Pathways' History

An important piece of Pathway's early history, according to Executive Director, Howard Bell, relates to a UCLA-based endeavor which pulled together inquiries by a broad base of discipl ines-science, technology, the arts, religion, philosophy, metaphysics in order to prove the concept of immortality. The Continuum Center of Minnesota, a nonprofit group, displayed the exhibit in the 1980s, developed programming around consciousness training, and brought in nationally recognized speakers. The center linked the founders of Pathways, each of whom were associated with it in some way.

Penny Winton, a member of the Continuum Center, had envisioned a resource center for people dealing with life threatening illnesses. She saw a place where people could concentrate on the psychological, emotional, and spiritual aspects of healing rather than strictly on the disease itself. Jane Barrash, Executive Director of the Continuum Center, steered Penny to Howard, a leader in hospice, AIDS, and death education work. The founding group was formed in March 1988 and consisted of Penny and her husband Mike, Howard, Jane, Cathy Buelow, Peg Kellar, and Jim Wittenberg.

Meeting on a monthly basis, the group shared their special expertise and recommendations for the proposed center. Their initial focus centered on the self-empowerment of people living with HIV/AIDS. Howard recalled that the HIV/AIDS epidemic was growing at the time, and "there was a strong presence of victimization with that illness and those affected by it."

The Summer of '88

In late summer of 1988, Penny learned of the work being done by the Los Angeles Center for Living, founded by Marrianne Williamson. Penny visited the Los Angeles Center; and their Director, Stuart Altschuler, came to Minneapolis. The group considered becoming a chapter of the Los Angeles Center for Living, but faced with the prospect of an 18-month wait, they proceeded on their own.

Although significant aspects of Pathways were modeled on the Center in Los Angeles, such as the bi-monthly calendar and drop-in center, a key difference was the core principle of the organization. The Pathways founding group believed it was important to focus on healing modalities rather than on a specific disease because numerous support groups, services, and activities already targeted people with specific illnesses. By exploring personal empowerment within the context of illness rather than concentrating on what was wrong with the body, the new center would bridge a significant gap in services for seriously ill people and their families. Consequently, a clear statement of purpose was high on the group's agenda.

For the next three or four months, the group worked to come to absolute agreement on their mission statement. The group felt it was of utmost importance that their mission statement hold their vision and provide a way to ground whatever would evolve. The originally created Pathways mission statement remains basically the same today.

The name of the new center was also of significance to the group. "Healing Center" was considered then dropped because of the association with faith healers; a different name was selected but found to be already in use. Finally, the group settled on Pathways and incorporated as Minneapolis Pathways, Inc. on November 22, 1988. Health Crisis Resource Center was always used along with the name Pathways in the early days.

Spatial Issues

Physical space was the third critical issue. Penny headed the committee to move their dream into concrete reality. A house at 3237 Hennepin Avenue South--the first house she was shown--fit their needs perfectly in terms of size and location, and the owner agreed to make some slight renovations. In the meantime, Howard was hired as Interim Director to conduct a needs assessment and feasibility study. Howard found overwhelming support for the concept among hospital personnel and other care providers. It was clear that traditional medicine alone was not meeting the needs of people with life threatening illnesses.

Once in their new home (January 1989), Pathways began pulling together months of planning. Open houses were scheduled for provider volunteers and the resource center was stocked with all the written material they could find. But even before the doors were officially opened, Pathways received its first visitor, an additional affirmation they were on the right track. Howard said the visitor, a man dealing with cancer, felt "like a kid in a candy store." Finally, here in one place, were all the resources he'd been looking for.

The first program, a Healing Circle, commenced on March 28, 1989, just before the official April opening. Formed by Perry Tilleraas and a group of his friends, program participants consisted of an equal distribution of people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and those interested in healing. The drop-in group would meet on a weekly basis for the next four and one-half years. The connection to the Continuum Center was extended through co-sponsorship of speaker programs. Pathway's role in the community was just beginning to unfold.

In early 1999, Pathways building design, described as a "serene harbor for those in need of assistance," won the prestigious national American Institute of Architiects Honor Award—for outstanding architecture.