May 2017 - Twin Cities 

 
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Doing Good Together Community-Wide Family Service Fair
Doing Good Together in partnership with South Metro Police K-9 Foundation
 
Date/Time: Sunday, May 21, 1 - 3:30pm  (K-9 demo from 1 - 1:30)
 
Location: Creekside Community Center, 9801 Penn Avenue South, Bloomington

Families are invited to dedicate an afternoon to fun, kid-friendly service projects meeting needs in the Twin Cities community and to also learn about the South Metro Police K-9 Foundation's important work promoting positive relations between police and the community.

Ages: All ages are welcome
 
Time Commitment: The K-9 demo will take place from 1 - 1:30pm, and the service projects will be available starting at 1:30. Come at any point and stay for as long as you wish.
 
Contact: Nassim Rossi, nassim@doinggoodtogether.org
 www.doinggoodtogether.org, www.southmetrok9.org
 
 
Senior Chore Program Fall Clean Up
Northeast Youth & Family Services (NYFS)
 
Date/Time: Arrange a time between now and May 13 that works for you
 
Location: Seniors' home in Shoreview and White Bear Lake

Northeast Youth & Family Services Senior Chore Program is having their annual Spring Cleanup for seniors in need. Volunteers are needed to spend a few hours improving the lives of area seniors, and help them live independently for as long as possible. Rake and bag leaves, pick up debris, sweep sidewalks, and put out lawn furniture for seniors who are no longer able to complete these tasks themselves. If possible, bring a rake and work gloves! Please dress for the weather.

Ages: Families with children of all ages can participate.
 
Time Commitment: Up to four hours
 
Contact: Debbie, 651.757.4061 or debbiep@nyfs.org
www.nyfs.org

 
 
Hopkins Valley Park Clean Up
Nine Mile Creek Watershed District
 
Date/Time: Sunday, May 7, 1 - 4pm
 
Location: Valley Park, 700 8th St. S., Hopkins

The Nine Mile Creek Watershed District works to protect and restore the water and natural resources in the land area draining to Nine Mile Creek. The District protects and manages water resources in our district (Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Richfield) and offers programs to get people outside and exploring the natural resources of the watershed. Your family can help by volunteering to clean up trash in Valley Park in Hopkins. Bags, grabbers and gloves are provided, as well as snacks and water. Wear rubber boots.
 
Ages: Families with children ages ten and older are welcome to volunteer.
 
Time Commitment: Three hours
 
Contact: Gael Zembal, gzembal@ninemilecreek.org, 952.204.9691. Registration is available online.
www.ninemilecreek.org
 
 
Creekside Planting
Great River Greening
 
Date/Time: Monday, May 8, 12:30 - 4pm and Tuesday, May 9, 5 - 8pm
 
Location: Ridges at Sand Creek, Sand Creek, 21775 Ridges Drive, Jordan

Ridges at Sand Creek, an 18-hole public golf course, has opened their property to shoreline restoration efforts to improve habitat along the creek. Join Great River Greening at one or both of these family-friendly events, where they will plant native vegetation on the banks of the creek to improve water quality and strengthen habitat for local wildlife.

Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome to volunteer; the only requirement is that an adult accompanies children under 12.
 
Time Commitment: Three to three and one-half hours
 
Contact: Katie Brom, volunteer@greatrivergreening.org or 651.272.3989. Registration is available online; Saturday registration click here and Sunday registration click here
www.greatrivergreening.org
 
 
Pull Garlic Mustard at the Minneapolis River Gorge Sand Flats
Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR)
 
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 9, 6 - 8pm
 
Location: Registrants will receive detailed directions to the worksite from FMR

Working alongside Friends of the Mississippi River staff, volunteers will remove garlic mustard - an exotic plant invading many areas of the River Gorge out-competing native plant species. After a brief introduction and training, we will proceed to the river gorge sand flats, known for their large sandy beaches and wonderful river-edge view. Although a serious threat, garlic mustard is not only easy to identify but quick to pull by hand. Volunteers will be pleased to see a dramatic difference in ground cover by the end of this event, improving both water quality and habitat diversity. No experience is necessary; all tools and training will be provided.

Ages: Best for families with children ages ten and older. Younger children may attend as long as a parent or guardian supervises children to be sure they are focused on pulling the correct plants and staying on task.
 
Time Commitment: Two hours
 
Contact: To sign up and receive directions to the meeting spot, contact FMR Volunteer Coordinator Amy Kilgore via the contact form (please select Amy by name from the staff list under "Category") or at akilgore@fmr.org, 651.222.2193 x31. Please include the name of the event, your name, address and phone number and the number in your party. You will receive a confirmation email from akilgore@fmr.org within two business days. (If you don't, please check your SPAM folder.) Registration closes end of day Monday, May 8.
www.fmr.org
 
 
Prior Lake Tree Planting
Tree Trust
 
Date/Time: Saturday, May 13, 9am - noon
 
Location: Ryan Memorial Park, 4600 Busse Parkway SE, Prior Lake

Volunteering with Tree Trust is a great way to improve your environment and invest in your community. Each year, Tree Trust plants and distributes more than 2,000 trees and shrubs in the Twin Cities metro. Tree Trust will provide hands-on training to volunteers; no experience is required.

