00:00:10,867	spk_0:
Welcome to Bismarck Insights with Mayor Mike Schmitz, a transparent and engaging conversational dive into meaningful topics impacting local government in Bismarck, North Dakota. Bismarck Insights is dedicated to removing barriers between the city of Bismarck and the citizens we serve every day.

00:00:31,467	spk_1:
Welcome. This is Bismarck Insights, and I'm Bismarck Mayor Mike Schmitz. Today we're gonna take a focus on a community activity event, uh, service need that is very important to our community, and we have with us Jim Barnhart from the Dream Center. Jim, welcome and thank you for being with me, but let's get a little background on you and really what caused you to create this facility and. Opportunity I guess to provide service to the community of the Dream Center.

00:00:58,967	spk_2:
OK, well, going back a long ways back, I grew up in a low income household and have an affinity for people who are maybe a little bit. Below the radar so to speak and uh it was May 29th of 2016 when God gave me a vision for a meal ministry surrounded with free services to help those in need. And uh I've just been following that vision ever since.

00:01:25,467	spk_1:
So that's almost 10 years ago now. What, what's been the process? What created, what did you create from that I'll call vision?

00:01:36,000	spk_2:
OK, OK, well, the first year was lots of meetings in the community just trying to find a place if you will, and uh that was 2016 going in 2017. Got hooked up with the banquet which is a meal ministry surrounded with uh you know just community, lots of community involved with that. It was at Trinity Lutheran at the time. They had just gone from 1 day a week to 2 days a week and uh got started with them first as a volunteer then as a. Board member, then his board chairman finally and uh just continued walking things out, visited the uh Dream Center in Los Angeles in March of 2019 uh based on a conversation that I had with a gentleman here in Bismarck describing the vision to him and he said that's a dream center I've been there so. You know, being as smart as I am, I went home and Googled it. What's a dream center? And uh you know, found out yes that was very much the mission that we wanted to be on so uh we're sanctioned in March of 2019 and then in June of 2019 we started our very first adoptive blocks at Jeannette Myry School and South Central High School based on input from uh Bismarck Public Schools as well as Great Plains Food Bank as far as far as areas of highest need in the community.

00:03:02,900	spk_1:
And, and then that began to lead to what has developed over that period of time and now there's a a building and services rendered out of there around a lot of meals obviously, but I think other things are happening there as well. I've been there for a few events, but let's talk about how, how you got to pick the location and what went into getting the, the uh building up and going and, and the enhanced meal service and that's a lot I know.

00:03:31,767	spk_2:
OK, well, the parameters were for a location south of Main Street and in between Washington Street and Airport Road, so we went on a property search, actually put in offers on a few properties, nothing materialized finally. Looking at the lot that we're at now, 1805 Park Avenue that was for sale, uh, the price was a little bit much, so we just kind of let it go and one day it came up on a pipe for a land auction and so I registered for the auction and ended up getting the lot for about half the price and I'm like, well thank you God that's probably good confirmation. You know, so we moved on from there. That was in uh 2021. Uh, early 2020, pardon me. Late 2020, 2021, we started construction in May of the Dream Center. Uh, it's 24,300 ft and, uh, completed construction in April of 2022.

00:04:35,567	spk_1:
And to get all that going there had to be some efforts to raise some funds. This is not just put up with nothing. And so how, what's that been like? I mean, I, I, I know part of the story, but I don't know what the citizens do.

00:04:51,066	spk_2:
Well, the fundraising part of it, you know, we were out there on the stumps, so to speak, um. The banquet, which was a separate entity at that point, they, uh, were doing their own fund drive for the kitchen that was roughly $450,000 for the commercial kitchen there at the Dream Center and, um, Otto Bremmer and the Lee Foundation gave us a really nice boost on that one, Bisman Community Foundation. Uh Then um we were still short the cash, so to speak. So I decided to sell the house. So yes, we sold the house and use that as part of the down payment for the Dream Center. We, uh, were involved with, uh, First International Bank Lewis and Clark Development and the Bank of North Dakota as far as financing and, uh, very happy with the package that we were able to put together.

00:05:44,100	spk_1:
Well, it's quite a commitment from you and I appreciate that. Um, and, and the community I'm, I'm sure does too, uh, so let's talk about some of the people that, that you're seeing that you're able to serve certainly with the, the banquet component that's the biggest thing I think that maybe is known to the community, but I know there are other services that are provided, but who are we serving and, and how are they getting to you and you know you're only part of this whole service delivery for the individuals who are in need.

