Parent Group Meeting Locations and Times

Parent groups provide support and information to parents of children with Down syndrome. New members are always welcome. These groups offer a safe place to share the joys and challenges of raising a child with Down syndrome. You’ll find support, information, new ideas and other parents of children with Down syndrome who understand. Please call our office at 651-603-0720 or 1-800-511-3696 for more information on these groups.

 

Group Location Meeting Time Contact Name Contact Phone Number
Apple Valley
South of the River
Parent Group
Shepherd of the Valley
Lutheran Church
12650 Johnny Cake Road
Apple Valley
3rd Monday, 6:00-8:00 pm
Childcare provided
Suzy Runkel

Ruth Ann Lang
suzynelson@hotmail.com
(952) 891-5082

Austin
The Arc of Mower Co.
401 2nd Ave NE

Austin, 55912
Meets quarterly.
Call for information
Jamey Helgeson
(507) 433-8994
jamey.helgeson@arcmowercounty.org
Bemidji Bemidji ECFE
Bemidji Community Service Bldg
616 Bemidji Ave
3rd Wendesday, 10:15 am Randy Jurek
ARC Headwaters
218-759-0097
800-450-7338
Jurek_randy@yahoo.com
Buffalo Meeting times and locations vary. Please contact either Sheri or Penny.

Primarily family social events

  Sheri Jorgensen
Penny Kauffman
Sheri: (763) 682-7468 (W)
(762) 280-4477 (C)
sheri.jorgensen@co.wright.mn.us
Penny: (763) 498-7173
pckauffman@comcast.net
Chaska St. John’s Lutheran Church
300 East 4th St
Chaska
2nd Thursdays,
6:30 pm
Kara Parker (952) 443-5064 
kara.parker321@gmail.com
D.A.D.S. Park Tavern
3401 Louisiana Blvd
St. Louis Park, MN 
2nd Thursday Dave Hanson (612) 670-7382
dadsmn@dsamn.org
www.dsamn.org/dads
Duluth
Down Up North
St. Paul Episcopal Church
1710 E Superior St, Duluth, MN
Enter building on Greysolon Road
3rd Monday,
6-6:30 Dinner, 6:30-8 meeting
Karen Swanson
Kathleen Halverson
Karen: 218-464-1060
kswanson@css.edu
Kathleen: (218) 729-1002
kathleenhalverson@downupnorth.com
www.downupnorth.com
Eau Claire, WI
The Gene Pool
Immanuel Lutheran Church
3214 Golf Road, Eau Claire
Contact facilitator Lauri Malnory
lmalnory@ecasd.k12.wi.us
Elk River Call or check website: www.nwspark.com, for meeting time and location 2nd Tuesday Julie Meinke & Heather Coudron Julie: 763-856-1078, meilkman@hotmail.com
Heather: 763-274-1710, woodland132@yahoo.com
Fargo-Moorhead
“Up With Downs”
Call for location
Fargo, ND
Call for times
Kara Jones & Liz St. Louis
Kara: (701) 446-8056 karaljones@gmail.com
Liz: (701) 212-7877
estlouis4@gmail.com
Grand Rapids Area Itasca Resource Center
1209 SE 2nd Ave
Grand Rapids, MN
3rd Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 am
Childcare provided
Dawn Magnusen 218-327-5570
dmagnusen@isd318.org
Grandparent Group – Twin Cities Call facilitator for location 3rd Thursdays, 9:00 a.m. – breakfast, 10:00 a.m. – meeting
Jerry Cooper 952-432-9769
Hastings, MN
McAuliffe Elementary School
1601 W 12th St, Hastings
4th Monday
6:00-8:00 pm
Jennifer Strode
Kaiya Witt
Jennifer: (763) 291-5308
saltandlightmn@hotmail.com
Kaiya: (612) 670-5320
kaiya.witt@comcast.net
Hudson, Wisconsin
“Down by the River”
BRIDGE for youth with disabilities
651 Brakke Dr
Hudson, WI 54016 
Please call Susan Erickson for schedule changes Terri Yira & Susan Erickson Terri: 715-381-3015,
terri_y@comcast.net
Susan: 715-381-9825,
wsrm@baldwin_telecom.net
Latino Parent Group Call for location Call for times Gladis Rosales 651-487-5365
Tinas.Cleaning.Services@hotmail.com
Lino Lakes
Down Syndrome Resource Group for Parents with Children 10 and older
Galilee Church
0 North Road
Circle Pines, MN
3rd Monday, every other month. 7-9 pm. Lee Burtman  (651) 429-1246
bleegreg@aol.com
Mankato/St. Peter Please call the DSAM office.
Maple Grove
Northwest Suburbs
Maple Grove Community Center
12951 Weaver Lake Rd
Maple Grove, MN
3rd Tuesday,6:30 – 8:15 pmOnly meets during the school year Lisa Bartsch Lisa: 763-391-6634
ljbartsch@aol.com
Minneapolis Wilder Complex 3328 Elliot Ave, So. Door #2. Minneapolis, MN 1st Monday, beginning Oct. 6 5:30-7:30 pm Jeneane Butrum 612-668-5132
jeneane.butrum@mpls.k12.mn.us
Minnetonka Cross of Glory Baptist Church
4600 Shady Oak Rd
Minnetonka, MN
2nd Monday
6:30 pm
George & Janet Linkert 612-245-1030
georgematthew@linkert.name
North Metro
Formerly Roseville Area
NorthEast United Methodist Church
2510 Cleveland Ave NE
(Intersection of Cleveland & Lowry)
Minneapolis, MN 55418
4th Mondays,
6:00-7:30 PM
Missy Smith
& Michelle Hosfield
Missy: aaron.missysmith@yahoo.com
Michelle: mmguse@yahoo.com
Owatonna
South I-35 Parent Group
Call for location Call for information Amanda Gislason 507-469-9720
amandagislason@gmail.com 
Rochester
Southeast Minnesota
Calcary Evangelical Free Church
5500 25th Ave NW
Rochester, MN
Meets quarterly, call for information. Scott & Hiyas Quelle
Kevin & Alexanda Morrissey
hiyasjewel74@yahoo.com
childrenragift@yahoo.com


St. Cloud Hope Covenant Church
336 4th Avenue South
St. Cloud, MN
Call for times Cindy Owen, Arc Midstate  320-251-7272
877-251-7272
cowen@arcmidstate.org
St. Paul St, John the Evagngelist Episcopal Church
60 Kent St
St. Paul, MN 55102
3rd Tuesday of the Moth
6-7pm
Please RSVP
 Lindsay Radford  lradford@kstp.com
Stillwater Area Parent Networking Group Rutherford School
115 Rutherford Road
Stillwater, MN
No summer meetings. Please contact Jan or Mary about July picnic details Jan Kramer &
Mary Lynn Loegering
Mary: (651) 430-1870
mary.loegering@gmail.com
Jan: 651-439-7037
ozkramer@cpinternet.com
Willmar  YMCA
1000 Lakeland Dr SE, Willmar
 Call for information  Jamin Johnson 320-354-4888 jamin@wciservices.org
Winona Call DSAM office for more information
651-603-0720
800-511-3696

updated: 1/15/2013


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