When a severe storm hit Bemidji earlier this year, the community faced extensive damage and months of cleanup. United Way of Bemidji Area coordinated the local recovery and reached out to ServeMinnesota for additional support.
As Minnesota’s state commission for national and community service, ServeMinnesota connects community partners with AmeriCorps programs to meet urgent needs. In this case, we partnered with Conservation Corps to bring AmeriCorps members to Bemidji for debris removal, tree clearing, and property cleanup.
The Conservation Corps crews worked alongside local residents to clean up fallen trees and debris in areas not covered by state relief. Their response and hands-on work made a noticeable difference in a short amount of time bringing relief that many believed would never come.
This collaboration showed the strength of a coordinated response: United Way of Bemidji Area identified the community’s needs and led local recovery efforts before reaching out to ServeMinnesota who connected the effort with the right AmeriCorps resources; and Conservation Corps Minnesota provided trained AmeriCorps members who could deliver the hands-on cleanup support residents needed after the storm.
Watch the video below to see the cleanup efforts in action.
