Staff Directory 6370567

Gail Rosenblum

Inspired Editor | Newsroom
Recent content from Gail Rosenblum
Who inspires you?

Who inspires you?

An accountant who refuses to let her physical challenges add up, a boy whose ability to inspire has outlived him and a volunteer who has logged more than 20,000 hours.
While her mother, Cynthia Gonzalez (not pictured), studied nearby, 6-year-old Mia played a game with NCCC child-care specialist Abi Cardenas, a first-

Northfield's caring College Collaborative helps young parents succeed

Program offers child care and one-on-one tutoring to get students who have dropped out back into the classroom.
Red Cross volunteer Dave Snetsinger prepared hot meals for those affected by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Fla.

How you can help

Inspired volunteer calendar offers many opportunities to make a difference.
Jovi Knutson, 37, isn’t letting her glioblastoma diagnosis keep her from physical pursuits.

Who inspires you?

A youngster undaunted by health challenges, a teacher seeking out adventures and a woman whose positivity knows no bounds.
Gail Rosenblum: “I’m not retiring exactly. My friends and I of a certain age prefer words that better reflect our intentions: refiring, recharging

Before signing off, Gail Rosenblum offers thanks for the best career ever

Retiring Star Tribune writer and editor Gail Rosenblum reflects on 45 fulfilling years as a journalist.
Home Instead’s Be A Santa to A Senior outreach keeps the season happy and bright for older adults.

How you can help

Inspired volunteer calendar offers many ways to make a difference
Dr. Stuart Hanson, 85, is author of “A Senior’s Guide for Living Well, and Dying Well.” He was photographed on a trail near the Parkshore Senior

St. Louis Park doctor, 85, wrote the book of life — and death

Dr. Stuart Hanson's "A Senior's Guide for Living Well, and Dying Well" offers a thoughtful and compassionate road map for end-of-life decisions.
Soup For You! is a Minneapolis soup kitchen seeking servers with good people skills. Provided

How you can help

Inspired volunteer calendar offers many ways to support your community
Haircuts mean happy faces at the annual 3,000 Acts of Kindness event Dec. 12.

Inspiring ways to help

Volunteer listings offer many opportunities to connect with Twin Citians in need
Volunteers at Harvest Pack

How you can help

Volunteer listing offers many ways to give back
Good Grocer’s Jeannette Vickman trained a high school student in how to stock items.

South Minneapolis grocery store offers a special on helping

Nonprofit, volunteer-driven Good Grocer forms a partnership to empower the neighborhood.

A grocery store with good at its core

Good Grocer opened on Eat Street one-and-a-half years ago with a mission to serve, build community and provide healthy food to all
St. Mary’s Health Clinics seeks a volunteer registered nurse

Want to help?

Opportunities abound to volunteer for your community
Dr. Bob Olson and grateful neighbor Leah Patrick.

Who inspires you?

A doctor leaving a legacy of hostas as good medicine, a retired attorney working to prevent evictions and a runner facing cancer with grace
A resident of an assisted living facility received fresh flowers through Bluebirds & Blooms.

Want to help?

Inspired volunteer calendar offers many ways to get involved.
Hope for Tomorrow seeks mentors to teach life skills to middle schoolers.

Twin Cities volunteer opportunities abound

Ways you can help in big ways in as little as one hour a week
Hope For Tomorrow seeks mentors to teach life skills to middle schoolers.

Many ways you can help

Volunteer opportunities abound throughout the Twin Cities.
Coats for Kids seeks cold-weather gear for an increasing number of children in need.

Want to help? Volunteer opportunities in the Twin Cities area

Coats for Kids and mentoring are among the ways to help others in the Twin Cities area.
Colleen Wieck stood with several people in attendance for her 40th class of Partners in Policymaking. From left: Sumukha Terakanambi, Elizabeth Marsh,

Partners in Policymaking celebrates 35 years of advocacy and training for people with disabilities

Colleen Wieck, executive director of the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Administration, reflects on the program's early challenges and considerable progress.
Volunteers gathered at the workstation tables at Feed My Starving Children in Coon Rapids.

