September 2017 - Twin Cities 

 
Thank you to our sponsors



 
Home Helper For Seniors: Clean And Organize
Help At Your Door
 
Date/Time: Ongoing; flexible schedule
 
Location: Senior's home, primarily Golden Valley/New Hope/Crystal/Robbinsdale

Sometimes basic cleaning tasks like vacuuming and laundry become more challenging as we age due to physical limitations. You can lend a hand to a senior in your community who needs some help to remain at home. Provide companionship and practical support while assisting with in-home chores such as light cleaning, dusting, laundry, organization, or cooking and baking together. Volunteers are typically matched to work one to one with a client in an ongoing relationship.

Ages: A child ages eight or older is welcome to assist in a volunteer team with a parent or guardian.
 
Time Commitment: A time commitment of one or two visits per month for one to two hours each time is typical but individual client needs may vary.
 
Contact: Carolyn Swenson, volunteer@helpatyourdoor.org or 651.642.1892 x131
www.helpatyourdoor.org/
 
 
Sort and Repack Food
Second Harvest Heartland
 
Date/Time: A variety of dates and times are available. Please check calendar for availability. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your volunteer shift.

Location: 6325 Sandburg Rd. Suite 1700, Golden Valley

September is Hunger Action Month, a nationwide campaign to mobilize the public to take action against hunger. Every hour you volunteer for Second Harvest Heartland during September will be matched with a $5 donation from Bremer Bank, up to a total of $50,000. Volunteers repackage bulk foods such as pasta or cereal into consumer size packages, sort and salvage damaged products or food items, sort food from food drives and donations, or label cans. Repackaged items go to nearly 1,000 partner agencies, including food shelves and feeding programs that serve our hungry neighbors. This position requires that you are able to stand for several hours. If you or somebody in your party needs to sit for the shift, there are stools without backs available. Click here for more information about youth volunteering. Dress in comfortable clothing, such as a t-shirt or sweatshirt and jeans or shorts. For safety reasons, we also require you wear closed toed shoes and remove all jewelry. Second Harvest Heartland advises volunteers with food allergies to exercise caution when determining whether or not to participate in food packing.

Ages: This opportunity is available to youth ages eight and older. Adults who bring infants and children under eight years old will not be able to volunteer.
 
Time Commitment: Two and a half hours
 
Contact: 651.282.0901 or volunteer@2harvest.org. Registration is available online.
www.2harvest.org
 
 
Fall Tree Planting Events
Tree Trust
 
Date/Time: A variety of dates and times in September and October. Check website for dates and times. Most events are on Saturday mornings.
 
Location(s): A number of locations throughout the metro area. Check website for locations.

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
 
 
Rake a Difference Day
Community Thread
 
Date/Time: Saturday, October 28, 9am - noon. Groups are encouraged to rake yards between 9am - noon, but group leaders are welcome to work with homeowners to schedule another raking time prior to or following the event. The inclement weather date for the event is Saturday, November 4.
 
Location: Seniors' yards around Washington County

Make a difference in your community by helping seniors remain independently in their homes. Volunteer with Community Thread for Rake a Difference Day on Saturday, October 28 (around Make a Difference Day nationwide) to rake the yard of a fellow community member. This is a great family-friendly opportunity to connect with local seniors and enjoy a morning outdoors. Locations are available throughout Washington County. Volunteers should bring their own rakes and gloves; homeowners provide leaf bags.

Ages: Open to all ages, volunteers 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult (one adult per every five children age 12 and under).
 
Time Commitment: Three hours or until yards are finished.
 
Contact: Community Thread at 651.439.7434 or Volunteer@CommunityThreadMN.org. Sign up by Wednesday, October 11 to secure your participation!
www.CommunityThreadMN.org
 
 
Reforesting Allemansrätt Park
Great River Greening
 
Date/Time: Saturday, September 30, 9am - 1pm
 
Location: Allemansrätt Wilderness Park, 31316 N. Olinda Trail, Lindstrom. There will be a ½ mile walk from registration to the work site

Named after a Swedish term meaning the citizens right of public access to wilderness, Allemansrätt Wilderness Park is a 125-acre city park that is home to high quality oak forest, wetlands, lakeshore, diverse wildlife, unique glacial geology, and several miles of trails. Volunteers are needed to plant trees in the eastern peninsula of Allemansrätt Wilderness Park, an old family farm that is now a part of the park. Snacks will be provided throughout the morning and a late lunch will be served at 12:30pm. We provide all of the equipment and no prior experience is necessary!
 
Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome to participate. An adult must accompany children under age 12.
 
Time Commitment: Four hours
 
Contact: volunteer@greatrivergreening.org, 651.665.9500. Registration is available online.
www.greatrivergreening.org/
 
 
Passage Community Birthday Parties!
The Birthday Party Project
 
Date/Time: Thursday, September 21, and Thursday, October 19, 6 - 8pm
 
Location: Passage Community Agency, 17 E. 24th Street, Minneapolis

Join us for monthly birthdays party at the Passage Community Agency. We celebrate all the kiddos with birthdays that month - and all the other families are invited to join the fun! We bring everything needed for an awesome event, but we need volunteers to truly make the party come to life. We spend a half-hour setting up, an hour partying and a half-hour cleaning up. It is truly two hours of joy.

Ages: Children six and up, accompanied by an adult.
 
Time Commitment: Two hours
 
Contact: Allison Dukes, allison@thebirthdaypartyproject.org. Volunteer registration is available online. First time partygoers age 18 and older must complete a background check before volunteering.
www.thebirthdaypartyproject.org

 
 
Fall Yard Cleanup
DARTS
 
Date/Time: Pick your own date and time between October 24 through November 7.
 
Location: Seniors' homes in West St. Paul/South St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights, Eagan, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Farmington or Rosemount

Families can play a crucial role in helping older homeowners in Dakota County area by raking and bagging up leaves this fall. This is a great way for families of all ages to spend time together and connect with a senior. Please bring rakes and gloves.

Ages: Families with children ages five and older are welcome to participate
 
Time Commitment: Two to three hours per yard
 
Contact: Jennifer Pfefferle, jennifer.pfefferle@darts1.org
 
 
Food in the Hood Bloomington
Good in the Hood
 
Date/Time: Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday:
  • Set-up shift: noon - 4pm
  • Distribution shift: 4:30 - 9:30pm
Location: Cedarcrest Church, 1630 East 90th St, Bloomington

Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month Good in the Hood serves hot meals and provides essential groceries for individuals and families in need. Volunteers are needed to help with serving meals, carrying groceries for the elderly, personal shopper assistance, administration, childcare, etc. There are two shifts available:
  • Set-up shift tasks include unloading and sorting food
  • Distribution shift tasks include serving the meal, being a personal shopper for clients; carrying groceries to client's cars and event clean up.
Ages: Families with children are welcome to volunteer. We don't have a specific age restriction; however if the children are very young they will need to work next to their parents in a place that is safe.
 
Time Commitment: Four to five hour shifts
 
Contact: info@goodinthehood.org, 612.440.7463. Registration is available online.
 
 
Cook for Kids
Jeremiah Program
 
Date/Time: Ongoing, Tuesday and Thursday from 4 - 7pm
 
Location: The Jeremiah Program has two campuses:
  • 1510 Laurel Ave, Minneapolis
  • 932 Concordia Ave, St. Paul
The Jeremiah Program is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization using a proven, holistic approach to transform families from poverty to prosperity two generations at a time. Through support for a career- track college education, safe and affordable housing, quality early childhood education, and empowerment and life skills training, Jeremiah Program prepares determined single mothers to succeed in the workforce, readies their children to succeed in school, and reduces generational dependence on public assistance. Volunteers purchase, prepare, and serve a meal for families on the evenings when mothers attend Life Skills programming. We estimate meals serve 30-40 people.

Ages: The minimum age for children is seven years old
 
Time Commitment: This is a one-time opportunity although many groups sign-up multiple times over the course of a year.
 
Contact: Meghan Redmond, mredmond@jeremiahprogram.org or 651.332.5006
www.jeremiahprogram.org
 
 
Get Involved with The Family Partnership! 
The Family Partnership
 
Date/Time: Flexible, contact Willie Roller III, wroller@thefamilypartnership.org, 612.341.1600. Please contact Willie Roller III prior to starting a project.
 
Location: 4123 E Lake St, Minneapolis. Contact Willie Roller III to make drop-off arrangements.

