Li'l Farm Children's Home wins Touchstone Energy Community Award
Non-profit recognized for making a difference in the community


Photo Caption: Gwen Thomas, right, ECE senior vice president, presents the second annual ECE Touchstone Energy Community Award to Della and Bob Theis, representing Li'l Farm Children's Home, Cambridge, Minn.

East Central Energy's Operation Round Up Trust Board selected Li'l Farm Children's Home, Inc., a foster care facility at Cambridge, Minn. to receive the second annual ECE Touchstone Energy Community Award. Della and Bob Theis, Li'l Farm volunteers and donors accepted the award and ECE's donation of $250 during the co-op's December 2005 board meeting.

The Operation Round Up board selected Li'l Farm out of six entries. Now it will compete for the Minnesota statewide award. Last year, ECE's winner, Rum River Caregivers, won the Minnesota State Touchstone Energy Community Award.

Created ten years ago, Li'l Farm is managed by Sister Margaret Roozen and Sister Francette Malecha who have fostered more than two hundred children for respite, short and long term or as emergency placements.

After receiving the award, Bob Theis thanked ECE "on behalf of all the people in our ECE communities who offer so much of their time and energy to help other." He went on to thank Sister Margaret and Sister Francette. Then he pointed out that a large part of the award is for his wife Della because "she engineers an insurmountable task of organizing the Li'l Farm sale."

For eight years the Theises have coordinated that huge fund raiser for Li'l Farm. Their kindness, generosity and hard work make this event more successful each year, reports Sister Margaret.

"Bob and Della help Li'l Farm financially," adds Sister Francette, "and they've raised community awareness for the needs of children in foster care."