Success Stories

‘Deputy dog trainers’ at ADP help prepare Tikel to be therapy dog

Weighing in at 19 pounds of fluffy black-and-white fur, Tikel sashays her way down the hallway on a bright red leash held by her owner, Mary Jellison, seemingly unaware of just how cute she is. Excitedly awaiting her arrival are men and women in Rise’s Adult Day Program (ADP) in Golden Valley who, for the past two years, have been helping Mary train Tikel to become a registered therapy dog.

Mary and Tikel have been coming to Rise’s ADP program every other Thursday afternoon since the Tibetan terrier was ten weeks old. More >>

Landing on her feet after a work lay-off, Carol enjoys her job as a day porter with A-1 Cleaning Services

With more than 20 years each of working on the maintenance staff at a large shopping mall in Blaine, Carol Huntsperger and her husband Steve never really worried about getting laid off from their jobs. But that’s exactly what happened in 2006 when the mall had a change of management who decided to hire an outside cleaning company.

For more than eight months, Carol looked for a new job with assistance from Jennifer Smith, a placement coordinator with Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation Services.

“It was really tough finding a new job,” Carol remembers. More >>

After 15 years of being out of the workplace, Gary finds having a good job has improved his quality of life

Having a good job makes it easy to get up in the morning and get going,” said Gary Norberg who enjoys his job at Deal Smart in Mounds View. “The day goes by really quickly because I like it so much. Working has really improved my quality of life.”

Gary had been out of the workforce for more than 15 years and living at home with his mother when she died in November 2004. More >>

Working at Kerasote Theater is ‘dream job’ for movie-lover Pearl

For someone who loves going to the movies, working at a movie theater and getting to see all the movies you want to see for free with a guest would be considered a “dream job.” And for Pearl McNamar, working at the Kerasote Theater in Block E in downtown Minneapolis, it is!

Since starting work in June 2008, Pearl and her sister Jan have seen almost every movie that’s come to the 15-screen Kerasote Theater. More >>

MHFA grant enables Rise to provide tools for self-sufficiency

As people struggle with today’s economy, the loss of jobs and often the subsequent loss of their homes, more and more people are turning to agencies such as Rise for housing and employment support services.

Rise recently received a $764,000 grant from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency/Mental Health division (MHFA) to help provide housing support services and integrate employment/job placement services as desired to at least 200 people in ten Minnesota counties over the next two years. More >>