By Anne Holzman
Warm laughter filled a cozy hall at Falcon Heights Church on a February afternoon despite the chilly temperature outside.
Members of the Highland Friendship Club had gathered for their weekly arts and crafts class and there was friendly teasing as participants tried to wrap thin wires around small, irregular rocks to make photo display stands.
Someone cracked a joke about the rocks’ resemblance to candy. “We don’t want anyone going to the dentist,” one of the leaders said. “No rocks in the mouth!” Another wave of laughter greeted her warning.
Some club members sat with their caregivers or with Highland Friendship Club volunteers. Others worked independently; a few caregivers caught an hour of reading or chatting in their own circle of couches at one end of the room.
A newcomer named Abby, who travels from Eden Prairie, said a friend had suggested she join the club.
At a nearby table sat Pancho, an original club member who lives closer by. The two span the history of the club, which was started in 2002 in the Highland Park neighborhood by two moms who recognized the social needs of their teenage children with disabilities and decided to organize a solution.
The club has grown into a busy program with three full-time staff and members across the metro and even out of state. It offers about 35 sessions per week, a mix of in-person, online and hybrid activities for teens and adults. Many are at Falcon Heights Church, the club’s home base since moving there from downtown St. Paul two years ago.
But there are also gatherings at sports venues, libraries and other churches, and the occasional event such as a show at the Ordway or a Twins game.
Executive Director Patty Dunn said club members must be at least 13 years old, but there is no upper age limit. Unlike many services for youth with disabilities, “there’s no transitioning out of Highland Friendship Club,” Dunn said.
Wednesday is the club’s busiest day. A recent Wednesday started with a music class in the morning followed by fitness, “lunch bunch” and bingo, then a trip to a bowling alley and online bingo to wrap up in the evening. Some club members said they attend the whole day on Wednesday; others just attend one or two activities per week.
There is no fee to join the club. Activities cost around $10-15 per session, and the club does extensive fundraising to help cover staff, space and other expenses.
Dunn said the activities are scheduled in three “semesters” per year, but they try to “stay nimble” and take advantage of opportunities like a baseball game or a show that may come up later. An online calendar and registration system alerts members to events. Club members must find their own transportation.
Community Engagement Manager Mari Marks Mondanelli, who leads the Monday arts and crafts class, said she’s always looking for club volunteers to assist with office support, fundraising events and regular activities. Volunteers participate in the activities alongside club members, both facilitating and engaging in friendship.
“They’re enhancing our members’ experience,” Mondanelli said.
Besides three full-time staff, HFC has 11 part-timers, some of whom come from club membership.
Nikki Knutson, who assisted at the arts and crafts class, said she started making cards at the club years ago.
“I fell in love with arts and crafts,” she said. “I volunteered to help, and then I got asked to lead.” Her duties include meeting with staff to plan activities, compiling lists of supplies and making models to show the finished project.
As the class ended on that cold February afternoon, some club members left, some stayed and some arrived for the next activity, a game hour. There was a traffic jam at the door as hugs were offered and riders matched with rides. The air was filled with check-ins as people called out, “Are you staying? When are you coming again?”
To join the club or to volunteer or donate, please visit https://www.highlandfriendshipclub.org.
Anne Holzman is a Twin Cities freelance writer who is a regular contributor to the Bugle.
Photo cutline: Members of the Highland Friendship Club gathered recently for a day of activities and games. Photos by Anne Holzman.
