---

The Chisago Lakes Beyond the Yellow Ribbon group is partnering with a number of organizations to brighten the holiday season for area active duty military service families.  The local group holds fundraisers and also provides volunteer services to military families who find themselves shorthanded when an adult household member is serving.  Beyond the Yellow Ribbon has helped when there’s a health crisis or clean-up in the wake of storm damage is needed, or any number of situations.

This year Chisago Lakes School District will see to it pre-paid VISA cards go to about 10 identified families with students.  The Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Task Force members met and approved the $500 expense recently.

The Task Force also provided about $900 to pay for locally baked Thanksgiving pies, or approximately 150, distributed by Family Pathways Community Outreach.
Chisago Lakes Rotary supports “care packages” sent to remote locations,  and the Task Force also allocated $200 to go towards including beef jerky snacks— a reported favorite of servicemembers.

The Department of Military Affairs and its “Meals with a Heart” program was approved by the local Task Force to receive $370 or $37 per meal for “kits” that contain fixin’s for a spread.

And last but not least, Members Credit Union, photo below, with an office in North Branch, donated $2,500 to Beyond the Yellow Ribbon as one of its annual charitable contributions in its 12 Days of Christmas.  The credit union has 12 branches and each chooses a recipient according to Chastati Schaefer, who presented the donation to Beyond the Yellow Ribbon.

The Task Force voted to switch to every other month meetings for 2023, starting in March.  The “executive board” meets on an as-needed basis.  Cities in the Chisago Lakes Area have liaisons appointed to the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon effort and you can find out who these people are, or ask about getting involved or making a donation, at your local city hall.

---