Better than Band-aids
“Someone came to the church for food assistance. Through our conversation, we learned that they struggled with their mental health. Their marriage was broken. They were separated from their kids. They lived in substandard housing and needed legal assistance. All of these issues were tangled together, and the $10 grocery card we offered wouldn’t be enough to solve the problems.”
Since moving to Owatonna a decade ago, Pastor Todd Buegler, Senior Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, has been part of ongoing conversations about community needs. Over that time and together with other faith communities, a significant number of people in the community have been helped. But there are limits to that support.
“We’ve gotten really good at putting Band-aids on problems. A few dollars for gas or groceries addresses the need of the moment, but doesn’t get at the source of the issue. How do we treat the issue, not just the symptom?” Pastor Todd has worked with many of Owatonna’s social service agencies to connect people with the resources they need. “Every organization is good, but the system of them working together is fractured.”
Sometimes agencies don’t know what services are offered by other agencies, or if a resource that was once offered remains available. It can be a challenge to connect people who are overwhelmed with crisis or are without transportation to an agency across town. “Currently, people are largely on their own to get the help they need. Finding the right services can take weeks to connect.” That burden is out of reach for many people in need and adds layers to the difficulty in their ability to access resources.
More effective support starts with a better system of linked services. Pastor Todd says Oak Hill Community Connections will be a key piece for increasing the quality of care people receive as they connect with service providers. “It will give us a centralized resource – one place where there is someone to guide you through the process, a place where agencies can work together and exponentially increase their effectiveness.”
After years of conversations and dreaming of better solutions, the level of enthusiasm across the community for the new Oak Hill Community Center project is exciting. Pastor Todd believes Owatonna is becoming a place of extreme compassion, a base of generosity and care for one another. “We have an opportunity to decide what kind of community we want to be. There is a level of pride that the community is creating this centralized resource. This project is planting a flag about who we want to be.”