Project FINE began in 1990 as a program of the Winona County University of Minnesota Extension office through a grant from the USDA Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) program to address the challenges of refugee youth in the community. At that time, a growing number of Hmong refugees were resettled in Winona and began the process of adjusting to life in the United States. Many of these families had young children, and Project FINE was developed to ease their transition to school and build cross-cultural understanding. The grant period was four years, and after that time a group of engaged community members recognized the need for Project FINE to continue and began the process of forming a nonprofit organization, which was officially incorporated in 1997.
Since that time, Project FINE has grown to meet the changing needs of our community. We now provide a wide variety of programs and services that serve refugees and immigrants of all ages. We have become a trusted resource for newcomers, our community and our region. Over the past 15 years, Project FINE has undergone a transformation of our programming and operations, and is committed to carrying out our work in a professional, efficient and transparent manner. We are grateful to the people and partners who have helped Project FINE become what we are today and are excited to see what the future will hold for our organization, our community and those we serve.
To highlight the stories of our organization over the past three decades, we will be sharing a video each week on our Facebook page from an individual who has been involved with Project FINE. We will also be hosting several events in celebration of our thirtieth anniversary, including our Annual Report to the Community Event, our Taste of International Cuisine Fundraiser and Welcoming Week programming. A list of events is included below.
30th Anniversary Events:
Annual Report to the Community event: February 19th, 5-7pm at Saint Mary's University Toner Center
30th Anniversary Celebration Open House: April 13th, 5:30pm at Central Lutheran Church
30th Anniversary Celebration Open House in St. Charles: May (date to be determined)
Taste of International Cuisine Fundraiser: June 14th, 4:30-7pm at Lourdes Hall
Steamboat Days Parade: June 21st, 12noon in Winona
Gladiolus Days Parade: August in St. Charles
Welcoming Week: September 12-20th
Citizenship Day Celebration: September 14th, 12noon at Central Lutheran Church
Volunteer & Board Appreciation Dinner: October (date to be determined)
Community Holiday Celebration in St. Charles: November (date to be determined)
Community Holiday Celebration: December 14th, 5:30pm at Central Lutheran Church
Since that time, Project FINE has grown to meet the changing needs of our community. We now provide a wide variety of programs and services that serve refugees and immigrants of all ages. We have become a trusted resource for newcomers, our community and our region. Over the past 15 years, Project FINE has undergone a transformation of our programming and operations, and is committed to carrying out our work in a professional, efficient and transparent manner. We are grateful to the people and partners who have helped Project FINE become what we are today and are excited to see what the future will hold for our organization, our community and those we serve.
To highlight the stories of our organization over the past three decades, we will be sharing a video each week on our Facebook page from an individual who has been involved with Project FINE. We will also be hosting several events in celebration of our thirtieth anniversary, including our Annual Report to the Community Event, our Taste of International Cuisine Fundraiser and Welcoming Week programming. A list of events is included below.
30th Anniversary Events:
Annual Report to the Community event: February 19th, 5-7pm at Saint Mary's University Toner Center
30th Anniversary Celebration Open House: April 13th, 5:30pm at Central Lutheran Church
30th Anniversary Celebration Open House in St. Charles: May (date to be determined)
Taste of International Cuisine Fundraiser: June 14th, 4:30-7pm at Lourdes Hall
Steamboat Days Parade: June 21st, 12noon in Winona
Gladiolus Days Parade: August in St. Charles
Welcoming Week: September 12-20th
Citizenship Day Celebration: September 14th, 12noon at Central Lutheran Church
Volunteer & Board Appreciation Dinner: October (date to be determined)
Community Holiday Celebration in St. Charles: November (date to be determined)
Community Holiday Celebration: December 14th, 5:30pm at Central Lutheran Church