For years, Reach for Resources has partnered with local high schools and community groups like the National Charity League (NCL), offering students and families meaningful ways to make a difference. These partnerships with schools like DeLaSalle in Minneapolis and Benilde-St. Margaret’s in St. Louis Park have been instrumental, not only in strengthening our community ties but also in enriching our initiatives with diverse perspectives.

Remember the excitement of getting your driver’s license? That sense of freedom and independence? Adults with developmental disabilities experience those same feelings through TRAIL transportation by Reach. TRAIL gives them the freedom to participate in recreational and social activities of their choosing, with safe and affordable transportation; no more relying solely on friends and family. TRAIL riders simply sign up for transportation when registering for a program, and thanks to generous donations, they pay only a nominal roundtrip fare.

As a non-profit organization, Reach for Resources takes pride in establishing and maintaining strong community partnerships. Since June 2019, Reach has partnered with Three Rivers Park District to provide inclusion services for children, teens, and adults with disabilities who participate in their recreation programming.

Alex had always been known for his strength and resilience, but life had recently presented him with a series of daunting challenges. Work pressures, family responsibilities, and personal doubts all seemed to collide, leading to a noticeable increase in his anxiety and stress levels. For a while, Alex turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms like: substance abuse, unexcused absences from work, and withdrawing from friends and family.

For the last three years, Peter Thompson has donated his time and expertise as a member of Reach’s Board of Directors. With three children, nine grandchildren, and a strong involvement in his community, Peter is no stranger to a busy schedule. However, he still finds the time to provide guidance to our team, share his knowledge, and bring warmth and positivity to the Reach community.

For almost two decades, Nico has been a consistent supporter of Reach for Resources, a dedication that runs in the family. His youngest sister, Tali, has been a loyal participant in several Reach adaptive recreation programs over the years.

Over the past 6 years, Brian has undergone some exciting life changes, from renting his first apartment to purchasing his own home. How did he accomplish these big life changes? After Brian graduated from Vector with a degree in computers, he independently secured a job at a local computer business. At this point, his parents sought additional resources to help their son fully integrate into his community and become self-sufficient. Upon hearing about Reach for Resources from a friend, Brian’s mom contacted our Director of Community Living to inquire about our in-home services.

Reach for Resources has been named one of the Top 200 Workplaces in Minnesota by the Star Tribune for a second year in a row!

For many people, finding a meaningful and fulfilling career isn’t a straightforward path. Reach’s Waiver Case Manager, Zackery Henslee’s unique story is a great example of how a strong personal mission, ambition, and a desire to learn can help turn a personal passion into a rewarding career.

If you call Excelsior home or often visit the restaurant, Maynards, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Mark. Mark, a beloved long-time resident known for his friendly personality, handman skills and willingness to help others in his community. With a love for being busy and social, Mark has a passion for music, biking, cars and his community. His story is a great example of the profound impact community support and inclusion can have on a person’s life.

Sarah had always dreamed of pursuing a career in the medical field. However, her journey was marred by persistent struggles with her mental health. Diagnosed with anxiety and depression, she found herself battling overwhelming symptoms that often left her feeling defeated and incapable of achieving her goals. Determined to reclaim control of her life, Sarah sought help from Reach for Resources and our Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (ARMHS) program.

Ellen spent most of her son’s childhood and school years searching for opportunities that would balance his intense need for friendships and being around other people with his quirky behaviors, such as vocal and physical tics (Tourette Syndrome), fixations on single topics (Autism Spectrum), and unpredictable and spectacular meltdowns (Mood Disorder/Bi-polar).

We are excited to announce we’ve received Candid’s highest honor, their Platinum Seal, for the 5th year in a row! This rating puts Reach for Resources in the top 0.1% of charities nationally in terms of transparency.

Mike and Patty Molden are two of Reach for Resources’s longest serving volunteers with a talent for bringing laughter, community, and connection to Reach events. Mike and Patty got involved with Reach in the 2000s when Patty was inspired to contribute to her community as a volunteer. After spending time as a volunteer with similar organizations that support people with disabilities, Patty found Reach and decided to give volunteering with us a try.

