At this very valuable community organization, meals are provided every day of the year, including holidays and during storms. Those served depend on a hot meal no matter what day or situation.
The Dream Center required funds and staffing to cover food expenses, kitchen supplies and utility costs. In March, the Dream Center was awarded an Operation Roundup grant from the Capital Electric Charitable Trust. The trust’s board of directors believed their request to provide four banquet meals. As unbelievable as the numbers sound, the Dream Center provided 76,000 free meals during 2023. Thousands of these meals were provided to Capital Electric members.
In addition to daily meals, the Dream Center distributes groceries to low-income households. They also have entities such as Northland Health, Job Service and Bridging the Dental Gap on site to provide easy access to other important services.
Their vision is to be a comprehensive resource center connecting people with services in the community that addresses hunger, poverty, unemployment, nutrition, health/dental care, abuse, finances, addiction, faith and more. Their programs are provided free of charge with financial help from local communities.
Why do we get involved?
No matter how hard you work, when you are given the opportunity to interact with people who may currently be in need, it’s a gift. The saying, “people help people”, is something we should all embrace. Capital Electric has been helping our members for 78 years by providing them with electricity every day, even during the worst weather conditions.
In the case of the Dream Center, as much as we provided help to others, those we served provided insight on maintaining strength, resiliency and gratitude.
While eating his meal, a young man named Barrett provided great insight to the strength he has needed in his life. “I came here from Vegas, mainly because I didn’t like what was going on in “Sin City”. I lived in Bismarck before, and I respect the people and the job opportunities.” Barrett was here without a home and without much money. He already has two job interviews arranged and is anxious to make a life here. His smile was all I needed to understand him, and his final comment said it all, “I am here and alive, and that’s a great place to start.”
Making a difference in the communities we serve is an important aspect of the cooperative mission, commitment to community. We will continue to focus on that commitment in the future.