Spotlights | Dementia Friends Minnesota

Dementia Friends Interview: Karen Bedeau

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dementia Friends Minnesota, every month we will be featuring a Friend who has taken the work to new heights. This month, we spoke to Karen Bedeau of Northwoods Caregivers about her work with the Bemidji and Tribal Nations communities.

Dementia Friends Interview: Joy Vliem

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dementia Friends Minnesota, every month we will be featuring a friend who has taken the work to new heights. This month, we spoke to Joy Vliem, Dementia Friends Coordinator, who supports the Dementia Friends work behind the scenes here at Trellis.

Dementia Friends Interview: Maby Almiron

Para celebrar el décimo aniversario de Amigos de la Demencia de Minnesota, cada mes estaremos presentando a un Amigo que ha llevado el trabajo a nuevas alturas. Este mes, hablamos con Maby Almirón, especialista en Alcance Comunitario en Trellis, quien facilita sesiones de Amigos de la Demencia, en español, alrededor del área metropolitana.

A graphic showing five cut-outs of people holding hands around a blue flower. The word "community" appears under the flower

Dementia Friends Interview: Sister Margaret Belanger

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dementia Friends Minnesota, every month we will be featuring a Friend who has taken the work to new heights. This month, we spoke to Sister Margaret Belanger, Sister of St. Joseph and resident at Carondelet Village who created Living Room Conversations with another resident to share the Dementia Friends message.

A photo of two people standing at the front of a room. Behind them is a projected screen with Dementia Friends information visible.

Dementia Friends Interview: Geri Svaleson and Kim Alinder

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dementia Friends Minnesota, every month we will be featuring Friends who have taken the work to new heights. This month, we spoke to Geri Svaleson and Kim Alinder, Dementia Champions in the Mankato area who after years of working in the aging field teamed up to become a dynamic duo for Dementia Friends.

Author Edie Weinstein holding copies of her book, "Grandpa and Lucy"

Dementia Friends Interview: Edie Weinstein

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dementia Friends Minnesota, every month we will be featuring a Friend who has taken the work to new heights. This month, we spoke to Edie Weinstein, youth leader and author of Grandpa and Lucy: A Story about Love and Dementia (2017). Edie is currently a third-year student at the University College Dublin, studying English and linguistics.

How did you get involved in Dementia Friends?

Dementia Friends Interview: Mary Lenard and Olivia Mastry

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dementia Friends Minnesota, every month in 2024 we will be featuring a Friend who has taken the work to new heights.

Meet the 2022 Act on Alzheimer’s Volunteer of the Year: Ms. Colleen Fritsch

An avid public speaker with a heart for volunteerism and those impacted by Dementia, Colleen joined Dementia Friends MN in 2016.