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Milk River Activity Center Ready for Community Cooking

Glasgow has a new community cooking and dining facility, and it's located in the new addition of the Milk River Activity Center.

"Anyone in the community can rent it to host a birthday party, a public benefit or a bake sale," said Mark Wethern, executive director of the Milk River Activity Center. "It is designed to be self-sufficient space that can be closed off of the main building. It is a great space for us and will be a great space for the community. That's what we wanted when we started this project," said Wethern.

The new addition on the south side of the Center was finished earlier this spring, about a year after construction began in April, 2014. The new kitchen sports a stainless steel stove with a large hood, a regular oven and a convection oven, a wide countertop, and a dishwasher. The staff take turns cooking meals for about 23 clients, who are able to enjoy vegetables from the garden such as corn, tomato, zucchini and purple beans. The adjacent dining room seats about 45 people when all the round tables are set up. Without the tables, it holds a capacity of 97 people.

County Sanitarian Cam Shipp has certified the kitchen for public use, and Wethern recently attended ServSafe food handling classes. With these requirements fulfilled, Wethern is looking forward to scheduling out the new cooking/dining facility soon.

"We so enjoy the new room. We want people to use our kitchen for family functions," said Debby Cornwell, president of the Board. She adds that she is very pleased with how things are going at Milk River.

Consistent with Milk River's mission to provide job training for their clients, the new kitchen can prepare them with cooking and food prep skills for employment in a restaurant, as well as increase their independent living skills. This was not possible in the old seven-feet by nine-feet kitchen.

While the Center has paid off the building with its own funds, the goal remains to raise additional $125,000 for the facility to be completely community-funded. The library, which Cornwell calls the "quiet room," is in need of shelves, books and audio/visual materials. Computers are being sought for the technology room to provide digital learning. The new addition also includes a fitness room that will be furnished with physical and occupational therapy equipment. Some treadmills have been donated by the hospital.

According to Cornwell, a good way for community members who want to help out is to give donations in memory of a friend or a family. Milk River is a 501(c)(3) organization; donations are tax deductible.

Always a busy place, Milk River is planning to host an open house in October to show off its new space. The next fundraising event--a silent and live auction--will be held at the Cottonwood Inn on Nov. 20. "We want to stress that the money raised at the auction only goes to client activities-not the building," said Cornwell.

The Center also raises funds in small but important ways. It continues to take in aluminum cans for recycling at Pacific Steel and Recycling. There is a collection box at the bottom of Heather Lane, and three yellow bins stand outside the Center for drop-off. Snow removal is another service provided by the clients.

Wethern, whose care for Milk River is evident through his energetic interaction with the clients, expresses that while an outdoor performing courtyard is not yet in place, he does wish to stage a Halloween play this fall. Who knows-the pumpkin and corn stalks in the garden might just come in handy.

 

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