Restoring Hope

2022-2023 marked a significant chapter for First Witness. We embarked on a transformative journey to establish a new home for our child advocacy center. A space designed to serve as a haven for families, our new center is strategically positioned to be accessible to all across northeastern MN. With specially curated spaces that meet the needs of families, our partners and staff, this new facility aims to encapsulate our mission and vision.

Our new space represents our bold vision of a society that supports children, nurtures resilience and puts an end to child abuse. We are committed to developing and maintaining the programs children and families need. On behalf of the First Witness Board of Directors we thank our community for their immense generosity to First Witness and the children we serve. We couldn’t be more grateful for the over 400 community members, businesses, foundations and government entities that stepped forward to make a tremendous impact on children in our community.

Together we can strengthen our community’s response to child abuse and together we can achieve the bold vision of a society that supports children, nurtures resilience and ends child abuse.

Leadership Donor Level

Appropriation from the MN Judiciary & Public Safety Committee
Todd & Susan Johnson

Restoring Hope Donor Level

Essentia Health

Advocacy Donor Level

LHB, Inc.
maurices
Otto Bremer Trust
St. Louis County, Minnesota

Forensics Donor Level

Debbie Cervenka
Jerry & Nancy Dodd
Enbridge Energy
LLoyd K. Johnson Foundation
Minnesota Power Foundation
Elva & Mitch Sill Family

Growth Donor Level

Abbot & Pascha Apter
Dave & Paige Benson Family
Jim & Anne Eidsvold
Lisa & David Goldberg
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd Endowment Fund
Jim & Nancy Holmgren
Gale & Jeri Kerns
Robert M. Meierhoff
Jim & Diane Miner
National Children’s Alliance
North Shore Bank of Commerce
Ordean Foundation
St. Luke’s
State of Minnesota

Justice Donor Level

APi Group Foundation
Megan and Andy Baertsch
Ty Baucum & Philip Eidsvold
The Boldt Company
Carlton County Attorney’s Office
Flint Group
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Michael & Patricia Finnegan Fund
George & Elizabeth Goldfarb
Junior League of Duluth
Lauri Ketola
Terry Lundberg
Wildey H. Mitchell Family Foundation
National Bank of Commerce
Clyde & Jean Olson
St. Louis County Attorney’s Office
St. Louis County Sherriff’s Office
Carolyn Sundquist
TC Energy
Anita & Tim Zager

Healing Donor Level

Nicholas Alworth
Sonja Baertsch
Bailey Nurseries
Bell Bank
Roy & Toni Christensen
Maude Dornfeld
Harbortown Rotary
Jon, Sara, Sam & Greta Hendrickson
Kathleen Kelly
Sue and Jerry Murphy
Ben & Jeanne Overman Charitable Trust
Julie & Tom Seidelmann
Twin Ports Women’s Foundation
United Baptist Christian Church

Courage Level Donors

Marsh McLennan Agency
Hannah Alstead
Karen & Royal Alworth III
Jim & Mary Anderson
Emily Andrews
Barr Engineering
Jeff & Bridget Boucher
Brad & Leslie Brunfelt
Patricia Burns
Denise Bussa
Jeffrey Carson
City of Duluth, MN
Tracie & David Clanaugh
Angela Dougherty
Patty Salo Downs & George Downs
E.C. Mason Fund
Edina Realty Foundation
Barbara & Thomas Elliott
Frandsen Bank
Arlene Grohs
Brad & Linda Habberstad
Kathy & Phil Halverson
Annie Harala & Kevin Jacobsen
Jill & Tom Kaiser
Carrie Kelley
Cindy Kent
Angel Koski
Kimberly & Paul Kosmatka
Kap Wilkes & Craig Kvale
Anne Lewis
Jack Lyons
Merrill Lynch/Bank of America
Mary Ellen Owens
Linda Pichetti
Devon & Cole Puffer
Joe & Kathy Roby
Salmela Salmela
Holly C. Sampson
Schrock/Berube Family Fund
Sarah & Mark Seidelmann
Thomas & Janice Shuey
Mimi & Thomas Stender
Anne Stephen
The Optimist Club of Duluth MN
John Ivey & Mary Thomas
Lori Thrun
Susan Vandersteen
Bri & Brian Waldoch
Gudrun & Geoffrey Witrak
Anthony & Sharon Yung

In Memory of HelenMary & Bill Sysimaki

David & Julieann Beal

Joel, Levi & Nikki Bunting 

Bonnie Frey 

Brad & Linda Habberstad 

Carol & Miles Holets 

Jon, Kaylyn, Taraji & Tatiana Holets

John & Mary Korzendorfer 

Diane & Jerry Kuklis 

Terrie M. Larson & the late Bob Larson 

Bev & Skip LeClair 

Lehtinen Family 

Loberg Family 

Robann Mrkonich 

Newstrom Famiy 

Heather & Jim Sysimaki 

Ben & Kaija Towle and Ari & Matti Sysimaki

In Memory of Betsy Mason

Barbara & Matthew Boo
Edgerton Family
Jeremy Fryberger
Elaine Killen
Patricia Lewis
Rebecca Lindberg
Bobbie McCorison
Nancy McLean
Mary & Paul Ostman
Cathie & Mike Phillips
Gloria W. Smith

