Colorful miniature houses are popping up around Two Harbors

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Soon you will see some colorful new houses around Two Harbors, complete with cars, bikes, animals and tractors. These are not your “normal” sized houses; rather they are counter-top size houses that will be placed in community locations in order to raise funds for Community Partners.

Community Partner’s mission is to help senior citizens live independently in their own home or apartment. Community Partners, a local nonprofit organization, struggles to raise funds to maintain its services. At a recent board meeting, members suggested that the organization try placing donation boxes around town. The staff of the program took that seed of an idea, recruited local volunteers, built on the theme of "living at home", and now there are nine fully decorated houses to be placed in the community.

Local retired doctor, author and carpenter, Gene Cotton, agreed to make the houses. “I shared the idea with him and he delivered a model home within a week!” said Kirsten Cruikshank, Director of Community Partners. Within two weeks Gene Cotton delivered eight more houses and volunteers, under the direction of Linda Johnson, Volunteer Coordinator, got to work painting and decorating the houses with their own unique style. Alice Carlson wanted hers to look like a barn complete with chickens and a tractor. Caroline Walsh’s house resembles a log cabin complete with a chimney and smoke.

“The volunteers had so much fun decorating the houses and had such creative ideas,” said Johnson, “We can’t wait to see the response from the community.”

The hope is that the houses will attract enough attention to raise money for Community Partners. Funds raised will support the volunteer program so that the staff can continue to recruit, train and coordinate volunteers and match them with seniors in need. Volunteers provide rides to medical appointments, deliver meals on wheels and go grocery shopping for homebound seniors. For more information call Community Partners at 218-834-8024.

Tags: two harbors