First, let’s define friendly.  For the sake of this short article, I would define a friendly town as a place where people are approachable, and there is a culture of helpfulness and hospitality.  Here in Minnesota, we often call it “Minnesota Nice”. This culture makes us feel accepted and safe, and it also makes visitors […]

Google “apathy”, and it says that apathy is a state of diminished feeling, emotion, or concern, often paired with low motivation or reduced goal‑directed behavior.  Based upon that definition, I am observing a diminishing level of apathy in our community right now.  It seems like everyone I talk with is highly motivated to do something to show […]

I recently had a lively discussion with a colleague from another non-profit on the topic of generosity and who is more likely to give to a charity, someone who is wealthy or someone poor.  In an effort to answer this question, I looked at the research and found that studies across psychology and behavioral economics […]

As we reflect on the accomplishments and challenges we’ve faced this year, we are endlessly grateful for the support we’ve received. When SNAP benefits were unavailable, you stepped up to stock our food pantry. When we launched a new program to raise awareness for domestic violence, you participated in our events and rallied behind our […]