Dianna Porter was 17 years old when she first came to Rise in June 1986. Four decades later, she is now retiring from an employment journey that has included jobs in manufacturing, retail, food service, janitorial work, and community employment throughout the Twin Cities area.

Her final stop was at our business partner, MT-RSR, which manufactures and distributes automotive parts. But Dianna worked in a variety of settings over the years while receiving Rise’s employment services. That included our former Spring Lake Park production floor, ABC Foods, Liberty Carton, the Coon Rapids YMCA and Home Depot, and more. She started at Rise Spring Lake Park, working on the production floor before moving to ABC Foods, where she spent many years palletizing juice. Later, she worked at Liberty Carton assembling and packaging corrugated products, followed by positions at the Coon Rapids YMCA, where she performed janitorial duties and assisted in the daycare department. She also worked in Home Depot’s garden department, watering plants.

She’s had many tasks over her years of employment, including assembling pallets of fresh juice, packaging corrugated products, watering plants or helping with daycare. But Dianna says one job stands out as her favorite.

“Pizza Hut,” Dianna said when asked which job she enjoyed most. At Pizza Hut, she performed a variety of tasks and enjoyed a few memorable perks along the way. “I could get free pizza to take home,” she said. “And sometimes I would get tips.”

Most recently, Dianna worked on Rise’s supported employment team at MT-RSR, where she assembled products and prepared them for packaging and shipment.

“You put things in a bag, zip it up, and put it in boxes,” Dianna explained.

During her years of employment, Dianna became someone coworkers could turn to for help and guidance. She enjoyed supporting new employees as they learned their jobs and built their confidence. “I taught people and showed people how to do jobs,” she said. “If people were new and didn’t know how to do it, I could show them.”

When asked what she enjoyed most about her time in the workforce, Dianna said, “The good people.”

Retirement Brings New Opportunity at Rise

In June 2026, Dianna officially retired from MT-RSR. Rise leadership, MT-RSR staff, and coworkers gathered to celebrate her retirement and recognize nearly five decades of dedication and hard work.

Retirement, however, has not meant slowing down. For just over a year, Dianna has been transitioning to Rise New Brighton’s Retirement Program, where multiple days a week she participates in community outings, volunteer opportunities, recreational programs, and life enrichment activities.

When asked what she enjoys most about the program, Dianna said, “Meeting other people and going on outings.”

Among her favorite outings are trips to the zoo. She also enjoys music therapy, spending time with the friends she has made through the program, and participating in games like Jeopardy and Higher or Lower. She also enjoys creative projects such as coloring, making magnets, and creating keychains.

In addition to participating in activities, Dianna continues to give back to her community by volunteering at Chandler Place Senior Living in St. Anthony. She is also active in Rise New Brighton’s ‘Recycle with Rise’ program, where she enjoys spending time collecting pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House.

After 40 years with Rise, Dianna’s journey demonstrates the power of opportunity at every stage of life. Through employment, she developed skills, built relationships, and contributed to workplaces throughout the community. Now, in retirement, she continues to find purpose through activities that keep her engaged and involved in her community.