Ages: Families with children ten and older are welcome to volunteer
 
Time Commitment: Three hours
 
Contact: Jessica.talley@treetrust.org. Registration is available online
www.treetrust.org
 
 
Stamp out Hunger 
Second Harvest Heartland
 
Date/Time: Saturday, May 13, 2:30 - 6pm
 
Location: Volunteers are needed at the following Cub Stores:
  • Bloomington (Lyndale)
  • Eagan
  • Maplewood West
  • Roseville
  • St. Paul (Maryland Ave.)
  • St. Paul (Sun Ray)
This year is the 25th anniversary of Stamp Out Hunger, the largest single-day food drive in the country, which has collected and delivered 1.5 billion pounds of food to food banks nationwide! Second Harvest Heartland is partnering with the National Association of Letter Carriers and Cub Foods to orchestrate the nation's largest, single-day food drive: Stamp Out Hunger. Volunteers will help by loading 10-pound grocery bags from letter carriers' vehicles into a Second Harvest Heartland truck. Not able to volunteer? Everyone can participate by leaving a bag of non-perishable, non-breakable, non-expired food items at your mailbox for your letter carrier to pick up on Saturday, May 13

Ages: Families with children ages eight and older are welcome to join the fun!
 
Time Commitment: Three and one-half hours
 
Contact: Jess Swanson, jswanson@2harvest.org. Space is limited, check website for availability. Please register online.
www.2harvest.org
 
 
A Night in the Cloud Citizen Science Conference 2017
Citizen Science Association
 
Date/Time: Friday, May 19, 4:30 - 7pm
 
Location: St. Paul RiverCentre Ballroom,

Celebrate citizen science with this open-to-the-public, family-friendly event featuring a screening of the new PBS Documentary The Crowd and the Cloud. Over 70 citizen science project leaders will be on hand to share their activities and resources-up close and personal-with Twin Cities residents: educators, librarians, parents, and anyone else wondering how to get started with citizen science. We can all but guarantee that attendees will walk away with 5 projects they are itching to join, get their families involved in, or tell their friends about.
 
Ages: Families with children ages five and older, but probably most interesting for children ages eight and older
 
Time Commitment: Two and one-half hours
 
Contact: $5 suggested donation (click here to secure tickets)
 
 
Shoreline Planting
Great River Greening
 
Date/Time: Saturday, May 20, 8:30 am - noon
 
Location: Crow River Shoreline, Watertown

Join Great River Greening at our first event on the South Fork of the Crow River in our partnership with Carver County Water Management Organization and the City of Watertown. Volunteers at this event will restore the natural shoreline to stabilize the riverbank and improve habitat and ecological diversity. Come learn and practice what it takes to restore a shoreline!
 
Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome to volunteer; the only requirement is that an adult accompanies children under 12.
 
Time Commitment: Three and one-half hours
 
Contact: Katie Brom, volunteer@greatrivergreening.org or 651.272.3989. Registration is available online
www.greatrivergreening.org
 
 
Spring Into Service
Community Thread
 
Date/Time: Saturday, May 20, 10am - noon
 
Location: Sites are located throughout Washington County

Community Thread's Spring into Service is an annual service day that helps local nonprofit organizations who work to strengthen our community every day. Spring into Service allows volunteers to make a difference by assisting with projects such as assembling math kits, playing games with residents, or making tie blankets for dogs. This family-friendly volunteer activity engages over 150 volunteers annually to help nonprofits better serve the St. Croix Valley. You can choose the project that most interests you. Sign up today! Spring into Service starts off with a volunteer breakfast at 8:30 am at Community Thread in Stillwater to kick-off the fun.

Ages: Minimum age for volunteering varies by site. Check individual opportunities under the Needs section for age requirements.
 
Time Commitment: Two hours
 
Contact: Hannah Inselman, 651.439.7434, Volunteer@CommunityThreadMN.org. Register online at www.CommunityThreadConnect.org by May 5.
www.communitythreadmn.org/

 
Tend the Demonstration Prairie at Ole Olson Park
Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR)
 
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 30, 6 - 8pm
 
Location: Ole Olson Park, North Minneapolis Riverfront

Join FMR at this riverfront park to tend an important native demonstration prairie garden along the bike trail. These showy flowers and grasses will not only beautify the park but will provide much-needed bee, butterfly and bird habitat. And, with deep root systems that act like filters, they'll help reduce the amount of pollution flowing into the Mississippi River. This event will help further the long-term transformation and commitment at this site and to the river. Although a small urban site, Ole Olson is home to a surprising diversity of landscapes, including riverfront shoreline, woodland terrace and grassland slopes. While the city parks department has been working to restore and stabilize the shoreline and slopes, much of the park is home to Russian thistle and other invasive plants that provide neither wildlife habitat nor a pleasant view. Working with the city and relying on local volunteer power, we look forward to transforming the park into an oasis of habitat and respite - returning willows to the shoreline, wildflowers to the slopes and majestic oaks to the terraces.

