In This Issue:

• Important Update from FamilyMeans
• 2026 'Better is Possible' FamilyMeans Fundraiser Tickets are on Sale Now!
• Caregiving & Aging Celebrates 40th Year Anniversary.. and it Started with an Egg Carton
• The Latest from Youth Development
• Why Credit Rate Caps Could Hurt Families They Aim to Protect
• Counseling & Therapy Staff Attend 'DaVinci Fest'
• Get Involved!

Important Update from FamilyMeans

We recognize the current Immigration Enforcement activity impacting our communities and understand the concern and uncertainty it has brought to many. FamilyMeans remains committed to supporting our employees, clients, volunteers, and all who enter our spaces. Our priority is—and has always been—the rights, safety, and well‑being of every individual we serve.

FamilyMeans’ mission is to support individuals and families through challenges in all life-stages. Moments like these underscore the importance of this mission. Now, more than ever, we encourage compassion, connection, and care for one another in whatever ways are meaningful and accessible for you.

Our community is hurting, and FamilyMeans is seeing this firsthand. In the first weeks of 2026, we’ve observed:

• Current Counseling & Therapy clients are reporting heightened anxiety, and many sessions have shifted from long-term goals to addressing immediate stressors and uncertainty.
• We are seeing more students express worry, distraction, and difficulty coping in our School-Based Mental Health program in 16 local school buildings.
• Significant strain in our Youth Development programs in Cimarron and Landfall, where families are facing fear, isolation, and concerns about safety and family separation. More in article below.
• Staff are navigating elevated stress, working tirelessly to ensure services remain accessible, stable, and welcoming.

Many community members have asked how they can help. Below are some meaningful ways to support FamilyMeans and the individuals and families we serve:

• Make a donation to FamilyMeans. Your financial support helps ensure that cost is never a barrier to mental health care, youth programming or our other essential services.
• Volunteer with FamilyMeans. Sharing your time, skills, and presence strengthens our programs and reinforces the sense of community so many people need right now.
• Support our community partners. Organizations such as Valley Outreach and Open Cupboard are providing food, water, and essential supplies to local individuals and families (including Cimarron and Landfall). Your support helps them to meet these critical basic needs.

Thank you for standing with our community—and with each other—during this challenging time. Your compassion and support make a real difference. And if you or someone you know is struggling, please don’t hesitate to reach out. FamilyMeans is here to help.

2026 'Better is Possible' FamilyMeans Fundraiser Tickets are on Sale Now!

Join us for an evening of community, connection, and impact!
You can expect delicious food, silent and live auctions, and a short but meaningful program highlighting how your generosity changes lives!
Funds raised will directly support individuals and families as they work through some of life's toughest challenges,
This year's program will celebrate the 40th anniversary of our Caregiving & Aging work! You won't want to miss hearing from clients and staff about this meaningful service.

Interested in supporting our event? Click the button below to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, auction item donations, or monetary contributions.

Donation Opportunities

Caregiving & Aging Celebrates 40th Year Anniversary.. and it Started with an Egg Carton

In 1984, former Board Chair Laura Fraser led a pivotal discussion about the agency’s future. To guide the conversation, she handed out half egg cartons and plastic chips, an inventive way to help board members evaluate six potential directions for the organization. Each compartment in the carton represented an option, and members cast their chips for the paths they believed the agency should pursue.

The strongest support went to expanding senior services. Just two years later, the Respite Care Program was launched. Family Service of St. Croix Area, now FamilyMeans, began recruiting volunteers to visit the homes of full-time caregivers, offering companionship and care to their loved ones so caregivers could enjoy a few precious hours of rest. The program also extended respite to families caring for children with disabilities, making it the first initiative of its kind in the area.

“People are willing to make incredible sacrifices for their relatives, but at a great cost to themselves,” said Kristen Lund, Services to Seniors Coordinator for Family Service of St. Croix Area. Those sacrifices, she noted, can take a serious toll on a caregiver’s mental and emotional well‑being. Providing opportunities for caregivers to step away, even briefly, was essential then, and remains essential today, to preventing burnout and supporting overall health.

Since those early days, FamilyMeans Caregiving & Aging has grown into a central resource for caregivers, offering coaching and consultation, support groups, group respite, and a broad range of additional services. We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone anniversary at this year’s Better is Possible fundraiser on March 26, 2026.

Enjoy these behind‑the‑scenes photos from the video that will premiere at the event, featuring family caregivers and highlighting the profound impact of our programs on the individuals we serve.

