DGT Color Logo

 January 2013
Volunteer Opportunities
for Families 
 
Help us help you
 
 

Small Hands, Big Hearts: Sparking the Spirit of Giving

Minnesota Children's Museum and Doing Good Together

 

Date/Time: Saturday, January 19, 10am-3pm and 5:30-7:30pm, Sunday, January 20, 10am-4pm, Monday, January 21, 10am-3pm

 

Location: Minnesota Children's Museum, 10 West Seventh Street, St. Paul  

Join us for the 4th annual Small Hands, Big Hearts event: a special celebration devoted to everything good about giving back. You and your little helpers can work together on several fun and family-friendly giving-focused activities in between playing in all of your favorite areas of the Museum:  

  • Pint-sized Philanthropy: Save up pennies, nickels and dimes and bring them in to decide which of three featured causes you want to donate them to. Then, make your own Giving Box to take home and save up even more money to give away.
  • Caring Cards: Create cheerful cards for children who have serious illnesses. 
  • Wrap-up a Smile: Decorate a lunch bag to brighten up the day of a Meals on Wheels recipient.
  • More to try at home: For more family-friendly service projects ideas that you can do at home or in the community, check out www.bigheartedfamilies.org    

Ages: All ages are welcome

 

Time Commitment: Come anytime during the 3-day period and stay for as long as you'd like. Be aware that the museum charges an admission fee. Check their website for details.

 

Contact: Jenny Friedman at jenny@doinggoodtogether.org or 612.822.6502 with questions, www.mcm.org

 

 

4th Annual Feeding the Dream - Community Food Drive

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB)

 

Date/Time: Now through January 16

 

Location: Drop off non-perishable food items at your local Minneapolis Park Recreation Center.

The need for food donations does not end with the holidays. Donations for the fourth annual Minneapolis Feeding the Dream community food drive will be accepted through January 21. Over the past three years, the MPRB, with generous support from the community, has donated more than 5,000 pounds of non-perishable food items to local food banks. Groveland Food Shelf of Minneapolis will benefit from the 2013 Food Drive. This year, during the food drive, the MPRB will also be collecting handmade knitted items in support of the Love Light Project. In addition to food, you can donate crocheted items such as hats, mittens, scarves, and cowls. The Love Light project collects, makes, and sells handmade knitted items, scarves, hats and infinity scarves and uses all profits to support local teenage victims of commercial sexual exploitation. This year's food drive concludes during the 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration held January 21 beginning at 6:30pm at Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The public is invited to attend the hour-long program that honors and celebrates the life and achievements of Martin Luther King. Attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to the event.  

 

Ages: All ages 

 

Time Commitment: Time to collect and deliver your food donations

 

Contact: Megan Gregory, Event Coordinator, mgregory@minneapolisparks.org, 612.230.6479
www.minneapolisparks.org 

 

 

Letters & Valentine's Cards  

A Million Thanks

 

Date/Time: Letters can be sent at any time but Valentine's Day cards should be mailed no later than January 15

 

Location: Letters and cards can be mailed to A Million Thanks, 17853 Santiago Blvd. #107-355, Villa Park, CA 92861  

 A Million Thanks is a year-round campaign to show appreciation for U.S. Military Men and Women, past and present, for their sacrifices, dedication, and service to our country. Show your appreciation for our military by writing letters or sending Valentine's Day cards:

*    Do not put letters in individual envelopes. Send multiple letters together in the same envelope or box
*    Do not send edible items
*    Do not use loose glitter, confetti, or anything that is not attached to the letter or card
*    Only include positive messages. Any negative messages will be discarded
*    Be creative! Draw pictures, talk about you, and let them know their work does not go unnoticed
*    Include your address or email address if you wish. Most military personnel will write back to you  


Ages: Everyone can participate

 

Time Commitment: Flexible

 

Contact: www.amillionthanks.org

 

 

Food Shelf Stock-up  

Aeon Homes for Generations

 

Date/Time: Flexible 

 

Location: 901 North 3rd Street, Suite 150, Minneapolis  

Aeon is a nonprofit developer, owner and manager of high quality affordable homes in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Many people living in our affordable-housing units have a tough time meeting all of their basic expenses. Sometimes they are forced to decide between paying for rent, food, or medical costs. By stocking our small emergency food shelves, you are giving our residents a crucial source of nutrition and comfort when money runs short.  We need healthful, nonperishable items such as:  

  • Rice
  • Pasta and spaghetti sauce
  • Ramen noodles
  • Hearty soups and stews
  • Canned meals (ravioli, chili, pork and beans, chow mein)
  • Canned meat (tuna, Spam, chicken)
  • Canned vegetables (beans, corn, potatoes)
  • Canned fruit
  • Fruit juice
  • Crackers
  • Peanut butter and jelly
  • Microwaveable instant oatmeal
  • Pancake mix (mix-with-water) and syrup
  • Boxed potatoes and gravy
  • Boxed macaroni and cheese

After you've collected your donations, contact Aeon's Volunteer Coordinator to arrange a time to drop off your donations.  

