LCO Elders Make $3,900 Donation to Grandparents Raising Grandkids

By Joe Morey

News Editor

The LCO Elder’s Association, Koobie’s Coffee and the Ascension Episcopal Church of Hayward, made a generous donation of $3,900 to the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren through the Indian Child Welfare (ICW) program of Lac Courte Oreilles. The donation was to represent 39 children, $100 each.

Ramona Ingerson and Ellen Martin, both of the Elder’s Association and Koobie’s Coffee, presented the check to the ICW department staff with members of the LCO Tribal Governing Board standing by.

Ingerson said the money is meant to help the grandparents buy the children school clothes. She said $2,300 of the donation came from revenues of Koobie’s Coffee, which she explained is a non-profit coffee and sandwich shop located at the C2 travel plaza across from the casino.

“This is what Koobie’s is in business for, to make donations back to our community where people who need it most will benefit,” Ingerson said.

Roberto Palombi of the Ascension Church was also responsible for a portion of the donation through the congregation of the church. Palombi is not a member of the Tribe, but has deep connection to the people of the community and is known to open his doors for tribal members who are in need of a place to stay temporarily.

Ingerson said they didn’t need to know the names of who the recipients were, but that several of them have stopped by Koobie’s to thank the Elders for their generosity and told them how much it has helped.