About
Mission
HOPE Coalition provides comprehensive, ongoing support to people impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and economic hardship. Through advocacy, education and prevention, we build safety, security and stability in our community.
Vision
HOPE Coalition envisions a community that is free from violence, where every person has the resources they need, with power and control over their own lives.
Values
• Human Centered
We create an environment where individuals feel safe, heard and respected. We empower them to use their skills and knowledge to make the best decisions for their lives.
• Trauma-Informed
Our approach recognizes the impact of trauma on individuals and prioritizes creating a safe, supportive environment, tailored to each person’s needs and goals.
• Ethical Professionalism
Qualified staff model healthy boundaries and provide services through a lens of integrity and respect.
• Accessible
Advocates work alongside individuals to address barriers while offering culturally appropriate services, tools and resources needed to succeed.
History
We Make Your Vision Come True
Since our genesis in 1990 as the Red Wing Area Coalition for Transitional Housing, our organization has achieved a great deal. In 1995 we opened our domestic violence shelter, Haven of Hope, (originally called The Women’s Center), which helps people find safety and rebuild their lives after fleeing domestic abuse. The following year we launched Kids Count, our program focusing solely on children experiencing or witnessing violence and abuse. In 2006, we took over management of the Community Care Fund, supported by local churches, foundations, and the United Way of Goodhue, Wabasha and Pierce Counties – to provide a general fund for people seeking help with basic needs.
In 2008, we changed our name to HOPE Coalition, to reflect better our expanded services. In 2014, at the request of the MN Office of Justice Programs (OJP), HOPE took over the provision of sexual assault services to Goodhue & Wabasha Counties. At the request of the Rochester Women’s Shelter and Support Center in Rochester, we assumed responsibility for domestic violence outreach in Wabasha and opened a satellite office in Wabasha, staffed with a full-time advocate, in late 2017. Services for at-risk youth were expanded to the Cannon Falls Public Schools in 2018 and Red Wing High School in 2021.
Board of Directors
Join Our Board
Passionate about the work of HOPE Coalition? Want to donate your time and expertise?
HOPE is actively seeking Board Members who are excited about HOPE’s mission. Do you have experience in Board Governance, Leadership, Fund Development, Human Resources, Finance, Public Relations, Capital Campaigns, or Program Evaluation? If not, are you eager to learn?
We encourage applications from BIPOC, bilingual speakers, people of all genders and diverse backgrounds.
Apply Today
Meet Our Current Board Members
Bridgett Feuerhelm
President
Bridgett joined the HOPE Coalition Board in September 2023. She has worked for Patterson Companies for the past 16+ years and is currently a Vice President of Human Resources. Prior to Patterson, Bridgett held HR roles at Fairview Health Systems in Red Wing as well as Red Wing Shoe Company. She is proud to be a part of HOPE Coalition because of the positive impact that it has on the communities it serves.
Bridgett resides in Hager City, WI. In her spare time, Bridgett enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters as well as her 3 year old shih tzu.
Vicki Lambert
Vice President
Vicki Lambert joined HOPE Coalition’s Board of Directors because she believes in the mission of helping people in crisis and empowering lives beyond crisis. Her personal values and life mission are in close alignment with all that HOPE works for, especially their largely invisible work of helping assuage the impact of domestic violence by providing safe, confidential shelter for victims. In her professional life, she teaches classes at the Y, serves as a Deacon in the Episcopal churches of Christ Church in Red Wing and Church of the Messiah at Prairie Island, and is honored to serve the Red Wing community as a member of the City Council. In her personal life, she enjoys scuba diving, cooking/baking, spending time with family, and thrifting.
Matt Zolondek
Secretary
Matt is a local who has spent the majority of his life in Red Wing with a few years absence for college and work in Minneapolis along with an enlistment in the Marine Corps. He is currently the Facilities & Maintenance Director for the Red Wing YMCA & Camp Pepin.
Matt joined HOPE Coalition Board of Directors in 2021 and has served as the chair of the Facilities committee. During his time on the HOPE board, Matt has been working on finding a permanent home for the offices and housing to better serve the community and is looking forward to seeing this project come to completion in the very near future.
Stef Binner
Treasurer
Stef joined HOPE’s Board in 2021. She is a Red Wing native and you can find her in one of her two businesses in town, S&S Accounting or UnderGround Boxing & Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. HOPE is important to Stef because it gives people the safety they deserve and a second chance.
Kim Lyons
Kim is a graduate of The Ohio State University, holding a bachelor’s degree in Women and Gender Studies. After spending 16 years in the non-profit sector focused on fundraising and development, Kim transitioned to the corporate world in 2019, joining Red Wing Shoe Company in the Marketing department. In 2022, Kim spearheaded the creation of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department and now leads initiatives in Sustainability, Community Engagement, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Kim is also an active board member of the Red Wing Shoe Company Foundation, and United Way of Goodhue, Wabasha, and Pierce Counties.
Carol Ryan
As a Public Health Nurse for Goodhue County and then for Mayo Clinic in Childbirth Education, Carol was in service to people by using her knowledge, skills and compassion as a nurse. Carol’s current pursuit is assisting people in connecting to resources and offering support as they rediscover their own inner wisdom, resilience, abilities and joy.
Jeff Schneider
Jeff joined the HOPE Coalition Board in September of 2024 with the intention of serving individuals and families receiving assistance from HOPE’s programs. In the past Jeff has volunteered on various boards including the Rochester Civic Music Board of Directors and the Minnesota Resource Recovery Association. His work experience began with clearing tables at my father’s businesses in Rochester when I was 10 and continued with Mayo Clinic, the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (MOEA), and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). I currently work for the City of Red Wing’s Public Works Department, managing the Refuse & Recycling Collection services and the Waste Campus operations.
My family and I enjoy being outside canoeing, kayaking, downhill skiing and hanging out with our dogs, cats, and a chicken or three.
Megan Nadeau
Megan is a Red Wing native. She has been employed with the Minnesota Department of Corrections in Community Services for six years. She decided to become involved in HOPE because she believes in the process of change and feels her professional background will help HOPE Coalition implement and sustain community resources.
Josie Schaffer
Josie, a Red Wing native, joined the board in 2025. Josie has developed a strong partnership with HOPE Coalition over the years, initially through Maurices and more recently through Slumberland Furniture’s “Homes for the Holidays” and “40 Winks” programs. She has participated as a member of the Professional Women’s Leadership Committee and has held memberships with Power of 100 Red Wing and the Red Wing Elks. Josie is honored to serve on the HOPE Coalition Board of Directors, focusing on building community connections and promoting awareness about the organization’s mission.
Sara Kern
Executive Director
Sara came to HOPE Coalition in 2019 and has been serving as Executive Director since 2021. Sara first began working and volunteering in victim services in 2001. She has provided services as an advocate, therapist, case manager and leader. Sara believes in the empowerment of people to reach their ultimate goals.
In her free time, Sara enjoys reading and traveling the country and globe with her family.
Newsletters
Spring 2024
Forensic Medical Exam Project HOPE Coalition, The Goodhue County SMART Team and St. Croix Valley Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) partnered together to host a
Fall 2023
View the Fall 2023 on Network for Good or get it delivered to your inbox when you join our newsletter!
Summer 2023
View the Fall 2023 on Network for Good or get it delivered to your inbox when you join our newsletter!
