Feature photo: L to R Wendi Wilmes and Tyler Van Bruggen
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Farmers Union Insurance agents Tyler Van Bruggen and Kirk Olson presented Wendi Wilmes, Director of the Education Foundation for Valley City Public Schools, with a check for $1,000 to help fund their school counseling program. As part of their mission statement, Farmers Union Insurance believes in building stronger communities. Other companies tend to leave small towns in rural ND, but Farmers Union continues to grow. This donation is part of their annual giving program where they select non-profit organizations in various locations across the state make a contribution to. Recently, Van Bruggen also participated in the “No-Shave November” contest to help raise funds and awareness for the program. He presented Wilmes with additional pledges from local donors who contributed to support his participation in the program.
The Access for All program was started in 2016 by the Education Foundation for Valley City Public Schools to start a behavioral health program at Valley City Public Schools. Initially, appointments were made with local counselors to fit each student’s needs. By the end of 2018 waiting lists grew long and transport issues prevented some students from getting to appointments.
In 2019, we entered into a partnership with The Village Family Service Center in Fargo to provide school-based behavioral health counseling in each of our schools. This partnership has strengthened our program, and has allowed counseling services to be provided to more students. Katie Youngbauer, clinical counselor with The Village is now coming 4 days a week to help our students at Valley City Public Schools.
Wendi Wilmes, Education Foundation Director for Valley City Public Schools says, “We are so very thankful to Farmers Union Insurance for giving this donation to the Access for All program here at Valley City Public Schools. This donation will keep helping our students receive support in their mental health, which is so vital to them.”