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Tuesday afternoons behind the Forest Lake Area Youth Service Bureau building you’ll see wood shavings covering the ground. In one corner of the loading dock you’ll find pine logs stripped of bark, logs waiting to be peeled. Old-fashioned drawknives shape the ends of logs into tenons and sandpaper gets put through its paces getting pieces ready to be finished.

Volunteer and professional log furniture maker, Brenda Plaisance, of Isanti, works alongside the youth completing community service orders, sharing her love and knowledge of carpentry. She has shown the youth how to make a variety of benches and headboards and footboards for beds. Work crew supervisor Matt Howard commented, “It’s great to see a volunteer from the community step up in such a big way to impact the lives of youth.”

With donations from the Columbus Lions and various people supplying logs, the Youth Service Bureau has been able to give youth the opportunity to learn a skill with their hands and give back to the community at the same time.

All sales from the log furniture go directly to support the mission of Youth Service Bureau and the “Shop Night” program, a woodworking education program.

Community members can stop by the bureau at anytime to see what items are available for sale. Current items available include: three small decorative benches, two large sitting benches, and one full-size bed set.

Stop in and talk to or call Matt Howard at 651-464-3685 for more information. Youth Service Bureau is on old Highway 61 on the north end of downtown Forest Lake (by city hall and the library).

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