 

Ages: All ages can participate

 

Time Commitment: Varies, depends on amount of time needed to purchase and deliver food

  

Contact: Tashia Weisenburger, Volunteer Program Coordinator, volunteer@aeonmn.org, 612.746.0524

www.aeonmn.org 

 

 

Food Packing  

Feed My Starving Children (FMSC)

 

Date/Time: Multiple dates, see website registration page 

  

Location:  FMSC has MN packing locations in Chanhassen, Chaska and Eagan
Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God's starving children hungry in body and spirit. The approach is simple: children and adults hand-pack meals formulated specially for starving children, and we ship the meals to nearly 70 countries around the world. Packaged in small pouches, this easy-to-prepare food blend has won rave reviews all over the world. While the formula was designed to save the lives of severely malnourished and starving children, the ingredients also improve the health, growth and physical well-being of children who are no longer in immediate danger of starvation. A single bag of food-which provides meals for six children-costs around $1.32 to produce, and 94 percent of all donations to FMSC goes directly toward the food program.

 

Ages: The minimum age to volunteer at FMSC is 5 years old. Additional FMSC age requirements can be found online 

 

Time Commitment: One and a half to two hours, depending on shift selected 

 

Contact: Registration is available online

www.fmsc.org 

 

 

Pack Food for Families  

Second Harvest Heartland West

 

Date/Time: Wednesday, Jan 9, Thursday, Jan 10, Wednesday, Jan 16 or Thursday, Jan 17,  9am-noon, 1:30-4pm or 6-8pm

 

Location: 6325 Sandburg Rd. Suite 1700, Golden Valley  

This January, we'll need your help more than ever as the holidays wind down, a new year begins, and 1 in 8 Minnesotans still does not have enough to eat. We need your help repackaging fresh tortillas and other bulk foods such as pasta, rice and cereal at our new Golden Valley location. Once packed by volunteers, this food is sent directly to our partner agencies, including local food shelves and soup kitchens that serve our hungry neighbors. Your contribution of time and energy will help to end hunger in your local community  

 

Ages: Minimum age is 8

 

Time Commitment: Two to three hours

 

Contact: Volunteers can sign up online via www.2harvest.org/volunteer

www.2harvest.org 

 

 

Share the Warmth-Blanket and Pillow Drive for Homeless Shelters  

Simpson Housing Services

 

Date/Time: This is an ongoing opportunity

 

Location: 2100 Pillsbury Avenue South, Minneapolis  

Simpson Housing operates a shelter for homeless adults and we're running out of blankets and pillows! Clean out your linen closet and encourage your friends to do the same. We can accept any size washable blanket; the most important thing is that they are warm. So please no crocheted blankets. We also need gently used or new pillows. Tours of our shelters are available.   

 

Ages: All ages 

 

Time Commitment: Varies, time to collect and deliver blankets and pillows

 

Contact: Christina Giese, 612.874.8683, cgiese@simpsonhousing.org  

www.simpsonhousing.org 

 

 

LOVE IN[DEED]  

Wooddale Church

 

Date/Time: Saturday, January 26, 8:30am-noon

 

Location: Wooddale Church Gym, Door 5, 6630 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie. The sandwich-making project will be hosted at the Edina Campus, 5532 Wooddale Avenue South, Edina  

Join Love In[Deed] in making a difference in the Twin Cities. Just show up, choose from a variety of pre-planned volunteer opportunities, and then go serve the community. Buses will be provided to transport volunteers to sites they select. Volunteer sites for January are listed here

 

Ages: All ages are welcome; check website for age limitations for individual sites    

 

Time Commitment: Three and a half hours

 

Contact: For more information visit wooddale.org/loveindeed.  To contact the church regarding Love In[Deed] please email them at  loveindeedwc@gmail.com

www.wooddale.org 

 

 

 

Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter

 

 
This list was compiled by Doing Good Together (www.doinggoodtogether.org). When calling to volunteer for any of the opportunities listed above, please let the coordinator know you found it through this listing. You are encouraged to ask any questions you may have of the sponsoring organization before committing to a project.
                                                                            

                                                                                                     � 2013 Doing Good Together