Since 2007, we’ve been honoring the remarkable contributions of individuals, families, organizations, volunteers, businesses and Reach employees who have played vital roles in advancing our mission. This year, we’re thrilled to introduce two new awards to our lineup. We extend our gratitude to everyone who submitted nominations. While we can’t acknowledge every nominee, we’re excited to announce this year’s recipients!

Charismatic. Ball of Energy. Positive. Friendly. Even on paper, those words don’t do justice to who Jack is as a person. Every room Jack walks into, he lights it up with his positive energy and ability to make friends with anyone. He has the type of aura that draws people in, and he can remember almost anything you tell him. Who Jack is today is leaps and bounds over who he was when we met him at his first In-Home Services meeting.

Since the summer of 2018, Josh Zenner from JZ Productions, has been giving his time and talents to Reach. Back in 2018, Josh was searching for volunteer opportunities in the Twin Cities to give back to his community. At the time, Reach had an opening for an Adaptive Recreation Softball Coach and it was exactly what Josh was looking for in a volunteer opportunity.

Making the transition from living with your parents to living on your own, at any age, is difficult especially if you are helping to care for aging parents, like Steve. Steve started receiving In-Home Services from Reach in 2016, to support him as he made the transition from living with his parents to living independently in his own apartment.

The two main factors most people look for when choosing a place to live is safety and stability. For people living with disabilities and mental health conditions, it can be particularly hard to find a place that offers both of those things. This was the case for Terry and Jan. They’ve had to navigate a long, bumpy road but finally they’ve found the perfect place.

This year, we are celebrating 32 years of our annual Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser on March 16. Of those 32 years, Joe Parker has been participating in 21 of them. Joe is one of Reach’s longest Bowl-A-Thon participants and has raised the most money for a single Bowl-A-Thon (2023) and is the current leader for the most money raised collectively year after year by a Bowl-A-Thon participant.

“I love brussel sprouts! They are like mini salads.” It’s not often you hear someone say they love brussel sprouts let alone with a giant smile on their face. Kristen recently tried her first ever brussel sprout thanks to Magic Meals. Magic Meals is a nationwide, nutritious, meal delivery service that provides fresh, frozen meals weekly to subscribers. 

A few shorts months ago, Demarcus took the initiative to ask his case manager how he could advance his career. His case manager referred him to Reach’s Employment Services and within three months, Demarcus had a full-time position, in his career field, with the possibility of growth.

It’s pumpkin season! Recently Dan and his Reach staff volunteered at a pumpkin patch. They had a fun afternoon picking pumpkins and helping out on the farm.

The other week, Natalie made one of Minnesotans’ favorite meals: Tator Tot Hotdish. She followed the instructions and recipe with minimal staff assistance.

Since 1985, Reach for Resources has been providing a variety of services and supports to people of all abilities throughout Minnesota. For over 20 of those years, Reach has had the opportunity to support an individual who has been with us the longest, Leah Wallin. Throughout all of those years, we’ve watched Leah grow, gain confidence and thrive as we’ve supported her through a variety of life events. 

The Union Committee was formed in early 2023, with around two to three representatives from all 33 Cub Food stores. Going into it, Sarah said, “I expected it was going to be a lot of long hours. I wasn’t sure about arranging my Metro Mobility rides because the meetings were last minute or would run long.”

We are excited to announce Reach has been named a 5 Star mspWellness Champion by the Minneapolis Regional Chamber (MRC), Hennepin County Public Health, the Minneapolis Health Department (MHD), and HealthPartners!

Reach for Resources has been named one of the Top 200 Workplaces in Minnesota by the Star Tribune.

We are excited to announce the formal acquisition of TRAIL, a nonprofit which provides transportation for adults with disabilities. Effective June 16, 2023, TRAIL will become part of Reach for Resources.

