Celebrate!    

Doing Good Together

Date/Time: Thursday, April 16, 5:30-8:30pm

Location: American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave. South, Minneapolis    

Join us as we celebrate 10 years of creating ripples of kindness and building family traditions of caring. Learn more about our organization while enjoying the company of others interested in raising compassionate children through family service. Everyone is welcome (and encouraged!) to attend. We'll be featuring: 

• Delicious appetizers and drinks
• Live music by members of The Melvilles
• Silent auction
• Wine raffle
• Service projects for local charities

Remember: Your generosity will enable us to help more families raise caring, compassionate children who give back to their community. Purchase tickets here and visit our website for more details. Also, be sure to check out our fabulous ONLINE AUCTION, which opens March 31. All proceeds will be used to support our mission - providing fun, engaging tools and resources to help families live generously.

Ages: Most suitable for adults, but all ages are welcome

Time Commitment: As long as you'd like, up to three hours

Contact: [email protected]

www.doinggoodtogether.org 

Mentor a Child  

Kids 'n Kinship

Date/Time: Ongoing opportunity

Location: Your home or the community   

Kids 'n Kinship matches volunteer mentor families, couples, & individuals with youth ages 5-16 in need of additional positive role models for fun and enriching weekly activities. Mentoring Works! Please consider stepping forward today to mentor a child with your family. We are based in Dakota County and have served families in Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Farmington, Lakeville & Rosemount for 42 years. Matches are made based on compatible personalities, ages and interests as well as preferences of both volunteer family and the youth and parent/guardian. Our families say that mentoring together ensures they have weekly family time and that it's easy to include another child with the family activity, whether it's a board game, sledding, a trip to a park, or going to the zoo or a museum. We offer discounted passes to area attractions to make activities more affordable, a 45-minute information session, a two-hour training session, as well as ongoing training and support. We ask mentors and mentees to commit to a year's time together in order to build their relationship; however, many of our matches become lifelong friendships and our average match is about three years. Please consider being a mentor to a child - it is one of the most challenging and rewarding ways to volunteer!   

Ages: Mentors are families, couples, or individuals over 21

Time Commitment: One to four hours per week, on your own time (very flexible scheduling: can be weekends, evenings or after school)

Contact: Rita Younger, Kinship Coordinator at [email protected] or 651.686.0990

www.kidsnkinship.org 

Want to mentor but live in Hennepin or Anoka County? Check out Kinship of Greater Mpls (www.kinship.org) for the local mentoring program, sister to Kids 'n Kinship. Contact 612.588.4655 in Hennepin County and 763.862.6755 in Anoka County.  

Organize an Essentials Drive

Bridging

Date/Time: Flexible

Location: 201 West 87th Street, Bloomington, or 1633 Terrace Drive, Roseville  

Through the effective reuse of donated items, Bridging improves lives by providing quality furniture and household goods to those transitioning out of homelessness and poverty. Bridging serves over 80 households each week who are given a sense of dignity and stability as they rebuild their lives. Collect pillows, towels or kitchen utensils for Bridging.  

• Pillows: We need over 240 pillows per week to provide a pillow per person.
• Towels: All sizes and types (kitchen and bath) needed. Our goal is one bath towel per person - that's over 12,000 towels a year!
• Kitchen Packs: We need over 80 packs per week to give every home a set. Basic packs include can opener, mixing spoon, spatula and dish towel/cloth. Donate full packs or let us bundle for you!  

Ages: Everyone can participate 

Time Commitment: Varies

Contact: Bridging-Roseville, Wendy, 651.319.9295 or [email protected];
Bridging-Bloomington, Dave Rannow, 952.460.3750 or [email protected]
www.bridging.org   

Help Grow a Garden  

Senior Community Services

Date/Time: One time or throughout the growing season

Location: Seniors homes in Minneapolis or suburban Hennepin County  

Enjoy the great outdoors and get your hands dirty! Seniors in Minneapolis and suburban Hennepin County need your help to maintain their flower garden or vegetable patch. Help make someone's Grandma or Grandpa proud of their yard. Assist one-time or adopt a garden for the season until it freezes. Work with a partner and you can take turns gardening.  

Ages: Family teams are welcome; youth must be age seven or older and supervised by an adult.

