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LEADERSHIP

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Leadership Team
WHAT WE DO
BASIC NEEDS

Energy

Food Resources

Housing

Public Transportation

Volunteer Driver
SELF SUFFICIENCY

DRIVE

Money Management

Rebuilding Lives

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Harvest Season

Tri-CAP
August 31, 2015

We find ourselves once again in that magical season of fall. What memories of childhood awaken with the first bracing chill of September! The new generation of ducks and geese are able to fly with their family now, and they busy themselves seeking the ripening crop fields. The harvest is on and the wheat and sweet corn await the stewards of the field. The children have returned to school, the Maples and Sumac are dressed in the colors of fall. All creatures large and small are invigorated, compelled to heightened levels of industry. The pace quickens, the pulse quickens, the first grand migration – that of the monarch butterflies – is under way, and the question arises, are WE ready for the change in seasons?
I must admit that I am never totally prepared for late fall and the onset of winter. The extent of my preparation often depended on the choices I made leading up to the emerging season. Did I fix the roof and fill the propane tank? When the first snow falls have I looked back on my choices with regret and apprehension? Some years, my honest answer would be yes.
The bottom line is that we all have choices. We all make short term decisions that have long term consequences. My Grandfather, a budget conscious type from the old country (Sweden), told me when I was eight that just because I have an itch doesn’t mean that I should scratch it. I think that I was close to thirty before the truth of that nugget of wisdom sunk in. His other gem was “It doesn’t matter what you make, it’s what you save that counts.” He distrusted institutions, and he made it through the collapse of Wall Street and the subsequent bank failures relatively unharmed. (He slept on a lumpy mattress stuffed with cash from his masonry and plaster business – and I won’t discuss the bootlegging).
Anyway, if you also made some decisions you regret this past year, don’t take it too hard. Just make the decision with me to try some new strategies for next year. In the meantime, if your propane tank is on empty, or if you need help setting up a household budget, or if your home structure needs weatherization, if you could use a little help with your energy bills, or if there isn’t enough cash at the end of the month for groceries, call Tri-CAP and find out if we can help. We want to see short term decisions that result in long term financial freedom for your family, and we are here to help you get there and achieve your goals.
Energy tip for this month: Fill up your refrigerator and your chest freezer, it takes less energy to keep food fresh when the coolers are full. Buy your groceries in bulk, watch for the specials, make a list when you shop and only buy off the list – pass the rest by. Replace your old freezer and refrigerator with new energy star rated appliances, (some electric utility companies have appliance replacement programs – ask Tri-CAP) and save on next year’s energy bills. Don’t be that guy, like me, that is full of self-reproach when the first snow falls.
Written by: Stephen Bjorklund

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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

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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
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Waite Park

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