---

A few years ago, Sharna Braucks was attending college in St. Paul planning to pursue a career in probation and court services when she landed a part-time job at the Shoreview YMCA. She found she thrived within the YMCA and stayed six years. Braucks advanced within the organization to where she was supervising off-site child related programs in the northern suburbs, with a $2 million budget.

Now, the 1990 Chisago Lakes High School grad is the new director of the YMCA being organized just minutes away from Chisago County, in Osceola, Wisc.

Braucks is directing a YMCA with no building. She says the goal is within about five years to have a facility-- planned to be built in conjunction with a new medical complex in Osceola.

But in the meantime, she quips, “The Y doesn’t raise itself.”

So the ex-Lindstrom farm kid is organizing a local Board of Directors and networking with all kinds of people who work with youth and family around the extended Osceola area.

Lindstrom, Chisago City, Taylors Falls, Scandia-Marine and all points in between are the projected new YMCA user territory on this side of the river. As a member of the St. Paul Association, the Osceola YMCA effort is getting help with staffing matters, programming, fundraising and organizational materials, and expertise in creating itself as an entity.

Braucks said the question always is; ‘If there’s no building, what can you do?’”

First off the Board of Directors plans to meet September 9 in the RiverBank in Osceola. Braucks plans on having a Board of 15 and so far about half have signed up that she’s approached. If you have particular experience or talents to bring to the board table she’d love to hear from you.

Braucks can be contacted at 294-2164 or at sbrauck[email protected]. She’s officed inside donated space at Osceola.

This area offers pools, parks, playgrounds, the river, lakes, campgrounds...there’s any number of sites Braucks says will be useful for connecting with residents who seek what the YMCA has to offer.

There’s also a community assessment being done, which will be distributed through the Chisago County Press in next week’s issue as an insert.

Look for a brief survey form, which asks for your opinions on activities, facility needs and other items. Please take time to fill it out and return it so the YMCA project steering committee and directors can know what’s needed and how much interest there is.

A medical foundation spearheading the new clinic in Osceola donated substantial money to get the YMCA planning process rolling, along with local corporate and individual contributions. The building project, Braucks said, is going to need about $8 million to come to life.

“There are so many opportunities in this area,” she said of YMCA potential for strengthening families and youth. “I told them when I interviewed (for the directorship) that I am so excited to be bringing this to my hometown area.”

---