The Adoption Option, a partnership between The Village Family Service Center and Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota is holding a FREE informational meeting about adoption, Thursday, January 30, 2014, 6:00 p.m., The Village Family Service Center, 1201 25th St. S., Fargo.
This meeting is open to North Dakotans who are considering adopting a child.
Caring professionals with knowledge and experience in adoption issues will answer questions and provide education regarding the opportunities, strengths and risks of adoption.
Find out about all the adoption options including infant, identified, interstate, and relative adoption, plus a special focus on international adoption. Open adoption will be explained and the issues of cost and waiting periods will be addressed. For more information, call 1-800-627-8220.
North Dakota Association of
Builders Welcomes Heather Austin
The North Dakota Association of Builders welcomes Heather Austin to their team as the new Office and Communications Coordinator. Heather is a Mandan native who comes to us after spending five years with the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce and the past two years with Center for Technology & Business. A University of Mary graduate, Heather has a great background in marketing and communications, non-profit programming and services, and community involvement. “We are fortunate to have someone of Heather’s caliber and background join our Builders’ team,” Kim Schneider, Executive Officer of the N.D. Association of Home Builders said. Heather currently lives in Bismarck with her husband, Jon, her step-son, Jaden, and her newborn son, Jayce.
The North Dakota Association of Builders is located in Bismarck and represents six local associations in Bismarck-Mandan, Williston, Minot, Dickinson, Fargo and Grand Forks along with over 2000 members. Their mission is to represent the professional building industry through legislation, information and education.
Participate in Pedaling for Possibilities!
IPAT is inviting people to create a bike team of 10 riders, or to join an existing one! Pedaling for Possibilities is a stationary bike race that raises funds to buy assistive technology for individuals with disabilities in North Dakota and Moorhead, MN. Riders and teams compete for prizes. For more information visit www.ndipat.org/pedaling-for-possibilities or contact IPAT at (701) 365-4728.
There are several bike teams who, year after year, participate in P4P, including Pediatric Therapy Partners (PTP) of Fargo. Elizabeth Donahue, bike team Captain for PTP, explains her favorite part of the event, “The event organization is great and just keeps getting better every year as the event expands and more people participate.”
P4P includes music, food, fun, and prizes. Donahue describes her team’s competitiveness, “We won most miles last year! We push ourselves and our teammates to ride fast and hard, and everyone is there to cheer each other on and motivate each other.”
P4P funds benefit a variety of ages. Individuals from 2-99 years of age have acquired AT such as: a computer with voice recognition software for someone with no use of their hands; communication software for someone who is unable to speak; and a stair lift for someone with physical impairments.
Anyone can create a team and participate. In Donahue’s words, “If you try it, you will keep doing it! What have you got to lose? You don’t have to be athletic to participate, and all ages and abilities are welcome. P4P has such a fun atmosphere with the costumes, music, DJ, and team spirit.”
This year’s event will be held at the NDSU Wallman Wellness Center on February 8th from 1 – 6 pm. For more information call IPAT at (701) 365-4728.
Fire damages home at
1217 Monte Carlo Dr. N
FARGO, N.D. (January 20, 2014) – On Monday, January 20, Fargo fire crews responded to the report of a mattress and blankets on fire at 1217 Monte Carlo Dr. N, Fargo. Fire crews reported heavy smoke and flames showing out one of the windows when the first unit arrived on scene. Crews made an interior attack and knocked the bulk of the fire down within the first few minutes of entering the home. The home was searched for victims and none were found. The occupants were located at a neighbor’s house. Additional crews assisted in removing ceiling on the interior to make sure the fire was completely extinguished.
Crews were hampered by extreme cold weather and high winds. The hydrant nearest to the fire was discovered to be frozen and unusable, and a hydrant further away had to be used. Fortunately, the truck had enough water to keep crews supplied until it was connected to the further hydrant.
The Red Cross responded to assist the family with short term housing needs. FM Ambulance and Fargo Police also responded. The cause of the fire was determined to be children playing with matches.
The Fargo Fire Department encourages you to keep matches, lighters, and smoking materials secured and out of the reach of children, visit www.fargofire.com.
10 Expenses Often Forgotten
when Building a Financial Plan
The December poll hosted on the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) website revealed that more than half of the respondents, 56 percent, predicted they would be in a better place financially at this time next year. This response rate tripled the next highest category where 18 percent of respondents indicated their situation would remain about the same as it is this year.
“Financial optimism is a healthy sign, but it’s going to take more than hope to make financial success a reality,” said Gail Cunningham, spokesperson for the NFCC. “People need to guard against financial amnesia, the affliction of too quickly forgetting the financial mistakes and pain of the past. One way to do that is by having a financial plan. Although the future can’t be predicted, consumers can protect themselves from financial unknowns by making smart money decisions today.”
Financial control starts with financial awareness. Many of us set goals to get out of debt, but we skip the basic step of creating a spending plan. Continuing to ignore current spending patterns can prevent us from identifying and addressing the very reason we don’t achieve our goal of debt reduction.
Financial professionals at The Village Family Service Center encourage you to take the first step toward debt reduction by building a financial plan, including the following often forgotten or ignored areas. The result will be a comprehensive and realistic budget, moving the goal of debt reduction closer to becoming a reality.
1. The unexpected.
2. Long-term savings.
3. Known periodic expenses.
4. Household and vehicle maintenance.
5. Travel.
6. Major purchases.
7. Charitable giving.
8. Health insurance choices.
9. Investing.
10. Debt reduction.
“The likelihood of being in a better financial place at this time next year starts with the decisions we make now,” continued Cunningham. “Although there are things outside of our control, planning today protects against tomorrow’s uncertainties.”
Learn more about managing your finances by contacting The Village Family Service Center at helpwithmoney.org or1-800-450-4019. Our NFCC Certified Financial Professionals can assist in you putting together a financial plan that will help you meet your goal of becoming debt free.