About this Series: The Northwest Minnesota Foundation staff believes that we can all make a difference in our communities by stepping forward to becoming part of something bigger. This belief not only helps drive our day-to-day activities at work but is also apparent in our personal lives. This series highlights our staff’s commitment to community through their volunteer activities, those that occur outside of the traditional work day.
Kari Cooper is a Program Officer who volunteers with the Northwoods Battered Women’s Shelter.
“I have been serving on the Board of Directors for the Northwoods Battered Women’s Shelter (NBWS) since 2019. NBWS is a non-profit located in Bemidji which primarily serves Beltrami and Cass counties. NBWS is a domestic violence shelter and advocacy program with a vision of a community free of domestic violence in which safety is a basic human right. NBWS provides emergency crisis shelter and advocacy to victim/survivors of intimate partner violence; this includes shelter services to women and their children and short-term safe housing to men and their children.
Domestic violence is an issue that is very close to my heart, so volunteering with this organization in our community has meant a lot to me. I am humbled to work with this small but mighty group of leaders to ensure that these critical services can remain available to victims in our area.”
– Kari Cooper, Program Officer
