22 minute read
The most rewarding job you’ll ever have:’ At Laura Baker, staff-client relationships become like family
At Laura Baker, staff-client rela tionships become like family
If you’re lucky, coming to work is like coming home. It’s certainly the case for many employees of Laura Baker Services Association in Northfield, who care for some of the community’s most vulnerable members — people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, especially those who cannot live independently. Laura Baker serves about 30 clients in its on-campus housing, plus more in half a dozen apartments and houses around town. Caring for these clients takes a small army: 180 full- or part-time staff members (the equivalent of 105 full-time employees) along with anywhere from 200 to 250 volunteers helping out, according to Executive Director Sandra Gerdes. Since Laura Baker provides round-the-clock support to clients every day of the year, it takes a significant number of workers to keep things running smoothly. Story By ANNE KOPAS Northfield News
The job is by no means easy — yet many employees embrace the challenges of hard work and limited pay to enrich the lives of clients and their families.
Amanda Fox, who has served as a registered nurse at Laura Baker the past two years, originally took a job as a direct care worker with the or ganization while in high school. Fox has since left, worked about 10 years elsewhere, and has now come back. Her return is a testament to the depth of the connections she makes with clients.
“This is the most rewarding job you will ever have. Your job is to make sure your clients have a life,” Fox said. Day-to-day, her work revolves around making sure clients stay healthy. This takes place in the form of quarterly physicals, responding to minor injuries and illnesses reported by direct care staff and handling medical paperwork. Training is also a huge part of her job, either through
training staff in medical procedures and equipment or through catching up on developments in care and nursing. She’s also in charge of ensuring clients get to medical appointments on time. It’s a process sometimes fraught with frustrations, as medical professionals tend to communicate with Fox or other staff rather than the client themselves, even with clients capable of communicating their own concerns. Just because a client is nonverbal, said Fox, doesn’t mean they can’t communicate with a doctor.
But in these appointments, clients also have an opportunity to find moments of independence — for example, when they realize they’re capable of checking themselves in at a clinic without help.
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FAR LEFT: As Laura Baker’s registered nurse, it’s Amanda Fox’s job to keep all clients healthy and safe. It’s busy, she said, but in her view, it’s also one of the most rewarding jobs out there. (Anne Kopas/ Northfield Now)
LEFT: Lisa Schmidt serves as a house director for Laura Baker, a role she’s held for about two years (in addition to a previous role held a decade earlier). Schmidt’s job revolves around managing homes where clients live semiindependently, with some staff supervision. (Anne Kopas/Northfield Now)
BELOW: Laura Baker clients spend much of their time out in the community, whether it’s at a workplace, a day program like Epic Enterprise or other outings like library trips, grocery shopping and movie nights. (Photo courtesy of Laura Baker Services Association)
It’s these moments of independence and autonomy that Laura Baker employees
strive to enable with all clients, across a variety of situations, whether it’s
ordering their own popcorn at the movie theater or counting out their own payment at Target. Inside client group homes, staff work
with clients to plan and prepare meals, letting clients do as much of the decisionmaking and actual cooking as possible. Some household chores, like laundry, are entirely the client’s responsibility. “We just try to make it as much of a family situation as we can,” said Lisa Schmidt, a house director at Laura Baker. Schmidt spends part of each day at client group homes, helping with tasks like getting breakfast together before housemates go off to their daily routine, which might mean work or attending day programs with local organizations like Epic Enterprise in Dundas. Throughout the day, Schmidt might help clients with household tasks or hang out with clients who work later shifts. The rest of Schmidt’s work includes administrative tasks like budgeting and hiring.
Schmidt has served in her current role for about two years — in addiTo volunteer: Laura Baker Services Association frequently seeks out volunteers to help with both day-to-day activities and special events. To sign up, visit laurabaker. org/get-involved/volunteer or contact Jayne Overstreet at jayne.overstreet@laurabaker.org. Learn more about Laura Baker Services Association at laurabaker.org.
tion to the two and a half years she worked at Laura Baker before taking a decade of f while her kids were growing up. “It was my favorite job,” said Schmidt, who has also worked as a teacher and retail entrepreneur. It’s a unique type of career, said Schmidt and Fox, that gets staff out in the community with clients. A client’s day (and by extension, a staff member’s day) can get busy with a regular schedule of activities that might include a trip to the YMCA, eating at local restaurants, music and art therapy, and shopping outings. “There’s a lot of places in town that are very accomodating to our clients,” Schmidt said.
