Celebration Held for Groundbreaking, Books and Showcasing
Mahnomen Pioneer
By Sue Gruman Kraft
August 15, 2006
It is a great day when a community comes together to celebrate!
That was the message given by several of the speakers on Thursday, June 22, at the Ground-
breaking Ceremony for 25 Individual Family Homes and a new Veteran’s Memorial Community
Center. The event was held by the White Earth Reservation Housing Authority at the location of
tribal trust property just east of Mahnomen.
It was also a time to celebrate the donation of 5,000 books from Kids In Distressed Situations,
Inc. (KIDS), through Scholastic Books, and Raymond James Tax Credit Funds, Inc., to the
children of the White Earth Reservation.
And it was an opportunity to showcase the work that has been completed so far on two 24-unit
apartment buildings (total of 48 units) and the connecting community youth center which will
house a childcare facility, Head Start center and computer facilities for the housing complex.
The White Earth Reservation Housing Authority received tax credits to finance the construction of
the 25 new single family homes and a Veteran’s Memorial Community Center on tribal trust
property located just east of the city of Mahnomen.
They are working with Raymond James Tax Credit Funds, Inc., which supports affordable
housing on the Reservation, to market these tax credits and finance the construction of not only
the 25 individual family units, but also the two apartment buildings.
The book donation of 5,000 books came about through James Horvick of the Raymond James
Tax Credit Funds, Inc., who recommended the White Earth Reservation to Kids in Distressed
Situations Foundation. Janice Weinman, President of Kids in Distressed Situations (KIDS), was
present at Mahnomen on Thursday.
For the past 20 years, KIDS has donated items from manufacturers and retailers to children
around the United States. During the last three years, they have partnered with Scholastic to give
books to childr