Courageous Stories
Highlighting community stories of strength & resiliency
A Collaborative Approach to Understanding and Improving School-Based Mental Health Services
Up to 20% of youth in the United States experience a mental, emotional or behavioral health condition every year. Yet many of those children do not receive mental health services due to limited service providers, stigma, and other barriers to access. Placing trained mental health professionals in schools eliminates many of the barriers… Read this story »
Wilder School-Based Therapists Support Latinx Mental Health Through Stronger Cultural Identities
Maria Rios knows from personal experience how a strong cultural identity can help foster a sense of belonging. Maria, a Wilder school-based mental health therapist, moved to the United States from Mexico at age 7 and attended school in Woodbury with few students of her background. “I felt different, like I never fit in,” Maria says. Read this story »
Mai Kou Xiong Builds a Legacy of School-Based Mental Health Support for Hmong Students
When Mai Kou Xiong was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer last year, she reflected on what mattered most to her. For much of her career, Mai Kou has worked in elementary schools, helping youth embrace their Hmong identity, language and culture to help them succeed in school and life. “I want our students to be healthy mentally and… Read this story »
Facilitating Data-Informed Decisions: East Metro Pulse Data Parties
The Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundations wanted to make a rich data resource about the residents of the east metro available to policymakers, funders and local leaders working to improve the lives of community members. Wilder Research partnered with the Foundations to develop and co-host a series of data parties to help attendees… Read this story »
School-Based Mental Health Participant Finds Hope and Healing With Persistence and Support
Emily was a smart and outgoing elementary school student. She was so high achieving that her teacher was initially reluctant to refer her to Hlub Zoo (pronounced LOO-ZHONG), Wilder’s school-based mental health service for students of Hmong and Southeast Asian descent. However, Emily had emotional breakdowns that led her teacher and… Read this story »
Wilder Volunteer Makes Child Development Center Family Events ‘Bigger And Better Than You Could Have Ever Dreamed’
Kathleen McNamara helps make the Wilder Child Development Center feel like a community. The Center, which serves about 70 toddlers and preschoolers in the Frogtown neighborhood of Saint Paul, hosts events to help families get to know one another and foster a sense of community. Kathleen, a military program specialist at Cummins, is… Read this story »
Meals on Wheels: For Saint Paul Couple, Diabetes-Friendly Meal Deliveries Were ‘Just a Wonderful Experience’
Wilder Meals on Wheels became a welcomed presence at Maribeth and Roosevelt Jackson’s home after Roosevelt was diagnosed with diabetes and cancer in 2012.
Roosevelt, who passed away in November 2018 at 77, needed to adopt a new diet to manage his illnesses, but he wasn’t happy about the change because he loved fried food. Maribeth didn… Read this story »
He's Got the Beat: At Wilder Adult Day Health, Pursuing a Passion Helps Promote Wellness
Greg Mitchell has rhythm. A longtime participant in Wilder’s Adult Day Health program, Greg is often seated at a drum set at the Wilder Community Center for Aging. He drums when other participants sing in the Adult Day Health choir. He drums with professional musicians who play at the center. He even drums when participants sing happy… Read this story »