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2021 Annual Report
Demonstrating the power of resilience and courageous change
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Dear friends of Wilder,
Your support of Wilder and the people we serve means more than ever. We have remained a strong, stabilizing force for families throughout the pandemic because of the dedication of our many partners, donors, volunteers, and staff. I can’t thank you enough for your faith in our mission and in this community.
The past year has been full of disruption and uncertainty, but it has also offered opportunities to learn and grow. For me, the pandemic has made it clear that Wilder can best support the Saint Paul community by leaning into our whole-family approach. We are finding ways to integrate our services and research more and more every day to make it easier for families to get what they need in one place.
We officially launched the Campaign for Families this year to jumpstart our whole-family approach, and our partners and donors are responding. I’m proud to say we have raised $13.5 million dollars toward our $17 million goal. These funds are already being put to use to help build a stronger Saint Paul, one family at a time.
The most important lesson from this year has been the power of resilience. Wherever I go within Wilder, I see people showing up for one another no matter how great the challenges. Our staff and volunteers continue to help children, adults and families navigate the strain of these times as they themselves experience it. The people we serve accept our support and use it as a launching pad to create a better life for themselves and their families. When we offer each other strength in times of great need, our entire community grows stronger. Thank you for making that possible through your support of Wilder.
Very best,
Armando Camacho
See Wilder's Leadership: Board & Executive Team
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In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and visible examples of racial injustice in our community and across the globe, Wilder Community Mental Health and Wellness staff supported the mental health and wellness of 2,074 individuals last year, for a total of 61,041 service days.
Mental Health and Wellness Services in 2021: Safe, effective and responsive
The Community Mental Health and Wellness team adapted to continue providing mental health and recovery services to members of our community, balancing safety and effectiveness as the need for our services rose.
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Small Act, Big Impact:
Wilder Center for Social Healing Volunteer
Simply being present and making small contributions does ultimately matter – especially over time.
Kai Miller, Wilder volunteer
Cambodian Americans at Wilder Center for Social Healing Remind Volunteer Kai Miller that Small Contributions Make a Difference
Upon returning to the U.S. after five years of living and working in Cambodia, I found that readjusting to life in the US was difficult. I missed Cambodia, which was—and still is—a home for me. A family friend who worked at Wilder told m...More about this story »
Healthy Aging & Caregiving Services serves the community in new and familiar ways
Wilder’s services for older adults and caregivers shifted quickly during the pandemic to meet the needs of our participants and the community. We are applying w... Read the article »
Meals on Wheels helps Wilder volunteer Tracey Cross stay involved during the pandemic
For many, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant stepping back to stay safe. For Tracey Cross, Wilder’s Meals on Wheels program provided the perfect opportunity to step out—and step up. "It gave me purpose,” Tracey says, calling volunteeri...More about this story »
Small Act, Big Impact:
Wilder Meals on Wheels Volunteers
Wilder delivered 54,052 meals to adults in Saint Paul neighborhoods with the Meals on Wheels program last year, a dramatic increase fueled by the need in our community and additional COVID funding to help cover participant costs. Packing and delivering these meals was a big job – and Wilder’s Meals on Wheels Volunteers were up to the task.
In April, Wilder honored more than 60 Meals on Wheels volunteers with the Sandy Kiernat Community Service Award for their extraordinary dedication during the pandemic. Congratulations, volunteers!
Early Childhood Education
Small Act, Big Impact:
Wilder Child Development Center Donors
Grand Master Yong Hyeok Lee, founder of Lee’s Champion Taekwondo Academy, presented a $1,000 gift to the Wilder Child Development Center’s Director Angie Clair. The gift is the result of a fundraiser Grand Master Lee did by selling his book, From Benchwarmer to Champion, in honor of his son Brandon’s birthday. The gift was used to purchase new gym and playground equipment.
Ruth Fingerson’s family rocking chair graced her home for 56 years, since her husband Mike brought it home in 1965 for their first child, Mark. It was a comforting chair for their two daughters too, Karin and Laura. Now that the children are grown, Ruth wanted to find a special place for her beloved chair that held so many warm memories. She donated it to Wilder’s Child Development Center, where it will comfort many more children in the years to come. Of her donation, Ruth says, "I just want people to know that ordinary folks can make donations that are meaningful."
Supporting Child Care Assistance
Nearly 75 percent of the families whose children attend the Wilder Child Development Center rely on the Child Care Assistance Program and early learning scholarships to pay tuition. In May, Governor Walz and other elected officials visited the Child Development Center to highlight the impact of the program.
Supportive Housing Services & Wealth Building
How individuals and families were supported with Family Supportive Housing Services in 2021
Tonya’s family creates a stable life with Wilder's housing services
Tonya B. and her teenage son stayed wherever they could before they were accepted into a Wilder supportive housing service for working families who were experiencing homelessness. Tonya, who also has two adult children and a grandchild, ...More about this story »
15 community leaders deepened their knowledge and engagement with the state legislature through the Community Equity Program.
Congratulations to CEP's 2020-2021 graduates:
Abdiaziz Ibrahim, Anika Bowie, Benjamin Yawakie, Callie Chamberlain, Charity Paye, Hassan Qais As-Sidiq, Herschel McPherson, Ibrahim Owolabi, Ikal Avila, Priscilla Villa-Watt, Reyna Ortega, Richard Gordon, Ruth Cardenas, Tsega Tamene, Yordanose Solomone
Priscilla Villa-Watt Used the Community Equity Program to Enhance her Public Policy Skills While Building a Community
After working to strengthen environmental protections in Texas, Priscilla Villa-Watt moved to Minnesota in 2019 to become the advocacy and public policy manager for Eureka Recycling, a nonprofit zero waste organization and social enterpr...More about this story »
How Wilder Research Adapted:
Virtual Journey Mapping Sessions
Wilder Research’s Jackie Aman and Jessica Tokunaga pivoted to conduct virtual journey mapping sessions for 15 organizations participating in the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Health POWER (People Organizing and Working for Equitable Results) project, which were originally to be held in-person. Visual note takers captured and created 15 beautiful journey maps representing each organization’s feedback about their work to improve community health and address inequities through policy, systems, and environmental changes.
Visual journey map of Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES) created by Wilder Research’s Anna Alba. This summary describes the work of CLUES in their first year of the initiative.
Here at Wilder, we welcome and celebrate the diversity of people, experiences and differences to strengthen our workplace and mission. Thank you to our diverse and resilient staff who have continued to support families, communities and each other in 2021!
We are grateful to our generous donors, sponsors and funders. The individuals, families, businesses and institutions who give to Wilder make our mission possible. Thank you!
Thank you, volunteers and interns, for supporting our mission and helping to create a lasting, positive change for the families and communities we serve in Saint Paul and beyond!
In 2021, 154 volunteers and interns contributed 11,964 hours to support Wilder's mission.
- 123 volunteers who contributed 5,329 hours with Wilder’s Healthy Aging and Caregiving Services, Meals on Wheels, Board of Directors, Child Development Center, communications, fundraising and program operations.
- 31 interns who contributed 6,635 hours with Wilder’s Healthy Aging and Caregiving Services, Child Development Center, and Mental Health & Wellness Services including School-Based Mental Health and Recovery Services.
The financial information is presented based on audited financials on an accrual accounting basis. Endowment use on a cash basis is approximately 4% ($1.7 million) of total operating expenditures for FY2021.
