The Oakes Mental Health Coalition formed in 2022, when the Dickey County Public Health District applied for and received a grant to support a community-led implementation of the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) conducted by Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) Oakes Hospital. 

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In 2022, the top three needs according to the results of the CHNA were:

• Food scarcity

• Mental health

• Public transportation

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The coalition first met in early 2022 and had strong cross-functional and cross-industry support. At that time, the health district was funded to support two separate coalitions—one in Oakes and one in Ellendale. 

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Here are a few key things started by the initial group in Oakes:

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• Pop-up 24/7 food shelves installed at the front entry of Growing Small Towns to address food scarcity (closed as of December 31, 2025)

• The food pantry became a core focus to redefine the board and the services offered, leading to a new location and full-time offering of being open 2 times/month at a new location of 19 S. 5th St., Oakes, ND (follow their Facebook page HERE)

• A regularly scheduled monthly meeting to discuss programming ideas to support the results of the CHNA

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At the end of 2023, the original grant funding from Dickey County Public Health ​expired, and the Oakes Mental Health Coalition became a program of Growing Small Towns, due to its 501(c)(3) status and general alignment with the mission of the organization.