You can help

Opportunities abound to help your community
Colleen Ronnei, founder of Change the Outcome.

After the loss of her son to the opioid epidemic, a Minnesota mother seeks to change the outcome for others

Buoyed by support from bestselling author Cheryl Strayed, Colleen Ronnei is bringing her educational outreach into schools across the state.
A very happy Hannah Kiresuk.

A fighter, a friend and a frequent volunteer are celebrated this month in 'Who Inspires You'

One faced a dire medical diagnosis with courage, another buoyed her neighbor during COVID. And a third, at 89, is a pillar of River Falls, Wis.
Drew Emmer

Who Inspires You?

This month, we honor Minnesotans working to help others stay sober, raise healthy babies and face health problems with creative flourish.
Pamela Gail Johnson started her career working in the mental health and substance abuse field at Hazelden Foundation.

Author-coach encourages us to broaden our definition of happiness

Founder of the Society of Happy People believes that all of us can create habits to feel better more often.

Who Inspires You: How to nominate

Tell us who makes a difference in your life. We might feature them in an upcoming Inspired section.
Cindy and David Bearman

Who inspires you? Minnesotans share tales of kindness

A doctor whose kindness was acknowledged after 40 years, a couple who clean up for good, and the mobilizer of self-care kits for shelters are featured in our monthly reader-driven feature.
Look for Leo Sanders in the produce aisle of Seward Community Co-op many days a week. He appreciates buying produce from farmers who have a long and l

Minneapolis' oldest co-op celebrates 50 years — and one member who's been there almost as long

Now retired as a manager at Seward Community Co-op, Leo Sanders remains a loyal customer.
Steve Pincuspy

Minnesota's PaintCare program makes recycling of unused paint painless

Our state is one of just 10 nationwide which offers more than 250 drop-off sites for proper disposal to keep paint out of landfills.
Willa reveals fortunes on the other side of colorful art she hangs above her lemonade stand. Minneapolis lemonade seller, 7, adds artful fortune-telli

Who inspires you?

Tell us who brightens your day or lightens your load
Liv Lane encourages us to listen to that still, small voice.

In an era of information overload, Excelsior 'intuitive artist' says to trust our gut

Former radio personality Liv Lane has made it her life's work to get us to trust our intuition.
Nira and Dilshan Rajan

Who Inspires You

This month, we honor a special mom to an accomplished Scout, a lifelong-learning grandpa and a fearless friend.
Standing in unity: from left, Shea Engle, Alanna Flynn, Lily Jacobson (seated), Camille Hohman, Grace Prose, Cammie Sammon, Mary Lou Street

Hands-on help for Ukrainian kids

Northfield fifth-graders have raised nearly $5,000 for Alight's Ukrainian relief mission with their artistic creations sold at the local farmers market.
Paul Wehrwein is a leader in the movement to bring cohousing to Minnesota.

For some Minnesotans, the new American dream is cohousing

One well-established Minnesota cohousing community, built on the Danish model of shared spaces and social support, serves as a model for five in development.

Hazel's best friend

photo essay about Hazel and her special service dog
“People like the act of buying, but not necessarily the act of using,” said decluttering expert Suzanne Austin.