Board of Directors

Hannah Alstead
Paige Benson
Jeff Boucher
Leslie Brunfelt
Toni Christensen
Greg Fredlund
Kelly Haffield
Annie Harala
Katie Hawkins
Jon Holets
Jason Hollenbach
Sara Jankofsky
Drew Jensen
Cindy Kent
Princess Kisob
Kim Maki
Jessica Metzger
Lisa Mickus
Jessica Mueller Bouchard
Janet Nelson
Elizabeth Polling
Pam Rees
Katie Rider
Lori Thrun
Brianna Waldoch
Ian Young
Timothy Zager

Steering Committee

Jeff Boucher
Patricia Burns
Kelly Haffield
Katie Hawkins
Sara Hendrickson
Pam Kramer
Scott Lyons
Patty Salo Downs
Holly Sampson
Tim Zager

Restoring Hope Art Exhibitors

Candice Adamczak
Kristen Anderson
Emily Aarsvold
Mary Kay Beraducci
Rita Bergstedt
Barbara Besser
Amber Burns
Kim Buskala
Asher Estrin-Haire
Linda Freeman
Crystal Gibbins
Anita Gille
Gruchalla Rosetti Pottery
Rosemary Gottormsson
Zachris Haataja
Sarah Hallberg
Margie Helstrom
Tani Hemmila
Rebecca Hubbs
Leslie Hughes
Ron Johnson
Kay Kurt
Liz Minette
Kris Nelson
Francis O’Connell
Esther Piszczek
Sue Rauschenfels
Sharon Rogers
Linnaea Borealis Rose
Patty Salo Downs
Patty Sampson
Sarah Bamford Seidelmann
Sandra Signorelli
Tracy Chaplin
Adam Swanson
Teresa Cox Kolar
Ryan Tischer
Ivy Vainio
Michelle Wegler
Leslie Williamson White
Marlene Wisuri
Tom Zipf