The mission of the Family Partnership is to build strong families, vital communities, and better futures for children. Here are five ways you and your family can help their clients:

Assemble Healthy Snack Bags:
Volunteers are needed to assemble healthy snack bags for the hundreds of children, teens, and adults served each day at The Family Partnership's five locations and four drop-in childcare sites. Click here for snack bag directions.
Decorate Journals for Teens and Adults:
Journaling can be a very powerful therapeutic tool. Volunteers are needed to make journals for clients of The Family Partnership. You can take a composition book or spiral notebook and turn it into a journal by decorating the cover. Your family or group could assemble journals from scratch if you have a spiral binding machine.
Make Stress Balls:
The Family Partnership counseling services help people struggling with a wide range of challenges: abuse, depression, anxiety, trauma, grief/loss and life transitions. Stress balls help their clients focus. You and your family can help by making and donating these stress balls. Click here for directions on how to make stress balls.
Provide Calendars for Clients:
The Family Partnership provides calendars to give to youth and adult clients so they can keep track of meetings, appointments, homework assignments, etc. Almost any kind of calendar would be fine but a monthly wall-type calendar or a one-week- on-a-page planner type calendar would be ideal.
Coloring books and crayons:
Collect and donate coloring books and crayons for clients of The Family Partnership. Please don't include coloring books that are religious or that could be considered offensive.

Ages: Everyone can participate
 
Time Commitment: Varies, depending on project
 
Contact: Willie Roller III, wroller@thefamilypartnership.org, 612.341.1600
www.thefamilypartnership.org

 
The Washburn Games
Washburn Center for Children
 
Date/Time: Sunday, September 24, 1:30 - 4:30pm
 
Location: Bryn Mawr Meadows, 601 Morgan Ave. S, Minneapolis

Kids + three hours of recess + giving back to the community = the fun-filled Washburn Games! Come play rugby, soccer, lacrosse, cricket, karate, football, yoga and more at the Washburn Games, a noncompetitive sports sampler for children ages 4 - 12. Kids can discover their favorite sport (before parents sign them up for a season they don't like) and give back to the community. All participants receive a t-shirt, medal, goodie bag and the joy of helping others. Plus, there's a chance to win amazing prizes, including a $1,000 educational scholarship! All proceeds benefit Washburn Center for Children, a Twin Cities nonprofit helping kids struggling with depression, anxiety and other emotional challenges.
 
Ages: Children ages 4-12 may participate in the event.
 
Time Commitment: Four hours
 
Contact: Liz Jones, Development and Events Coordinator, ljones@washburn.org, 612.872.3316. $10 minimum donation per child will be collected when you register online . (Registration at the event will be $15 per child)
 
Come Help Us Clean and Refurbish Bikes Gently Used Bikes
Free Bikes 4 Kidz
 
Date/Time: October 9 through December 1. Shifts are:
  • 9am - noon
  • Noon - 3pm
  • 3 - 6pm
  • 6 - 9pm
Location: Metro location, see our website for details and directions

Volunteers are needed to haul, move and organize over 5,000 bikes! Join the Cleaners, Preppers, or Mechanics for a shift to repair bikes. We need volunteers of all skill levels to help us move and clean bikes. We love folks with mad bike repair skills, but if you and your family members are handy with rags, we can put you to work. This is a super fun way for a family to volunteer together. The more the merrier! No experience necessary. Help us share the joy of having a bike with more kids!
 
Ages: Responsible children ages 10 or older are welcome to volunteer with an adult. Youth groups with ages older than 12 are welcome, but we ask for a 1:5 adult to child ratio.
 
Time Commitment: Three hour shifts
 
Contact: Catherine at catherine@fb4k.org or visit our website to sign up!

 
Adopt Everyday Big-Hearted Habits
Doing Good Together
 
Date/Time: Flexible
 
Location: Your home and community
 
We are what we do. By adopting one or two simple, caring routines, you'll give your children a strong sense of themselves as helpers. In this way, big-hearted habits empower kids to become thoughtful, engaged citizens throughout their lives. Visit the Big-Hearted Families Adopt Everyday Big-Hearted Habits page for ideas to add kindness to your everyday family routines.
 
Ages: There are ideas for families with children of all ages.
 
Time Commitment: Varies
 
Contact:  mail@doinggoodtogether.org
www.doinggoodtogether.org
 
 
Take DGT's 30-Day Back-To-School Kindness Challenge!

Big-hearted families may be familiar with our popular 30-Day Kindness Challenge and our Summer of Kindness Bucket List. Now with the fall season upon us, we're offering children and tweens/teens their own "30-Day Back-To-School Kindness Challenge"! These unique ideas help students focus on daily acts of kindness before, during, and after the school day. Let's make the 2017-18 school year the kindest one ever! Print and post yours today. Choose from the elementary grade and/or upper grade challenge.
 
 

 

Like me on Facebook Follow me on Twitter Find me on Pinterest  View on Instagram 

 

If you received this email from someone else and would like to subscribe, please click here.

 

 
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. 
                                                                            

                                                                                                     © 2017 Doing Good Together™