We at Hands On Twin Cities decided it was time to venture into the blogging world to let you know what we're up to, and to give you an outlet to share stories and comments about volunteering. It is our hope that by visiting the blog, you will not only learn something from us, but from each other as well. We invite you to share stories, comments and suggestions on the topic at hand, as well as topics you would like to see discussed in the future.

For those who are new to Hand On Twin Cities, let me briefly tell you about us. We are the link between volunteers and volunteer opportunities. There are over 350 non-profit organizations that are affiliated with us and thousands of their volunteer opportunities can be found on our website. It is a great and easy way to find exactly what you are looking for in a volunteer position. While volunteerism is the foundation of our organization, we also feel that learning about the issues facing the Twin Cities is of equal importance. It is then easier to see the true impact you are having as a volunteer and to better understand what can be done in the future. With that said, the purpose or intention of our particular blog is to further inform you about issues facing the community and to take it a step further by letting you know what you can do about those issues.

The first issue we would like your thoughts and comments about is homelessness. You need to do nothing more than drive the streets of Minneapolis or St. Paul to know that homelessness is a serious problem in our community. As of October 23, 2003, there were approximately 20,347 people who were considered homeless in Minnesota; over 10,000 of these are children or young adults. Each night shelters around the Metro provide haven for approximately 7,000 individuals while unfortunately nearly 1,000 individuals are turned away due to lack of space. Homelessness unequally affects communities of color. In Hennepin County alone, 68% of homeless adults are people of color.

Lack of affordable housing and economic development greatly contribute to the homelessness crisis in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Family Housing Fund, 68,900 renter households have incomes lower than $10,000 in the metro area, however there are only 31,200 housing units that would be affordable at this income level. Effective public policy can promote wide-ranging prevention strategies along with making certain there is affordable housing and a continuum of services available to the homeless population. Click here to read our issue briefing.

Hands On Twin Cities works with many organizations that specialize in the area of homelessness and hunger, including (but certainly not limited to) Simpson Housing Services, The Link, and Rebuilding Together Twin Cities. While these organizations are continually making advances in alleviating this issue there is still much that is needed to be done. Please view our Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities page to see what you can do to help out.

Be the Change. Volunteer.