Positive interactions with non-staff community members have a huge impact on clients. Little things, like someone complimenting a client’s hat at the grocery store, become treasured moments that clients will talk about throughout the rest of the day. For a population that too often can feel isolated, even a smile from a welcoming stranger can help a client feel like they belong in the community.
Part of the family
Along with staff members, Laura Baker relies on a network of volunteers to provide activities and companionship for clients. Schmidt regularly recruits high school and college students to be “buddies” for clients, a one-on-one connection that often results in deep friendships. V olunteers help with everything from day-to-day client care to special events. Some help organize and serve fancy dinner nights throughout the year at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Others coach Special Olympics, work out with clients at the YMCA or accompany them to communitywide festivities like the Defeat of Jesse James Days.
“In general, our volunteers augment the services and supports that we’re able to provide, and to do things we wouldn’ t be able to do if we were just relying on staff members,” said Gerdes, who has served as
For Laura Baker staff and volunteers alike, clients become like family members, forming bonds with the children of employees and even heading to helpers’ homes for holiday dinners. (Photo courtesy of Laura Baker Services Association)
executive director since 1997 and worked with Laura Baker since 1983.
These volunteer-client relationships are especially important, as they show clients that people beyond staff members are choosing to spend parts of their day at Laura Baker without asking anything in return.
Some staff members make clients a part of their own families by inviting them home for Thanksgiving dinner. Others pick up clients on Saturdays to spend the day with their family,, or get their kids involved in volunteering with Laura Baker. It’s especially heartwarming for staff when clients remember someone’s kids or dog even years later. “It’ s really fun because the clients know who our families are; they know the staff’s kids, and most have been to everybody’s houses,” Schmidt said. “We’re part of their family, and they’re part of ours.”
Above all else, the goal of all staf f members is to facilitate an environment where clients feel valued, with a sense of agency and purpose, while receiving the support they need. By working with clients every day, staff members get to know each person’s interests, likes and dislikes, quirks and sense of humor.
Though they have disabilities, each client is someone’s child, uncle, sister, cousin in the same way as anyone without a disability.
“That’s all they want: to be acknowledged,” Fox said.
Kopas is a freelance writer for Northfield NOW magazine.
Lisa Schmidt, left, and Amanda Fox are pictured along with a portrait of Laura Baker. In 1897, Baker founded The School for Nervous and Backward Children in Minneapolis, relocating to Northfield a year later and eventually renaming the school the Laura Baker School. In 2016, the organization partnered with the Cannon Valley Special Education Cooperative and became Laura Baker Services Association. (Anne Kopas/Northfield Now)
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bring makers under one roof
For years tinkerers and craftspeople have labored in their home workshops, but now many are emerging in makerspaces across the country. The latest makerspace to spring up in Minnesota is the Cannon Valley Makers, who have found a home in Dundas where people can drop in to use an assortment of tools to build nearly anything their mind conceives. From woodworking tools to metalworking tools to CNC equipment and even a plasma cutter, the Cannon Valley Makers have assembled a deep reservoir of tools to use. Story & Photos By NICK GERHARDT ngerhardt@wasecacountynews.com
ABOVE: Fred Heim explains to Ann Ijima how his wood burner works during an open house at Cannon Valley Makers in Dundas. The group expects to have several classes to offer.
LEFT: Fred Heim points to his wood burner as Juliane Shibata looks on during an open house for the Cannon Valley Makers. The group has opened a makers space in Dundas.
The Cannon Valley Makers is a collective of people in Rice County who have banded together to share their tools and knowledge for those who already create and for those who wish to learn. The doors to the building at 300 Railway St. in Dundas are open for classes, workshops, meetups and those just looking for workshop space.
David Peterson moved to the Northfield area nine years ago and had a background in metalworking. He also enjoyed wood turning as a hobby but didn’ t begin dabbling in wood turning with more frequency until he came to Northfield. By then he’d assembled a number of machines for wood turning and met Loren Larson, who had equipment of his own he wanted to move somewhere to continue to use. Peterson had space for Larson’s equipment and soon the idea of creating a makerspace made sense to Peterson.
Peterson continued to kick the idea around even though finding an ideal space proved difficult. He later met Anne Ijima, who also had an idea of creating a makerspace. Soon more people jumped on board and
the group incorporated in October 2017 at a 501 (c) (3) non-profit with a board of six people. The board includes Peterson, Martin, Ijima, Chris Whillock, Amy Boxrud and Ezra Plemons.
They found the building in Dundas, which used to house Judy’ s Floral and started moving equipment in as they improved the facility to be able to hold the machinery and tools.
