Skip to content

Phone (320) 251-1612 | Toll Free (888) 765-5597 | FAQ | Contact Us

Donate

Find Us

Translate

WHO WE ARE
ABOUT US

Mission, Vision, Values

Community

About Poverty

LEADERSHIP

Board of Directors

BOD FAQ

Leadership Team
WHAT WE DO
BASIC NEEDS

Energy

Food Resources

Housing

Public Transportation

Volunteer Driver

SELF SUFFICIENCY

DRIVE

Money Management

Rebuilding Lives

Taxes

BUILDING STABILITY

FAIM

Home Ownership

Weatherization
APPLICATIONS
PROGRAM APPLICATIONS

Energy Application

Auto Repair

Other Forms
RESOURCES
GET INVOLVED
CAREERS
NEWS

WHO WE ARE
ABOUT US

Mission, Vision, Values

Community

About Poverty
LEADERSHIP

Board of Directors

BOD FAQ

Leadership Team
WHAT WE DO
BASIC NEEDS

Energy

Food Resources

Housing

Public Transportation

Volunteer Driver
SELF SUFFICIENCY

DRIVE

Money Management

Rebuilding Lives

Taxes
BUILDING STABILITY

FAIM

Home Ownership

Weatherization
APPLICATIONS
PROGRAM APPLICATIONS

Energy Application

Auto Repair

Other Forms
RESOURCES
GET INVOLVED
CAREERS
NEWS

Search

The Calm Before The Storm

Brittany Hoversten
May 5, 2017

During my high school years, my best friend stopped at my Dad’s for a visit. It was a hot, humid, no-wind day. We happened to glance out the picture window toward the lake, and noticed some strange, greenish clouds approaching from the Southwest. They looked like someone was stirring the sky with an invisible wand. They rolled and turned over on themselves. Wow! I said.
We went downstairs and exited to the back yard, to better view this curiosity. There was absolutely no sound as the cauldron of thunder-heads approached the far side of the lake. Suddenly the oak trees changed from green to white – showing us the underside of their leaves. Then came the wind.
We were mesmerized – then brought back sharply by the force of the storm. We were compelled to run for our lives – making it upstairs where we raced to close my Dad’s casement windows, which were all wide open. Then glass broke all around us, and on us, and we dove down the stairwell to shelter. A tornado hit the house with a glancing blow, tearing off part of the roof. Then it rained three inches in the next ten minutes. Jim and I shook off the glass shards and found every waste basket in the house to catch the rain in my Dad’s living room. They weren’t enough, so we ran outside and emptied three of the garbage cans, using them to catch the biggest torrents.
So what’s the point of this story? Don’t be caught unaware. When things seem to be business as usual, there may be storm clouds gathering just over the horizon.
So how do we stay prepared? Take stock of where you and your family are at. Are you saving money out of each paycheck to prepare for the future? If not, prepare a written family budget and get in the habit of paying yourself first.
How’s your health and your health insurance? Review your insurance and make sure you have coverage. When’s the last time you had a check-up? Prevention can save you money, and maybe your life.
Do you have enough income? If not, consider a change. Go back to school. Check out new job opportunities. Start your own small business – make a career out of the things you love to do. Take charge of your destiny, don’t just coast along – chart your course.
Is your house warm and efficient, and comfortable in the summer? If not, consider weatherizing your home.
Call Tri-CAP. We can help you chart your course with many extraordinary programs designed just for you and your family. Prepare yourself to take life on in the good times and the hard times!
Energy tips for May: Could you plant some trees around your house? Plant hardwoods (big leaf) trees to the south and east; pine trees to the west and north. The pines keep their needles and shelter your house from winter winds; the hardwoods screen your home from the summer heat and lose their leaves in the winter (free solar heat gain). Inside, use blinds and draperies to control the temperature and install ceiling fans to move the air where the people are congregating (Instead of air conditioning).
May 2017 Blog
By: Stephen Bjorklund

PrevPreviousGhost Stories

NextThe BogNext

TRI-CAP CORPORATE OFFICE:
1210 23rd Ave S.
P.O. Box 683
Waite Park, MN 56387

320-251-1612
888-765-5597
Fax : 320-255-9518

Email Us
Directions

TRI-CAP TRANSPORTATION:
1200 23rd Ave S
P.O. Box 683
Waite Park, MN 56387

320-251-1612
888-765-5597
Fax : 320-255-9518

Email Us

TRI-CAP TRANSIT GARAGES:
Elk River
Little Falls
Milaca
Sauk Centre
Waite Park

EMPLOYEE LOGIN
TAX VOLUNTEER LOGIN
FAQ
NEWS
Contact Us
ADA Compliance and Forms

EMPLOYEE LOGIN
TAX VOLUNTEER LOGIN
FAQ
NEWS
Contact Us
ADA Compliance and Forms

MetroBus has a daily route to Tri-CAP. Click for map and schedule.

Terms
Privacy Policy
990 Form
Donor Privacy Policy
Feedback Survey
Appeals Process

Terms
Privacy Policy
990 Form
Donor Privacy Policy
Feedback Survey
Appeals Process

COPYRIGHT © 2023. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.