Cindi Meyer
Facilitator
Homicide Group

Cindi is an experienced support group facilitator with 25+ years’ experience as well as having been a former participant in the homicide group.  In the past, Cindi has also been a board member for Survivor Resources.  Her brother’s homicide in 1992 has been the most impactful moment in her life, but it has opened her up to many gifts.

Cindi believes group are a sacred space where people can validate “crazy feelings” and hold your hope as you heal.  She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Communication from University of Wisconsin River Falls.  She enjoys spending time at the cabin with family and friends.

Dawn MacRae
Facilitator
Suicide Group

After the suicide of her boyfriend in 2004, Dawn found Survivor Resources and has been volunteering with the organization as a facilitator of the suicide loss group in St. Paul for over 10 years.

Dawn considers it a privilege and an honor to be among such courageous people every Monday evening.

Kathie Arnold
Facilitator
Accident/Overdose Group

Kathie came to Survivor Resources in October 2003 when her daughter Sarah died.  The accidental death group provided a safe place for her to deal with all she had lost and was there for her while she worked on putting her life back together again.

Now, Kathie has been facilitating groups for more than 10 years.  She feels privileged to accompany others on their grief journey.

Ruth Melges
Facilitator
Accident/Overdose Group

Ruth came to Survivor Resources support group several months after the death of her son in June of 2000. The group experience was very helpful as she progressed through her grief.

She volunteered at different Survivor Resource events after finishing her time in group. In 2007 she began to facilitate support groups hoping others would benefit as she had.

Sue Riley
Facilitator
Homicide Group

Sue began attending support group with Survivor Resources after the loss of her son Dave in 2013, eventually becoming a group facilitator.  She feels so fortunate to have found Survivor Resources and to be able to continue helping others with the organization.

Sue stated, “the strength I see in people who have experienced some of the worse life has to offer is truly humbling”.  Sue currently facilitates the Homicide group in St. Paul. 

Terri Pontious
Facilitator
Accident/Overdose Group

Terri joined Survivor Resources as a member of the Accidental Death group in 2007 after losing her step-daughter to a car accident. In 2010, she stepped away from the organization after losing her husband to inoperable cancer. In the Fall of 2017 she started co-facilitating the Accidental Death/Overdose group in St Louis Park, MN.

Terri has a BS in Biology from the University of Minnesota, a MT(ASCP) from HCMC, and a MA in Education from St Catherine's University. She loves Microbiology, music, cooking, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. 

Gwendolyn Wilson
Facilitator
Homicide Group

After the homicide that took her husband's life, Gwen started attending the grief support group in St Paul on Monday evenings in 2014. Not being one to share her personal life with strangers, she was skeptical at first but after attending the group a few times and after receiving the support she needed she understood the importance of having a support group and became a regular member. She also decided to attend the Walk-a-thon and the Service of Remembrance that year and it helped to know that someone cared and wanted to remember her loved one.

In the fall of 2015 she became one of the facilitators for the homicide group at the St Louis Park location. She has been able help many families walk through the grief process and it has been a very rewarding experience to give back and help others get through the pain of loss as she was helped. Her endeavor is to encourage families that there is life after loss, but also just to be there to listen and show compassion.

Timothy Fleetham
Facilitator
Accident/Overdose Group

Tim has been a facilitator with Survivor Resources since 2017.  In addition to his work with this organization, he has volunteered for both the Center for Grief Loss and Transition as well as various men’s groups.

Tim had two children who are both deceased.  He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of St. Thomas and a Masters degree from the University of Minnesota.  He is presently retired after working for the Metropolitan Council (St. Paul, MN) in planning and administration/finance.  He is also active in AA and the ManKind Project.

Belle Allan
Facilitator
Young Adult Group

Belle came to Survivors Resources East Metro group in 2013 after the murder of her father when she was 17. She now facilitates the Young Adult grief group, where she hopes to connect with young survivors processing grief at a young age, just like she did.

In her free time she enjoys theatre and writing.

Toni Plante
Facilitator
Suicide Group

Toni lost her 15 year old daughter, Ana, to suicide on January 30, 2016. She started coming to Survivor Resources in January of 2017 and immediately knew these were her people. In 2019, she was asked to be a group facilitator. She eagerly agreed as she knows the importance of being together with people that have experienced the same intense pain.

In addition to Survivor Resources, Toni is active in a number of other mental health advocacy programs. She is a co-founder of the non-profit organization Mental Health Navigators, a group designed to help the parents and care-givers of kids, teens and young adults experiencing mental health issues. Prior to the pandemic, she authored a monthly column in the Lakeshore Weekly newspaper entitled “Her Story Isn’t Over Yet”, where mental health and Ana’s legacy were the focus of each article. Together with another suicide loss survivor from Survivor Resources, Toni will be kicking off a new podcast In January of 2021, called "Totally Got Out of Bed". It's a non-expert, experience-based podcast for survivors of suicide loss. She is a firm believer that, after such horrific loss, getting out of bed is frequently all you can do.  And that is totally ok. www.totallygotoutofbed.com

Becki Hamilton
Facilitator
Accident/Overdose Group

Becki became a part of Survivor Resources in 2017 shortly after losing her 35 year old son, Phillip to an overdose in late 2016.  Finding this resource was a major life line for both herself and her daughter.  She found incredible support and understanding from people that have experienced similar sudden loss. Becki believes that grief is very misunderstood in our society and that Survivor Resources is amazing at providing a safe place to bring all aspects of loss, free from judgement.  While this life changing tragedy is now a part of her, four years later, with occasional waves that still knock her over, learning to help though facilitating is a way to walk along others though their grief walk.