00:06:15,100	spk_2:
Well, we primarily cater to the low income community. We'll take people who are, you know, coming out of the homeless community obviously for meals and so forth, but we're really all about touching the low income in the community and keeping them from becoming homeless once, especially a family once they become homeless, it's just a real long path to bring them back out of homelessness. So we very much concentrate on that, you know, with the meals with the groceries and then we surround that with free services to uh. Help them get to a little bit better place in life. So what are the hours? OK, we do breakfast weekdays from 7 to 9. At breakfast we also passed out sack lunches. The sack lunch program has grown quite a bit, um, typically about 700 sack lunches a week were being passed out. Uh, but then, uh, when the United Way shelter ran out of funding to stay open on the weekends. Uh, we pitched in a little bit and, uh, we're able to supply, uh, sack lunches on the weekends as well. So now we're distributing an extra 100 or so sack lunches each of the two weekend days, Saturdays and Sundays.

00:07:27,400	spk_1:
And are those sack lunches going to kids or adults or both, um, or is it really not uh. Requirement to anything.

00:07:37,000	spk_2:
Both you know my belief has always been if somebody is hungry we just feed them you know and it's not always the the hunger part of the component you know sometimes it's the community we all need to be a part of something and you know there's a lot of people out there who you know are lonely you know, especially our senior community or the single mom or single dad who. Need somebody to commune with to to eat with, so they come to the dream center as well as far as the uh sack lunches we're very open on that you know anyone who's looking for a lunch gets one whether it's during breakfast or whether they walk up to the door during the day, you know, the typical day we'll have anywhere from 5 to 30 sack lunches passed out to people just dropping in.

00:08:26,266	spk_1:
And so I apologize. I'm gonna make sure I covered it, but so there's breakfast in the sack lunches is their evening meal as well?

00:08:34,266	spk_2:
Yes, the, uh, there's an evening meal that's the original banquet, uh, which has expanded from 1 day a week when it was at Trinity. They were at then we took them to 2 days a week there and 3 and finally 4, and, uh, at the Dream Center now we're 7 days a week so we go 5:30 to 7 weekdays and 1 noon to 1 on Saturdays and Sundays.

00:08:55,367	spk_1:
Again, very much needed. We know that there's a lot of individuals in our community that struggle at times and as you stated that if we can keep them from getting to the point of being homeless, that's a win, or at least bridge that gap if there's a struggle because they lost a job or whatever the case may be. Um, beyond that, what other services are you able to provide or are being provided through the Dream Center facility may not be done by you, but maybe another entity.

00:09:24,166	spk_2:
OK. Originally when the Dream Center opened, we were looking at defraying some of the expenses by renting out space for. Meetings and events. Um, we opened in April of 2022. By July of 22, Doreen Quist, our administrative director, approached me and she said, Jim, we're getting a lot of requests from nonprofits to use our space. We were offering the space to them at no charge and so Doreen and I put our heads together and agreed to, uh.

00:09:56,767	spk_2:
Not least space out to anyone for. For pay, so to speak, but nonprofits would be invited in at no charge, and that approach has really worked out well, you know, we have celebrate recovery that meets there every Friday night. We have Women's AA step study on Saturdays, um, AARP tax prep did almost 1200 free tax returns for low income households this year in our event center.

00:10:24,100	spk_1:
That's wonderful. I, I know there's been other community type meetings there too, which may have been sponsored by one of the non for profits or, or I know the city has been there as part of those participants too, especially talking about the the needs in the community around the individuals who are struggling with homelessness or struggling with food needs or services to be able to get to whatever healthcare need there might be um. That's, that's a great piece. Are there some stories around some of those events that you've seen in your building that you, you feel has created some success for individuals or entities?

00:11:03,767	spk_2:
Well, we've been. Very successful with our community events, you know, we do a Christmas celebration that's been drawing about 1000 people to the facility, so we have, you know, the gentleman making balloons we have, uh, healthcare entities that have tables there, you know, we have people they're passing out, you know, caps and gloves and those types of things we have people that come in and uh. Take people into a free dental. Lots of different things going on like that, you know, um. There's a gentleman that'll mention his name is Arnold. He came out of the uh out of the prison system. He was originally from California. He in fact still had a family in the Sacramento area and uh he came to the Dream Center after he was released from prison. He was confined to North Dakota. And uh he started out as a volunteer and uh was a good volunteer as far as carrying things out during our adopt adopt a block program grocery distribution and uh then he got a little bit more involved with different things around the building and uh in the end when he left about six months later he was on his way back to Sacramento to uh. Look into Staring name meal ministry.

