Lakes Area Heroes

Here at Lakes Area Hereos, we've made it our mission to return the favor to our local heroes & their immediate family members when they fall on hard times through no fault of their own.

We're proud to say, that this year, our year-to-date direct donations to local heroes currently totals $12,935.60!

In addition, our organization is proud to have helped facilitate a fundraiser for Crow Wing County Deputy Jaden Hansen, totaling $47,266.50 in donation funds!

As the year comes to an end, we still have MANY donations to make & we need YOUR help.

If you know of a local hero, or their immediate family members, who could use some support, especially as the holidays approach, PLEASE fill out a nomination form today!

➡https://www.lakesareaheroes.com/nominate

On behalf of all of us at Lakes Area Heroes, we need to extend incredible thanks to Lee Shelstad.

Lee is a member of 100 Women Who Care Brainerd Lakes and the woman who nominated Lakes Area Heroes to receive this donation from this incredible group of local women.

But the connection between our organization & the Shelstad family goes so much deeper than her nomination.

Our organization was first introduced to Lee when she heard about our organization on the radio and filled out a nomination form for her daughter, Mackinzey.

Last year, Mackinzey made the difficult decision to leave law enforcement & her job in Richmond, Virginia due to debilitating job-related struggles with PTSD.

As you might imagine, this challenging, yet necessary decision, completely turned Mackinzey's life upside down in so many ways, and she continued to struggle.

Upon receiving Lee's nomination for her daughter, Lakes Area Heroes immediately knew we had a bigger responsibility than making a monetary donation.

John Ryan, LAH's VP, and retired law enforcement met with Mackinzey 1:1 for coffee, to be a supportive ear, and to help her find resources that could make a lasting difference in her life.

Lee put it best when she said: "It's not about the money. What helped most was the support - it's all about the relationships. John Ryan had coffee with my daughter, offered her resources, and listened as someone who could relate to her struggles and her trauma. It's about more than the money."

To Lee, and her family, and the 100 Women Who Care Brainerd Lakes, we would have to agree. It's bigger than the money. It's the relationships, the resources, and the support we can create for our local heroes with this donation.

🙏🏼Incredible thanks to the Shelstad family for allowing us to talk about your very personal, difficult story. Thank you for the nomination and THANK YOU for the donation!

Lakes Area Heroes is incredibly honored to stand alongside the Lakes Area Food Shelf as the recipient of an enormously generous donation from the 100 Women Who Care Brainerd Lakes!

It's inspiring what this local group of women has accomplished and it has left our organization speechless.

🙏🏼Thank you, thank you, thank you, we plan to reach many deserving local heroes with this donation!

Our ask today is simple:

Take time to thank a first responder!

Whether it's your sibling, the person in front of you at the coffee shop, or a complete stranger, reach out & express your thanks to the selfless men & women who answer the page to keep us and our communities safe.

To all of our local heroes:

THANK YOU! 👏🏼

Our events put a smile on people's faces AND help give back to our local heroes when they need it most.

Lakes Area Heroes events also bring people together to support a local business while raising awareness for the level of support we should be giving to local first responders.

If you're a local businesses, from Walker, to Aitkin, to Little Falls, and everywhere in between, that resonates with our mission, 🤝🏼 let's get in touch to talk about creating our next event!

Lakes Area Heroes is incredibly honored by the generosity of Women Who Care Brainerd Lakes!

👏🏼Thank you to this very special group of local women who are supporting our mission to give back to first responders and similar agencies when they fall on hard times!

We're immensely thankful!

It takes a community to properly support our local heroes + their families when they fall on hard times.

If you're ready to be a part of our community, let's return the favor together!

🇺🇸https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=9DD9A8Q3P2D7J&source=qr

Without dedicated volunteers, our organization would be lost.

From forward facing events like Walker Bay Live, to behind-the-scenes organization and planning, volunteers are at the heart of everything we're able to accomplish.

If you have a passion for giving back to the community, and our mission to be there for local heroes when they fall on hard times resonates with you, consider joining our team today!

You can learn more about becomming a volunteer on our website at https://www.lakesareaheroes.com/support.

