An Umbrella in the Rain
An Umbrella in the Rain
Matt Kottke thought he knew the challenges local social service agencies were addressing, but those were only a fraction of the reality.
Steele County is one of the highest counties in southern Minnesota for homeless and displaced people. That was news to Matt. “I’d lived here my whole life and haven’t had the hardships others have had. The sky isn’t falling, but people are caught out in the rain.”
Whether the need is small, medium, or large, the problems aren’t going away. The needs are real and unfortunate. Matt says the solution rests on people who can help, to help.
Over the years, Matt has become a familiar face in a number of service agencies throughout the community. Some might say that volunteering is in his blood. “My father and grandfather were volunteers giving back to the Owatonna community for decades. I’ve seen how much good that can do. It’s a little scary to put yourself out there to volunteer. But rarely, if ever, do I come away [from volunteering] that I don’t say to myself, “That was time well spent.”
His involvement across multiple agencies has given Matt an insight of the challenges within the system. Counselors, social workers, and agency staff are increasingly stretched beyond their primary service roles. Sometimes support gets stalled. Limited time, lack of transportation, incomplete paperwork, an uncertainty of where to go next – these and many more obstacles inhibit people from getting the help they need.
Matt envisions Oak Hill Community Connections improving the overall system for local service agencies and the individuals they serve. “This new space will provide a streamlined process for individuals. Agencies will be able to share the efficiencies of being together – to walk a person through the process. People want to elevate themselves from living on the fringe to self-sustaining. With multiple resources in one location, they can focus on improving their lives rather than spend so much time and energy just trying to navigate the system.”
And there’s an even broader impact on the horizon. As collaboration between agencies increases, Matt sees an advantage for the entire community: “Some of our businesses say, ‘We can’t find qualified workers. What can we do to get more people to apply for jobs here?’ But there are people in Owatonna who need jobs. If a project like Oak Hill Community Connections can help agencies focus more time and resources on helping people, it’s going to benefit everybody.”