Iron Range students complete volunteer service in Twin Cities

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News release

Extension Office  • 2503 Rice Lake Road • Duluth, MN 55811 • (218) 733-2870
307 First Street South, Suite 105 • Virginia, MN 55792 • (218) 749-7120
www.stlouiscountymn.gov

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
August 25, 2015

CONTACT: Patty Swedberg, Director
St. Louis County Extension Office
(218) 733-2879

Iron Range Youth in Action travels to Twin Cities to help less fortunate

Washing windows, unloading food trucks, and disinfecting patient rooms – they’re not activities typically associated with a dream vacation. But six Iron Range teenagers did those jobs and more during what they’re calling the trip of a lifetime. The students, all members of Iron Range Youth in Action, spent four days in the Twin Cities volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House and Salvation Army Center.

The students and their respective schools include Stephanie Daugherty of Babbitt-Embarrass, Michael Sullivan of Hibbing, Andrew Dale and Dylan Leff from Mountain Iron-Buhl, and Aly Kingsley and Marissa Peterson of Virginia. They were accompanied by IRYA Program Coordinators Taryn Burnett and Tyler Erickson.

The service-learning trip began with work at the Ronald McDonald House, which provides a place for families to stay while their children are receiving medical care for serious illness.

“It was truly inspiring,” said Aly Kingsley of Virginia. “We helped them clean most of the 42-room house. We washed tables, cleaned the windows, and even got too see some of the patients there, which was very meaningful.”

The group also volunteered at the Salvation Army, cleaning and organizing food storage areas. At the same time, they learned about the tremendous needs of the people who come to the shelter for services.

The house we volunteered at is one of seven Salvation Army houses that gets filled EVERY NIGHT,” said Michael Sullivan of Hibbing. “After all of the houses are filled, along with full churches and other homeless outreach shelters, there are still have over 2,000 people homeless individuals in Minneapolis alone.”

The Ronald McDonald House and Salvation Army Center were chosen as the volunteer sites based on the students’ interests and desire to help in a hospital or shelter setting. IRYA members also volunteer at the Salvation Army on the Iron Range throughout the year.

Spending time at the two locations was both educational and inspirational for the students, according to IRYA Program Coordinator Taryn Burnett. “You could see the compassion in their eyes, and the eagerness to do whatever they could to ease the stay of the residents,” said Burnett. “They were inspired by the determination of children and families. It was an emotional experience that I do not think they will forget. They wanted to keep helping, and they want to go back!”

The IRYA students have been planning, organizing and raising money for this trip for three years. Along with the volunteer projects, the teens were also able to find time for fun, including visits to Valleyfair, the Mall of America, and a Minnesota Twins game.

Iron Range Youth in Action is a service organization started by the County Board in 1995 that brings together students from 13 schools and 37 communities. Its mission is to promote youth leadership and bring positive change to northern Minnesota. For more information about IRYA, call St. Louis County Extension at (218) 749-7114 or visit stlouiscountymn.gov/ext.

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IRYA students at Ronald McDonald House