Time Commitment: Varies

Contact: Jeanne, SCS - HOME Program, Volunteer Coordinator, [email protected] or call 952.767.7894
www.seniorcommunity.org 

Pack Meal Items  

Optage Senior Dining

Date/Time: Monday-Friday, anytime between 7am and 5pm   

Location: 1375 Terrace Drive, Roseville  

Senior Dining Choices makes thousands of healthy, convenient and delicious ready-to-prepare meals weekly. Its innovative approach has helped hundreds of older adults maintain good daily nutrition necessary for their health and wellbeing, and supports their choice to remain in their homes. Families are welcome to come to our commissary kitchen to help package meal items used in the meals that we serve to our hungry seniors and help bring a smile to their face. Volunteer kitchen assistants help bag and package meals for home delivery. Most seniors just want to continue living in their own home for as long as they can and our meal program is making a real difference by helping them do just that.  

Ages: Everyone is welcome. Children under five years of age need 1 to 1 supervision and children under age of 16 need adult supervision.

Time Commitment: One and one-half to two hours

Arbor Day Tree Planting  

Great River Greening

Date/Time: Friday, April 24, noon-4pm

Location: South Washington Conservation Corridor, 5900 Woodbury Drive, Woodbury  

Plant trees with Great River Greening in the South Washington Conservation Corridor! This 80-acre parcel is part of a larger greenway in the watershed providing critical native habitat and storm water management, and will be the site of future recreational trails. We'll be planting 3,000 oak trees grown from acorns collected as a part of the Million Acorn Challenge that Great River Greening ran for several years.  

Ages: Families are welcome to volunteer

Time Commitment: Four hours 

Contact: Jen Kader at 651.665.9500 ext. 11, [email protected]
www.greatrivergreening.org

Earth Day in the City: Minneapolis Watershed Cleanup  

Friends of the Mississippi River

Date/Time: Saturday, April 25, 9:30am-noon

Location: E. 36th St. & E. 44th St. at W. River Pkwy, Mississippi River Gorge, Minneapolis  

Join this Earth Day tradition in the Minneapolis River Gorge! People come from throughout the local river corridor neighborhoods and metro area to contribute to the health and vitality of the Mississippi River Watershed. All ages are welcome and all supplies provided, including lunch. We'll meet at two sites along the parkway and bluff-top. Pick whichever works better for you - the oak savanna at East 36th Street and West River Parkway, or the maple basswood forest at 44th and the Parkway. No registration is required and complete details and directions are available on the event page. We look forward to seeing you at the first River Gorge Stewards event of the season!  

Ages: All ages  

Time Commitment: Two hours 

Contact: Sue Rich, Volunteer Coordinator, [email protected]
www.fmr.org

2015 Citywide Spring Cleanup  

Saint Paul Parks and Recreation

Date/Time: Saturday, April 18, 9-11:30am

Location: Como Park Pavilion, 1199 Midway Pkwy; Harriet Island - Kelley's Landing, 200 Dr. Justus Ohage Blvd; Hamline Park, 1564 Lafond Ave; Highland Picnic Pavilion, 1200 Montreal Ave; Phalen Picnic Pavilion, 1600 Phalen Dr; Swede Hollow Park, Intersection of Greenbrier St. and Margaret St.  

For nearly 30 years, Saint Paul individuals, families, groups, and communities have volunteered to remove litter from Saint Paul's parks and neighborhoods during the annual Citywide Spring Cleanup. With the help of volunteers, we can remove the trash that accumulates in these natural areas harming wildlife, polluting lakes and rivers and detracting from the beauty of our community. This event is a fun and effective way to improve the natural environment in our local community.  

Ages: Everyone can participate

Time Commitment: Up to two and one-half hours

Contact: Ryanna Jackson, Volunteer Coordinator, [email protected] or 651.632.2411
www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?nid=1043  

Celebrate Earth Day!  

City of Minneapolis

Date/Time: Saturday, April 25, 9:30am-noon

Location: Click here for a listing of Minneapolis Earth Day clean-up sites. Arrive at any site between 9:30am-noon and check in at the registration table.

It's easy to get involved. No pre-registration is required! A site coordinator will give you gloves and bags, and instruct you where to go and where to leave trash. Every site has a coordinator who is there to assist volunteers and to answer any questions you may have. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own work gloves, though we will have some gloves available for volunteers who need them. Check in at the registration table to get a bag and instructions on where to pick-up and leave trash. A volunteer coordinator will be at each site to assist volunteers and answer any questions.  

Ages: Open to all ages 

Time Commitment: Up to two and one-half hours

Contact: Erica Chua, Event Coordinator, 612.230.6479 or [email protected]
www.minneapolisparks.org/ 

Vermillion Stewards Earth Day Cleanup  

Friends of the Mississippi River

Date/Time: Saturday, April 25, 9-11:30am

Location: South Creek, Lakeville. Volunteers will meet at Cross of Christ Community Church, 8748 210th St. W  

Earth Day volunteers will register in the church parking lot, then enjoy a light breakfast (think granola bars and coffee) as you learn a little about Lakeville Friends of the Environment and FMR's Vermillion Stewards program - helping residents learn about the watershed while working to protect and enhance its unique natural resources. Lots and fields surrounding the church lead right up to South Creek, giving volunteers plenty of cleanup options. You can pick up trash from the parking lot and other hard surfaces, venture into the grassy areas leading up to the stream, or put on your waterproof boots to pick up litter in the marshy area next to the creek.   

