Sponsor A Youth

Lutheran Social Service, Metro Homeless Youth Programs

Date/Time: Oct-Dec annually. There is still a need for sponsors to provide gifts for homeless youth and their children. Please sign up ASAP so gifts can be distributed before the holidays.

Location: The gift drop off location is in the Midway area of St. Paul, MN

Brighten the holidays for homeless youth and their children by shopping for and donating gifts. The holidays are a difficult time for many of these youth; the gifts that sponsors provide for the youth and their children not only supply basic needed items but they also let the youth know that there is someone in the community who is thinking about them during the holidays.

Ages: All ages - great for families, individuals and groups!

Sponsors can receive wish lists that youth have completed, donate "fill in gifts," or a combination of both.

Time Commitment: One time or annually

Contact: Anna Meyer, 651-470-8801 or [email protected] if you're interested in being a sponsor.

LOVE IN[DEED]
WooddaleChurch

Date/Time: Saturday, December 4, 8:30 am-Noon

Location: Wooddale Church Gym, Door 5

6630 Shady Oak Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55344

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.

Ages: All ages are welcome.

Time Commitment: 3.5 hours

Contact: Visit www.wooddale.org/loveindeed or call 952-944-6300 for more information.

Christmas Meal Volunteers

Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly

Date/Time: Saturday, December 25, noon-2pm

Location: TBD

Help brighten the Christmas holiday for clients of Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly at their annual Christmas Meal event. There are numerous ways you and your family can help:

• Drive elder participants to the dinner site, eat and visit with them during the event, and drive them home afterward. Total time commitment is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Deliver a meal and have a brief visit with an elder participant unable to attend the dinner on Christmas Day. Meal pick up time is at 12:30; total time commitment would be about 2 hours.
• Act as companions to elder participants at the dinner site. These are elders who will be arriving without a driving companion and need friendly volunteers to sit, eat and visit with them during the event. Total time commitment is from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ages: All ages can participate

Time Commitment: Two to four hours, depending on which volunteer option you choose.

Contact: Carolyn Swenson, [email protected], 612-746-0753

Peace Dinner

Hands On Twin Cities Impact Now

Date/Time: Tuesday, December 28, 5:45-8:30pm

Be a part of an event that brings people of all backgrounds together! Each month The Liemandt Foundation hosts a Peace Dinner (family style dinner + activities) for families and youth in North Minneapolis. The event creates a time and place conducive to mutual relationship building, where all voices can be heard, community and family treasures can be recognized and celebrated, and genuine needs can be served. Volunteers will engage in various roles from leading youth activities to greeting guests. The Project Coordinator will share the available roles once a volunteer registers for a project.

Ages: Volunteers as young as 6 are welcome with adult supervision. To register volunteers under 18, call 612-379-4900. All volunteers under 18 must bring a youth waiver signed by a parent/guardian.

Time Commitment: 2.75 hours

Contact: Hands on Twin Cities, 612-379-4900, [email protected] www.handsontwincities.org

CREATE "WE CARE" PACKAGES

Meals on Wheels

Date/Time: Create in your home at your own convenience. Deliver completed packages by mid-December

During the holidays, meal recipients are given a special goodie bag to say, "We care." To make it as easy as possible for individuals and groups to contribute to the program, we have established guidelines. Following these guidelines will ensure that your contribution reaches Twin Cities Meals on Wheels recipients properly.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place contents in a shoe box or gift bag.

2. Cushion contents with bright tissue or wrapping paper to make it more festive. Fill the

bag or box with new, unopened, labeled items from this list:

• Sharpened pencils, pens, highlighters or Post-It notes
• Stationery, notecards, stamped envelopes
• Sports socks and/or slippers
• Magnifying glasses
• Small first-aid kits
• Puzzle books (large print is helpful)
• Potholders, jar top grippers, or other useful kitchen supplies
• Shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash, lotion, deodorant, cotton balls, Q-tips, tissues
• Toothbrushes and/or toothpaste
• Sewing kits
• Combs/brushes (packaged), nail clippers, emery boards

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

• NO FOOD. Many of our clients are on special diets.
• NO ADVERTISING. This goes especially for prescription or over-the-counter
• medications.
• NO INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. We can accept donations of completed packages only. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to store, select and assemble individual items.
• PLEASE - Wrap each "We Care Package" so that we can take a peek in each box ensure the contents haven't spilled in transit!

3. Enclose a cheery card if you'd like, with a general greeting such as "Happy Holidays" or "Winter Greetings." (Keep the message secular in nature because MOW serves clients of many faiths and beliefs.) And don't forget to sign your name!

Ages: All

Contact: E-mail [email protected] or call 612.623.3363 with any questions or to

find out where to deliver your completed projects.

www.meals-on-wheels.com

Warm Holidays Kits

Our Saviour's Housing

Date/Time: At your convenience

Location: 2219 Chicago Avenue S., Minneapolis

Homeless and formerly-homeless residents in all of Our Saviour's housing programs need some care around the holiday season. By providing a gift, you warm the residents' hearts and bodies.

Our Saviour's Housing is collecting gift bags for their adult residents, each containing:

• Socks (one or more pairs)
• Hat
• Mittens or gloves
• $5 Target gift card
• Candy, cookies, snack mixes, cocoa, or other treats

Create one gift or create many! Gifts can be packaged any way you'd like; you may also decorate the gifts or include a card.

Ages: Minimum age 3

Time Commitment: a few hours

Contact: Colleen O'Connor Toberman at [email protected], 612-872-4193, ext 25

www.osom-mn.org

Adopt A Family

Kinship of Greater Minneapolis

Date/Time: Shop and assemble at your convenience but wrapped gifts need to be brought to the distribution center on Wednesday, December 15 or Thursday, December 16

Location: Call for location

Kinship is a national mentoring program, which matches individuals, couples and families to children who need additional adult support. Most of the Kinship families come from financially disadvantaged homes. As a result, the holiday times add an additional burden to the families' lives. Your can "adopt" a family for gift giving:

• Decide how many people you would like to sponsor. (For example, one person or a family of 2, 3, 4, etc. or even more than one family.) This decision is usually based on the amount you're able to spend. (Use $50.00 per person as a guide.)
• Kinship will provide you the wish lists from the recipient families in a timely manner.
• Your family shops, wraps and brings gifts back to distribution sites.
• Kinship arranges the anonymous distribution of gifts to the recipient families.

Ages: All family members can participate

Time Commitment: Varies, includes shopping, wrapping gifts and bringing gifts back to distribution sites.

Contact: Penny Kallas, Anoka County Kinship Director, 763-862-6755 cell [email protected]

kinship.org