Work Begins At Milk River Center

Spirits were raised even though the skies were gray and the wind was cold this week. The Milk River Activity Center broke ground for an additional building on Monday, April 28.

The center helps community members with mental and physical disabilities and provides jobs for some of the clients.

The $500,000 project has been in planning for over a year. Community support has been big for the project that will allow extra space for clients and a chance for community organizations to utilize the kitchen as well.

Connie Wethern, part of the board, explained that the Murdock Charitable Trust provided $175,000 in grant money to help with the project. Several smaller grants have come in to help buy some of the appliances and equipment needed once the building is finished.

"We've had lot of community donations from neighbors, friends, businesses who have been doing their best to help," Debby Cornwell, a board member said.

Several memorials have also been sent to the project, which has raised the funds collected to over $300,000. About $200,000 more needs to be raised to fully fund the project. Cornwell said that they could finance the remaining, but they are hoping to cover as much of the expenses as possible to try and go without a mortgage or additional payments.

The groundbreaking on Monday is just the start of the project. The plan is to have the building complete by the end of December this year. The community kitchen will be fully accessible for those with wheelchairs and additional needs. It will also be a certified teaching kitchen. Several clients and workers are excited and already signing up for future cooking classes.

"We've had lots of groups interested in the use of the building and the kitchen," Wethern said.

"Our first emphasis is on our clients," Cornwell added.

The additional building will add to the space and uses of the Milk River Activity Center. The board is hoping to do a radiothon once the walls are up so the community can see the progress of the new building and continue to support the construction. The board, employees and clients are excited on the project that has been coming along for the past year.

"It's actually happening, and it came out of chatter," Wethern said.

The senior program will be able to move back into the center after the addition, allowing more cohesion with the programs. Wethern and Cornwell said they would be willing to give a presentation to business or organizations interested in the project. Wethern said that the board of volunteers have been putting a lot of time and energy into the project to get community support.

"This is one of the most rewarding things I've done in my life," Cornwell said.