236 area students participated in the third year of Community Steps – a partnership between United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) and the Mountain Iron Fire Department (MIFD).
Community Steps is the brainchild of MIFD Community Outreach Coordinator Laura Thro who envisioned a program that showed local families that “their community supports them every step of the way.”
She reached out to UWNEMN to collaborate on the program and serve all families in the region.
To qualify for Community Steps, families must reside on the Iron Range and be under the 200% Federal Poverty Guidelines/receiving SNAP or MFIP. Children also must be enrolled in grades K-12 in the upcoming school year.
Participating children and their families this year enjoyed a community dinner and fire prevention education presentation at Mountain Iron Community Center then took a fire engine ride to Famous Footwear where they selected a pair of athletic shoes with proper fitting assistance by Dr. Katie Evans from Range Foot & Ankle. They also received socks, a cinch backpack, Girl Scout cookies, and a haircut gift card.
Funding for Community Steps was provided by the St. Louis County Family Services Collaborative which aims to advance an inclusive network of community services that help families develop resiliency, support healthy child development, and improve educational outcomes. Famous Footwear and Cost Cutters provided discounts on shoes and gift cards, respectively. Walmart Mountain Iron also provided funding towards socks.
“We at UWNEMN love being a part of Community Steps. This unique partnership unites communities and brings together resources, supporting our local youth and families in an extremely impactful way,” said UWNEMN Resource Development & Events Director Elizabeth Kelly.
“All of the Community Steps volunteers did an amazing job of creating long-lasting memories while helping them get ready for school,” Kelly added.
Community Steps was held on three separate nights this year, made possible by volunteers from the community, UWNEMN, MIFD, Gilbert Fire Department, and Hibbing Police Department.
“It’s fun to be at events like these and create a positive experience with law enforcement for kids,” said HPD Office Joe Casey.
Thro says the MIFD is already looking forward to next year’s program.
“We love how Community Steps has grown each year, and we are grateful for the students and their caregivers that make this such a wonderful experience,” she said.