The Latest from Youth Development

The FamilyMeans Youth Development program provides out-of-school programming for youth ages 5–18 in the communities of Cimarron (Lake Elmo) and Landfall, MN. Many of the families we serve in these neighborhoods are Latinx and Spanish-speaking, and recent Immigration Enforcement activity has created heightened fear and uncertainty for many residents.

These community-wide disruptions have directly affected our youth participants. Families are spending more time indoors out of caution, and normal routines have been interrupted. We have seen a decrease in the number of youth participants at all sites during this time. For many young people, this has meant less access to safe spaces, supportive adults, and the consistency they rely on to thrive.

In early January, we continued offering regular programming at both sites. However, as participation steadily declined and families expressed growing concern, we made the difficult decision to temporarily close our in-person Youth Development services. This decision was made with the safety and well‑being of families and staff at the forefront.

Even with our program sites closed for in-person programming, our commitment to these communities has not wavered. Youth Development staff have shifted quickly to new forms of support, including delivering care packages, offering virtual activities, and staying connected with families in ways that meet their immediate needs. We continue to adapt our services so youth feel supported, encouraged, and connected during this uncertain time.

FamilyMeans remains dedicated to ensuring that every young person in Cimarron and Landfall has opportunities to learn, connect, and grow — even when circumstances temporarily change how we deliver those opportunities. If you’re looking to support these communities, please see the section above regarding support opportunities.

Why Credit Rate Caps Could Hurt Families They Aim to Protect

How FamilyMeans and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling are Advocating for Smarter Credit Policy

As national debate intensifies over proposed caps on credit card interest rates and fees, it is more important than ever for nonprofit credit counseling agencies to be part of the conversation. Recent proposals—including a suggested 10% APR cap and Senate legislation limiting late fees—aim to protect consumers. However, broad price controls could unintentionally restrict access to credit for the very households that rely on it most. In a newly published Op‑Ed in RealClearMarkets, NFCC CEO Mike Croxson warns that these well‑intentioned policies may instead push millions of working‑class families out of the credit market altogether.

FamilyMeans is proud to be a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), a distinction that places our Financial Solutions program among the most trusted resources for individuals struggling with debt and budgeting. As part of the nation’s oldest and largest network of nonprofit credit counseling agencies, we provide clients with Certified Credit Counselors, unbiased and ethical guidance, comprehensive financial services, and standardized debt management programs built on long‑standing creditor partnerships. These programs already deliver voluntary concessions—such as reduced interest rates and structured repayment plans—without requiring sweeping federal intervention.

The need for this work is real and growing. Recent data shows that approximately 43 million Americans rely on credit cards simply to bridge the gap between paychecks and basic expenses, not for luxury purchases. At FamilyMeans, we see this every day. Most clients come to us with debts triggered by unexpected car repairs, medical bills, or the need to keep the lights on and groceries on the table. For these households, access to credit—even at higher interest rates—is often the only short‑term lifeline available. Policies that unintentionally cut off this access risk harming the very consumers they aim to protect.

This is why the NFCC and FamilyMeans are advocating for what’s known as the “Third Way”: strengthening the capacity of nonprofit credit counseling agencies rather than imposing blunt price controls that could shrink credit availability. As Croxson explains in his Op‑Ed, “The High Cost of Good Intentions: Why Price Controls on Credit Will Backfire,” the solution already exists. By supporting agencies like FamilyMeans, policymakers can help more Americans climb the financial ladder—without pulling the rungs out from under them.

What Can You Do to Help?

• Share reliable information about how credit access impacts real families.
• Support nonprofit credit counseling by referring people or engaging with FamilyMeans’ financial resources.
• Contact your elected officials to advocate for policies that strengthen—not limit—responsible credit access.
• Encourage others to seek financial help early, before challenges become crises.
• Promote financial education in your workplace, school, or community.

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FamilyMeans Board of Directors
2025

Bob Clark, Board Chair | Matthew Salisbury, Vice Chair | Peter Matzek, Treasurer

Jenny Terwedo, Secretary | Lindsay Belland | Carmen Colombo | Heidi Hubbard, MD

Marissa Kropp | Shawn Lohmann | Rajean Moone, PhD | Kerrie Oetter | Joe Paiement

Clark Schroeder | Wayne Scheuermann | James Kroening, President & CEO

FamilyMeans
1875 Northwestern Ave S | Stillwater, Minnesota 55082
651 439 4840

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