Apr. 24—GRAND FORKS — High Plains Fair Housing Center’s new partnership with Blue Zones Grand Forks will allow resources for staff wellbeing as organizations like it face continuing concerns on the future of funding, according to High Plains Director Michelle Rydz.
“For nonprofits right now, there are a lot of unknowns and uncertainties and this a really good way for us to recharge and connect with staff and connect with our health,” Rydz said.
High Plains and Blue Zones made the announcement during a celebration of the anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act on April 11. The recognition reflects High Plains’ achievements to promote the wellbeing of its staff while also helping Grand Forks and many communities across the state with housing issues and housing discrimination.
“Building these connections opens the door for additional conversations on how we can further support them,” Blue Zones Grand Forks Executive Director Nicole Benson said.
Benson added that partnerships like this also allow their organization to give their advice and resources to potential events and ways to promote wellbeing both within an organization and in the work their partnering organizations do.
“Maybe there are some initiatives that an organization had been thinking about doing or wanting to implement. We, being a resource, (can provide) best practices on implementing what that looks like,” Benson said. “If they’re having different kinds of events, how we can support or enhance those events to make sure that health and wellbeing is the foundation of it.”
At High Plains, the partnership comes at a time of uncertainty, Rydz said. The Trump administration has moved to cut or eliminate many previously authorized grants and funds to
organizations, projects and institutions across the country.
For High Plains, which does receive federal funding to support its work, it often adds to the complexity of the work they do.
“We have a lot of clients who are experiencing instability in housing and our people take on that stress of our clients,” Rydz said. “So having an opportunity in the Blue Zones project where it reminds us to take time for ourselves, so that we can refresh and renew, so that we can be the best we can be for clients as well as for ourselves and our families.”
Blue Zones as an organization seeks to promote community wellbeing and have members live longer lives with a better quality of life. The Grand Forks chapter was founded through a partnership between Altru Health System, the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services and Blue Zones. The organization partners with others in Grand Forks, like the Grand Forks Public Library, helping coordinate events and promote community wellness.
High Plains seeks to ensure all North Dakotans have access to housing and also helps those who have experienced housing discrimination. It also does investigations into violations of the Fair Housing Act and serves as a resource for those navigating the system of fair housing.