Bellis receives Minnesota Community IDEAS Grant

Hello Bellis Community!

I hope you are all well into a great summer – whether that is enjoying more downtime or experiencing adventures – I hope this season is giving you everything you need to refresh and restore. What I thought was going to be a quiet summer for our little organization has since turned completely on itself in the absolute best way possible.

First, I want to thank all of you that supported us in our second annual Bid for Bellis Silent Auction and Fundraiser on May 28th. Whether you donated an item, gave a cash donation, showed up to the event, or supported us through social media, emails, and texts we appreciate every acknowledgement that came our way. And did we feel it!! We raised over $28,000 which directly supports our Stronger Together programming providing 7 weekly online groups, a warmline to call or text, and day and weekend retreats – all free of cost to our participants. Not only are these services vital to the well-being of our participants, but it also reminds them that they matter, which is just as important as the support itself. Thank you for your generous contributions to this deeply important message and service.

Our second big news is that we have been named the recipient of the 2026 Minnesota Community IDEAS grant on behalf of the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation! This $125,000 award is given to 9 organizations in Minnesota, with Bellis representing one of the recipients in the Twin Cities Metro area. Our proposal was based on our desire to assist Minnesota-based organizations in providing Bellis’ Stronger Together Peer Support Model™ within their current programming structure. Many substance use recovery clinics and mental health facilities have inquired about purchasing training of the model but have cited cost as a barrier to implementation. With the MN IDEAS grant, Bellis will be able to provide 15-20 scholarships to qualifying organizations so that the Stronger Together Peer Support Model™ will be available to the hundreds of others in these spaces who are no longer able to parent their children. We are hopeful that this momentum will platform Minnesota as the pioneer of this innovative and life-altering programming, making it the model for other states to follow as the progressive wave of the care continuum.

It feels like now is the time that the beliefs and values that we hold true at Bellis – that all people are deserving of compassionate support for their experiences of no longer being able to parent their children – will flood society creating the sea change we have talked about for a while now. This is a movement that has been waiting to crest, and we do believe the time has come. We are so excited and invigorated by this infusion of support and can’t wait to see what this next year brings.

Thank you to all of you who stood by us when we were just starting out, trying to figure out where we belonged in this wide space of grief and loss, judgement and stigma, compassion and empathy. You were brave enough to venture into this space with us, continuing to champion our efforts and believe in our abilities, despite not knowing where it would lead. You saw the value in this work and most importantly in the people we support. And all those moments – large and small – continued to fuel our passion for this work and make what was literally just an idea into a reality. We are thrilled to have you continue this ride with us. We do believe it will be a wild one, and we are just getting started. A million thanks to you all for your support, kindness, and generosity.

Kelly Tronstad
Executive Director
M.Ed. and Licensed Parent Educator