Busy days for Grant Language and Arts Magnet Elementary School's Kathey Bogen
By ERIC SIMON
DCN Reporter
At Grant Language and Arts Magnet Elementary School’s http://www.duluth.k12.mn.us/education/school/school.php?sectionid=124&sc_id=1193319312colorful library a volunteer training program organized by Kathey Bogen is just wrapping up. She doesn’t have the time to stay, she's a busy woman.
“I want to thank everyone for coming,� Bogen says to a dozen college students who showed up for the event. “I look forward to working with you all. Right now I have to run over to Grant Rex Center where there’s a bit of a situation.�
The situation? A pot luck being held over at Grant Community Recreation Center (GCRC) has been arranged, but the people who are setting up are having someone trouble locating the tables they need.
The GCRC is about a block away. On the walk over Bogen takes a short break about halfway to say hi to a group of kids who are gathered around a picnic table under a copse of trees.
“They used to go to school here and now they’re smoking under the tree,� says Bogen. “It’s not good, but I like to check in on them.�
Just outside the GCRC Bogen says hi to Brittany Shanoff. She works with Bogen at the Grant Community Collaborative, an umbrella organization that oversees seven groups including Grant School and the East Hillside Community Club.
Shanoff, a recent UMD graduate majored in psychology and likes working for the Collaborative.
“The pay is pretty modest,� says Shanoff. “But Kathy is the most amazing person to work for.�
Bogen doesn’t have long to talk, she’s a woman on a mission.
She quickly enters the GCRC and locates the tables needed for the pot luck.
The event is supposed to be under way but it doesn’t seem like a lot of people have shown up, Bogen decides to run back to the school and leave a note for anyone who thought the event may have been at the school. Once the note is on the door Bogen walks back to the GCRC.
During the walk back she explains a bit about the history of Grant School.
“For a long time it was scheduled to be closed,� Bogen says. “Now it’s actually slated to stay open and expand but we’ll see what happens.�
Bogen walks into the potluck where five women have sat down and started eating. This is the first meeting of the multi-cultural community Support Group. The group was Bogen’s idea but she asked Denise Lewis and Tamika Robinson to start it.
Lewis has three kids ages 16, 18 and 24.
“Kathy has been in my kid’s lives since they were in third or fourth grade,� says Lewis. “She really just a phenomenal person."
Bogen prepares herself a small paper plate of food and takes a seat. She stays for the full two hours the meeting runs. She doesn’t say much but listens intently to everyone who speaks. At one point she even walked around the room to make sure everyone’s cup was full of lemonade.
After the meeting Bogen and Shanoff run supplies back to Grant School. After a busy day Bogen finally gets to go home. Tomorrow it’s more meetings.