Although the phase out for subminimum wages was not approved, there were still many wins for the Employment First movement within Minnesota! Click below to learn about the wins that Employment First has gained this legislative session.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and more than ever, it’s important to take care of yourself and your well-being. Just like a lot of us, Sonya is trying to maintain a healthy work/life balance while also finishing her last semester of college. To de-stress and avoid exhaustion and burnout, in the last year, Sonya has picked up a new calming activity: LEGO® building. How did Sonya get into this activity?

Since 2007, we have been recognizing individuals, families, volunteers, businesses, Reach employees and other organizations who have helped us each year in fulfilling our mission. Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations. While we cannot recognize every nominee, we are excited to announce this years recipients!

Jim is skilled at working with his hands and enjoys helping others. Recently, he did this by volunteering at Feed my Starving Children. Jim reports that it’s meaningful and satisfying work.

“A lady asked the police if they could watch her bird for her. The police said, ‘I think we will stick to jail birds.’” That is only one, of over 150 creatively, funny jokes, Trey has made up. Not only does Trey love writing jokes, being challenged, doing impressions, and organizing things, he has been supported through Reach’s Employment Services over the past two years.

It’s a new year with new resolutions! Robert is an active person who works hard to maintain his physical wellbeing.

Persistence Leads to Change

A couple of months ago, Danny, one of Reach’s Employment Specialists, was with one of his participants at their local Goodwill. Danny’s participant, Matthew, has a passion for thrifting, antiquing and collecting. Because of his passions, Goodwill was always his dream job. Excited to apply for a job, Matthew and Danny entered their local Goodwill. Upon speaking with the manager, they learned employment specialists/job coaches were not allowed in the building while employees were working their shifts. Also, Danny wouldn’t be able to accompany Matthew to the interview. If Matthew got the job, Danny would only be allowed to provide assistance during orientation. For a company that prides itself on helping marginalized members of the community find and keep jobs, this didn’t make sense.

Challenges with Seeking Full Time Employment

Looking for new employment is hard but looking for new employment after spending 17 years at the same job is even harder! That is what Sarah is finding out. When Sarah started working at Cub, 17 years ago, Facebook was in infancy, the iPhone was two years out from being released and YouTube was just launching. A lot has changed since Sarah started working at Cub all those years ago, but she is ready to jump into the job market and face these new changes and challenges.

One Lyft at a Time

Finding reliable, flexible transportation to and from work can be tough especially for people with disabilities. To help solve this problem, Reach launched a Lyft test pilot program at the beginning of 2022. Lyft is an app-based ride-sharing service that allows people to schedule rides in advance or on the spot. To tryout this new program, Reach needed the perfect tester. Naomi, an Employment Specialist at Reach, had just the person! Sonya.

Courage Kenny’s Rider of the Year Award Winner

This March, Courage Kenny Adaptive Sports and Recreation held their annual winter sports awards celebration. One of the top awards, Rider of the Year, went to Tay, a person supported through Community Living services at Reach.

2022 Reach Award Winners

In Memory of Mary Ellen & David Kaul

Mary Ellen was a parent, special education teacher, and journalist. As a mother of a Down Syndrome son, Mary Ellen thought, “There must be something I can do to help.” And help she did. In her many roles in helping out Reach, Mary Ellen sat on our Board of Directors, volunteered by advocating at the city and federal levels for housing funds for people with disabilities, and acted as a mentor to many at Reach. What was remarkable about Mary Ellen is that she had an acute sense of justice for individuals with disabilities that was handled with a special positive energy that was so attractive to all who met her. Nowhere was this more evident than it was when it came to her children.

Turning Over a New Page

Bill began using Reach’s Employment Services in August 2021. With Bill’s previous job ending in May 2019, he had been unemployed for a little over two years. His previous work experience consisted of a variety of light industrial positions such as order picker, assembler, and fabricator. Bill expressed interest in building on his past work experience and obtaining employment in a similar industry. Teaming up with Marcus, one of Reach’s Employment Specialists, Bill began searching for those kinds of opportunities.