Photos: PRISM in Golden Valley May 30 Open House

Do you know what PRISM stands for? Do you know they have more than just a foodshelf at PRISM in Golden Valley? Do you know who Michelle Ness is?

If you attended the May 30 open house then you had a chance to learn the answers to these questions and what all PRISM has to offer.

"PRISM stands for People Responding in Social Ministry," said new PRISM Executive Director Michelle Ness. "And many people don't realize we have more than just a foodshelf, we have many programs and ways to help."
Ness  charge of managing PRISM’s day to day operations and expanding the reach and influence of the organization.

According to PRISM's website:
Prior to joining PRISM, Ness operated a private consulting practice providing individual and group supervision to Master and Bachelor level social workers to maintain board and licensure compliance. She has spent many years working for social service agencies in the metropolitan area such as CEAP(Community Emergency Assistance Programs), Neighborhood House and Tubman.

Ness is the chair of the Executive Board of CEAP and was appointed to the Northwest Hennepin Human Service Council Advisory Committee in 2013 by the Brooklyn Park City Council. She is a volunteer for and supports theU niversity Of Minnesota School Of Social Work through field instruction and admissions screening. She has a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Western Michigan University and currently lives in Brooklyn Park.

Giving Patch the grand tour, Ness talked about the plethora of opportunities provided by PRISM.  The social service agency serves Golden Valley, New Hope, Crystal, Plymouth and Robbinsdale communities, but extends its reach to many other parts of the metro as needed. Here are five highlights from the tour:

• PRISM not only has a food shelf that includes meats, fresh vegetables, canned goods, breads, and people demonstrating how you can use the food there to make healthy meals, but also a car buying and loan assistance program. 

• There is an auto repair shop on the premises as well as people on staff to help people struggling to get transportation on their own. 

• If buying a vehicle isn't part of the plan, PRISM Express, a dial-a-ride service, is available with seven buses and two vans. PRISM Express has already provided 58,789 one way rides serving 572 riders ages 60 and older who look forward to going on shopping trips, field trips and just getting out on a daily or weekly basis.

• PRISM serves families in a variety of ways that includes a room that is strictly donated toys, wrapping paper, decorations and more for putting together birthday parties. For those families struggling to make ends meet, these gifts are just the tip of the iceberg. 

• PRISM's resale boutique is filled to the brim with clothes, shoes, accessories and more on sale for anyone. Items are donated and proceeds for all items sold go back into helping PRISM's many programs serve those in need.

Find out more about what PRISM has to offer on its website.

(Photos with this post were taken by Stefanie Briggs.)