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GRAND FORKS — The LISTEN Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Grand Forks Thursday for its new facility at 2100 S. Washington St. in Grand Forks.
LISTEN, a nationally-accredited North Dakota nonprofit, has a goal of providing opportunities to people with intellectual disabilities while helping them live as independently as possible. It spent more than 30 years at its location at 624 N. Washington St.
The nonprofit provides day services and residential services, including personal care, meal planning and preparation, reminders for clients’ medication regime, social activity, companionship and help completing light household tasks. It also provides its clients with activities in a community setting, including performing arts, travel clubs, community league sports, self-advocacy and more.
Dana Sande, president of the Grand Forks City Council. He said he was proud to be there for something so important to the community.
“Times like these are exactly why I ran for the City Council. … I want you all to know this is what Grand Forks is,” Sande said. “This is what makes me proud to serve our community, because so many people like you are sharing your time, talent and treasure making amazing things like this happen."
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Live music accompanied the ribbon-cutting, with Mudbucket performing from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., followed by Downtown Horns from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Food trucks Snowie Grand Forks, Black Widow Cafe, Melissa’s Mobile Cocina, Grand Forks Polish Stand and Kool Kreations Shaved Ice and Cotton Candy provided food at the event. Balloons by Misti, a Grand Forks business in the Columbia Mall, also was present.
The nonprofit purchased the property in 2020. Widseth has been in charge of the design of the building, and Community Contractors provided management of the construction site. The new facility was built with the goal of having enough space to house all of its programs, with additional space on the second floor for additional tenants in the future.
Carla Tice, program director and director of the nonprofit’s social change theater group Performing for Change, spoke about the center and what she believes it can provide to its clients.
Performing for Change was sprinkled in between spaces in Tice’s program speech, performing to songs such as “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey, “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi, and “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme from the film “Rocky.”
“Every person who enters the door of this building will be empowered to believe in themselves, to feel great about themselves and believe they can have the life they always have dreamed of,” Tice said.
According to its website, LISTEN was formed in 1974. The company name stands for "Love Is Sharing the Exceptional Needs."
