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Courageous Stories

Highlighting community stories of courage, strength and resiliency

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Derrick Yang, certified peer specialist for Wilder Community Mental Health and Wellness

Rethinking Recovery: Personal Mental Health Experience Provides Hope to Others

Finding the right kind of help for a serious mental illness can be daunting. Often, a person may need to work with several providers to find appropriate care. Case managers, psychologists, psychiatrists and other professionals may all be involved, along with separate treatment for chemical health, if needed. Read this story »
African American mother and son sitting at picnic table, kofi services for african american youth,

One Family's Story of Change and Motivation with Kofi Services for Youth

Malik Compton describes what he was like at the age of eight with just one word: “trouble.” It’s hard to believe considering the confident, well-mannered young man he is today, but Malik says he used to be short-tempered and disruptive. He talked back at home and he was unmotivated at school. Malik’s mother Sonya recognized that he… Read this story »
Wilder Meals on Wheels volunteers share more than a meal.

Delivering More than a Meal: Wilder Volunteers for Meals on Wheels Give Back

Rose Sherman has been volunteering with the Wilder Community Services for Aging Meals on Wheels program for more than 30 years. “When I started, I remember wanting a simple and quick way each month to give back to the community and to serve,” explains Rose. “This became even more important to me when my own mother needed home-delivered… Read this story »
Caucasian women volunteers, twin cities mobile market volunteering

Finding Fulfillment After Retirement as a Mobile Market Volunteer

When Karen Dovenmuehle retired from her career as a painter after 29 years, she was seeking a volunteer opportunity that would be satisfying for her while providing meaningful work. But she had never volunteered before. Then she heard about the Twin Cities Mobile Market (TCMM). "David Moeller, the CEO of Inside Edge, is a friend and… Read this story »
asian adults, asian american man and woman, asian volunteers, center for social healing volunteers

Bilingual Volunteers Help Center for Social Healing Feel Like Home

Connecting bilingual, bicultural volunteers with underserved cultural communities provides an enriching experience at the Wilder Center for Social Healing. Read this story »
older woman smiling with coffee, mobile market customer

Twin Cities Mobile Market Means More Fruit and More Opportunities to Share

Gail Johnson likes her apartment in the Humboldt Senior Apartments in Saint Paul, and she loves the caring attitude among the residents of her complex. The 80-year-old retired church secretary is often found in the community room in the basement of the complex, sharing coffee and conversation with other residents of her community. She’s… Read this story »
Christopher Melendez is a Neighborhood Leadership Program graduate and co-founder of a youth group.

Neighborhood Leadership Program Graduate Helps Start Youth Group

A Neighborhood Leadership Program graduate brings youth to the table by starting a mentor group in East St. Paul, MN. Read this story »
Victoria Campoverde, facilitator of Latino Leadership Program

I Didn't Know I Was A Leader: An Alumna's Experience In The Latino Leadership Program

Not realizing she was already a community leader, an alumna recounts her confidence-building experience in the Latino Leadership Program (Programa de Liderazgo Latino). Read this story »