Prairie Five Community Action Council

Headstart - The mission of Headstart is "To foster strong healthy children and their families, and also to promote staff excellence through dynamic programming." The Program uses a holistic approach to meet the needs of the people involved. Services offered are: early childhood development, health and welness, family well being, and family engagement. Head Start serves approximately 175 children.

Food - Promotes healthy and independent living through improved nutrition and reduction of social isolation. Congregate, home delivered, frozen and shelf stable meals are available. A person 60 or older, and their spouse (regardless of age) are eligible. Participants are encouraged to make a voluntary suggested donation toward the cost of each meal. A donation amount is suggested but participants may donate as much as they feel they can afford. The program has congregate, home delivered and frozen meal sites. A Hot/Cold Food Truck delivers meals to remote, isolated areas of the service area daily.

Transportation - Prairie Five Rides is a public transportation system available to people of all ages and for all purposes such as medical and social outings, etc. We operate daily bus service from 7AM - 5PM in the cities of Appleton, Benson, Canby, Dawson, Granite Falls, Madison, Montevideo and Ortonville. We provide regional service to the five county service area, to destinations throughout the state of Minnesota using volunteer drivers with lift-equipped buses and vans. We also use our volunteer drivers to transport riders into the eastern parts of both North and South Dakota. From a MVDA grant, we were able to purchase a wheelchair accessible vehicle to provide free rides to veterans residing in one of the counties we serve.

Energy Assistance and Weatherization; Childcare; Housing; Nutrition; and Emergencyand Other Services.