Associated Contract Loggers & Truckers of Minnesota

June 2026 • Voyageur Press

Floodwood Services and Training (FST) has been a cornerstone of northeastern Minnesota for nearly five decades, providing opportunities, support, and dignity to individuals with developmental disabilities, older adults, caregivers, and families throughout the region. What began as a grassroots effort by determined parents has grown into a comprehensive nonprofit organization whose impact extends far beyond its original mission.

FST was founded in 1977 when a group of local parents recognized a critical gap in services for their adult children with developmental disabilities. At that time, few programs existed for individuals once they reached adulthood, leaving families with limited options for care, training, and meaningful daily activities. Seeking both respite for caregivers and opportunities for their children to thrive, these parents established Floodwood Services and Training to provide structured programming close to home.

The response from the community was immediate. As more families sought services, FST expanded both its programs and staff, steadily growing into an organization dedicated to helping people live fuller, more independent lives.

Throughout its history, FST has continually evolved in response to community needs. In 1999, after hearing from area caregivers, the organization introduced Adult Day Services, providing seniors and adults with disabilities transportation, nutritious meals, social interaction, recreation, and supervised activities while giving family caregivers valuable respite. The program quickly became an essential resource, offering everything from crafts and exercise to outings, entertainment, and intergenerational activities involving local schoolchildren.

In 2005, FST again responded to an unmet need by creating a prevocational program for adults living with persistent and recurring mental illness. This addition reflected the organization's commitment to serving individuals who often faced significant barriers to employment and community participation.

Much of FST's growth over the past several decades occurred under the leadership of Executive Director Jim Taray. After earning a degree in Industrial Arts Education from Bemidji State University and gaining experience at a similar organization in International Falls, Taray joined FST as Program Director in 1989 before eventually becoming Executive Director. Throughout his tenure, he emphasized that the organization's greatest strength was its people.

Taray frequently credited the dedicated staff, board members, volunteers, and community partners for FST's success. Longtime employees such as Vicki Crist, Mary Felknor, Donna Tracy, Heather Matvey, Erica Erickson, Tanya Johnson, and many others helped develop innovative programs while ensuring that clients received compassionate, individualized support. Their collective commitment fostered an organizational culture built on flexibility, teamwork, and a simple guiding philosophy: people always come first.

Vocational services have long distinguished FST from many similar organizations. Through its Day Training and Habilitation (DT&H) and prevocational employment programs, adults with developmental disabilities gain valuable work experience while earning wages and contributing meaningfully to their communities. FST became recognized as one of Minnesota's pioneers in combining adult day services with vocational programming under a single organization, helping shape future licensing standards throughout the state.

Participants perform a wide variety of work that benefits both local businesses and residents. Clients assist with recycling operations, including sorting paper, plastics, glass, and metal, while others weave rag rugs, create quilt tops, embroider towels, produce fire starters, and complete numerous contract work projects. Many also provide community services such as lawn care, flower watering, recycling collection, and seasonal outdoor maintenance. These employment opportunities allow individuals to develop workplace skills, build confidence, earn income, and strengthen their connections within the community.

FST's commitment to serving the broader community also expanded through its management of the former Floodwood Seniors Building, later known as the AGES Building. There, older adults found a welcoming place to gather for nutritious meals, recreational activities, educational programming, and social engagement. The center fostered meaningful relationships between seniors and younger generations through regular interactions with local students while providing additional respite options for family caregivers.

Another valuable community partnership developed through the Floodwood Food Shelf, located within the FST building on Ash Street. Operated entirely by volunteers, the Food Shelf distributes thousands of pounds of food each year to area families experiencing food insecurity. Supported by donations from local churches, civic organizations, businesses, schools, and individual residents, the Food Shelf exemplifies FST's broader commitment to strengthening the entire community.

Behind the scenes, dedicated employees ensured the organization remained financially and operationally strong. Among the most influential were Mary Felknor and Vicki Crist, whose combined decades of service helped guide FST through periods of significant growth and organizational change. Felknor, who served more than twenty-five years, was widely recognized as one of the individuals most responsible for preserving and strengthening the agency during leadership transitions, while Crist modernized office operations as technology transformed administrative systems. Their retirements in 2012 marked the conclusion of remarkable careers devoted to serving others.

As leadership transitioned, experienced staff members continued the organization's tradition of excellence. Nicole LeDell assumed office management responsibilities, while Tim Myles joined the vocational services team, ensuring continuity while bringing new perspectives to FST's mission.

Today, Floodwood Services and Training continues to embody the vision established by its founders in 1977. By adapting to changing community needs, embracing innovation, and placing individuals at the center of every decision, FST has become far more than a service provider. It is an employer, educator, advocate, community partner, and source of opportunity for hundreds of individuals and families throughout northeastern Minnesota.

The organization's history demonstrates that meaningful community impact begins with listening to local needs and responding with compassion, creativity, and dedication. Nearly fifty years after its founding, Floodwood Services and Training remains true to its original purpose: helping people live with dignity, independence, purpose, and connection while strengthening the communities they call home.

Floodwood Services & Training (FST) is a major community partner in Floodwood, MN, regularly hosting and assisting with local initiatives like community holiday shopping nights, food drives, and recycling tours.Associated Contract Loggers & Truckers of Minnesota (ACLTM) is a statewide organization representing Minnesota’s logging and trucking professionals, supporting the industry through advocacy, education, training, networking, and resources for contractors and businesses.