Partners supply food, learning in Northland
Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part article; the first part was published in the April 22 issue of Agri-View.
SUPERIOR, Wis. – For years in northern Wisconsin and the “arrowhead” of Minnesota people have been enjoying fresh produce grown by Bay Produce of Superior. On Bay Produce labels in small letters appears the words “Challenge Center.” Bay Produce is part of Challenge Center, one of a myriad of projects and programs affiliated with the Catholic Charities Bureau in the Catholic Diocese of Superior.
“We have around 30 people with developmental disabilities in a program working here with about 10 staff, for a total of 40 people,” Fisher said. “They and their care team decide on their workweek.”
Mark Kroll is director of the Challenge Center.
“People decide with their care team that this is the kind of employment they want to pursue,” Kroll said. “Some people are comfortable in this environment. Some folks are here to hone their work skills – working with others (and) learning different jobs, with a goal of getting a job working with the public. We’re here to help them decide what they want to do.
“We have an employment program with job coaches that help with that goal. Sometimes a person’s goals change over time or as they age. Some folks want to stay here for a long time. Rich and his people are growing produce but really the reason we’re all here is to serve the folks who come here for the services we offer. If not for them, we would not have a greenhouse in northern Wisconsin. It’s here for a purpose.”
Great teachers know learning is a two-way street. Knowledge travels from teacher to student and from student to teacher. That happens most readily in an environment that’s safe and filled with work that’s meaningful.
“(The Challenge Center) is a nonprofit,” Kroll said. “It would be nice if every program supported itself. The revenue stream that comes out of Bay Produce helps to support it. We serve everybody; you don’t have to be Catholic. We look for the best people to come here and serve others with the right spirit. We want people in our programs to get the best opportunities to realize what they want to do in life.”
Fisher said, “I look at this as a training ground. I want to train punctuality and interacting with co-workers. Any job I do I let them do, so they get as many work experiences as I can give them.”
Kroll said, “You know what it takes when you start a job – all those little interactions with co-workers. How do you work with your boss? How do you take direction? Here you can learn those skills in a really safe environment. We need to understand specific disabilities and the behaviors they present. Rich and his crew spend time reviewing what’s going on with each individual in the program to make sure they meet their goals. The people in our programs are the reason we’re here.”
As one walks through the greenhouses and packing area at Bay Produce there’s a feeling of optimism, safety and enjoyment. People are teaching and learning. Lush plants are everywhere. Everyone can see the fruits of their labor. Everyone is working for the good of the community.
Some look to find success in the wealthy and famous. The news of the day often indicates that’s not where success is found. At the Challenge Center and Bay Produce, wholesome fresh food is grown. Hungry people on the Lake Superior shore of Wisconsin and Minnesota are nourished. Together people are making the world a better place.
It’s difficult to imagine anything bringing more meaning to life.
Visit challenge-center.org/vocational-services/bay-produce and challenge-center.org and ccbsuperior.org for more information.
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