Ages: Best for families with children ages ten and older. Younger children may attend as long as a parent or guardian supervises children to be sure they are focused on pulling the correct plants and staying on task.
 
Time Commitment: Two hours
 
Contact: To sign up and receive directions to the meeting spot, contact FMR Volunteer Coordinator Amy Kilgore via the contact form (please select Amy by name from the staff list under "Category") or at akilgore@fmr.org, 651.222.2193 x31. Please include the name of the event, your name, address and phone number and the number in your party. You will receive a confirmation email from akilgore@fmr.org within two business days. (If you don't, please check your SPAM folder.) Registration closes end of day Thursday, May 29.
www.fmr.org
 
 
Summer Meal Program 2017
Organization Name: Neighbors, Inc.

Date/Time: Various weekday breakfast and lunchtime shifts in June, July or August
 
Location:
  • Henry Sibley High School, 1897 Delaware Ave, West St. Paul
  • Kaposia Education Center, 1225 1st Ave S, South St. Paul
  • Moreland Elementary School, 217 W Moreland Ave, West St. Paul
  • Somerset Elementary School, 1355 Dodd Road, Mendota Heights
  • South Saint Paul High School, 700 2nd Street N, South Saint Paul
Children need proper nutrition to learn and stay active. Volunteers are needed to serve breakfasts and lunches to students attending summer school. This is a perfect service opportunity for workplaces, churches, community groups, families, and individuals looking for fun opportunities to help their community. Volunteers serve meals to students and encourage students to take milk and other required food items; minimal food preparation is sometimes required with supervision from school kitchen staff. Your support will provide students a healthy meal to get them through their day!

Ages: Minimum age is 5. Volunteers 5-13 years old need to be accompanied by an adult. This is not an appropriate activity for children younger than 5 years old. Volunteers aged 14-17 may volunteer without a parent or guardian, but will need a completed consent form prior to volunteering.
 
Time Commitment: Between two to three hours per shift
 
Contact:  Scott, 651.272.1136 or scott@neighborsmn.org. Registration is available online
www.neighborsmn.org
 
 
Special Olympics MN Sports Camp
True Friends
 
Date/Time: June 5 - 9
 
Location: Camp Courage in Maple Lake, MN

Families will assist Special Olympics athletes within a traditional summer camp experience. During the morning sessions, campers will attend a sports-focused area to enhance their skills in bocce ball, basketball, flag football, or poly hockey. The rest of the day will be spent participating in camp activities: tie-dye, archery, fishing, zip-line, and more!

Ages: Families with children ages eight and older. Adults must provide supervision for those under 18. Onsite housing and meals are provided.
 
Time Commitment: One week; food and housing provided
 
Contact:  Maureen O'Connor maureeno@truefriends.org, 952.697.2286
www.truefriends.org
 
 
Adult 10-Day Retreat
True Friends
 
Date/Time: July 5 - 14
 
Location: Camp Courage in Maple Lake, MN
 
Families will assist adult campers with physical disabilities and staff members during ten days of fun camp activities. Campers will be able to customize their week by choosing activities that challenge and interest them, including hiking trails, accessible high ropes course and zip-line, swimming, tubing, fishing, casino night, and so much more!
 
Ages: Families with children ages eight and older. Adults must provide supervision for those under 18. Onsite housing and meals are provided.
 
Time Commitment: One week; food and housing provided
 
Contact: Maureen O'Connor maureeno@truefriends.org, 952.697.2286
www.truefriends.org
 
 
Make this a Summer of Kindness with DGT's Summer Bucket List
Doing Good Together
 
Date/Time: All summer long
 
Location: Your home or community
 
Print and post one or both of DGT's two innovative Summer of Kindness bucket lists. These creative kindness projects will keep your family making big-hearted memories all summer long. 
 
Ages: Preschool to teen
 
Time Commitment: 15 minutes to 1 hour per week depending upon the activities you choose to complete.

Contact:
mail@doinggoodtogether.org
 
 
Let's multiply kindness!

Thank you to everyone who attended our April 20th Celebration and helped us raise funds to empower families to raise children who care and contribute!

If you weren't able to attend our event, here's your chance to make an impact. Every $25 raised helps DGT™ engage with a new family who wants to share more acts of kindness and service. Those big-hearted efforts have a multiplying effect: As families do more good for others, they start a family routine of giving that benefits others now and in the future.

Whether you want to support one family or several, your donation helps us multiply kindness and extend DGT's reach to families across the nation.

Click here to make your donation.

And to instill a habit of kindness and service in your own family, be sure to join our Membership Circle if you haven't already.

 

 

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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.
Disclaimer: This list is provided as a service to families. Inclusion of organizations in this listing does not imply affiliation, endorsement or quality assurance on the part of Doing Good Together.™ Doing Good Together™ bears no responsibility whatsoever for the activities and actions of the listed organizations. 
                                                                            

                                                                                                     © 2016 Doing Good Together™