Big-Hearted Story Hour  

Doing Good Together + Edina Public Library  

Date/Time:  Wednesday, August 6, 10-11am   

Location: Edina Public Library, 5280 Grandview Square, Edina
Join us at the Edina Public Library for a story hour that features a kindness-themed book; a fun, interactive project; and an opportunity to reflect with your children on the joy of "giving back." Not just for Edina residents! Parents/caregivers and their children from anywhere in the Twin Cities are welcome. It's free, but registration is required by calling 612.543.6325 or at www.hclib.org/pub/events/Register.cfm?SessionNo=29109.  

Ages: Parents or caregivers with children 5-9 years old

Time Commitment: One hour 

Contact: Tracy Hvezda-Lehtola, Youth Services Librarian, 612.543.6330, [email protected]  

www.doinggoodtogether.org     

Summer of Smiles: Learn and deliver meals with your family!  

Meals on Wheels

Date/Time: Volunteer one hour during lunchtime, Monday through Friday. Your family can volunteer weekly, monthly, or on a schedule that works for you. In addition, you can participate in a variety of at-home activities that will help you get the most out of your volunteer experience

Location: We have 40 member programs throughout the Twin Cities, so there is sure to be a program near your home! 

Delivering Meals on Wheels with your children or grandchildren is a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time as a family and pass on the values of kindness, compassion, and civic responsibility by helping seniors and individuals with disabilities in your community. Whether you have infants or teenagers, you can make a contribution together to improve your community. Delivering meals involves driving to the program site, picking up, and delivering 8-10 meals. It takes about an hour, and you can choose a program site near your home. The amount you socialize with the clients is dependent on the volunteer and the client. DGT has created a parent handbook to make this volunteer experience richer and more educational for families. Summer of Smiles is a season-long activity series that promotes community building and intergenerational friendships through reading, storytelling and volunteerism. Our aim is to encourage young volunteers to truly understand the importance of delivering meals to their senior neighbors through creative projects that you can do together on your own schedule. To learn more and sign up for Summer of Smiles, visit www.meals-on-wheels.com/smiles.

Ages: Families are welcomed and encouraged to volunteer

Time Commitment: About an hour at lunchtime 

Contact: Emily Lund, 612.623.3363, [email protected]
www.meals-on-wheels.com 

Baby Bin  

Simpson Housing Services

Date/Time: Flexible

Location: Baskets may be delivered to our office (2100 Pillsbury Ave S, Mpls, 55404) or to our shelter (2740 1st Ave S, Mpls, 55408). Tours are available; please schedule your delivery with Christina Giese.

Simpson Housing Services is seeking organizations, groups, and individuals to create a Baby Bin for mothers with infants in our Family Housing program. Baby Bins provide mom and new baby with basic needs.
Purchase a laundry basket and the following infant necessities from a discount store: 

• container of baby wipes
• bottle of baby wash
• cornstarch baby powder
• terry cloth bibs
• burp cloths
• two packages of newborn diapers, package of size 1 diapers
• baby clothing: four onesies with two coordinating pants, two pajamas
• one sleepsack
• one baby blanket
• one box of nursing pads
• one tube nursing cream
• one baby toy
• hand sanitizer
• 3-pack of bottles

Volunteers sign up through staff and are given the mother's name, baby's age, gender, size, and whether mom is nursing or bottle-feeding.  

Ages: All

Time Commitment: Flexible

Contact: Christina Giese, 612.455.0859 or [email protected] (email preferred)

www.simpsonhousing.org 

Back to School / Supplies for Success  

CEAP

Date/Time: Current openings include:  

• Monday, 8/11, 8:30am-noon or 11:30-3pm
• Wednesday, 8/13, 2:30-6pm
• Thursday 8/14, 8:30am-noon, 11:30-3pm or 2:30-6pm

Location: 7051 Brooklyn Blvd. Brooklyn Center, located inside the NW Family Service Center. 
CEAP (Community Emergency Assistance Program) is a community-based charity that has partnered with other resources to assist people in need in the Twin Cities. You can help set up a child up for success in school by helping with CEAP's annual Back to School program in August. Volunteers will help assemble and pack donated supplies for children in our community. Volunteers are also needed to collect and donate school supplies.    

Ages: Volunteers need to be 10 and over for donation packing and assembly. Everyone can help collect and donate supplies.

