Courageous Stories
Highlighting community stories of courage, strength and resiliency
Neighborhood Leadership Program Helps Minnesota Newcomer Xiomara Bell Connect with Diverse Communities
Neighborhood Leadership Program graduate Xiomara Bell was working in mental health care in her native Louisiana when she felt called to use her degrees in history. Last year she applied for, interviewed and accepted a job at the Minnesota Historical Society without ever having visited the state. “I didn’t think anything of it until I got… Read this story »
Shannon Alum Chris Taylor Uses Values to Lead Change for a Diverse, Inclusive and Equitable Minnesota
When Chris Taylor was chief inclusion officer for the Minnesota Historical Society, his staff gave him a plaque for his desk that read, “Agitator in Chief.” For Chris, an alum of Wilder’s James P. Shannon Leadership Institute, it’s a reminder that changing systems to become more diverse, inclusive and equitable can ruffle feathers. Read this story »
Wilder Donors John and Anne Bendt Use Planned Gift to Extend their Love of Family and Community
John and Anne Bendt discovered small and large things in common when they met as college students at Marquette University. They were born on the seventh day of the month. They were the second oldest, and they valued the lessons they learned growing up in large families. Read this story »
Determination and Stable Housing at Lincoln Place Helped Youth with Work, College, Car and Sobriety
Sebastian Dina knew what he wanted when he moved to Lincoln Place: His driver’s license back, to buy a car and start college. With stable housing and support from Wilder staff at Lincoln Place, a supportive housing development in Eagan for youth who have experienced homelessness, Sebastian has achieved those goals and more. Read this story »
Volunteer Team Transforms the Center for Social Healing for Southeast Asian Members
Wilder’s Center for Social Healing offers a warm, welcoming environment created through years of shared meals and smiles. Thanks to more than 100 volunteers who work at Target, the transformed therapeutic community center for members of four Southeast Asian cultural groups now looks as welcoming as it feels. Read this story »
Community Equity Program Gives Experienced Leader Linda Garrett-Johnson a Deeper Understanding of the Legislative Process
With more than 25 years of experience advocating for public policy changes, Linda Garrett-Johnson knows how to read a bill. Even with her experience, Wilder’s Community Equity Program helped Linda deepen her knowledge of the Minnesota legislative process. “The program filled in pieces that were missing, and it helped me understand where… Read this story »
Artist, Volunteer and Activist Monica Vega Unlocks Her Changemaking Passion with the Latino Leadership Program
Monica Vega laughs when she thinks about how many people she has influenced because of her involvement with the Latino Leadership Program at Wilder. She teaches art to children, mothers and older adults at a nonprofit organization in Minneapolis. She advocates for driver’s licenses to be available for Minnesotans without documentation.… Read this story »
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 »