Collected too much stuff? How to cut through clutter

Experts offer tips on what to throw out and what to save.
Graduation balloons

Minnesota graduates thank 'amazing' teachers who helped them succeed

In another transitional year, graduating high school seniors thank the special people who taught them about math, music and meeting deadlines, but also about resilience and the courage to launch big dreams.
The Rev. Jen Crow

After losing everything in a house fire, the Rev. Jen Crow found healing in helping others

A bolt of lightning took everything but her precious family. The experience led the Minneapolis minister on a journey of self-discovery and resilience.
Shirley Chase, who died April 2 at age 100, was a hit with her energetic rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

Belting it out, easing hospital jitters, being a good friend

Who Inspires You this month? A 100-year-old Twins fan, a hospital volunteer who lifts patients' spirits and a thirtysomething who has his friends' back.
Denfeld graduating senior Ryan Strauduhar walked into the Denfeld auditorium on Wednesday May 13 to walk across the stage for his slice of the graduat

High school seniors: Tell us who inspired you this year

On Sunday, May 29, our monthly Who Inspires You feature will focus on the special people who made a difference to graduating seniors this year.
Hannah Planalp

Fostering college dreams through Minnesota nonprofit

Hannah Planalp works to lower barriers to higher education for young adults in foster system
David Peeples, director of programs at The Food Group Minnesota, posed for a photo in the volunteer station in the warehouse on Wednesday, March 9, 20

Fare For All offers discounted groceries for people facing food insecurity — and anyone else

New Hope-based nonprofit Food Group's Fare For All program offers produce and meat at low cost.
WWII vet and science teacher Gordon Moen inspired former student Anne Stevenson’s career choice.

A demanding science teacher, generous baker and early childhood educator make the grade this month

Who Inspires You nominees offer perspective, mentorship and sweet treats across generations
Mary Lanners of Eden Prairie believes that a little composting can go a long way.

Meet the compost queen of Eden Prairie

Mary Lanners wants everyone to get their hands dirty on behalf of Mother Earth.
Minnesota Department of Health 2019

Minnesota public health professional has heartening news about HIV treatments

Mariah Wilberg, who has lived with HIV since 2006, travels the country to bust myths and serve as an example of how to thrive.
Richard Aune, dean of admission at Gustavus Adolphus, has ushered three of his own young-adult children through the college process.

Two years into COVID, is a gap year a smart move for graduating high school students?

An academic dean weighs in on this and other options in still-uncertain times.
Caregiver Vickey Korlewala, left, with Gretta Freeman.

Who inspires you? A caregiver, a Boy Scout, a 108-year-old grandmother

Readers share stories of special people deserving of recognition
Sara Spafford Freeman

Promoting fairness in funding for Minnesota public schools

Minneapolis consultant and mother offers ideas for how to lessen glaring school funding gap.
Holly Jorgensen, back row, founded the nonprofit Let’s Smile to make sure that every child in her community began life with good dental health.

School-based dental clinics brings smiles to hundreds of kids in southeastern Minnesota

Let's Smile was founded by a dental hygienist growing worried about what she was seeing among her tiniest patients.
Video winner Ashley Zhou hopes her creativity and nonjudgmental approach can encourage fellow teens to “Escape the Vape.”

Plymouth 10th-grader helps fellow students 'Escape the Vape' with award-winning video

Ashley Zhou, 16, hopes her nonjudgmental approach will keep fellow teens away from e-cigarettes.
Sadie Botine and her puppy, Cassius

Who inspires you? Readers reply with those who buoy us through tough times

Family members, friends and pets all step up to help.
Paul Thissen, associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, is a co-chair of the pilot implementation committee

Problem Solvers: Pilot program allows approved Minnesota legal paraprofessionals to represent and advise clients

The two-year pilot aims to increase access to legal help in certain housing and family matters.
Emily Bastian

North Loop's Avivo Village offers shelters from the storm

Nearly one year after Avivo Village opened in the North Loop, one of its champions talks about its many successes.
Tiffany Tonsager with husband, Ben, and 20-month-old son James. Their other son, Ian, died when Tiffany was 32 weeks and 2 days pregnant, but she chos

After losing a baby, grieving moms donate breast milk to give other newborns the best chance at life

Donors to Minnesota Milk Bank find joy, and sometimes healing, in their gift
Bill McCarthy

Retired Twin Cities executive coach challenges us to focus on 'purpose' this year

Rethinking resolutions: How about thinking more broadly this year?