Ages: Families are welcome to participate

Time Commitment: Two and one-half hours

Contact: Kate Clayton, 651.222.2193 x23
www.fmr.org

Service Day Saturday   

City of Savage & Harriet Bishop Elementary Service Club  

Date/Time: Saturday, April 18, 10am - 4pm

Location: Participants are encouraged to volunteer anywhere and report the results, or attend the service fair at city hall in Savage.    

A ten-year-old resident of Savage researched the idea of a citywide day of service and proposed his idea to the mayor.  She agreed, and April 18 will be the first annual day of service in Savage, in honor of Global Youth Service Day. Residents, businesses, organizations, and schools are encouraged to volunteer or complete a service project during the week of April 11-18 and report their efforts via the city's website. Projects and total number of hours will be recorded and displayed on a visual at city hall. Additionally, a youth led Service Fair will take place at city hall on Saturday. The public is invited to stop by to complete fun, hands-on service projects which will benefit local non-profits. This free event will also host a collection drive. Donation bins will be available for the following items: brown paper grocery bags to benefit Neighborhood House food shelf, gently used books and toys to benefit Read Indeed and The Toy Corner, personal hygiene products to benefit Kody's Closet, non-perishable food items to benefit Ruby's Pantry, and monetary donations to benefit families in under-resourced countries around the world (every $50 collected will be given to Bremer Bank's We Create Change program, which will purchase a goat for a family, in order to help them become more independent). All Service Day Saturday participants can pick up a commemorative wristband at city hall on Saturday and are encouraged to wear it around town.  

Ages: Everyone is welcome to volunteer and you don't need to live in Savage to participate. 

Time Commitment: Any amount of time, though we recommend at least one hour.    

Contact:  Email [email protected]
servicedaysaturday.wix.com/savage 

Family Summer Camp Volunteers  

True Friends - Camp Courage

Date/Time: June-August

Location: Camp Courage in Maple Lake, MN, or Camp Courage North in Lake George, MN   

Families up to seven members (two of whom are adults 18 years+) assist during camp depending on skill set (including, but not limited to: cabin support, kitchen support, housekeeping, or program design). Volunteers directly support True Friends' mission: "Provide life-changing experiences that enhance independence and self-esteem for children and adults with disabilities."  

Ages: Families with children five and older are welcome to volunteer - adults must provide supervision for those under 18 years.

Time Commitment: One week; food and housing provided at no charge; various weeks June-August.

Contact: Conor McGrath, [email protected] or 952.852.0113
www.truefriends.org

Think Spring Volunteer Break!  

DARTS

Date/Time: Month of May -pick a day and time!

Location: Dakota County area  

Grab your rakes and gloves and invite your friends, families and co-workers to a to a spring volunteer break. Help seniors take care of their yards by providing a day of outdoor spring-cleaning. Volunteers play a crucial role in helping older homeowners in Dakota County maintain a sense of pride in their property. This is a great opportunity for families to share in the experience of giving back to the community. It all happens in May!  

Ages: Families are welcome; all ages can participate

Time Commitment: Varies

Contact: Barb Tiggemann, 651.455.1560 or [email protected]. To sign up for family volunteering go to: www.darts1.org/volunteer  
www.darts1.org  

Plant a Row for the Hungry  

Ample Harvest or Garden Writers Association

Date/Time: During the growing season  

Location: Your garden, community garden, or wherever you have the opportunity  

Spring is in the air and gardeners everywhere can't wait to get started. Whether you plant a container garden on a windowsill or a deck, overthrow a patch of lawn in favor of a garden, or join a community effort, planning a row dedicated to the local food shelf can make a world of difference. Donating dedicated produce or extra produce from your garden helps food shelves provide more healthy food options and helps prevent food waste. Check out Doing Good Together's Plant a Row for the Hungry page for more information, reflection questions for your family, and additional resources. To find a food shelf near you that would like to receive your produce donation, visit Ample Harvest's find a food pantry page.   

Ages: Everyone can participate 

Time Commitment: Varies

Contact: Ample Harvest, [email protected] or Garden Writer's Association, Plant a Row for the Hungry, PAR Hotline 1.877.492.2727
www.ampleharvest.org, www.gardenwriters.org