Bridge Builders
It’s not always the public figures who are the change makers. Meet the behind-the-scenes leaders who are creating fruitful social and economic connections in Central Minnesota.
By Gene Rebeck | Photography by John Linn
A bridge is easy to overlook. People, after all, often focus on their destination, not the structure that enables them to get there. But communities without bridges don’t have the pathways they need to survive and thrive.
The three leaders profiled here build the links that strengthen the human and economic bonds in their hometowns—and beyond. Their stories also inspire others to help build still more bridges—connections that bring the residents of their neighborhoods, cities and regions closer together.
“Each of these community leaders shares a couple of key traits,” said Matt Varilek, president of the Initiative Foundation. First, they’re great at building relationships and connecting members of their networks who have potential for fruitful collaboration. And second, they prefer not to call attention to themselves. Their focus is on making their communities better.”
Community Bridge-Builder: JERRY SPARBY
On September 24, 2003, a freshman at Rocori High School in Cold Spring shot and killed two of his fellow students. For Jerry Sparby, whose career as a teacher, principal and athletic coach in the Cold Spring elementary school system spanned more than three decades, the shooting was not just a shock.
“It was a wake-up call,” Sparby said of his sudden realization that there were troubled people in what he’d thought was “the perfect world in Cold Spring.”
The trauma of that September day would lead Sparby to look for ways to change the culture of the schools. “I realized it was really about changing or developing a culture in the neighborhoods,” he said. “Many residents feel disconnected from their hometowns and from their fellow citizens. That’s particularly true of young people, whether they come from poorer communities or from more middle-class areas.”
While troubled young people might be connected to the online world, Sparby thinks they are becoming more and more alienated from real life. “They communicate with their devices, but they don’t talk,” Sparby said. “They don’t talk to each other, they don’t talk to their parents, they don’t talk to their teachers. I’ve had kids tell me they haven’t talked to their parents in over a year. It’s a world we’ve created.”
And it’s a world Sparby is working to change through the Yes Network, the St. Cloud-based nonprofit he founded in 2012. Yes Network grew out of Sparby’s work as an educator and a family therapist; it started out providing food to Cold Spring and St. Cloud neighborhoods in need. But in getting volunteers to deliver the food, Sparby discovered that the mutual engagement was an added benefit.
As Sparby learned more about what communities needed, he adjusted his approach. He hired parents to make the deliveries. As he listened to neighborhood residents, Sparby came to realize that “it wasn’t the parents that were going to change the culture of the neighborhood—it’s the kids,” he recalled. He also understood that “kids relate to kids better than to older people.” That led him to hiring high school kids to deliver meals during the summer.
Over the years, the Yes Network model has continued to evolve based on neighborhood needs. In addition to food delivery, employees and volunteers provide neighborhood enrichment activities, such as barbecues and other gatherings, that bring neighbors together in a spirit of fun. Yes Network also offers arts and recreation programs for young people, and mentoring for its young employees.
Sparby isn’t doing all this on his own, of course. Among his many partners is the Initiative Foundation, which has provided financial support. The Foundation has also connected Sparby with AmeriCorps VISTA service members.
“I appreciate Jerry for a lot of reasons, and especially for the model for his work,” said Amanda Whittemore, the Initiative Foundation’s VISTA and nonprofit development
program manager. “He does the difficult work of connecting to and deeply understanding the communities’ identified needs rather than deciding what he thinks might be best for them. That really requires a lot of skill, energy and intent.”
Once the needs are identified, she added, “Jerry works tirelessly to leverage people and network resources. In particular, he engages those community members in developing solutions so that they feel like they’re part of the work.” Whittemore believes that approach makes Yes Network’s work more sustainable.
During the past few years, Sparby has been working with other cities to expand Yes Network. Three years ago, two churches in Sauk Rapids contacted him to start a program. Meanwhile, parents and organizations in other cities in the region also have gotten in touch.
Sparby emphasized that the Yes Network model can be customized from city to city, neighborhood to neighborhood, based on what residents need and desire. “We have a template, but it’s pretty flexible,” he said. No matter how it’s used, the basic idea remains the same: to feed our kids living in poverty and to build loving relationships through play, activity and human connections.
Visit yesnetworkmn.org to learn more and to support the program’s outreach efforts.