Time Commitment: One three and one-half hour shift

Contact: Aliza Gevirtz, 763.450.3679, [email protected]
www.ceap.org

Medical Supply Sorting  

Matter (formerly Hope for the City)

Date/Time: Every Tuesday evening, 5:30-8pm, and Saturday, August 16, 9am-noon

Location: 7005 Oxford Street, St Louis Park

Matter is built on the foundation of resourcefulness. Founded in 2000, Matter is committed to delivering food and other products locally as well as medical supplies and education supplies internationally. Through simple acts of being resourceful, we believe we can change the world. We see a world where everyone and everything is seen for all it's worth, a world where we all matter. Join us as we sort and package medical supplies for international shipment.  

Ages: Ages eight and over are welcome to volunteer  

Time Commitment: Two and one-half or three hour shifts

Contact: Hannah Wortz, Service Learning Program Director, [email protected]

www.MatterMore.org 

Commissary Kitchen Meal Item Helpers  

Optage Senior Dining Choices

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. Your help is much needed!

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

Contact: Kris Mailand, 615.724.8955, [email protected]
www.optage.org/senior-dining-services/mn/

Home-delivered Meals Driver- Food Friend  

Optage Senior Dining Choices

Date/Time: Deliveries usually start around 10am and last from one and one-half to two hours, Monday through Friday

Location: Meal delivery routes are in areas around Bloomington, Oakdale, Woodbury, Stillwater, Mahtomedi and North St. Paul.
Get creative and have fun with your kids! Deliver lunch to someone in need and then go do lunch knowing you made a difference! Please consider delivering a meal and a friendly visit to brighten someone's day.

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: Ongoing and flexible. We ask that you commit to a specific length of time in delivering meals, with your choice of once a week, twice a month or as needed  

Contact: Kris Mailand, 615.724.8955, [email protected]

www.optage.org/senior-dining-services/mn/ 

Minneapolis Farmers Market Produce Rescue  

Emergency Foodshelf Network

Date/Time: Sundays, July 13-October 26, 12-2:30pm

Location: Minneapolis Farmer's Market

Emergency Foodshelf Network is looking for volunteers to help out at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market on Sunday afternoons this summer. We are looking for 10-14 volunteers each week to help out. This volunteer opportunity involves informing vendors and farmers about the produce rescue program, collecting surplus produce from the vendors at the close of the Farmer's Market, and stacking boxes of produce on pallets for pick up. All produce will be distributed to local food shelves. In previous years, Produce Rescuers have collected thousands of pounds of high quality produce each week for our neighbors in need. All volunteers will receive a "Produce Rescue Team" t-shirt! Sign up online at the volunteerspot.com link.

Ages: Families with children age seven or older. Volunteers should be able to lift about 10-20 lbs.

Time Commitment: Two and one-half hours

Contact: Michelle Barcelona, Volunteer Coordinator at 763.450.3897 or [email protected] with any questions or if you are unable to sign up online.
www.emergencyfoodshelf.org

Family Food Delivery  

Open Arms   

Date/Time: Monday-Friday, 11am-2 pm and Saturdays, 9:30-11:30 am

Location: 2500 Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis
Volunteer to deliver meals to our clients with your children and help Open Arms bring nourishment to those who need it most. With the support of families like yours, Open Arms brings comfort, nutrition, and support to our fellow community members who are living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life threatening illnesses. We do this through delivering homemade food to approximately 800 clients every week across the Twin Cities free of charge, using healthy ingredients. In return for your service, Open Arms will provide you with the opportunity to be part of a warm and giving community, with engaging and flexible volunteer opportunities, and the chance to give back in a meaningful way. Pick the delivery route that suits you best. Volunteer once, on a regular shift, or as you are able.
Becoming a volunteer is easy - sign up to attend an orientation - once you attend we'll ask you to fill out a Volunteer Profile, then you will be all set to go! (It is recommended for children middle school aged and older to also attend orientation but not required).  

Ages: There are no minimum age requirements for children but everyone under age 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult. Parents are responsible for their children. 