The makerspace business model typically follows a membership plan where people can join for an annual fee and have access to the tools. The Cannon Valley Makers use that format with the additional bonus that members can get first dibs on upcoming classes and discounts on class fees. The Cannon Valley Makers will charge $25 per person for a membership or $35 for a family membership.
Interest is strong in the community so far. Peterson said the group has 400 people on an email list and they held an open house this month that drew several curious people.
Inside there are three areas for makers. In the front there are three 3D printers and a space for
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ABOVE: Michelle Martin speaks to Juliane Shibata about Cannon Valley Makers during a recent open house.
LEFT: Butch Armstrong looks on as Jen Wolcott creates an image on a computer to be printed on a Cricut machine at Cannon Valley Makers.
David Peterson, right, speaks with Gary Wicks, left, during an open house for Cannon Valley Makers. Peterson and five others have started a makers space in Dundas.
crafts. In the second room there are woodcarving tools, scroll saws, chisels, drill presses and other tools. Inthebackyou’llfindsanders, aplasmacutter, alongwithother tools that require a dust collection system. The Cannon Valley Makers will also make the work created there available for people to buy. Additionally, the group plans to build a tool library where people can borrow tools for home projects or for other uses.
The Cannon Valley Makers mission statement, in part, reads: “We know that members will enrich their lives through their experiences and successes as makers. We believe that the Cannon Valley Makers is embedded in the tradition of making things using our hands and our minds in unison, thereby deepening our relation to the world we inhabit.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
Woodcarving will be taught at Cannon Valley Makers along with wood turning and wood burning.
Makerspace movement
Makerspaces have caught on in the last 15 years as people have sought ways to do things themselves. Whether inspired to master woodworking or learn 3D printing, makerspaces encompass a realm of creativity that mixes in traditional workshop tasks and the frontier of modern workshops that feature 3D printers.
“It was clear there is a really dynamic and supportive community in this area of artists and artisans and highly skilled craftspeople,” Peterson said. “It’ s a real continuum of skills and ages and interests and capabilities. The more I saw these people and became part of the community it just seemed to me obvious that it seemed like a perfect place to have a makerspace because there are people who want to teach, there are people who want to learn, there are families that want to be involved. It was a very thriving and dynamic element in the community at large. Our mission is to build a community within this community. Give people who have these interests and needs to have a place to come. They can belong on any terms they want.”
Minnesota has seen a crop of makerspaces take root. There’s the Twin Cities Makers and Nordeast Makers in Minneapolis, a makerspace in Mankato, Duluth and several libraries that have started to
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TOP RIGHT: The Cannon Valley Makers have several 3D printers that members can try out in Dundas.
MIDDLE RIGHT: A 3D printer works to create an item at the Cannon Valley Makers in Dundas.
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The Cannon Valley Makers display examples of woodworking projects people can create in the makerspace.
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offer makerspace activities. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment when the makerspace movement took off but many point to the creation of Make Magazine in 2005 as the demarcation where makerspaces gained traction. But in a way, people have always had a desire to learn how things work and how to create things on their own.
“It seems to be rooted in two things,” Peterson said. “One of them is to have a real connection to your physical environment in a way that’ s not easy to maintain, especially in this day and age where technology is so complex and sophisticated. The other is that it meets a need for community and connection. People doing things yourself with your hands is very satisfying. Doing it with other people who may be teaching you or mentoring you or who you are teaching, adds a real community element dimension to it. That’s what makes it work and that’s what we’re determined to do.” Michelle Martin, a teacher at Prairie Creek Elementary School, got involved with the Cannon Valley Makers after Ijima spoke to her about it. Martin has run a makers club at Prairie Creek and a robotics club the past several years. She noticed that in addition to the students making things, the parents joined in with equal interest. Martin researched the makerspace movement as the Cannon Valley Makers started forming in earnest. “There’ s always been this interest in what’s in the box,” she said. More Information What: Cannon Valley Makers Where: 300 Railway Street, Dundas Membership fees: $25 for individuals, $35 for families Website: https://pages.stolaf.edu/ cannonvalleymakers/ Conta c t info: info@cannonvalleymakers. org or via Facebook https://www. facebook.com/CannonValleyMakers/
Pagel in her varsity hockey jersey. Pagel was one of two Raiders awarded for their excellence in the classroom, athletics and fine arts. (Photo courtesy of Pagel)
Northfield AAA awardee Jose Gonzalez Ramirez participates in a track competition. The award recognizes high school seniors for excelling in arts, athletics and academics. (Photo courtesy of Gonzalez Ramirez)
NHS Triple AAA award winners contributing academically, athletically DOING IT ALL
From leading their teams as captains to volunteering their time to impact the Northfield community, Audrey Pagel and José Gonzalez Ramirez know the pressures and rewards of being student athletes. For their herculean efforts, Gonzalez Ramirez and Pagel received Northfield High School’s nominations for the Triple A award, a prize for students accomplished in academics, athletics and the fine arts. They will now be considered for the award along with other nominees in the nation.
