Family Resource Centers (FRCs) are community hubs for all families to access supports and opportunities. FRCs help families connect with existing resources such as healthcare, food, and nutrition support or clothing. They help caregivers feel more supported in and informed about the important responsibility of raising children.
For all families to feel supported and have easy access to culturally relevant opportunities promoting resilency and community connectedness.
The saying, "If you've seen one FRC, you've seen one FRC," emphasizes the uniqueness of each Center. However, there are common activities that FRCs engage in, including:
Enhancing parenting skills
Fostering the healthy development and wellbeing of children, youth, and families
Preventing child abuse and neglect
Increasing school readiness
Connecting families to resources
Developing parent and community leadership
Engaging males and fathers
Supporting healthy martial and couple relationships
Promoting family economic success
Sara Hotakainen
Family Resource Center Coordinator
MAHUBE-OTWA
Adam Johnson, Superintendent
New York Mills
Megan Myers, Superintendent
Parkers Prairie
Kristi Goos, Public Health Assistant Director
Otter Tail County
Liz Kuoppala, Executive Director
MAHUBE-OTWA
Staci Allmaras
The Bridge Center, Pelican Rapids
Latham Hedland, Mayor
New York Mills
Julie Roberts, City Administrator
New York Mills
Deb Sjostrom, Human Services Director
Otter Tail County
Alice Meyer, Family Resource Centers
MAHUBE-OTWA
Lynne Penke Valdes, Deputy Administrator
Otter Tail County
With a Whole Family-Whole Community approach, we help individuals and families from birth through the senior years. We are responsive and address needs for finding housing and staying warm, help the unemployed and under-employed find meaningful work, help with health, wellness and family planning, help seniors live independently, help find childcare and provide early childhood school readiness, help in times of crisis and emergencies, provide relationship-based coaching, and help one another give back to our communities.
Otter Tail County seeks to provide access to healthy lifestyles for all residents. We aim to sustain and grow a high quality of life by providing assistance and support across a wide range of needs.
The Bridge Center is more than a building—it’s a vision brought to life by the people of Pelican Rapids. We’re a vibrant hub where young people, families, and neighbors of all ages come together to feel seen, supported, and empowered. Whether you're here to lead, learn, cook, create, or connect, this is your space.
Our mission is to build bridges—between generations, cultures, ideas, and opportunities—so that every person has a chance to thrive and every voice has a place at the table.
Within the Otter Tail Family Services Collaborative families, communities and service providing agencies work together for a responsive, flexible system of education, support and services that focus positively on the needs, strengths, and potential of each child and family.