By Sally Johnson
Cindy Erickson says she had a humanist belief system before she knew the word for it. “Growing up in the Lutheran Church, I (respectfully) argued so much with Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, and pastors that I think they wanted to kick me out. I was always questioning everything about religion.”
Cindy joined HumanistsMN in 2019 and has been an active member and volunteer ever since. She has served on our marketing and membership committees and has hosted many social opportunities — including the monthly Western Suburbs Social, which draws current and prospective members looking for community with like-minded individuals. “Lately, I find people are genuinely in need of the camaraderie that they’re not finding at work, with other friends, or even home, considering the nation’s political problems.”
She has also hosted several “book-inspired art tours and book clubs” at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (Mia) in the last couple of years.
Her extensive work on the membership committee is an important part of our growth. A longtime communications professional, Cindy has used her substantial skills to develop communication materials for current and new members. She also leads our New Member Orientation sessions that offer an introduction to HMN and the many ways we work toward our stated mission.
Continuing to improve our member engagement, she has proposed a “Meeting in Box” approach for members who help host events, offering an easy way to ensure that they are consistent in their messaging and presentations as well as providing possible ways to follow up with prospective members.
We have grown so much in recent years it is always interesting to see what individual members observe as we evolve. “HMN has had leadership that continues to raise the bar for us as an organization,” Cindy says. “It’s really becoming a stronger, more professionally managed organization and that’s thanks to the many active and dedicated volunteers who have helped grow this over the years.”
Cindy’s many contributions are very much a part of these ways in which we continue to mature as an organization. She says she sees “newer members who are helping fulfill our mission by jumping in right away to volunteer their talents and times.”
Cindy says she finds a wide diversity of beliefs among fellow humanists, not just those outside HMN. She says it has taught her to be more patient with anyone who might have different views. This compassionate perspective is also helpful with the “many prospective members who are really struggling with issues brought on by stringent religious upbringings and pressure from family and community.”
Originally from North Dakota, Cindy moved to the Twin Cities in 2014 for work and to be closer to family. In addition to all she does for HMN, she enjoys reading, learning, spending time with her granddaughters, the arts, and the variety of restaurants and activities the Twin Cities offer. She is currently reading Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson and says her “new all-time favorite” novel is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. “And for fun, I love Richard Osman’s books (Thursday Murder Club series) … I have a very dry sense of humor and he makes me laugh out loud.”
When asked about HMN’s future, she says she hopes that we continue to make a larger impact on our community, “and that may require getting focused in a specific direction.” She loves the variety of options to get involved that we offer, but she also hopes we can “strategically balance the needs in our communities with the mission of our group.” She is inspired by work done by a chapter of American Atheists in Phoenix that regularly provides basic needs (clothing, supplies, water, etc.) to the homeless.
We are so fortunate to have Cindy’s hard work and conscious vision for HMN’s future!
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