00:12:27,367	spk_1:
Well, that is a success story because that turned his life to something what what it wasn't before probably that you know that's that's what you are

00:12:37,300	spk_2:
about right now I've got a request on my desk to uh write a letter for him to uh. Have his parole changed so that he's um totally free to do what he needs to do to get that program started which is which is

00:12:51,900	spk_1:
awesome that is that's that's great. So let's talk about how the Dream Center is engaging with uh the community and and how the community can engage with the Dream Center and the service you're providing from a volunteer standpoint um what what are you looking for? Who are the partners you wanna be you you may be partnering with is probably a better way to say it, uh, within the community because there are a lot of entities trying to provide some portion of the services.

00:13:17,000	spk_2:
Yes, you know, we are definitely collaborators we, um. Have not talked about our adopt a block program yet. The adopt a block program is probably the biggest thing that we do. It is the biggest thing that we do. It's our grocery distribution each morning we go out to area grocery stores. And do pickups of donated products, products that are at the, the sell by date if you will, or or surplus. And then we also collaborate with Great Plains Food Bank as far as ordering and so forth and then we bring that product in and do our grocery distribution. We do grocery distribution 6 days a week at the Dream Center and then we still have to, uh, adopt to block remote locations, one in Manan on Tuesday nights at First Baptist, and then Thursday nights at New Song Church. We engage a lot of households there. It's usually 800 to 1000 households a week. And we do go through a lot of volunteers with that program.

00:14:19,066	spk_1:
So let's talk what, what is the concept of the adopt the block program because that, I mean, are you going out to the blocks or are they somehow coming to you and there's some geographic definition or not?

00:14:32,000	spk_2:
Originally there was, OK, we started out with the. Two adopt block locations at Jeannette Myre in South Central High School in 2019. When COVID came along in 2020, I collaborated with, uh, Great Plains Food Bank and Bismarck Public Schools as far as site selection. Then we moved to six locations, remote locations in the community. When the Dream Center opened in 2022, I brought the South Side adopter blocks back to the Dream Center and checked with the um social workers at the schools, and they said it seemed to be working. We were getting about twice the participation at the Dream Center as we were at the remote locations. Probably because people standing outside picking up groceries when it's -20 isn't real comfortable. Sure, you know, where our, whereas our 70 degrees at the Dream Center is a lot more appealing. Yes,

00:15:26,767	spk_1:
yeah, so, so it's called the Adoptive adopt a block program because that's how it started, but the there's more people coming to your facility than you're actually going out delivering groceries. Is that correct?

00:15:41,367	spk_2:
That is correct. Now one of the things that we Just recently started in fact we had our very first one last week Thursday was our block parties. So you know last week Thursday we had somebody there making balloons we had the uh Bismarck Fire department there with a fire truck we had um kids doing uh chalk drawings out on the sidewalk face painting, those types of things and just something to engage the community, but the, the original idea behind the adopt block program was to. Just engage the community. Taking them to a little bit better place whether it's you know the the meals, the groceries, or going out and doing other functions which that's uh down the road for the Dream center as far as community working more out in the community on some of these projects.

00:16:34,767	spk_1:
Sure, so how does someone get involved to help you? We need volunteers all the time.

00:16:39,367	spk_2:
yes we do. We have about a. 100 regular volunteers who are insured by the Dream Center and then we have hundreds more that come and go. Um, they can call the Dream Center office at 955-2150

00:16:54,800	spk_2:
or they can go to our website Dream Centerbiismarck.org and sign up there. And

00:17:00,567	spk_1:
what kind of activities do they get to participate when they do volunteer?

00:17:04,667	spk_2:
Gosh, you know, we have breakfast, we have the sack lunch program, we have the adopt a block program, we have the banquet, the main meal of the day. We have uh front desk people who man that desk every day. We have uh people who pick up trash outside the facility and in the neighborhood we try to be good stewards in the neighborhood. Uh, we have people that come and, uh, just, uh, sort things out when the trucks come in from the adopt block.

00:17:38,367	spk_1:
So thinking of your facility and, and I know where it's located and I, you know, the geographic position of that happens to be in an area I think where there is a lot of individuals who are in need and, and probably homeless as well. Do, do you have an opportunity or is there time during the day or not that individuals can get a little shelter besides just getting a meal or is is that not really in your wheelhouse?

