Community Corner
Oakdale Officially Becomes a Yellow Ribbon City Friday
The designation signifies that the city has the infrastructure set up to help meet the needs of local military members and their families. Requests from veterans often involve help with getting jobs, Oakdale's organizer said.
After years of planning, Oakdale will officially become a Yellow Ribbon City Friday afternoon at a ceremony in Lakeville, joining the network of communities across Minnesota that have built an infrastructure of community members to serve members of the military and their families.
“We have an unbelievable partnership between faith, schools, business and community,” said Marc Cove, who has been leading Oakdale’s effort. “The beauty of it is that it is very simple.”
Cove said the organization has been finding ways to meet the needs of military families as requests have come in. Some of the most common requests—help for returning veterans in gaining employment and professional services like financial management—have been met by the business community, Cove said.
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“The requests are a lot different than they used to be,” he said. “There used to be a point in time when people had a lot of physical needs and monetary needs.”
That’s not to say the organization doesn’t meet those types of needs, too. They’ve arranged for snowplowing and tree removal when requested, he said.
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The group is also planning to offer babysitting nights for families with someone deployed, or someone who has just returned from a deployment, Cove said.
Cove said he’s been amazed by the response already from the community when a need arises. He’s had no trouble getting volunteers or donations, he said.
“I’ve not been turned down once yet,” he said. “When it comes time for action, and when we’ve needed people to step up to help, they’ve done it.”
Now that the city is getting its official designation, Cove said, the group is seeking sponsorships for Yellow Ribbon banners to go along Hadley Avenue between 10th and 15th streets, and between 35th Street and the . They’re also raising money for magnets to put on the city’s police cars, he said.
Anyone who would like to volunteer to help with the city’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon effort can email Marc Cove at mcove@platinumbankmn.com.
Anyone who knows of a military family with a need can also email Cove, or visit http://beyondtheyellowribbon.org/.