December 2010 - Parks & Recreation - 51

the Power
of a Community
Action Plan

The Leader in
Splash Pads

How Lakeville, Minnesota,
mobilized in a time of need.

nnette Kuyper, minnesota's director of military outreach
and a Beyond the Yellow ribbon organizer in her home
town of farmington, minnesota, has witnessed again and
again the power of a clear, broad-based local action plan. last
July, an army soldier from lakeville, lost both his legs in afghanistan. Within two hours of his family's receiving the news, the
Yellow ribbon network had mobilized volunteers from across
the community. the parks and recreation agency in lakeville
made space for the family's young children in a summer education program. they also coordinated volunteers to oﬀer immediate household help as the veteran's spouse prepared to leave
for Walter reed Hospital in Washington, d.C. Church groups
started a spreadsheet for lawn-mowing, child care, and meals.
Since the house was surrounded by media, the police department arranged for extra patrols to reassure the family of safety
and privacy.
By the next morning, the entire support network was activated, and a fundraiser was in progress. over the ensuing eight
weeks, the family's meals and house-cleaning were completely
taken care of by coordinated teams of helpers. Volunteers from
churches and service organizations also came forward to renovate the veteran's house with ramps and other wheelchair-friendly additions.
a military family was served, comforted, and sustained in the
throughout its crisis because comprehensive partnerships had
already been established and an entire community was ready to
be mobilized. moreover, priceless relationships were forged as
a whole town rallied around one injured soldier and his family.
-Maureen hannan

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A Grassroots Success Story
The Minnesota program has been so successful in uniting communities at a grassroots level that the concept may soon spread
throughout the country. Lt. Col. O'Reilly traveled to Washington,
D.C., in November to brief President Obama's staff on the scope
and strategy of Minnesota's efforts to help service members get
" all the way home. "
While the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program itself is ambitious and multi-faceted, the idea behind it is simple. As Minnesota
governor Tim Pawlenty remarked, the message every Yellow Ribbon organization provides is " a sense of 'I am not in this alone.' "
Annette Kuyper adds, " We have seen small miracles happen
when people come together and work within their community to
make sure military families are not isolated. And now we are seeing improved systems for helping them become strong. "
For contact information, local action plan templates, and
materials requests, visit the program website at www.beyond
theyellowribbon.org.
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DECEMBER 2010

Parks & Recreation

December 2010 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2010 - Parks & Recreation