“It really starts with joining one club,” Gonzalez Ramirez said, “because I know I didn’t put myself out there to join swimming. One of my friends asked me to join swimming and I was hesitant at first, but once I joined it, it opened my horizons to join other things. I thought, ‘Wow, Story RENATA ERICKSON & IAIN CARLOS
there are so many cool people in swimming, I wonder how many cool people are in Science Olympiad or other clubs.’”
Gonzalez Ramirez ended up being the captain of Northfield High School’s Science Olympiad, as well as a participant in Life of an Athlete (LOA), Raider Activity Leaders Inspiring Enthusiasm (RALIE), Link Crew, Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes (TORCH), Concert Band, Jazz Band, National Honor Society, Racial Equity Team, soccer, and is captain of the swimming and track teams.
As with many student athletes, Pagel also has a mountain of commitments to balance.
“I’m captain of the hockey team,” she said. “Last year, I was captain of the golf team. I played soccer, and then this fall I took on bowling, and then this spring I’m joining ultimate frisbee.”
Pagel also takes part in the one act-plays, LOA, RALIE, Young
Audrey Pagel
- Audrey Pagel
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Sculptors’ Project, is an honors art student, chairwoman of the Mayor’s Youth Council, president of the Youth Mental Health Board, an ambassador of Defeat of Jesse James Days, volunteers at the Arts Guild and performs her original songs at concerts around Northfield. With all of their commitments to balance, Pagel and Gonzalez Ramirez have learned to keep an organized schedule.
“For Science Olympiad, we usually meet during flex, an hour in the day between fourth and fifth hour,” Gonzalez-Ramirez said. “We usually meet then because a lot of people are involved with other activities and are busy with sports and stuff. It helps a lot. I also have sticky notes and put down what I have to prioritize to get done for the next day or the week. It helps me a lot to remember all the meetings.”
“I think just scheduling is a big part of it,” Pagel said. “Most of the time you just have to prioritize things — decide what is most important to you. I definitely thrive off being busy; I find happiness in being able to see different people throughout the day and work with different people.” But being surrounded by different people wasn’t Pagel’s initial reason for becoming a student athlete.
“I had always had people tell me to be involved in things for college applications,” she said, “but then I found myself wanting to be involved in things because I loved do- ing it, and so obviously that has been able to build up a resume, but it’s mostly just what
Pagel participates in the Defeat of Jesse James Days activities last year as a DJJD ambassador. (Photo courtesy of Pagel)
I love to do. I find the groups that I’m in that are more meeting oriented — like Mayor’s Youth Council or the Mental Health Board — I learn a little bit more from those because I learn how to speak and communicate with other people as well as schedule with people, and then my team-oriented ones are how I create bonds with people and motivate people.”
Gonzalez Ramirez has also found personal growth since getting involved.
“I would not be anywhere I am without my friends,” he said. “I wasn’ t always an outgoing person. I think it started in eighth grade when I joined the swim team. I was relatively shy. Joining the swim team with a bunch of high schoolers and bigger guys — and I was just a smaller, little guy — just joining those guys and seeing how hard they cheered for me, it made me want to cheer for other people too and support other people as well and it grew and grew from that and I found my personality and became a supportive and loud person sometimes at sporting events.” Gonzalez Ramirez’s natural work ethic and leadership have taken him a long way.
“Not only is he great at being a role model for younger athletes on how to carry yourself day in and day out as a member of our team but also vocally he’s a great leader when it comes to teaching younger athletes, encouraging them,” said Gonzalez Ramirez’s track coach, Tyler Balow.
Those same traits have been evident in Pagel’s work, especially in her tenure as a hockey
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Gonzalez Ramirez during a swimming competition. He was recently recognized as a AAA winner for his work with the Science Olympiad, Life of an Athlete, Raider Activity Leaders Inspiring Enthusiasm, Link Crew, Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes, Concert Band, Jazz Band, National Honor Society, Racial Equity Team, soccer and swimming and track. (Photo courtesy of Gonzalez Ramirez)
