Courageous Stories

Highlighting community strength & resiliency

Bailey Ortiz volunteered at the Wilder Community Center for Aging

Preparing for an Aging Minnesota with Volunteers and Community Engaged Learners

An estimated 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 every day. This major demographic shift will create new challenges for older adults who want to maintain independence, for caregivers who need formal and informal support, and for employers facing potential workforce shortages. Bailey Ortiz will be prepared. Read this story »
African American family sitting on park bench, african american mother and father with daughter and son, child development center family, minnesota community childcare, preschool family in saint paul minnesota

Nurturing Kindergarten Readiness With Social-Emotional Development

Shortly before Alanna Clomon’s daughter began kindergarten, the Lauderdale mother received a tangible reminder of her 5-year-old daughter’s progress at Wilder’s Child Development Center. Read this story »

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 knew… 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 »
person of color in office, small business owner, working adult, saint paul promise neighborhood parent

Keeping Up with the Hodges in the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood

Maurice and his daughter Shamaurie Hodges not only found a home and stability, but also found career opportunities and academic success in the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood. Read this story »