00:18:05,300	spk_2:
Truly that's not really in our wheelhouse, you know, we do the breakfast and then the dinner in the evening as well as our adopt a block grocery distribution. Other than that, the building is mostly closed up uh, we really try to cater to families and seniors and you know we just try to keep a safe atmosphere for everyone and I'm

00:18:31,066	spk_1:
just trying to make sure we understand what's what's there and and uh. How how that functions because not everybody understands that I I think and. So how, how does it work with, um, you know, the individuals, most of them may have a place that they're kind of staying most of the time, but like they're, they're coming and going do we or do we see a lot of transient people who are moving from space to space to space in the community and, and how is that a struggle or maybe we can find a way to help those people.

00:19:06,800	spk_2:
You know, I, I think United Way and Ministry on the margins both do a really good job as far as housing people, you know, who are in need of shelter, you know there are people that choose not to go to either one of those two facilities, you know, and they're just out on the streets and you feel bad for them, but. There are places available, OK, you know, if it's raining, you know, morning like this morning, a little bit damp outside, we allow people to linger a little bit more, you know, we pass out the temporary, uh, rain suits if you will, you know, so that they aren't soaking wet, but, um.

00:19:47,567	spk_2:
We're truly truly about the low income and not the homeless.

00:19:51,367	spk_1:
So to follow up on that on, on that, how are, how are people able to, how are you seeing people are able to get to your facility to get that meal service? Are they, are they having to walk a lot? I mean, because I have a whole transit related issue that we're trying to find better solutions for in the city. I think we're making some progress or we will slowly as we are enhance the availability of that. Um, but do you see it, is it a transit walking, or they come, are they able to get through some other method besides walking? And this is more of a community thing. I realized it's not dream center, but this is a community thing for me.

00:20:27,066	spk_2:
Over the colder months we pass out an awful lot of bus passes so people can get to us, you know, by riding the transit. You know, the cat and so that works pretty well for a lot of people as far as the grocery distribution and the actual meals, you know, families, seniors, uh, we have a lot of ride sharing that goes on, you know, for our grocery distribution we have people that pick up for anywhere from 1 to 4 or 5 households at a time, you know, we get the required information that goes into a central database with Feeding America, so it's all on the up and up, so to speak.

00:21:05,166	spk_1:
And as far as the route for the Bisman Transit or the CAT bus, is it fairly close to you? Does it come close enough so someone has when they walk, they're not walking miles?

00:21:15,567	spk_2:
Actually it does. We talked to, uh, Deidre over at the cat, and this was early on and we were able to get the bus route. Not really changed, but they do a stop right at the top of the hill within about less than a block from the Dream Center, so it's very convenient for people to get to us.

00:21:37,567	spk_1:
My point for that is to try to help people understand that you know we do have the the Bisman Transit opportunity that can get them relatively close. To your facility, which is a huge thing especially for these individuals who are struggling with income dependency issues or, or not having enough income to actually own their own car maybe or whatever the case may be, there is a route for them to get there on a relatively inexpensive. Basis and if you're handing out vouchers, it's probably free in some cases.

00:22:06,066	spk_2:
The community has been really good on that, you know, we're members of the Missouri Valley Coalition for Homeless people and you know there were some grants that were available, so we were picking up some bus passes from them. We've got a couple of the clubs and individuals who've purchased bus passes for us to distribute as well.

00:22:25,066	spk_1:
So I believe that just recently you've had some potential changes maybe in your kitchen staffing. Is there something we can help get out to the public to help you out?

00:22:37,300	spk_2:
OK, well, yes, we had Shayna Ng who had been with us for a couple of years now. Uh, she recently passed away at the age of 42. Uh, and that left, left a real hole not only, you know, in the banquet meal ministry but also in our hearts, you know, she was, you know, we. Have a staff that's family at the Dream Center, you know, a lot of most of the people that come to the Dream Center, they are our extended family if you will so she passed and um. We just, uh, Really miss her, but Aaron Bank, who he and Shane. He was Shana's significant other. He has taken over kitchen duties, and chef Aaron has, uh, traveled the country, so to speak. I know he's done at least 7 Masters golf tournaments, you know, so very high end chef who, um. Can really put a lot of things together. The other night we had a blueberry barbecue. Uh, Jim was able to taste the sauce early on. Uh, Jim missed out on the ribs because they were gone by the time I got there.

00:23:49,166	spk_1:
So you filled the hole, which was a hole, I mean, at the dream center, but obviously losing a, a, a person at a very young age, that's not. I feel for the family that's difficult, but so is there, are there things though that that you know that. Chef Aaron needs that we could help the community could find a way to be of outreach for him or for you, um, or are you feeling like that is, you've got the whole kind of put back together?