Service Level Donors

Candice Adamczak
Dean Alexander
Kay & Timothy Allen
Bruce Anderson
Dan & Jan Anderson
Carol Andrews
Anonymous
Sarah Asch
At Sara’s Table Chester Creek Cafe
Charles & Judith Babst
Thomas Bakken
Sara Baldwin
Stephanie Balmer
Joel Bamford
Margaret Bates
Carla Bayerl
David & Julieann Beal
Tom Bell
Benedictine Sisters Benevolent Association of St. Scholastica Monastery
Jim & Mary Kay Beraducci
Cynthia & David Blomberg
Jane Boerboom
Barbara & Matthew Boo
Borell Charitable Account
Marcia Bowker
Michael Bronson
Michael Bronson MD
Hilary Brown
Joel, Levi & Nikki Bunting
Ellen Burnell
Bonnie Burnham
Elizabeth Burt
Rita Bussa
Jerome Butchart
Denise Buxbaum
Laurn C
Jeff & Vickie Cadwell
Al & Yvonne Carl
Bobbie Lou & Craig Carlson
Marie Carter Brooks
Jenna Cavallin
Carol Cheslak
Craig Chilcote
Robert Christen
Christopherson Advertising, LLC
Susan Clark
Keri Clark
Terrence & Kathleen Clark
Mary Clark
Matt Cochran
JoEllen Coffman
Heidi & Terry Cottingham
Allen Cragin
Alan Cunningham
Caitie Dahl
Darlene Brown-Thorson Family Fund
Kathryn Daugherty
Debbie David
Delta Dental of Minnesota
Christopher & Carmel DeMaiorbus
Piedmont Dental
Kathryn Dexter
Pam Kramer & Grey Doffin
Ann Donovan
Tom & Mary Dougherty
Judy Anne Dwyer
Gary & Barbaa Eckenberg
Edgerton Family
Polly Edmunds
Jack & Nancy Eilefson
Brandon Elmer
Mark & Heather Emmel
Energy Management Collaborative, LLC
Joe Estlie
Beth Fait
LaJean Firminhac
Amanda Flowers
Tina Licari & Steve Foltz
Mike Forsyth
Clinton Fox
Greg & Sheila Fox
Jody & Mike Freij-Tonder
Scott Freundschuh
Bonnie Frey
Jeremy Fryberger
Mary Galloway
Laura Gapske
Candice Geary
David Geary
Erin & Andrea Geary
Feven Gebregerges
Jill Geyer
Mark & Jane Gottwald
Brad & Linda Habberstad
Kelly & Doug Haffield
Deon Haider
Brandon Hankey
Emily Hanna
Donna M Hanna
Adrienne Hannert
Michelle Hargrave
Margaret Harstad
Cathy Hartman
Andrew & Katie Hawkins
Gretchen Hedin
Roger Hewitt
The Hillsider
Jill Hinners
Jane & Tom Hogan
Diane Frank
Carol & Miles Holets
Jon, Kaylyn, Taraji & Tatiana Holets
Leslie Holmstrom
Glen E. Holt
Kylee Pass & Griffin Hopf
Roberta Hoyt
Leslie Hughes
Richard & Kathryn Ann Jannetta
David Jennings
Eva Johnson
Diane Johnson
Eva Johnson
Jill Johnson
Rachel Johnson
Charleen & Dale Johnson
Bonnie Jorgenson
Lindsey Jungman
Tasha Kapp
Megan Keating
Carrie Kelley
Jenny Kempfert
Elaine Killen
Kenzie Kleven
Jerry Koneczny
John Mary
Erin Kreeger
Ashley Krois
Katie & Bob Kuettel
Diane & Jerry Kuklis
Itzamatul Amaro Paredes & Madeline Kvale
Keith Kylmala
Dawn Kyrola
Mollie Lambert
Ben Langager
Diane & Donald Langlee
Terrie M. Larson & the late Bob Larson
Mary Lauridson Eckman
Bev & Skip LeClair
Peter Kvale & Katie Ledermann
Carolyn Lehtinen
Drew Jensen & Jeremy Leiferman
Pete & Pamela Leone
Lethinen Family
Patricia Lewis
Douglas & Jennifer Lewis
Arlene Lind
Rebecca Lindberg
Roger Lindberg
Rebecca Lindberg
Robert & Rebecca Lindquist
Halvor Lines
Berta Lippert
Darryl & Anita Lisowski
Tracy Litman
Ross Litman
Loberg Family
Diane Lochner
A. James & Joan Lodahl
Zibby Loheit
John & Karen Loheit
Gary & Patti Luke
Kelly & Daniel Lundquist
Karen Lyons
Sarah Lyons
Sue & Scott Lyons
Maren Malenius
Tom Maloney
Gillian Mann
Joanne Marburg
JoAnn Margo
Dan & Maribeth Mark
Gayle Maruska
Tammy Mattoneb
Chris McBride
Bobbie McCorison
Diana McHenry
David McKee
Nancy McLean
LB Meacham
Johnson Mertz
Adam Brisk & Ann Miller
Angela Miller
Marcia Milliken
James Mohn
Richard & Barbara Mosman
Janet E. Nelson
Kathryn A Nelson
Jeff Nelson
Tom Nelson
Deanna & Jeff Nelson
Tom & Lynn Nelson
Marsha Ness
Newstrom Family
Ina Newton
Kate & Frank Nicoletti
Janet Nold
Elizabeth Nordell
Robert Nygaard
Ron & Pamela Nylander
Brad & Lezlie Oachs
Carolyne Ogamba
Cindy Olson
Ruth Oppedahl
Mary & Paul Ostman
Erin & Jon Otis
Laura Owens
Andrea & James Palumbo
Luanne Petcoff
Kelly Peterson
Richard Petersson
Cathie & Mike Phillips
Wendy Pickar
Paula Pliml
Plumbers Steamfitters Local #11
Cheryl Podgornik
Alexis Pogorelskin
Wayne Prince
Kim Provenzano
Justin Quam
Brian & Suzanne Rauvola
Lance G. Reasor
Robin Reckinger
Char & Steve Reno
Terry & Henry Roberts
Deanne Roquet
Henry Royer
Jeremy Rubin
Anthony Rubin
Mark Rubin
Jeremy Rubin
Jean Rudebeck
Christine Rued
Jan Sandstrom
Lorae Sathers
Todd Sauer
Janice Schade
Natasha Schlaepfer
Susan Schmidt
Jenna Schmidt
Amber Schoen
Charles & Nancy Schumacher
Brenda Schwerdt
Julie & Tom Seidelmann
Judy Sheriff
Joe & Mary Sitek
Jan Slattery
Gloria W. Smith
Kramer Solutions
Anna Splady
Christina St Germaine
Marcie Stark
Sandra Stauty
Bruce & Kaye Stender
Michael Stevenson
Brenda Stokke
Tim & Julie Strom
Ben Stromberg
Nancy Stubenvoll
Cynthia & Robert Sundby
Matthew & Karen Sundeen
Lonnie Swartz
Adam Swor
Kathleen Sylvester
Heather Sysimaki
The Mrkonich Family
Kathleen & Joseph Thibault
Thomas Thibodeau
Greg Gilbert & Cary Thompson Gilbert
Emily Thomsen
Matthew Fitzgerald & Hannah Tjoflat
Gary Tonkin
Sharon Torrison
Ben & Kaija Towle & Ari & Matt Sysimaki
John Lafferty & Laura Trombino
Lori Tuominen
Jesse Tweten
Rae Unkovich
Brandi Utecht
Neal & Iola Vanstrom
Julie Venhuizen
Muriel Vieburg
Chris Vierig
Denise Waldoch
Krista & Tom Warren
Patrick Weber
Erin Dewitt & Andrew Webster
Jennifer Wei
Grace Wells
Judy Gibbs & Shawn Wentz
West Duluth American Legion Post No. 71
Jim & Ann Wheeler
Cyrus White
Barb LaVigne & George Wilkes
Windberg Family Charitable Fund
Benjamin Wolfe
Tom & Mary Young
David & Geiger Yount
John Zallar
William Ziegenhagen