Wingspan Life Resources

08/07/2025

We are so grateful to the volunteers from TruStone Financial Credit Union of Burnsville for cleaning up our Thomas group home's yard!

08/05/2025

Thank you to David & Jessica Widdifield for supporting our 2025 Made in the Shade 5K Walk, Run & Roll event as $500 Maple Sponsors!

08/04/2025

Thank you to Mahoney - CPAs and Advisors for supporting our 2025 Made in the Shade 5K Walk, Run & Roll event with a $500 Maple Sponsorship!

08/01/2025

Our first Mandala class with COMPAS Teaching Artist Shakun Maheshwari (Shakuntala Design) kicked off this morning! Shakun introduced us to Indian culture, sharing where she’s from and teaching us about the meaning behind traditional Indian art, clothing, and landmarks. We learned the significance of the lotus flower, the peacock, and how to say “Namaste.”

Clients were excited to dive into their first project, using colorful sand and glue to create their very own mandalas. The focus, creativity, and color were a joy to witness.

We’re looking forward to more inspiration and artistry in the weeks ahead!

07/11/2025

Art & Craft Night was a huge hit at the Wingspan Learning Lab last night, thanks to the amazing volunteers from Associated Bank! Clients had a blast learning how to make celery stamp paintings, ladybug and cactus rocks, and giant paper stars.

A heartfelt thank you to Associated Bank for not only sharing your time and talent, but also for the thoughtful snack bags and drinks you provided for everyone to take home. Your generosity helped make the night extra special!

07/02/2025

Last night marked the final session of our Creative Movement class series, and we were so sad to see it end.

Over the past few weeks, we've stretched, moved, laughed, and connected in ways that go beyond words. From body percussion to expressive games like "Freeze and Melt" and free-style dance sessions, each class has been such a joy.

Thank you to our fantastic ASLIS interpreter, Paul, for helping make this a great experience for everyone. And a special shoutout to our amazing teaching artist, Karla Nweje for leading with such energy and heart!

06/29/2025

The clients and staff at our Harmony specialized services home always amaze us with their gardening talents! This year they're growing their own tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.

Harmony staff member, Natt, who is taking over as the new House Coordinator at our Haven specialized services home, has done an incredible job at encouraging clients to get involved with rewarding person-centered activities like this garden, where they each contribute in their own chosen role. 🌱🍅

06/27/2025

Volunteers from The Standard let some sunshine into the front yard at our Demont group home in Maplewood this week! Our Demont clients love to go outside and relax on their bench swing, and they're so grateful to have a much-improved view!

06/25/2025

Everyone looked fantastic at our Starry Night-themed formal dance on Friday. So much fun was had chatting with friends and dancing. Congratulations to our court, Queen Kaylla, Princess Linda, King Matt, and Prince Daryl!

06/25/2025

We need your help!

The House of Representatives recently passed a budget reconciliation bill that could slash Medicaid funding by hundreds of billions of dollars.

If these cuts move forward, they would:

🪽Shift Medicaid costs to states, forcing cuts to provider rates or essential services.
🪽Jeopardize access to community-based services for individuals with I/DD—resulting in longer waitlists, fewer services, and increased institutionalization.
🪽Further destabilize the disability services workforce, making it harder for providers to meet demand in their communities.

You can add your voice to those defending the real people impacted by these cuts by visiting https://www.ancor.org/actions/preserve-i-dd-services-tell-congress-protect-medicaid/ to message your representatives. These Medicaid cuts must be rejected to protect services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities!

The House of Representatives recently passed a budget framework calling for cuts of at least $880 billion—cuts that would likely target Medicaid. Tell Congress: Protect Medicaid and reject these harmful cuts.

06/22/2025

Thank you to Ecolab for returning as amazing Wingspan volunteers, and for making the trip out to Richfield to help beautify the yard at one of our Specialized Services homes! Our resident cat Oreo couldn't wait to get out and explore the cleaned up yard on his leash! Ecolab