from the Otto Bremer Foundation. This funding is for general operations of the non-profit food shelf.
The food shelf continues to see an increase in need within the service area of Koochiching County. As a result, during 2008, the amount of food available per person decreased by more than five pounds.
“This operational grant will assist the food shelf in weathering the current economic situation and maintain service at an acceptable Blue Ribbon Food Shelf standard,” said Nancy Anderson, director of Falls Hunger Coalition.
Falls Hunger Coalition’s yearly budget is based almost totally on hopeful direct public support, and local fund raising, Anderson said. Operational and program-specific grants help to offset what cannot be raised at the local level.
“Our community is extremely fortunate to have the ongoing support of the Otto Bremer Foundation,” Anderson commented.
Meanwhile, Merrill said the kitchen project is viewed as a source of sustainable revenue for the Backus Community Center.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
A Top List for Women Entrepreneurs
I recently read a survey of 250 women entrepreneurs asking them this question: “What’s the number one thing you do to boost your productivity?”
Listed in David Letterman’s reverse “Top Ten” order, here are the top ten ways women entrepreneurs boost productivity:
10. Write out your to do list the night before.
Don’t wait until morning to make your list. Write your list the night before. Allow the process to percolate while you sleep. Then, when you wake up, it’s as if you’ve had an eight-hour head start on your day.
9. Prioritize your daily list using the “ABCD and E” method.
A = must do; B = should do; C = would be nice to do; D = delegate; E = eliminate
8. Wake up early and get off to a good start.
Wake up early to set the tone for your day. This allows you to get into the swing of things at an unhurried pace. Establish a morning routine that is of greatest benefit to you, not just to your family.
7. Delegate everything possible.
If it isn’t directly making you money, delegate it to someone else. Turn over data entry tasks, packing and shipping, and answering non-essential emails and calls to a competent administrative professional. Not sure if you should turn something over? Ask yourself, “Can this task be done by someone else, or does it need my direct attention?” As an entrepreneur, your job is to concentrate on what is of most value to you and your business success, not on errands.
6. Know your energy peaks and valleys.
You are in control of your business. You get to say when, you get to say how, and you get to say how long. As an entrepreneur, you aren’t locked into a 9 to 5 workday. You can start work at the crack of dawn, go to the gym in the afternoon, and outline a new product idea in the evening. Schedule work activities, family time, and personal quiet time around the natural ebb and flow of your energy peaks and valleys.
5. Find a way to love what you do.
If you love what you do then you are more apt to be productive because you are fully engaged. No matter what you’re doing at any given time, find a way to love doing it.
4. If in doubt, throw it out.
Make liberal use of your waste can and recycle bin. Regularly go through files and throw out or shred material that is outdated or no longer relevant. There is no need to save everything “just in case” you’ll need it later. Trust that if you throw something out today and you need it in the future, you’ll be able to get your hands on it again.
Listed in David Letterman’s reverse “Top Ten” order, here are the top ten ways women entrepreneurs boost productivity:
10. Write out your to do list the night before.
Don’t wait until morning to make your list. Write your list the night before. Allow the process to percolate while you sleep. Then, when you wake up, it’s as if you’ve had an eight-hour head start on your day.
9. Prioritize your daily list using the “ABCD and E” method.
A = must do; B = should do; C = would be nice to do; D = delegate; E = eliminate
8. Wake up early and get off to a good start.
Wake up early to set the tone for your day. This allows you to get into the swing of things at an unhurried pace. Establish a morning routine that is of greatest benefit to you, not just to your family.
7. Delegate everything possible.
If it isn’t directly making you money, delegate it to someone else. Turn over data entry tasks, packing and shipping, and answering non-essential emails and calls to a competent administrative professional. Not sure if you should turn something over? Ask yourself, “Can this task be done by someone else, or does it need my direct attention?” As an entrepreneur, your job is to concentrate on what is of most value to you and your business success, not on errands.
6. Know your energy peaks and valleys.
You are in control of your business. You get to say when, you get to say how, and you get to say how long. As an entrepreneur, you aren’t locked into a 9 to 5 workday. You can start work at the crack of dawn, go to the gym in the afternoon, and outline a new product idea in the evening. Schedule work activities, family time, and personal quiet time around the natural ebb and flow of your energy peaks and valleys.
5. Find a way to love what you do.
If you love what you do then you are more apt to be productive because you are fully engaged. No matter what you’re doing at any given time, find a way to love doing it.
4. If in doubt, throw it out.
Make liberal use of your waste can and recycle bin. Regularly go through files and throw out or shred material that is outdated or no longer relevant. There is no need to save everything “just in case” you’ll need it later. Trust that if you throw something out today and you need it in the future, you’ll be able to get your hands on it again.
3. Break up projects into tasks.
If you have something on your to do list that’s been there for a long time, realize that it’s probably not a task. It’s a project. To do lists are for discreet tasks. When you put a project on your list, you’ll feel bogged down and productivity will slow. Many of the women entrepreneurs surveyed use business strategist Brian Tracy’s method for breaking up projects into easy-to-do tasks:
* First, list the finished result you want.
* Next, map out every single step of the project.
* Then, put the steps into order, moving the important steps to the front.
* Now, delegate tasks and assign responsibilities.
* Finally, track the progress of the project.
2. Give 80% of your attention to what is important and 20% to what is urgent.
As an entrepreneur, your job is to discern the difference between what’s important and what’s urgent. To figure out the difference between the two, ask yourself, “Will focusing on this move my business forward and make me money or will I just be putting out fires?”
Dealing with the urgent all day is draining. Dealing with the important is energizing. Make sure you’re giving 80% of your time and attention to what’s important each day.
1. Focus on one thing at a time.
The number one thing women entrepreneurs do to boost productivity is… focus on one thing at a time. Although women are known to be exceptional multi-taskers, those surveyed said they were able to get more done when they focused on one thing at a time. Starting and stopping in the middle of things was frustrating for them and meant that not much was completed at day’s end.
Tip: If focusing on one thing at a time is challenging for you, have a pen and paper nearby. That way, if something pops into your head, just write it down and get right back to the task at hand. What is the number one thing you should do to boost your productivity? As you’ve just seen, among the 250 women entrepreneurs I surveyed their answers ranged from prioritizing their daily to do list to learning to break projects up into smaller tasks to delegating everything possible. Decide which of their favorite techniques will help you the most, and start implementing them right now. You’re sure to boost productivity for yourself and your business.
About the Author: Dr. Susan L. Reid is a small business expert and business catalyst for spiritually conscious women starting up businesses. She is the author of “Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Journey to Business Success.” To download a free copy of the Turn Your Business Dreams Into Reality Toolkit, which includes a PDF chapter of her book, go to Your Samurai Business.
Posted by Julie Vreeland, NRS, Brainerd
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