Residential Services of Northeastern Minnesota, Inc.

Residential Services, Inc. is a private non-profit organization that provides innovative services to people with disabilities and mental illness.

Residential Services, Inc. (RSI) is a non-profit organization that provides services to adults, children, and families with disabilities and mental illness in communities across Minnesota. RSI has been providing innovative services to help people live in the home setting of their choice since 1978. We believe that all people, regardless of their disability, can live successfully in a community-based setting given the proper supports. 

In 2020, RSI purchased Rhine Lake Retreat located in Finlayson, MN, which provides a wide array of safe and accessible outdoor recreational opportunities for the people we serve, our employees, local providers, and community members. This 5-acre retreat space offers a variety of activities including canoeing, kayaking, paddle boats, yard games, volleyball, gardening, and fishing.  Additionally, the retreat features a bunkhouse for overnight guests, space for tent camping and RVs, a heated shower house, and accessible restrooms.

Rhine Lake Retreat was started in 1984 by Una Miller. She was inspired by her son, Darin, who has Downs Syndrome and loves the outdoors. Ms. Miller donated the lakeshore property and spent over twenty years organizing fundraising and recruiting a long list of volunteers in order to create the retreat facility that exists today. 

Rhine Lake Retreat has been a place of solace, growth, and acceptance for nearly 40 years, and we’re honored to continue to carry out the Miller family’s mission to create outdoor recreational opportunities for all people. We believe that through RSI’s spirit of innovation, we can expand our impact while continuing to support the mission that started it all in 1984. 

This year the focus of our Give to the Max Day fundraiser is assisting to fund the addition of a large accessible screen house at Rhine Lake Retreat. Our goal through this expansion is to ensure that every visitor can enjoy our serene natural setting while being protected from the not-so-friendly neighborhood mosquitos and deer flies that visit in the thick of the summer season. A screened oasis will not only provide a more enjoyable visit, but also open up new possibilities for our retreat including additional lodging options, and many opportunities for visitors to watch the day come to life with a cup of coffee in the early morning or gaze at the stars at night. Meeting our fundraising goal this year is a crucial step toward creating a more inclusive, comfortable, and enriching experience for all visitors to Rhine Lake Retreat. 

As we embark on this exciting chapter, we invite you to join us and be a part of the legacy we're building. Your support matters. Thank you!