Elizabeth Hendrickson/MDN Kalix employees, from left, are Dawn Evenson, day hab program director; Gail Ogden, direct support professional of 25 plus years; and Shannon Rolandson, office and communications manager.

Kalix was incorporated as the Minot School for the Mentally Handicapped, where day services were offered mainly to children. In the 1970s, the name of the organization was changed to Minot Vocational Adjustment Workshop and the focus shifted more toward helping adults.

Since then, the agency has grown to include day supports in Belcourt and expanded its services to Rolla as well. Along with receiving client services, Kalix enables individuals receiving assistance to take part in multiple volunteer and work opportunities.

“We participate in two routes with Meals on Wheels, so we pack and deliver meals to those in need. We also participate in the meal train by bringing and serving a home cooked meal to someone in need, and one of the clients’ favorite things to do is to go to Trinity Nursing Homes and play bingo with the residents. The residents also love to play cards with our clients as it gives them someone new to play with and talk to,” said Day Hab Program Director Dawn Evenson. “I have had staff of the nursing home tell me they have residents who ask when our clients will be coming back to play cards.”

Kalix encourages its clients to engage with others when they are in the community so that these individuals are looked at as memorable and respected members of the community.

“That can be saying ‘hi’ at the grocery store, basketball game, pharmacy or gas station,” Evenson said.

Besides the many services that are offered to clients, Kalix also has programs that assist the community, such as the recycling center and laundry services.

The Recycling Center opened in June of 1994 and has since created a positive impact within the community and provided jobs for those with developmental disabilities. Over the last 25 years, the recycling plant has processed more than 153 million pounds of materials, including cardboard, paper, newspaper, magazines, aluminum cans, tin cans and plastic bottles. Each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. the public is able to bring in documents to have shredded.

Kalix also operates a commercial laundry facility through which it assists local hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living homes with the washing, drying and folding of their linens. It also is able to assist with rags, gowns, scrubs, mops and towels. The laundry service is an asset to the Minot area as there is not another commercial laundry service in the area.

Kalix recently welcomed new Chief Executive Officer Chris Haseleau, who was named the next CEO of Kalix on Aug. 19. Before working for Kalix, Haseleau served as the executive director for Minot Health and Rehab. Haseleau said he is looking forward to “improving the lives and expanding services for people in North Dakota so they can be active participants within their communities.”

Kalix has a rich history within the Minot community and looks forward to continuing to provide services in the community and surrounding areas. Regarding what the community can expect to see from Kalix in the future, Shannon Rolandson, Office and Communications manager, said, “We will be holding a Souper Saturday Fundraiser in October. Individuals can enter a soup of their choice. They then would bring the soup in a crockpot to the event to be judged. It will be general admission, which will get you three samples to use to try the soups and then vote for your favorite.”

The competition is open to the general public as well as the clients of Kalix.

“We encourage our clients to enter a soup or to volunteer to help serve. The biggest thing is getting rid of the stigma of what their limitations are,” said Rolandson.