Our local first responders are there for us on our worst days - will you have their back on theirs?

It's no secret first responders are selfless humans who often struggle alone because of their commitment to public service.

That should never happen.

Lakes Area Heroes is here to support our local heroes when they, or their families fall on hard times through no fault of their own and we encourage you to learn more about our mission and join us!

👉🏼https://www.lakesareaheroes.com/about

A very happy birthday to our president, Isaiah Moengen!

From all of us at Lakes Area Heroes, we hope it's a great day for you & cheers to many more! 👏🏼🍻

Meet our volunteers:

Deb Moengen & her husband, John, live in Deer River, where they moved after farming together for a decade. A nurse for the past 33 years, Deb loves riding horses, hunting, fishing, and anything to do with the outdoors in her free time.

She says her pride & joy is her family & her 11 grandkids!

Deb was inspired to get involved in Lakes Area Heroes based on her faith and willingness to serve her community.

Deb says: "LAH is a way I can make a difference and contribute to a healthy community. Isaiah, my son, started the organization and I love to see his vision and how LAH is exceeding our dreams."

Within our organization, Deb works mostly with volunteers and she loves seeing the passion they have to help people and find a purpose in the community.

When asked what she wants people to know about Lakes Area Heroes, Deb stated:

"Every penny donated to Lakes Area Heroes goes back into the community directly to the Hero. We need your help to find more heroes, and spread the word so we can reach them!"

Thanks, Deb, for all you do to help our local heroes, we appreciate you! 🙏🏼

When was the last time you returned the favor?

By & large, first responders are individuals who signed up to give selflessly to others.

But who gives to THEM?

That's where Lakes Area Heroes comes in.

We're here to return the favor when our local heroes & their immediate family members fall on hard times, through no fault of their own.

To learn more about our mission to give back, visit our website today!

🇺🇸https://www.lakesareaheroes.com

October 7th - October 11th is Fire Prevention Week! 🔥

AKA, the perfect opportunity to head down to your local fire station, get to know the local first responders serving your community, AND learn about fire safety as a family!

Be sure to 📲 SAVE this post & get these dates in your calendar:

-Nisswa Fire Department Open House | Tuesday, October 8th | 6-8

-Pequot Lakes Fire District Open House | Wednesday, October 9th | 4-7

-Brainerd Fire Department Open House | Thursday, October 10th | 5-7

Have a great Fire Prevention Week (and be sure to get lots of pictures with the kiddos + the local fire mascot),

-Lakes Area Heroes

Community support for our local heroes is an incredible thing to be a part of.

From donated t-shirts, to donated time, treasures, & skill sets, many have contributed to the success of our mission.

But we can't stop and like we've said before, we can't do it alone.

Our success and our ability to support local first responders when they fall on hard times through no fault of their own, depends on donation dollars.

If you'd like to join us in returning the favor, please do so today at https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=9DD9A8Q3P2D7J&source=qr

Law enforcement officers put themselves in harm's way, every single day, to provide safety for the people and community around them.

Because of these people, we can go about our day with privileges we may not even realize.

These are the people who are accustomed to helping, not typically the ones to ask for it themselves when needed.

Lakes Area Heroes is here to help those, who help us, selflessly, every day, but we can't do it alone, it's going to take a community.

Visit the link below, to donate today. ⬇️

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=9DD9A8Q3P2D7J&source=qr

Meet Our Local Heroes 🇺🇸

Josh is a seven-year firefighter with the Nisswa Fire Department, but started his career as a firefighter in Roanoke, VA six years before moving to Nisswa.

During his time on the Roanoke Fire/Rescue Department, he held the rank of Lieutenant. Josh is currently serving as a captain on the NFD and President\EMT of Lakes Area Rescue.

"Purpose and impact, & a desire to help others," is what led Josh to join the fire service, he stated.

His grandfather was a lifelong firefighter, & Josh looked up to the work he did for his community.

