Allina Health has turned over the keys to the building that formerly housed its Braham clinic to the East Central Children’s Resource Center, a child advocacy organization.
The donation by Allina Health will allow the building to be used as an advocacy center for abused or neglected children, with the official paperwork signed on Dec. 1.
“Allina Health is pleased to see this building put to use for such a worthy cause,” said Gary Shaw, president of Cambridge Medical Center. “When a group led by the Isanti County Sheriff’s Office approached us about the possibility of using our building, we were happy to have it become a valuable asset for the community.”
The building, located at 112 Fifth St. NW, will be used by the East Central Children’s Resource Center to perform forensic medical examinations for children in coordination with the Midwest Children’s Resource Center via tele-health. The facility will also be used to assist children who are victims of sexual assault as well as other violent crimes in Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Chisago and Mille Lacs counties. Currently, children who need to be interviewed regarding potential abuse need to travel to Minneapolis.
Jeremie Reinhart is the director of the Northstar Family Advocacy Center, working under the parent company of the East Central Children’s Resource Center. Reinhart explained the building is 4,000 square feet and has 19 office spaces. He explained the value of the building being donated is $200,000.
“We are planning on officially opening our doors in our new building in the late spring or early summer,” Reinhart said. “I can’t thank Allina Health and all of the others involved in this process for this wonderful donation.”
Having a facility in Braham will make it easier on families and their children.
“Having this facility in Braham will make a big difference in the lives of the children in our community who are experiencing very difficult events,” said Julie Gotham, executive director of Cambridge Medical Center Foundation. “It will also make the work of law enforcement officials who help with these children a little bit easier.”
Children who witness violent crimes such as homicide, domestic violence or other traumatic events will benefit from this facility close to home. The center will perform interviews with the children for use in court, as well as provide mental health and other support services for the child and their family through the court process.
Isanti County Attorney Jeff Edblad serves as chair of the executive board of the East Central Children’s Resource Center.
“I would like to thank Allina for partnering with us and joining in our vision to provide resources for abused children in Isanti County,” Edblad said. “I would like to thank Rep. Brian Johnson for his leadership on this as well as our partners in the Isanti County Sheriff’s Office.”
Isanti County Chief Deputy Lisa Lovering, who serves on the advisory board of the East Central Children’s Resource Center, noted that the center will take away some barriers to access.
“I’ve been investigating sex crimes for 10 years, and in some cases the families don’t have the gas money or a driver’s license to get to where they need to go,” Lovering said. “This agency will give them the resources to get where they are needed to go. If things aren’t done appropriately, that child may fall through the cracks, and having this agency in Braham will ensure this doesn’t happen. This will help us to show these children that we are there for them and we will be able to respond quickly to their needs. All the resources we need will be available from this center in Braham.”
Edblad said having an agency in town will make it easier to hold offenders accountable.
“This will be a place that will help establish the facts, which makes good cases, and will allow us to hold these offenders accountable,” Edblad said.
All of those gathered also thanked Johnson, who helped author a state bill that provided funding for startup costs associated with child advocacy centers, as well as Lovering, who applied for the grant to fund the center and led to the hiring of Reinhart.