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The region’s late season snowstorm April 14-15 brought much of the Twin Cities to a halt — but not volunteers from International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 292. They were scheduled Sunday, April 15 to complete needed electrical work on Cabin 4 at the former Anoka State Hospital. There a nonprofit called Eagle’s Healing Nest has been renovating the buildings to create housing for homeless veterans.
State Senator Jim Abeler has been one of the driving forces behind the project and has helped attract donations of all kinds — including donated labor from area Building Trades unions.
Cabin 2 was renovated last year, with the help of several Building Trades locals from many different crafts.
Cabin 4 — where work was planned April 15 — was extra special. Cabin 4 will be “first of its kind… for female veterans only,” said Jennifer Gaspersich, IBEW Local 292 business representative and financial secretary.
Mortenson was the general contractor for Cabin 4 and the electrical contractor for the project, Gephardt Electric, appealed to IBEW Local 292 for volunteer labor to help complete the project.
“Certain items like new light switches and tamper proof receptacles were not included in the scope of work and knowing this needed to be done, we approached our Labor and Management group, called Power Partners MN, for funds to replace these items and they were more than happy to donate to this cause,” Gaspersich said.
“We were very lucky to work on a project that Senator Jim Abeler and his wife Barbara hold close to their hearts,” she added. “They are the main advocates and organizers of the Eagle’s Healing Nest, Anoka location.”
Gaspersich lined up 25-30 IBEW Local 292 members to volunteer April 15 — and then came the historic blizzard.
“Roads were terrible that day!” Some people just couldn’t get there — but “we still had such a great turnout,” Gaspersich reported.
Despite the storm, 21 volunteers made it to the worksite and put in a full day from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The work included hanging fixtures, installing, 120-volt fire alarms and all-new tamper proof devices.
Although they were short-staffed for the scope of work, “everybody stuck with it. Nobody was complaining,” Gaspersich said.
Volunteers came from several IBEW Local 292 contractors, including Gephardt, Egan, and Olympia Tech, who also allowed the use of their service vehicles that day.
Volunteers also came from Local 292’s Electrical Workers Minority Caucus and Sisters in Solidarity.
Senator Jim Abeler also stopped by that day to offer his thanks. He posted photos and a thank-you on Facebook: “Many, many thanks to 20 electricians, women and men, who dug out of their snowy homes this morning to install 3 floors of lights in Cottage 4. Thanks for being part of the solution. Every day that cottage gets closer to opening. It will hold 25 women vets in need of healing with honor. Totally awesome.”
“IBEW Locals 292 and 110 were proud to be a part of this small but growing initiative for female veterans,” Gaspersich said.
“They do have other cabins but there’s no telling when they will possibly be going forward,” she added.
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