00:24:19,266	spk_2:
Yeah, I believe we do have the, the whole field, you know, Chef Aaron is doing a really good job with that. Uh, Mickey, his assistant, uh, she's been with us now for about a year. She's doing, she's doing great. She comes to us with a lot of restaurant experience. And uh As far as needs, you know, volunteers, we're almost always in need of volunteers for the banquet meal. Uh, typically volunteers start coming at 1 o'clock and then we have, uh, a second group that comes somewhere between 4 and 5 depending on what's being prepared. Uh, I was looking for community meal sponsors. Um, we sell sponsorships to help support the banquet meal.

00:25:02,100	spk_1:
So we talked about how people get involved and maybe just say that again how they can reach you so we make sure they know.

00:25:08,567	spk_2:
OK, as far as reaching us, they can give us a call at 955-2150 or they can go to our website dreamCenter Bismarck.org and sign up there to volunteer or to sponsor.

00:25:21,867	spk_1:
Perfect. And, and so let's kind of wrap up with what are some challenges you see for the future. And challenges always bring opportunities and maybe it's a reverse sometimes, but what are those things that, that you see for the Dream Center and for the community as we try to serve this, this population?

00:25:42,667	spk_2:
The biggest challenge is that we underbuilt. About 6 months into it I realized that we, our facility wasn't going to meet the demand, OK? Especially our parking lot, we have a parking lot that's set up for 62 cars and sometimes we have up to 300 cars, so it definitely overflows so we're looking at, you know, how we can alleviate the parking issue. As far as the. Product that's going out the door, you know, they were typically in pretty good shape, you know, donations are always appreciated as far as cash or product donations, you know, I was looking for that. Um, as far as opportunities. We're real collaborators in the community, um, actually just last week we were recognized by the North Dakota Association of nonprofits for our partnering. In the community we received a statewide award for that, you know, very proud of that as far as it's our volunteers that get it done volunteers, you know, our staff is, is small. We have 8 people on staff. I'm a full-time volunteer myself, so still, you know, but, but that's, that's really OK, you know, but it's establishing more partnerships that help the people that come for the meals. The concept of the dream center is really pretty simple, you know, it's meals and groceries bringing people to the facility that way you know there's hardly ever an event that goes by where there's not food of some sort so we bring people in that way and then surrounded with free services to help. Help them if they need or want those free services. Sure,

00:27:30,767	spk_1:
food, I think it always brings people to network and socialize even in our own homes, right? Absolutely, um, so as, as we look to the future and, and those opportunities and, and challenges, um, are there any partners or gaps and partners that for you that you see. Are out there and maybe we can try to encourage someone to look at how they can partner with you.

00:27:56,867	spk_2:
Yes, we're working on healthcare partners you know we would like to have some health care checkups, you know, at the Dream center partly based on, you know, the transportation is always a challenge, you know, so whether it's nursing students or an actual doctor that could come down and work with us, you know, at least you know the the basics, uh, we do have an entity right now that's um. Talking about doing something as far as testing for diabetes, you know, things like that are always welcome. So often the low income, the health is kind of a secondary thing, you know, I'll put off going to the dentist or going to the doctor as long as possible because I don't know if my insurance will cover it or maybe I don't even have any insurance,

00:28:44,100	spk_1:
right? Yeah, becomes even though it's the need. It's not the primary need or like the moment of need anyway for them and so yeah, you're right I think that does become the forgotten. Taking care of myself component. So, well, Jim, thank you for sharing with me today and for sharing with the citizens of Bismarck and uh city of Bismarck, City of Man and. Remember this, this, this opportunity to provide service in the Dream Center and we do have individuals who do need some, some support from a food intake standpoint and keep the Dream center in your mind.

00:29:20,100	spk_2:
Thank you. Thank you, Mayor.

00:29:33,567	spk_0:
Thank you for watching Bismarck Insights with Mayor Mike Schmitz. If you have specific topics or questions you like addressed in future episodes, email Ms Schmitz at Bismarcknd.gov.

00:29:47,100	spk_0:
Or call the City of Bismarck at 701-355-1300.

00:29:51,567	spk_0:
To learn more about the city of Bismarck, visit bizarndD.gov or follow us on a variety of social media channels by searching Bismarck NDgov. Bismarck Insights is a collaboration between Dakota Media Access and the City of Bismarck. You may find Bismarck Insights episodes on government Access Channels 2 and 602, as well as on Broku, Apple TV, and Fire TV devices on Radio Access 102.5 FM and on demand at freeTv.org.