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JOIN YOUR REGIONAL NETWORK AND WORK WITH OTHERS AS DEDICATED AS YOU!
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Supporting older adults and caregivers across Minnesota’s northernmost communities
Spotlight on Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging
Named for Minnesota's northernmost scenic drive, which travels along the Rainy River from Voyageurs National Park near the Canadian border west to North Dakota, the Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging supports a 21-county area. Like the scenic drive it’s named for, Dancing Sky covers a vast area of mostly rural communities. Because of this, it encounters both challenges and opportunities.
Dancing Sky is a program of the Northwest Regional Development Commission and collaborates with many partners and providers. They coordinate the pass-through funding intended to enrich the lives of older adults and their caregivers and operate the highly rated Senior LinkAge Line services.
“We play a unique role in our communities. We want older adults to thrive. That differs from community to community. Above all, we work to fill service gaps and focus on the needs of those we serve. The Older Americans Act, along with the Senior Linkage Line, is the core of what we do.” -- Heather Pender, Director of Dancing Sky
Heather Pender has worked for Dancing Sky for ten years and is now entering her third year as director. She is proud of their collaborative work and successes, and calls Dancing Sky “the best-kept secret" in the region.
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Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging staff and clients participate in an activity together.
The Older Americans Act funds various services designed to help older persons secure and maintain independence and dignity in a home environment, remove barriers for older persons, and provide a continuum of care for older and vulnerable adults. Additional services support family, friends, and neighbors who care for older persons, grandparents, and older relatives who care for children. Service options includes community classes, educational presentations, caregiver resources, support groups, respite care, congregate nutrition, and home-delivered meals.
Keep up with Dancing Sky by following them on Facebook: Dancing Sky | Facebook
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Embracing rest and transition this time of year
Message from Shor, project supervisor
As we head into the darkest days of the year, we welcome you to remember that we can invite rest even in these moments of darkness. Our culture doesn't often support us in prioritizing rest, and we all need it sometimes.
During this season of darkness, I also invite you to light a candle if you can (rather than turning on a light) and look in a mirror using just the candlelight. And ask yourself, "What seems different?" The answer might be truly enlightening.
As we move through this time of the year, our team has undergone several staff transitions and other changes within the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). At the end of December, we will be saying farewell to our Northwest Regional Coordinator, Mary Mitchell, as she moves on to new adventures in her life. I am grateful for the care Mary brought to her role in the Northwest region. She truly demonstrated how to build relationships grounded in curiosity and kindness, and then she supported the growth of those relationships and networks across the region. Our next Northwest Coordinator is already set for success due to Mary's amazing work! We will announce the name of our new Northwest Coordinator in the January 2025 newsletter.
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Our team is also undergoing a transition within MDH. Over the last few years, we have grown this work from within the Community Health Division. In the New Year, we will move to the Health Equity Strategy and Innovation Division within the Health Equity Bureau. We are excited about working more closely with our beloved colleagues in this division and looking forward to creating strong alignment and programming with them. Any move comes with a lot of learning, and that is what we are currently doing. We hope you won't mind the dust as we settle into a new space!
Over this holiday season, please take care of yourself in ways that are meaningful to you, your family, and your culture.
More to come in the new year,
shor
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Reflections and activity highlights from the regional coordinators.
As I bid farewell to MDH and the Health Equity Networks at the end of December, I have been reflecting on the work my team and I have done over the past three years. So many memories and emotions are surfacing that I have been getting a little sentimental.
When I accepted the Health Equity Network Coordinator position in 2021, I had no idea what a life-changing experience it would be. I was interested in this work because I am passionate about improving the health outcomes for all people in my community and region. I recently retired as the director of a regional food shelf and thought this project would be perfect for my work and life timeline.
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I am incredibly proud to have been a part of creating the Health Equity Networks with my thoughtful and creative team members and our regional partners. We have all grown and learned together since taking our first wobbly steps back in 2022. Now we are dancing.
My favorite part of the work has been the many one-to-one meetings with my region's partners. I especially value the opportunities I had to visit leaders where they live and work. I learned so much about the critical services they provide to their communities and how they strive to advance health equity.
The dance continues with some new faces, opportunities, and challenges. I am excited to see what the future holds for the Networks and this work. I am grateful to everyone who has walked and danced alongside me in the past three years.
With gratitude,
Mary Mitchell, NW Regional Health Equity Network Coordinator (Outgoing)
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We're hiring a Networks coordinator!
This position will develop and convene programmatic activities related to building and sustaining the Minnesota Health Equity Networks in the Southwest Region of Minnesota. The Networks support a regional approach and a statewide commitment to advancing health and racial equity across Minnesota’s public health system through relationship building, convening, capacity building, and providing technical assistance. The Network Coordinators bring together partners from across sectors including local public health, tribal public health, community partners and others. Learn more and apply at Careers in Minnesota State Government / Careers in the State of Minnesota. Search job ID 82289. Closing date for applications is Jan. 6, 2025.
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