Speakers

RJ Lubrant, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Hennepin County Mental Health – Identifying/dealing with addiction in our community and families

Karen Keenan, Valley Friendship Club Executive Director. Karen is a graduate of  The University of MN with a BS in engineering.  Karen is the former chair of ConnectWC and a 2013 Mahtomedi Ted X Speaker “What if we created a Community of Belonging”. She is currently taking part in the MN Partners in Policymaking leadership program created by the MN Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. Karen and her husband have one daughter with Down Syndrome.We are a place to connect with people and the community in an environment that fosters friendships and celebrates individual abilities and talents.  We are about expanding horizons through activities and events that appeal to children, teens and adults using art, music, community service and much more! 

The Mission of the Valley Friendship Club is to promote and provide safe, accessible social opportunities while fostering friendships. To this end, we aim to enhance community connections, empower club participants to strengthen important life skills, and create greater social independence.

The Vision of the Valley Friendship Club is to create the opportunity for every person with a developmental and/or intellectual disability to build enduring friendships and embrace community connections while enhancing the lives of all individuals involved: members, families, and volunteers!

Rob Gag – Everything you wanted to know about NIL, sports/education, etc.

Pastor Kerrie Holschbach, founder and executive director of FOOD FOR HIS CHILDREN, a holistic community development that starts with a goat in Tanzania, Africa.