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Courageous Stories
Highlighting community stories of courage, strength and resiliency
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Our community needs mental health and substance use disorder services more than ever
Wilder’s goal is to help children, adults and their families grow and heal with our mental health and wellness services. Together with participants, partners and the community, we are focused on making trauma-informed and culturally centered services accessible for Minnesotans. Read this story »
Interact Center for the Arts Demonstrates Social Value Using Research
As an organization run by professional, practicing artists, one of Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts' strengths is the creativity they bring to addressing challenges. For more than 25 years, Interact has been creating art that challenges perceptions of disability. Read this story »
Rachel’s journey from couch hopping to home starts at Lincoln Place with Wilder’s housing support
During her three years at Lincoln Place, 23-year-old Rachel worked hard to finish school, start a career, build credit and understand and work through trauma. She recently marked a major life milestone when she moved out of the supportive housing development for young adults who have experienced homelessness.
As Rachel reflects on her… Read this story »
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, began working closely with Wilder’s supportive housing team to rebuild her life. Read this story »
Wilder housing staff support youth, adults and families as they pursue their goals after experiencing homelessness
Like many in the community, families served by Wilder have been challenged by job loss, distance learning and the stress and isolation of the pandemic. Even amid these hardships, youth, adults and their families in Wilder’s supportive housing programs are demonstrating resilience as they pursue their goals after experiencing homelessness… Read this story »
Julie Smith's daughter celebrates 16th birthday with backpack drive for Wilder participants
During summer 2021, Julie Smith and her three children, ages 16, 13 and 9, brainstormed ways they could make a meaningful contribution to the community at a time when hands-on, face-to-face interactions were limited. They landed on a school-supply drive to support Wilder's School Success supply drive, which provides about 2,000 backpacks… Read this story »
Then and now, Wilder school-based mental health services helped Sean grow and succeed
Sean was an elementary school student when he joined Kofi, Wilder's culturally relevant school-based mental health program for students of African descent. He received services to help him regulate his emotions and cope with other challenges. He graduated from Kofi in a ceremony at the end of fifth grade, and kept the Kofi sweatshirt he… Read this story »
Mental health support in school continues for students in Saint Paul
An estimated 1 in 5 young people need support for their mental health, and people of color are much less likely to have access to therapy and mental health care. That's why our school-based mental health team meets students right where they are, with culturally relevant therapy, support and resources for them and their families. Read this story »