Time Commitment: One to three hours

Contact: Maria, [email protected] or 612.767.7331
www.openarmsmn.org

Campsite or Finish Area Volunteers  

Susan G. Komen Twin Cities 3-Day

Date/Time: Friday or Saturday, August 22 or 23, 3-7pm; or Sunday, August 24, 12:30-6pm

Location: Campsite Volunteers: Pink Information Tent, Harvest Park, 2561 Barclay Street, Maplewood.
Finish Area Volunteers: Volunteer Check-In Tent, MN State Capitol Grounds, 75 Rev. Dr. Luther King Jr. Blvd, St. Paul.
Thousands of women and men come together to raise money for Susan G. Komen. Then they take their commitment to end breast cancer one step further and walk 60 miles over the course of three days. Net proceeds from the Komen 3-Day fund innovative global breast cancer research and local community programs supporting education, screening and treatment. Virtually every major advance in the fight against breast cancer in the last 28 years has been impacted by a Susan G. Komen grant.
Volunteers are needed to help at the Campsite Area and the Participant Finish Area. Campsite Volunteer Teams will be divided into groups upon arrival to fulfill a variety of tasks at the Komen 3-Day campsite. Some possible duties may include: Traffic Control Assistance, Food Service Assistance and Camp Logistics Assistance. The Participant Finish Area Volunteer Team will be divided into 6 groups upon arrival to fulfill a variety of tasks including Pit Stop Support, Concierge, Victory T-shirt Distribution, Traffic Control & Shuttle, Hydration Station and Gear Retrieval. Volunteer teams will be assigned on a first come, first served basis.   

Ages: Must be at least 10; children under 18 need to be accompanied by adult

Time Commitment: Either a four-hour or a five and one-half hour shift  

Contact: Kiki Setterlund, 651.207.6256. Volunteer registration is available online. Click 2014 Twin Cities Volunteers under Events and Campsite Volunteers or Participant Finish Area under Teams to sign up for a shift.
www.the3day.org

Back to School supply drives & school supply distribution  

Help provide school supplies for children

Add a "giving" aspect to your family's back-to-school ritual! Many local organizations help to provide school supplies for children who would otherwise be unable to start school with the school supplies they need. The programs listed below need help with either collecting school supplies or distributing supplies to children. If a program close to you isn't listed below you can also contact your local school district or food shelf to see how you can help in your area.

• The Family Partnership (Minneapolis area), August Back to School Backpacks Drive, Ashley Briggs, 612.341.1611, [email protected]
• Simpson Housing Services (Minneapolis area), Tools for Schools Build a Backpack with School Supplies, Christina Giese, [email protected], 612.455.0859
• East Side Neighborhood Services (Minneapolis), Contact Mary Ostapenko Anstett at 612.781.6011 or [email protected], www.esns.org 
• St Louis Park Emergency Program, STEP (St Louis Park), STEP Back to School Program, Julie Lapointe, 952.925.4899 x13, [email protected]
• Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People, VEAP (Bloomington, Edina, Richfield and South Minneapolis) VEAP Back to School Program, [email protected]
• Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners, IOCP (West suburban Hennepin County) Back to school drive, Lynn Vettel, [email protected], or Liz Erstad-Hicks, [email protected], or 763.489.7506
• People Responding In Social Ministry, PRISM (Golden Valley, New Hope, Robbinsdale and parts of Crystal and Plymouth), PRISM School Supplies drive, Eleanor Trenary, 763.432.4210, [email protected]
• ResourceWest (Hopkins & Minnetonka schools students), ResourceWest Back to School Program, 952.933.3860, [email protected]
• People Reaching Out To Other People, PROP, (Eden Prairie and Chanhassen schools students) School Supply Program, [email protected], 952.937.9120
• Ramsey County Community Human Services, (Ramsey County), Fifth Annual School Supply Drive, Volunteer Services Department, 651.266.4090,
• 360 Communities (South suburban Minneapolis and St Paul), School Supply Drive, Kathryn Archambault, Volunteer Coordinator, 952.985.4017
• Keystone Community Services, (Primarily St. Paul), School Supply Drive, Volunteer Coordinator, 651.603.6650 or [email protected].

YWCA of Minneapolis Women's Triathlon  

YWCA of Minneapolis

Date/Time: Sunday August 17, please check registration site for available shifts.

Location: Lake Nokomis, many positions are available depending on interest and skill set. Please check registration site for details.
The YWCA of Minneapolis Women's Triathlon is our most-popular athletic event of the year, featuring a 500-yard swim, a 15.5-mile bike segment and a 5-kilometer run, held at beautiful Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis. More than 1,200 women will participate in a race dedicated to celebrating the strength in all women: the Seventh Annual YWCA of Minneapolis Women's Triathlon. More than 3,500 spectators will be on hand to witness the race, and more than 300 volunteers will make sure that all aspects run smoothly.   

Ages: All ages are welcome, under age 14 must have parent present.

Time Commitment: Varying shifts available from 4:30am until 4 pm. Sign up online at volunteerspot.com 

Contact: Nora Makky, [email protected]

www.ywcampls.org/events/womens_triathlon