Pioneer Pursues Youth

Day Camp Prepares Future Volunteers

Some of the most heartwarming connections are made by crossing the gap between generations. Knowing that, PioneerCare is launching Junior Volunteer Day Camp this summer for students entering sixth, seventh or eighth grade.

Program participants will meet six times in June, each Tuesday and Thursday, June 12-28. Participants can choose either a 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon session or a 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. session.

“This is a great opportunity for a young person to learn what it means to volunteer,” said EvLyn Gilbertson, PioneerCare’s volunteer coordinator. “In just six days, participants will find out what it’s like to serve others and find fulfillment in a job well done.”

Participating in Junior Volunteer Day Camp also immerses participants within the healthcare field, affording the chance to see what such a career may be like. Participants will work closely with Pioneer staff including those in nursing, homemaking or dietary, housekeeping, maintenance, activities and administrative roles.

Participants will need parent/guardian permission and provide their own transportation to and from PioneerCare.

Those interested in Junior Volunteer Day Camp can call PioneerCare’s volunteer services office at 218-998-1506 or visit the web site’s Volunteer Blog to download and print a registration form for the program.

Mildred Roswold Holds Art Auction

PioneerCare resident and artist Mildred Roswold is holding a silent auction of her work this Wednesday, April 18. Dozens of pieces, all painted by Roswold, will be available for sale with bidding beginning at 10:15 a.m. and continuing until 5:00 p.m. The collection represents a 60-year span of Roswold’s work. The sale is open to the public and will be held at PioneerCare Center’s Garden Court at 1131 South Mabelle Avenue in Fergus Falls.

Norwegian Musicians to Perform

NORWEGIAN MUSICIANS TO PERFORM AT PIONEERCARE PioneerCare will host a concert by Norwegian musicians Guri Underdal and Mona Julsrud on Thursday, July 7 at 7:00 p.m. The concert will be held in PioneerCare’s Celebration Center and Garden Court with light refreshments following the event. 

Guri and Mona have delighted audiences in Fergus Falls before with their mix of much-loved Norwegian and American sacred and secular music.

Mona is an associate professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music and is one of Norway’s leading concert singers. She studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Opera School at the Royal College of Music in London. Her repertoire spans from early baroque to contemporary music and she can be heard regularly at concerts and festivals throughout Norway and Europe.

Mona has worked with conductors such as Philippe Herrewghe, Fabio Biondi, Roy Goodman and Laurence Cummings. With Frans Bruggen and his orchestra, she has toured Japan and Europe and recorded Bach’s Matthew Passion and Mozart’s Requiem.

Other recordings include Handel’s Jephtha with Fabio Biondi and several works by Nordic contemporary composers. Mona is also working on a complete recording of Telemann’s collection of cantatas, Harmonische Gottes-Dienst, in twelve volumes with her ensemble, Bergen Barokk.

Guri is a teacher, choir conductor and pianist, and she has participated in numerous concerts in Norway and the USA. Guri and Mona have known each other since childhood, and as a duo, they have toured Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota twice since the 1980s. On this tour, the duo will also perform in Moorhead and Grand Forks.

A free-will offering will help defray travel costs for the group. 

Mona Julsrud & Guri Underdal

Pioneer Job Fair set for June 16

Pioneer will host a job fair on Thursday, June 16 for those considering employment in the health care field, specifically at the new PioneerCare Center.

The Pioneer Job Fair will be held in the PioneerCare Celebration Center at 1131 Mabelle Avenue South in Fergus Falls from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  PioneerCare Center has immediate openings for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) with curent licensure and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) with current certification.

Pioneer is offering a class for people interested in training to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. Those interested but unsure if care giving is right for them can job shadow a current Pioneer employee before beginning the class. The CNA class begins June 30 at Pioneer’s original location at 1006 South Sheridan Street.

More details are available by calling PioneerCare at 218.998.1500.

Date Set for Family Picnic

Mark your calendar: PioneerCare’s annual family picnic is set for Friday, July 1, with events beginning at 11:30 a.m.

This year’s picnic will be the first to be held at our new PioneerCare Center location at 1131 Mabelle Avenue South in Fergus Falls. Residents, tenants, families and friends of Pioneer are welcome – bring your appetite for food and family fun!

New Care Center Grand Opening

PioneerCare will host an open house to celebrate the completion of the new care center on Friday, April 15 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

A ribbon cutting ceremony and program will be held at 4:00 p.m. in PioneerCare Center’s Garden Court. A number of speakers will be on hand to reflect on the design and construction process, including Pioneer CEO John Richards, Pioneer Corporate Board Chairman Richard Werner, Architect Dale Tremain and others.

PioneerCare staff and volunteers will provide guided tours and refreshments throughout the afternoon and early evening.

First Worship in New Chapel

Area churches are collaborating to hold the first worship service in PioneerCare’s new Celebration Center on Wednesday, April 13.  

The service’s theme is “The Seven Last Words of Christ” and will follow the Holden Evening Prayer by Marty Haugen.  Pioneer Chaplain Harry Olson will give a welcome on behalf of Pioneer. 

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Northwestern Minnesota Synod Bishop Larry Wohlrabe will speak on the words, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” Laurie Natwick, Assistant to the Bishop, will give a greeting on behalf of the synod. 

Bishop Wohlrabe will also be on hand for the installation of Chris Eldredge, who joined the chaplaincy at PioneerCare last fall.  Eldredge brings a truly unique mix of talents to PioneerCare, serving as its director of information technology and as a member of the chaplaincy staff. 

A community choir led by Janel Trosvig and Val Johnson, is coming together to sing an anthem during the service. Susan Sanner will serve as organist and Brad Skogen, the chaplain at Lake Region Healthcare, will serve as cantor. 

The service is open to the public and will begin at 7:00 p.m. The new PioneerCare Center is located at 1131 South Mabelle Avenue in Fergus Falls. Details are available by calling Pioneer at 218-739-7700.