Meet Us
Christina Robert
Christina currently serves as Cedar Cohousing vice president and is an advocate for utilizing the Sociocracy governance model to advance our emerging community's goals. Christina is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She solo parents her school-age daughter and is passionate about social justice issues and making the world a better place. One of the ways she does that is volunteering with Minneapolis Climate Action. She loves the outdoors and all related activities and looks forward to developing a vibrant and supportive co-housing community.
Christina currently serves as Cedar Cohousing vice president and is an advocate for utilizing the Sociocracy governance model to advance our emerging community's goals. Christina is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She solo parents her school-age daughter and is passionate about social justice issues and making the world a better place. One of the ways she does that is volunteering with Minneapolis Climate Action. She loves the outdoors and all related activities and looks forward to developing a vibrant and supportive co-housing community.
Sarah & Joey Giffen-Hunter
We both grew up in Ohio and met as young adults when we each joined a year-long Quaker community volunteer program in Wilmington, Ohio. That was back in 1985 when six of us created a close-knit, supportive housing community together. Since then, we have lived in multiple states and had various jobs and have never stopped talking about how to build more community in our lives. The jobs that we have found the most satisfying are those that are part of a vibrant community that works and plays together. Many of our community experiences have been developed within Quaker organizations, such as Joey being a student at Olney Friends School, or Sarah being a counselor at Camp Celo in North Carolina. However, we believe that a spiritual or faith element is not an essential part of a vibrant community. Community can be built anywhere by people that care about connecting with others in a meaningful way.
As young adults we explored intentional communities and started to learn about cohousing, but it was not feasible for us at that time. Our search for community prompted us to move with our four-year-old son to West Branch, Iowa to live and work at Scattergood Friends School, a Quaker boarding school. We spent 15 years there, enjoying the benefits of a caring learning community of friends that shared the many benefits and challenges of living in close proximity, such as: sharing childcare, playing impromptu board games, taking food to people when sick, and many casual conversations. Our salaries were low, and the hours were long, yet community living was rich.
We relocated to Minneapolis in 2014, and Sarah works as a Librarian & Technology Specialist and Joey as a Home Energy Auditor & Supervisor. We bought a house in 2015 and enjoy doing projects to fix it up. While we enjoy living in Northeast Minneapolis and like our neighbors, we also feel a lack of deeper connections that we have had living in an intentional community. We are committed to building and living in a cohousing community in the Twin Cities area. We are most excited about sharing some meals, playing games, gardening with others, and lots of impromptu socializing.
We both grew up in Ohio and met as young adults when we each joined a year-long Quaker community volunteer program in Wilmington, Ohio. That was back in 1985 when six of us created a close-knit, supportive housing community together. Since then, we have lived in multiple states and had various jobs and have never stopped talking about how to build more community in our lives. The jobs that we have found the most satisfying are those that are part of a vibrant community that works and plays together. Many of our community experiences have been developed within Quaker organizations, such as Joey being a student at Olney Friends School, or Sarah being a counselor at Camp Celo in North Carolina. However, we believe that a spiritual or faith element is not an essential part of a vibrant community. Community can be built anywhere by people that care about connecting with others in a meaningful way.
As young adults we explored intentional communities and started to learn about cohousing, but it was not feasible for us at that time. Our search for community prompted us to move with our four-year-old son to West Branch, Iowa to live and work at Scattergood Friends School, a Quaker boarding school. We spent 15 years there, enjoying the benefits of a caring learning community of friends that shared the many benefits and challenges of living in close proximity, such as: sharing childcare, playing impromptu board games, taking food to people when sick, and many casual conversations. Our salaries were low, and the hours were long, yet community living was rich.
We relocated to Minneapolis in 2014, and Sarah works as a Librarian & Technology Specialist and Joey as a Home Energy Auditor & Supervisor. We bought a house in 2015 and enjoy doing projects to fix it up. While we enjoy living in Northeast Minneapolis and like our neighbors, we also feel a lack of deeper connections that we have had living in an intentional community. We are committed to building and living in a cohousing community in the Twin Cities area. We are most excited about sharing some meals, playing games, gardening with others, and lots of impromptu socializing.
Russ Yttri
My interest in community living began while in Tennessee, years ago. I gained a sense of connection with neighbors. The community was alive. I found that a community, with more integration of daily activities, leads to trust and freedom for everyone in the community. This freedom and trust seems to have gotten lost in our current, more isolated, way of living in the 21st. century.
I have read many articles about intentional communities as a long-time subscriber to Communities Magazine. I had many visits to 70’s era communes which, are still, to this day, offering an alternative style of living. I wanted to find a place to live where the trust and freedom I experienced in Tennessee was shared with others. I wanted it to be ecologically friendly, minimizing use of carbon fuels and including proximity to public transportation. There are more cars than are good for our safety and environment!
When I retired 5 years ago, I felt it was time to look for housing developments emerging in the twin cities which supported my desire to live an eco-friendlier life. A few years ago, I attended the Midwest Energy Fair organized by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) where I met Becca Brackett and was thrilled to know that she was part of a group developing Cedar Cohousing. Without hesitation, I decided this was where I wanted to live and be a part of a community of people who were invested in living with similar values to my own.
As a member of Cedar Cohousing, I look forward to move into a building where I can share ideas with others and enjoy meals and other events in the community spaces. I love the outdoors and am very interested in prairie restoration and hiking, and look forward to sharing my interests with others.
My interest in community living began while in Tennessee, years ago. I gained a sense of connection with neighbors. The community was alive. I found that a community, with more integration of daily activities, leads to trust and freedom for everyone in the community. This freedom and trust seems to have gotten lost in our current, more isolated, way of living in the 21st. century.