Josh says: "I never thought I would, or even could do what he did… until I relocated with my now wife Crystal to Roanoke, VA. I was living in a new area, didn’t know anyone, & was lacking a sense of purpose. I had a great job, but I felt something was missing. I had a desire to find a way to give back. I kept seeing this orange banner to join on the local Fire Department, I made many trips, sitting in the parking lot, trying to work up the courage to introduce myself. When I finally did, I knew it was the place for me. It was by far one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. For me, it provides a sense of community involvement, giving back & helping others is truly rewarding. It's something many paying jobs can never provide you."

Josh's favorite part of serving as a firefighter is knowing that everything is team-oriented.

He says: "We train together, we respond together, we help others in their time of need together & we have fun together. It really becomes a second family that’s there for you & supporting one another. They call it a brother\sisterhood for a reason."

Outside the fire service, Josh spends time with his kids (Olivia (11), Jaxon (8) & his wife Crystal. They love to go camping, & fishing, spend time outside at the lake, snowmobiling, & as many trips as possible to warm places in the winter.

When asked what he wanted others to know about the fire service he stated:

"It’s a role like no other, where you feel you can make an impact to help your community."

👏🏼Thank you, Josh, for your dedication to our local communities and to others, you are appreciated!

💙Volunteers are the heartbeat of our organization, playing a pivotal role that we simply can't go without.

Lakes Area Heroes owes its existence to a fantastic group of volunteers, and our goal is to keep that same spirit alive and growing.

If you'd like to get involved in your community, give back to our local heroes, and be a part of a great group of individuals, we've got a variety of ways for you to contribute.

Learn more today at https://www.lakesareaheroes.com/support.

Lakes Area Heroes has made it our mission to give back to our local heroes AND their immediate family members when they fall on hard times through no fault of their own.

Why?

Because if you ask any local hero, they will tell you it takes a family to serve.

Every call, training night, conference, injury, community event, holiday, and emergency situation affects the entire family.

& Lakes Area Heroes to here to help when they need it most.

If you know of a family member or friend who would resonate with our cause, ↗↗ share this post with them today!

👀Looking for ways to support your local heroes this fall?🍂

Here are just a few things the Lakes Area Heroes team reccommends:

-Make it a point to get to Nisswa THIS Saturday, 9/21 for the Nisswa Fire Department's breakfast at the !

-Be sure to circle the week of October 7th-11th on your calendar! It's Fire Prevention Week & your local fire station will have fun games, food, and lots of family-friendly fire education available.

-If meat raffles are your thing, be sure to check out the PineRiver FD's meat raffle at The Damsite Supper Club every Monday at 6:00 p.m. & the Pequot Lakes Fire District's at the Pequot Lakes American Legion, every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.!

-Meet the team at the Nisswa Police Department at their open house on Tuesday, October 15th!

As always,🙏🏼 thank you to our local heroes, we're proud to support your events!

📸:

Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office
Nisswa Police Department
Nisswa Fire Department
Pequot Lakes Fire District

Joining the Lakes Area Heroes newsletter means joining our mission to give back to our local heroes.

If you're ready to be a part of returning the favor, click the link below! ⬇

https://letsreturnthefavor.myflodesk.com/y6q1mjrb2s

This is just one of many donations Lakes Area Heroes has made to local heroes.

But did you know over 90% of the donations we make are kept anonymous?

This is so we can show the utmost respect & privacy to our local heroes, their families, and those willing to nominate them.

If you know of a local hero, or the direct family member of a local hero, who's fallen on hard times through no fault of their own, Lakes Area Heroes wants to know AND we're more than willing to keep it anonymous.

Nominate a local hero today at ➡➡ https://www.lakesareaheroes.com/nominate

The selfless individuals who wear their uniforms day in and day out, put up with late, sleepless nights, and are all too familiar with missing holidays or family gatherings, are the people we count on to keep our roads, communities, and families safe.

Lakes Area Heroes is dedicated to helping these individuals when they (or their families) fall on hard times through no fault of their own.

To learn more about who we are and what we're doing, check out our website today!

➡https://www.lakesareaheroes.com⬅

To all of our local heroes + their significant others, this special event is just a few short days away!

Join Lakes Area Heroes in supporting and attending this special event to inspire, educate, and support fellow heroes.

Register to attend today at the link below! ⬇

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-resilience-for-public-safety-and-veterans-with-chad-robichaux-tickets-912336883177?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyur