Community Pathways Groundbreaking

When Community Pathways broke ground for its new building last week, Mark Rahrick reminded everyone in attendance of the project’s significance.
Fifty years from now, Community Pathway will be around to serve individuals and families in need, said Rahrick, president of the non-profit organization. “We won’t be around to personally reap the benefits of what’s been accomplished. It is an ideal that we are giving to future generations…
“We are feeding strangers we will never meet.”
In January, Community Pathways launched a $2.6 million capital campaign to construct a new building next to its existing structure at 155 Oakdale St. Plans call for a central vestibule allowing entry into either side. Once built, two other non-profits, Let’s Smile and Steele County Transitional Housing, will be housed in the facility.
The new building is projected to cost $1.6 million. The remaining funds raised will go to operational costs.
Rahrick also reminded everyone that Community Pathways started out as two organizations.
Steele County Clothesline and the Steele County Food Shelf merged in January 2020, just a few months before COVID-19 first surfaced. While the merger formalized a collaboration that had existed for some time, co-directors Nancy Ness and Maureen Schlobohm have said the new structure helped keep them going throughout the pandemic.
While the thrift store was closed because of the pandemic, its staff continued to find ways to get food into the hands of those who needed it most.
Today, nearly 1,900 Steele County residents rely on Community Pathways Marketplace for food and its thrift store, Unique Finds, for clothing.
Speaker after speaker at last week’s groundbreaking commended the organization, its board and its staff for their vision and commitment to the capital campaign.
Rep. John Petersburg, R-Waseca, not only spoke, but also handed a donation to project co-chairs Steve and Samona Grubish. And he encouraged others to do the same.
Marty and Jeff Fetters of Owatonna, the 2020 recipients of the Owatonna Foundation’s Spirit of the Community Award, lauded both the work of Community Pathways and the community’s generosity.
“We live in a generous, caring community,” said Marty Fetters.
Her husband and CEO of Federated Insurance, Jeff Fetters concurred: “It is the people of this town who make this a wonderful place to live and raise children.”
Construction of the new building will begin as soon as permitting issues are resolved with the city. Mohs Construction will be overseeing the project.