Sisters age 5 and 6 ID'd as killed in house fire near Bemidji

The girls, ages 5 and 6, were visiting their grandmother while their mother was preparing for Christmas.
Rowan Mahon, co-founder of RoundtableRx

University of Minnesota students create nonprofit to donate unused medications to those who can't afford them

U start-up also cuts down on medical waste.
Selected as a Minnesota representative for the online community Man Up to Cancer, Ben Yokel, 60, of Duluth, will reach out to other men to offer suppo

Minnesota men help others "man up" to cancer with support and friendship

Two Minnesota cancer survivors are among 18 members selected to promote the growing men's cancer support community
John Nolter

Photographer John Noltner continues his quest to find peace in America

To counter a growing divisiveness he witnessed as he traveled, he launched "A Peace of My Mind," a multiyear, multimedia arts project sharing stories of the courage and kindness of everyday people.
Mary Jane Steinhagen of Richfield makes cheery handmade cards to buoy the grieving.

Richfield woman's handmade cards remind the grieving they aren't forgotten

Twenty-five years and hundreds of cards later, Mary Jane Steinhagen reminds us of the healing power of empathy.
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University of Minnesota neuroscientist digs into research on how we can build back trust in institutions, each other

Iris Vilares has long been fascinated by social relationships, and she believes that at the core of all of them is trust. Or lack thereof.
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Minnesota's SHIP promotes healthy eating for all our kids

Kristine Igo, director of the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership, shares ideas to ensure that all our kids grow up healthy.
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Minneapolis author seeks understanding by studying 'unexamined bias'

Jessica Nordell's "The End of Bias" dives deep to help us transform ourselves and our world.
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Brooklyn Park father of two shifts focus from golf course to classrooms, encouraging kids to be nice

Bryan Skavnak is founder of Be the Nice Kid, a business venture that engages students in storytelling and activities designed to build character, courage and compassion.
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My Team Triumph is back on course for the Twin Cities 10k and 5k

Minnesota chapter founder and president Ben Delkoski shares more about the organization and why finishing isn't even the most thrilling part.
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Bemidji-based Able To Vote is working to increase voter turnout in disability community

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For 20 years, Eden Prairie neighbors have remembered 9/11 with sweet tradition

More than $66,000 in donations later, the Olympic Hills 9/11 Lemonade Stand has become an annual fundraiser.
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For chair of Cook County's Oral Health Task Force, dental health is overall health

Paul Nelson champions comprehensive and early dental care for everybody.
Forgiveness expert Mary Hayes Grieco poses for a portrait in her home in Powderhorn Thursday, August 26, 2021.

Minneapolis forgiveness expert: 'Anger is a doorway to our power but not a house we can live in'

Author of "The New Kitchen Mystic" and "Unconditional Forgiveness," Mary Hayes Grieco is gearing up for a forgiveness workshop specific to these times.
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Twin Cities Habitat wins $836,000 HUD grant to keep low-income seniors safer in their own homes

He talks about how the grant will make home indeed a sweet place for hundreds of homeowners.
Cindra Kamphoff

Minnesota State University, Mankato's sports psychologist tackles mental performance pressures of Olympic scale

A professor in sports psychology at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Cindra Kamphoff has worked with USA Track and Field.
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31 years after suicide attempt, Chicago woman returns to Faribault to reclaim her life

After years of healing, Jennifer Green returned to Faribault to find peace.
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Men, the doctor will see you now and would really like to

Nobody needs a bigger nudge unless they're really sick. Even then, they might not be candid about what ails them.
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Center for Victims of Torture director retires after 9 years of leading healing work

Curt Goering was exposed to humanitarian work at an early age. His father managed reconstruction projects in Europe, rebuilding homes and communities after World War II.
Jill Moore

Inclusive play specialist Jill Moore of Golden Valley makes sure everyone gets to play

Moore was born with spina bifida and is a full-time wheelchair user. She also swims, plays basketball, skis and has completed 12 marathons.