MINOT — Eric Locken was recently named this year’s Minot Citizen of the Year Award. He works for Project BEE, which has its own story to share.
It was previously under the name and jurisdiction of the Young Women’s Christian Association Minot (YWCA Minot) since around 1910, Liz Larsen, the executive director, says there was a reason for the change, “We made the decision that it was in our best interest, it was in our community’s best interest, just to break that national affiliate and focus on western North Dakota.”
Much of the confusion, according to Larsen, was in the fact that many people thought if they donated, their donations would be given to the national level (i.e., some place in Washington D.C.), which was not the case. Many people also assumed the organization received funding from the national level, which was also untrue. “People thought it was kind of like Walmart, where there’s like one everywhere,” Larsen explained. Larsen says that also caused a setback in donations. “Understandably. I mean, I want my money to stay local.” The then YWCA did a complete rebrand in June of 2021, without changing the EIN. The now Project BEE is no longer affiliated with the YWCA.
“Since our name change, we have seen so much increased support. Not just financially, but people actually want to help volunteer with us. Now, for the first time literally ever, we are the ones that people always tag, which is so great because we’ve been here forever, and we just weren’t really sure who we were and what our mission was and how that translates to North Dakota, and now we’re at this point where we know exactly what we do,” says Larsen.
Another change included the fact that most YWCA shelters are meant to aid in Domestic Violence, however, as Larsen stated, there was already the Domestic Violence Crisis Center in Minot.
Project BEE is now filling in the gaps in Minot. “If people were unable to stay at the Men’s Winter Refuge, we couldn’t help them. I think more importantly, more than the single folks, it was the families.”
According to Larsen, in 2011 during the flood, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said that Minot lacked a shelter for families. “So if you were a mom and a dad with a bunch of kids, there was no where for you to go.” Project BEE is now in the process of building a new shelter for families that will hopefully break ground in May, that would include apartments with 2-3 bedrooms. Larsen said about 73% of the project will be funded by the money for the 2011 flood. They are also partnering with the Lord’s Cupboard, a food pantry that will be tenants within the shelter, in which families will have access to food.
Larsen says it is nice to work with other organizations in Minot. “I’m a big ‘stay in your lane’ person. I think everyone should do what they’re good at.” Larsen says that they are excited to work with the Lord’s Cupboard, as it is an opportunity to learn from each other.
Larsen said that this project would be the first family shelter in the state, where the shelter is specifically designed for families. Their current shelter is the same one that they have had since the 1950s, which will still be used for single people in need of shelter.
Project BEE also puts on a diaper bank. “Things like food stamps will not pay for diapers, but people need to be able to go to work, and you can’t go to work without diapers,” said Larsen. “It’s meant to be a supplement, so we’re not providing 100% of their diapers.”
Larsen also explained how Project BEE supports a lot of military families. “What we end up seeing is a lot of military families who are super young, Junior Enlisted, maybe they had a kid young, they move here where they don’t have a family support network. You know, you make money, but you’re not rich by any means.”
Larsen shared her thoughts on Eric Locken being awarded Citizen of the Year. “We love Eric, we couldn’t be more proud or unsurprised. He wants to make the world a better place. We met him through a mutual friend who was like ‘you have to meet this guy, he wants to save the world.’ Then we were talking over lunch and I was like, ‘Do you want a job?’"
“His whole family is great, too. His daughter loves helping people. It kind of shows parents leading their children in the right way, when they want to volunteer.”
Locken’s job with Project BEE is in the development area, raising awareness for the organization. “You can’t save a million people if you only have funding for a thousand,” said Larsen.
Larsen had started with the organization in 2015 and became the director in 2020. She said during COVID-19 there was an initial uptick in donations, then it slowed down. However, since their rebrand in 2021, donations have been rising, including volunteering. The need, according to Larsen, has gotten worse, “We are busier than ever.”
More information on Project BEE and how to donate can be found on its website or Facebook page, and its emergency shelter can be contacted at 701-838-1812.