I have read many articles about intentional communities as a long-time subscriber to Communities Magazine. I had many visits to 70’s era communes which, are still, to this day, offering an alternative style of living. I wanted to find a place to live where the trust and freedom I experienced in Tennessee was shared with others. I wanted it to be ecologically friendly, minimizing use of carbon fuels and including proximity to public transportation. There are more cars than are good for our safety and environment!
When I retired 5 years ago, I felt it was time to look for housing developments emerging in the twin cities which supported my desire to live an eco-friendlier life. A few years ago, I attended the Midwest Energy Fair organized by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) where I met Becca Brackett and was thrilled to know that she was part of a group developing Cedar Cohousing. Without hesitation, I decided this was where I wanted to live and be a part of a community of people who were invested in living with similar values to my own.
As a member of Cedar Cohousing, I look forward to move into a building where I can share ideas with others and enjoy meals and other events in the community spaces. I love the outdoors and am very interested in prairie restoration and hiking, and look forward to sharing my interests with others.
Becca Brackett and Fred Olson
Becca Brackett (president) and husband Fred Olson have been encouraging community for the forty years in North Minneapolis where they bought their home through an urban homesteader program in 1977. Fred did most of the rehab but drew the line at painting which became Becca's domain. Fred has been interested in cohousing for over twenty years and founded and has run a cohousing discussion list ever since. Becca retired from family medicine practice at HealthPartners after 37 years and now has more free time to make quilts, participating in Minnesota Quilters. She also relaxes by growing domestic and native prairie plants at a nearby school and studying Central American archaeology. She was also involved in the North Minneapolis Lincoln School Playground Re-imagining Project, With their son out of a house that is always in need of repair, Becca and Fred hope to downsize into a cohousing unit.
Becca Brackett (president) and husband Fred Olson have been encouraging community for the forty years in North Minneapolis where they bought their home through an urban homesteader program in 1977. Fred did most of the rehab but drew the line at painting which became Becca's domain. Fred has been interested in cohousing for over twenty years and founded and has run a cohousing discussion list ever since. Becca retired from family medicine practice at HealthPartners after 37 years and now has more free time to make quilts, participating in Minnesota Quilters. She also relaxes by growing domestic and native prairie plants at a nearby school and studying Central American archaeology. She was also involved in the North Minneapolis Lincoln School Playground Re-imagining Project, With their son out of a house that is always in need of repair, Becca and Fred hope to downsize into a cohousing unit.
Kath Johnson
I feel strongly about improving the quality of life for others, including vulnerable family members and neighbors, and I have volunteered and worked in this capacity for decades. As a licensed psychologist, I currently provide crisis intervention, short-term problem solving, and resources for an employee assistance program with offices in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. In my career, travel, and life experience, I have observed that living in community clearly enhances physical and emotional wellbeing and so joined Cedar Cohousing to create one of my own.
I love making a difference, animals, being in nature, poetry, biking, spirituality, documentaries, hiking, music of all kinds, life-long learning and other activities too numerous to mention.
I look forward to living in a diverse community that values the environment, caring for each other, and the neighborhood and world at large.
I feel strongly about improving the quality of life for others, including vulnerable family members and neighbors, and I have volunteered and worked in this capacity for decades. As a licensed psychologist, I currently provide crisis intervention, short-term problem solving, and resources for an employee assistance program with offices in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. In my career, travel, and life experience, I have observed that living in community clearly enhances physical and emotional wellbeing and so joined Cedar Cohousing to create one of my own.
I love making a difference, animals, being in nature, poetry, biking, spirituality, documentaries, hiking, music of all kinds, life-long learning and other activities too numerous to mention.
I look forward to living in a diverse community that values the environment, caring for each other, and the neighborhood and world at large.
Ingrid Forsberg
I have been reading about co-housing for many years and have wanted to live in a community setting in a city for quite a while . I am thrilled to envision that Cedar Co-Housing will be my home someday soon.
My work has been in direct patient care and nursing education. I know from persons I have encountered in my career the value of being in community and having friends nearby to help at times of need; either with some assistance at home or a conversation to brainstorm over an issue which arises.
I spent my childhood on a farm in Northern Minnesota. I recall times we exchanged garden produce in our community, neighbors helping each other with their work and having Sunday afternoon potlucks in the summer. I moved to Chicago with my family when 12 years old. I was the only one who stayed in Chicago for many years. I married and my husband and I raised our two sons there. My parents and 3 siblings all moved back to Minnesota. Now I have a condo in Saint. Paul and have grown to like the area.
To me, co-housing is like the sharing I experienced in rural Minnesota but with the conveniences available in and around St. Paul. My excitement is growing as I work with others on planning the establishment of Cedar Co-housing.
I have been reading about co-housing for many years and have wanted to live in a community setting in a city for quite a while . I am thrilled to envision that Cedar Co-Housing will be my home someday soon.
My work has been in direct patient care and nursing education. I know from persons I have encountered in my career the value of being in community and having friends nearby to help at times of need; either with some assistance at home or a conversation to brainstorm over an issue which arises.
I spent my childhood on a farm in Northern Minnesota. I recall times we exchanged garden produce in our community, neighbors helping each other with their work and having Sunday afternoon potlucks in the summer. I moved to Chicago with my family when 12 years old. I was the only one who stayed in Chicago for many years. I married and my husband and I raised our two sons there. My parents and 3 siblings all moved back to Minnesota. Now I have a condo in Saint. Paul and have grown to like the area.
To me, co-housing is like the sharing I experienced in rural Minnesota but with the conveniences available in and around St. Paul. My excitement is growing as I work with others on planning the establishment of Cedar Co-housing.